Player Feature: Kily Egan

Kily Egan poses for her Player Feature. (Photo: Tom Arnison | GFX: Tyler Navas and Crystal Hunter)

Kily Egan has been a key member of Edgewater Castle FC's Women's First Team's offense over her past two years at the club, serving as a reliable center midfielder. In this part of our Player Feature series, Egan discusses overcoming injury as both a player and as a person, her life as a part of an engineering firm outside of the pitch, and what ECFC means to her.

What’s your earliest memory of playing soccer, and when did you realize you wanted to play it in your adult life?

“The first team I played on was called the Red Dragons, and it was just a rec league for little kids, you know, to run around in circles and pretend like we had any idea what we were doing. While most people were picking flowers, my parents actually told me that I was a little firecracker on the field, and from the first time I kicked the ball, they knew it was going to be my sport. I’d say being away from the game for an injury is what made me realize [I wanted to play in adult life]. [In high school] I wasn’t sure I wanted to continue playing the game. And then [in] my junior year of high school, I tore my ACL and so I was away from the game, obviously, for a while, and it was awful. I remember [that] being away from the pitch for five and a half months was brutal. I knew then I would probably take every opportunity to play the game, even in my adult life. They told me I was going to be out for nine to 12 months, and I remember sitting there like, ‘I can’t do that.’ So, I sped up my recovery, came back in five and a half months and did everything I possibly could to get recruited.” 

What was the biggest challenge you faced on your journey to becoming a semi-professional soccer player?

“I think so many athletes go through a lot of different types of battles, but I think the biggest one for me, for a lot [of people], is just the mental battle. Tearing my ACL was definitely a really difficult time. But I think the biggest challenge I’ve had to face is kind of, like maintaining my confidence and just remembering why I play. It’s so easy to get wrapped up in playing time and statistics that someone can easily forget why they picked up a ball in the first place. I’ve kind of had to spend a lot of time figuring out how to reground myself, especially in the grind of the season, and get out of my own head. I still have to do that at times today, but that’s probably the biggest challenge I’ve had to face.” 

Who has been the most influential coach or mentor in your career?

“Ty Smith. He coached me in Cincinnati when I was younger for a club called Kings Soccer Academy. He was actually the first coach to teach me the power of self confidence. He created these scoring sheets and at the end of every season, he would rank us one to five on various aspects of the game, from soccer IQ or first touch or winning the ball in the air, whatever it may be. Five was like ‘you’re perfect’ and one was like ‘you’re terrible.’ He added a category on self confidence and I remember, instead of putting a number for mine, he just put a question mark. It was like the first time I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’ He was like, ‘I don’t know if you have the confidence. Do you?’ And I couldn’t answer that question. It was the first time I learned that believing in yourself is 90% of the battle, and that’s what pushed me to continue to figure out why I’m here and knowing my own abilities over anyone else.” 

Is there a moment in your career you’re most proud of?

“I think it was my junior year of college. [North Central College] were in the CCIW semifinals against Illinois Wesleyan, who was one of our biggest rivals at the time, and we had so much trouble even getting to the finals of the tournament. I remember that game. My coach pulled me aside and was like, ‘you really need to step up today. This is going to be a really tough game for us.’ I ended up scoring two goals that game and we won six to three or something. It was a big scoring game. It was really exciting and it shifted the momentum of the program as a whole, because we had never made it that far in the tournament. Now, North Central is considered one of the powerhouses in the CCIW, so that felt like a really big year and a big moment that I kind of helped contribute to move the program forward in that way.” 

What does your typical day look like during the season vs. during the offseason?

“I work full-time at an engineering firm called Burns and McDonnell. So, that fills up most of my day in both the season and off season. I work your typical 40 hour weeks. After work during the season, I still play pick up soccer and I’m really into running. I’m training to run the Chicago Marathon this year, so most of my time is filled with pick up soccer or running, and then normal Edgewater practice. In the off season, I just do a lot more recreation. I play at the Fire pitch a lot.” 

 How do you handle pressure or nerves before big games?

“I’d say my best tactic is to remember my ‘why.’ We did an exercise in college where we wrote down on a note card why we started playing soccer in the first place, and remembering back to that question really helps me get out of my head and get excited to kick a ball around with a bunch of incredible women who love the game as much as I do.” 

“My ‘why’ for soccer is fully the fact that I get to escape the reality of life sometimes. I get very anxious and I can get in really up my head and remembering that when I step out on the field I am in this completely different world and forget what’s going on in reality and play a game I’ve loved for as far as I can remember.” 

If you weren’t playing soccer semi-professionally, what do you think you’d be doing instead?

“Honestly, I would still be playing recreationally. I would definitely find a way to be involved in with the soccer community. I’d probably coach or support teams like Edgewater. I love how involved the community is, and I would definitely want to take a role in that if I wasn’t on the field.” 

Why did you join ECFC?  

“It was definitely because I love the community. I think the club embodies passion and grit, and bringing so many people together. I love that I have the opportunity to represent Edgewater, even if it’s just through soccer, and meeting so many incredible people, and playing soccer with some of my now best friends is definitely an added bonus.” 

What has been your favorite memory with the team?

“I have two really big ones. First was winning the Region 2 Cup last year. That was really amazing. We had so many fans there and the energy was incredible. So many different players stepped up that game and showed up and showed out, which is really what we needed, especially because the game was so back and forth. I scored a goal off a really nice ball from Kris Boos, who is now one of our assistant coaches, and it felt like a big momentum shift in the game. That kind of feels good to reflect on. My second favorite memory would be against Indiana United last year. We won, I think, four to one, and I scored two goals. It was just a really exciting moment where I feel like I gained a lot of confidence on the field.” 

What is your favorite pregame song?

“There’s so many. I like a lot of different types of music. I think one that I’ve had for years is Titanium by David Guetta and Sia.”

Who’s your favorite soccer player?

“Rose Lavelle. She grew up in Cincinnati. I got the opportunity to meet her. It was super cool. She trained at the same facility that I did for a few summers, so I got to see her from a distance. One day, I got the courage to be like, ‘oh my gosh, hi. I wanted to tell you that you’re amazing.’”  

What’s your favorite pregame meal?

“I eat so many random things. It’s probably a rice cake with peanut butter, banana, honey and mini chocolate chips.” 

What advice would you give to young players who want to continue playing soccer in their adult life?

“To stay grateful. Remember how lucky you are to have the opportunity to play when you’re younger and to continue playing the game in your adulthood. Just remember how much fun it is when you get to take the field and spend 90 minutes in this completely different headspace. These moments won’t be here forever. Remember to soak up every second of it that you possibly can and to take advantage of being on the field with awesome teammates and great coaches.”