with Kazarie Kephart, Ellie Gess, and Michelle Escobar.
Notre Dame College athletics has picked up a lot of athletes in a myriad of ways. For former NDC Women's soccer star forward Kazarie Kephart it was a trip to the World Cup. She recounted that story:
"My recruiting process was a little different than the average student-athlete,"Kephart mentioned."I graduated high school and decided not to pursue any college offers and did two years of college at the University of Utah before I had a bit of a very early life crisis. I took a trip to the Women's World Cup in 2019 in Lyon,France. While I was there, I realized how much I missed playing the game and how foolish I was to not continue playing the sport after high school. I knew I had offers and a recruiting profile, so while I was in France about to watch the U.S. Women's National Team play France, I called my older sister Kylee (the one who knows me the best) and told her how sad I was I did not play in college. 'What program would want a sophomore who hasn't played NCAA at all? ' I cried to her on the phone."
"My sister, a school counselor, encouraged me to put myself in the transfer portal. She had more hope in me than I had in myself at the time. And boy did I need that," Kephart said.
"While I was abroad I got on my phone and updated my recruiting profile and put myself into the NCAA portal. It was then that I got a text from a former teammate, (NDC Goalie) Kyra McDowell, saying hey, heard you are looking to transfer. You should come to NDC. Shortly after that, I got an email from Coach (Mike) Shiels asking about my interest and mentioning he had a girl on the team who had played with me in Utah. I talked to Shiels on the phone later that week, and he was willing to take a chance on me. Kyra clearly put in a good word for me and I got my letter of intent while I was in Europe. I came home and signed it and moved across the country to play for NDC two months later. So in a crazy way, NDC found me and I found NDC."
Kephart also told me that she learned a lot about work ethic at NDC.
Everything from never being late to 5 AM conditioning to learning better time management skills to taking a much needed nap for the second practice of the day at 3:30.
Kephart also learned the power of friendships:
"My teammates were/are my family and building those relationships taught me how important those relationships are in your life," she said.
Kephart then spoke about where her passion came from:
"My love for soccer for soccer came from the rec/comps leagues I played on growing up. Making friends, going to tournaments, and having the most supportive family to keep me playing and motivated. I loved playing every sport growing up. Soccer was always an escape for me and brought me so much joy!"
"Kaz is an amazing teammate. She's dangerous up top as a forward with her speed and she can honestly fly by anyone," NDC teammate Michelle Escobar explained.
Kephart talked about when she met both Escobar and Ellie Gess:
"Michelle and I transferred the same semester, so we went to the same orientation and had a lot of the same prerequisite classes. She was from Oregon and me from Utah. We were both very far from home, so we bonded quickly. Ellie transferred a semester before me, and I remembered meeting her three days before the semester started. (To run a practice or the dreaded beep test. The beep is a maximal test involving continuous running between two lines 20 meters apart in time to record beeps.) She told me she was from Nebraska and I made the comment "Go Huskies! I actually didn't know they were the Huskers, thought they were the Huskies (ha ha.) I am sure she remembers this moment (ha ha.) I ended up living with both of them my senior year which made us lifelong friends/teammates.
"Kaz was someone you could count on to show up for you on and off the field. Her work ethic is admirable along with her positive attitude. Her competitive nature resonated with me because she has so much passion for the game, as do I. I think Kaz brought a lot to the soccer field in terms of speed and efforts. Her ability to blow by people, but also track to defend is a real asset," Gess explained.
Kephart talked about what she learned from her coaches at NDC:
"I learned discipline from Coach Shiels and Coach (Rob) Miller. The importance of being where your position needs to be at all times and the importance of giving 100 percent all the time. If you aren't doing your job on the field, everyone takes the hit. Shiels is one of those coaches that truly cares about his players. Not only in practice and games, but in life after graduation. I had many meetings with Shiels about internships and connecting with NDC alumni to help me after graduation. He helps guide his players in the game and outside of it. Granted some days were rough, but that's college sports."
Gess agreed:
"Coach Shiels and Miller are one of a kind. They both bring something to the table as coaches and mentors. They balance each others styles in terms of roles they play. I value their advice and hold them in high regard. You can't teach experience and experience is what they have. They know how to treat you as a player, but more importantly as a person. The coaches made me feel at home when I was undress of miles away from my own family.
Escobar gave added insight on the coaching staff:
"Both Shiels and Rob were knowledgeable about the game and I liked how they wanted us to keep the ball and make smart plays instead of playing kickball and turning the ball over."
Kephart spoke about the transition from Utah to NDC:
"Coming from a big school like the University of Utah I saw how close and personal NDC felt to me. The classes weren't 200+kids and I could see familiar faces everyday. I loved the camaraderie each sport had for each other. Soccer girls hung out with the men's soccer team, softball, lacrosse, basketball, it was a school full of athletes."
Kephart spoke of growing up playing the game:
"I was six years old when I played in the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO.) I ended up playing in the older age bracket and out running the nine year olds, before my coaches/parents thought it would be best to put me in a more competitive league. As for the position I played and have always played, I have always been a forward, a striker through and through."
When asked who the two athletes are who she had admired she gave me a couple names. The first one was Olympic gold medalist forward, Sydney Leroux and US Women's national team striker and San Diego Wave FC star, Alex Morgan. This was a quick thought on that from Kephart:
"I was always the fastest one on the field growing up and watching those two players helped me recognize my strengths in that. I couldn't do the fancy dribbling, but I could see my teammates pass, and outrun just about anyone on the field."
Gess answered the same question:
"I really admire retired player, coach, and member of the Hall of Fame Abby Wombach, she is an absolute weapon on the field. I always loved her grit and headers in the box. I think watching her helped me ignore the fear and try to win headers from corners."
Then Kephart talked about being a part of the 2020 MEC MEC Championship squad:
"The 2020 MEC Championship season was the most emotional time for me. The pandemic played a huge factor in how we interacted with each other and how we just lived life. The seniors on the squad at the time had one goal in mind. That was to get revenge from the 2019 season and be in the running for the MEC Championship. It was a difficult season filled with lineup changes and COVID tests. We all knew this was the last time we would all be playing together. It was emotional but beautiful at the same time. Scoring that game winning goal in the final game of my career was the most picture perfect moment."
Gess remembered it well also: "It was thus far the best day of my life, that feeling of laying on the turf in a championship t-shirt next to your best friends after you busted your butt for 90+minutes, there is nothing like it. I am grateful to have been a part of it."
Then Kephart talked about the best part of being on that squad:
"The best part of this and all NDC teams was having friends around the world and country. It was/is hard to go back home to Utah and leave my best friends behind when it was all over. Playing this sport always kept us close and in touch even to this day."
My senior year had a special group of girls on the team," Escobar stated. "The seniors on that team were leaders and we were all motivated to win the MEC, especially after losing in the semi-finals the year prior. I loved our squad and I loved even more that my best friend (Kaz) was the one who scored the game winning goal. Being at Concord hit a soft spot for lots of girls on the team because the year prior Concord beat us in the semifinals and were very loud and obnoxious about it. So we knew we had a point to make that we deserved to win. Someone had to stop Concord's winning streak and I'm beyond happy it was our squad that got to do it. Once that buzzer hit 0 minutes it was such a surreal and emotional experience."
Kephart told me what she would say to anyone who says that soccer is boring:
"I think anyone who calls soccer boring should watch more women's soccer. Men's leagues like to be theatrical with their fouls, but women? We just really keep playing through it all. People who grow up playing the game understand the love for it and I know that even the slowest of games is never boring."
Gess answered the same question:
"I would say that they don't understand this beautiful game and I would also say they are probably American. There are many different sports in the United States that people are more inclined to watch, so I think it detours people from it. Also Americans are not used to games ending in ties lol."
Then Gess talked of her competitive nature:
"I am very competitive and I have played many different sports growing up, but my dad always had a special love for the game growing up playing soccer in Germany so he invested it in me. I played competitively since I was young and fell in love with the grind. I always wanted to play in college because not only are college sports fun and exciting, they also teach you so many life skills about time management, teamwork, persevering through adversity, the list goes on. All things I use in my daily life now. When I was in high school I knew I wanted to be a nurse, but also didn't want to stop playing soccer. So I pursued a soccer scholarship to continue playing as well as pay for my nursing school. It was not easy getting there, but looking back it taught me a lot about myself; to never give up on a dream just because someone says no."
Escobar talked about playing alongside Kephart:
"It was a great experience playing alongside Kaz and she made made my job as a midfielder a lot easier. I knew her playing playing style and she liked the ball in front of her most of the time. Also I knew how she wanted the ball at her feet after making multiple runs."
Escobar talked about how so many games went down to the wire in that championship season:
"It was crazy the amount of games we let get into overtime. That shows how competitive that season was for obvious reasons. Golden goals, 10 minute halves, or was it 15 minute halves? I don't think we all cared about the rules. Just that we came out with a win."
Then Escobar spoke about her role:
"I have always played on the defensive side of the ball. Learning to adjust was difficult but over time I feel like I conquered the offensive role."
Escobar told me that she always enjoyed watching (Carles) Puyol (from Barcelona.) "He was always so hungry for the ball and an amazing leader. It was rare for anything to get past him. Tobin Heath was also a player I enjoyed watching because of her fancy flare while on the ball but also made very smart plays."
Then she talked about her love of soccer:
"My love of soccer came from watching my dad and my brother play. I used to always go to their soccer games as a little girl and it motivated me to follow in their tracks. I've always known I wanted to play college soccer. Growing up I played on competitive teams. My parents did everything they could to set me up to play college soccer which included going to camps., traveling, and reaching out to schools."
The relationship she has with Kephart is a positive one:
"I can honestly say Kaz is my best friend and I will forever thank NDC for bringing us together. We were both transfer students our first year at NDC and our friendship clicked right away. She is so easy to talk to, outgoing, caring, and funny."
Then the question of the biggest misconception came up:
"DII or DI, the biggest misperception about soccer is the amount of work you have to put in. Being an athlete and a student is both rigorous and rewarding. Some think that DII is not as hard or rigorous or rewarding as DI. Looking at the bigger picture and experience I have I would go to a DII school all over again," Kephart said.
"I grew up playing soccer and basketball on many different teams, but there is nothing like college soccer. It is the most challenging yet rewarding job out there while trying to study to get a real world job. Those girls were like sisters to me and many still are. When you travel together and practice each and everyday you become really close and they become your family away from family, " Gess explained.
Gess gave the final thought:
"Kaz and I were roommates in college as well as full time teammates. We traveled together, went out together, and lived together yet somehow never got sick of each other. She's one of those friends who although we live on opposite sides of the country, I know we can just pick up where we left off anytime."
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