Being a three-sport athlete takes a lot of commitment and focus. It does not matter what sport you are in during that season -- you're committed to doing your best to help your team make a run for what everyone hopes for.... a state championship. Nokomis senior Kylee Elderkin had everything you wanted in an athlete. From leadership to determination, nothing stopped Elderkin from playing the sports she loved to be around, but when senior year came, Elderkin's love for the game changed -- and so did her life outside of school. In the interview that follows, Elderkin talks about her choices, and how they have impacted her now.
Marquis: What are your two best sports memories from your sports career, as either a player or a fan?
Kylee Elderkin: One of my best memories was sophomore year soccer season, we had a different coach then we do now, but I tried my hardest in soccer tryouts. The season started off pretty rough, not getting a lot of playing time, then as the season went on making my way up to the starting lineup as the starting right back. This move for me happened in the middle of the season, and I did not look back from there. My other favorite memory is junior year, playing basketball. We played Bangor and it was not a very good game, a very slow start for us. We were down by a lot and we had not scored yet. I got put into the game in the middle of the first quarter and ended up scoring the first points of the game for us.
Marquis: Now do you think in soccer, you coming in as a sophomore and ending up taking a starting spot, do you think that was the main factor to you becoming a young leader and building your confidence?
Kylee Elderkin: Yeah! it was definitely building my confidence, it made me feel like I was actually useful because sports haven't always been the best for me. I have always struggled with a lot of parts in the sports I play. I mean, I have only been playing soccer since eighth grade. I used to play field hockey, so I switched. I had no idea if I was going to like it coming in or not now playing for Nokomis. It has helped a lot, now building up to where I am now as an ex-athlete now, and as a person overall.
Marquis: What have been your toughest struggles in your sports career that you have dealt with?
Kylee Elderkin: Definitely skill-wise I am not as good as most of the players I play next to, but I kept working and then eventually I would get there, and I knew it would take time, but when I got there it felt really good.
Marquis: Who has influenced you the most in your sports career?
Kylee Elderkin: Definitely my parents, even with the rough year that I have had, they have always stood by me, always been supportive of my decisions even when I didn't play. They would always be at my games telling me I did a good job for the 30 seconds I did get into the game. They were just the support I needed to stick through it.
Marquis: What has been your best achievement (individual or team)?
Kylee Elderkin: Individually, sophomore year I received my varsity letter, that was definitely a good thing for me. I put in a lot of work, a lot of money and a lot of time for every sport that I played. As a team, just the connections that we have had for the past 3 years and the good memories that we have made from each sport and each game. Even though some of the teams I played on were not as successful as we wanted to, I gained a lot of friendships from each experience.
Marquis: Would you say your school team had a better bond than your summer league teams?
Kylee Elderkin: I mean, it's hit or miss both ways. Summer you have a lot more to do so you are bonding a lot more, but during the school year, I feel like you have more of a connection because you see the people you play with every single day. You get that group of people that you hangout with all of the time in here, outside of school and on the fields. Just overall I think school is a lot better than summer.
Marquis: What advice would you give to future Nokomis athletes?
Kylee Elderkin: Don't let the drama and the outside world affect you as a player because you know that you belong there. And don't let the people on your team or the coaches affect you. Just put in your effort and give it your best shot, that's all that you can really do.
Marquis: So, kind of moving into this year now, what were the main factors in you stepping away from the sports you loved to play?
Kylee Elderkin: Like I said previously, the last couple years have been tough, but I have my future and sports, I don't plan on playing any, maybe 1 sport in college, but I don't feel like sports in high school were helping me get where I wanted to be, so I decided to take steps back from sports and just work. This decision has helped me a lot to get where I need to be to be able to pay for college and I just felt like that was a better decision than me putting in effort and not going where I want to go.
Marquis: Now today, do you have any regrets from middle or high school sports?
Kylee Elderkin: I definitely missed soccer season when the end of the season came. I did get a little emotional over it because that was probably the best team I have played with in my 4 years. That's where I met my best friend , that's when everything started from my Freshman year.
Marquis: Thanks for your time Kylee, and good luck with your future plans and decisions!
