The John Brown University’s men’s and women’s soccer teams honored their senior players on Senior Night, where the athletes walked alongside their families and were celebrated by their teammates and a supportive crowd. The event, which took place on Oct. 17 for the men’s team and Oct. 21, for the women’s, was sentimental for several of the seniors that had to say goodbye to their teammates and the field where they played for many years. But for a few of them, the celebration also felt bittersweet as they reflected on the injuries that accompanied them and prevented them from playing their last season.
Ryan Winingham, midfielder, was injured in February during practice and tore her ACL.
“I knew right then and there that something was very wrong. It’s crazy how in a couple of seconds my whole athletic career changed,” Winningham said.
Before her injury, Winingham had had remarkable seasons: she was selected for the NAIA All-American third team in her freshman and sophomore year, honorable mention in her junior year, and earned numerous Sooner Athletic Conference (SAC) awards during those three years.
Following the injury, Winingham had to undergo a year in physical therapy where she had to learn how to bend her knee again and walk. She also dealt with the mental tool that was putting a stop to one of her passions.
“As an athlete, it is so easy to get caught up in letting my abilities and achievements be a measurement of my worth and so in facing this big injury I have had to face the big question of ‘Who is Ryan without soccer?’ For a while, that was a question that was very hard for me to answer, but slowly over time, I have grown in recognizing my identity and worth in the Lord outside of soccer,” Winingham said.
As part of her recovery, Winingham decided to view this season as an opportunity to serve her team outside the field, encouraging them as much as they had during the more difficult times.
For Winingham, Senior Night was filled with sweet as well as nostalgic moments.
“I felt both sad and happy at the same time. It’s such a weird feeling stepping away from a program that has been your life every day for the past four years,” Winingham said.
Adding to the celebration, Winingham was given the opportunity to do an honorary kick-off to start up the match, after which she was subbed by another player.
“I did feel extra loved and celebrated on Senior day. Again, the feeling of thankfulness and gratitude is always so heavy when I reflect on my time at JBU with the women’s soccer program. The kick-off was so fun. They let me suit up for the last time and it was a really cool way of having some closure. Most of my family was able to fly out to be there and just to see them in the stands cheering me on was very special,” Winingham said.
Kylie Kilfoy, center midfielder and co-captain, was injured during an away game and tore her ACL and meniscus early in the season. This was Kilfoy’s fifth year and second chance for a final season given that last year she also tore her meniscus on her other knee and had to step down for the whole season.
Along with her recovery, Kilfoy had to navigate being a captain but not being able to lead on the field.
“It has been really hard because I was so happy to come back from last year’s redshirt season and then not even halfway through the year, I was back in it again,” Kilfoy said. “I have to keep remembering that Jesus is the light of life, not soccer or having prayers answered or walking on two legs. I continually revert my gaze on Him daily and He is my strength, comforter, and source of joy.”
Pam Seiler, forward, faced a similar mishap four minutes into the first game of this season when she planted wrong while pressing the defense and tore her ACL and meniscus.
“It was honestly heartbreaking because I love soccer so much and I feel like soccer is a tool I can use to glorify God. It felt like I was constantly being injured and it was very frustrating,” Seiler said.
Unfortunately for Seiler, throughout her four years with the Golden Eagles, she has played in less than two seasons due to injuries. Nonetheless, this did not stop her from showing off her skills when she could, for she received “Freshman of the Year” for her conference in 2021.
Seiler stressed the immense support she received from her teammates and coaches but confesses that emotionally processing her latest injury has been a real challenge.
“This currently is and will be a huge challenge in my life, but I am so excited to learn more about God’s faithfulness through this time. I suck at resting, but sitting still in God’s presence during this time has been one of the most fruitful experiences. I’ve learned more about who I am, apart from being a soccer player, and I’ve learned more about who God is and how He can provide me comfort and peace that no one else can,” Seiler said.
About Senior Night, Seiler shared that “[it] was honestly very sad and not at all how I always pictured Senior Day would go, but I’m trying very hard to fill a different leadership role on my team off the field! I just wanna be my teammate’s biggest hype woman.”
At the men’s team senior night, escorted by his psychology professor, Samuel Plett also celebrated his career with the Golden Eagles with bittersweet feelings. Plett was injured during the team’s second match of the preseason; he tore his ACL, meniscus and a little bit of the MCL. He had to undergo surgery and is currently in physical therapy.
Plett, who plays as a winger and is originally from Slovakia, shared that he’s still processing his injury and how it changed the way he envisioned his last year at JBU.
“I still don’t know completely if I’m over it. In my first year I didn’t play, my second year I played a little bit; this was going to be my year and I was going to be a core part of the team and that got taken away from me … that’s hard to lose,” Plett said.
Senior night was surprisingly emotional for Plett despite thinking at first it would be just like any other day.
“I didn’t expect it to mean much. When it came, though, it hit me all of a sudden that, ‘Oh, this is probably my retirement from soccer and this is the last time I’ll be on a field with my team,’” Plett said.
He appreciated hearing nice words about his accomplishments and his teammates cheered for him.
“My teammates helped me heal by letting me be their support during the season. I think I’ve been able to have some really good role models and I saw myself in that role this year with a lot of the freshmen; I saw a lot of myself in them and I was able to teach them things I wish I was taught at that age,” Plett said.
The men’s soccer team finished their 2023 season in the Sooner Athletic tournament quarterfinal round after a heartbreaking 1-0 loss on Nov. 3. As for the women’s team, they claimed the SAC tournament championship for the fourth-consecutive season on Nov. 10 and are currently playing NAIA National Championships soccer as First and Second Round hosts. Their next match is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 18, starting at 1 p.m. Watch it live on the SAC Sports Network.
Photo courtesy of Chaney Odden