From High School Hero to College Star: The Soccer Journey of a Rising Athlete

4-year varsity soccer player, Emma Kim graduated from Eastside Catholic in the spring of 2024 and went on to play colligate soccer at Carnegie Mellon. In an exclusive interview with Metro Prep Athletics, Kim shared her journey of transitioning into college and to what her life looks like as a student athlete at a prestigious university.

Starting college is a whirlwind and being an athlete on top of that can make it even harder to find balance and stability in the new scene. Kim felt this firsthand, sharing that her soccer schedule alone was demanding: 2-hour practices every day, 3 1-hour long weight room trainings a week, and multiple meetings and film sessions. On top of that, she had to tack on the studious workload of a first semester college student.

Even with this new and extremely busy schedule, Emma shared that she has no regrets. Carnegie Mellon is a high-level school academically, and according to her, her soccer teammates are a big part of what allows her to handle it all.

“Going into it I was so nervous! But the girls on my team have helped me so much. They helped me move in, find a dorm, and even walk me to class,” shared the rising star when asked about whether or not she was nervous to meet her new team and start the next chapter of her life. At times, the demanding schedule can be stressful, especially with after being selected for the teams travel roster. However, being with her team and playing the game, she loves helps Kim relax or as she put it, “Allows for a break from it all [schoolwork].”

It must also be noted that Carnegie Melon has had an incredible season, which surely made Kim’s transition easier. With an overall record of 11-2-4, they were at one pointed ranked second nationally and ended second in their conference. Emma got her first goal of her collegiate career a few weeks ago and when asked how it felt and how she would compare it to the feeling of scoring in her high school soccer career she stated, “It’s so much different. Collegiate soccer is a totally different game, and you can’t compare the excitement of scoring and playing to anything else.”

Emma was asked what advice she would give to any girls who want to play collegiate soccer, and what they should do to prepare. She stated that the most important thing to do is choose a college that you will love with and without the sport. With injuries being so common and unpredictable in women’s soccer, you never know when something could go wrong, so making sure that no matter what you will be happy with the college you choose is key.

To finish off the interview she stated that the most important thing is to “just enjoy it”. There’s no doubt the freshman has a busy schedule, but at the end of the day she is also grateful for the chance to continue playing the world’s sport at her dream university. This coming weekend her team will be hosting the first round of the NCAA tournament and are hoping to walk away with a win.