Nazareth Academy has a great reputation for having determined, hard -working, and talented athletes participate in the school’s many sports. However, one particular dedicated athlete stands out and is featured this quarter, and that would have to be the one and only Kayla Kinniry, class of 2023!

Kayla began her soccer career at the early age of 5 years old and has continued the sport ever since. Kayla is the second Kinniry of her household that has attended Nazareth and is part of the soccer team, following in her sister’s footsteps, Kirstyn Kinniry, who graduated in the class of 2020. Kinniry is an important part of the Nazareth Soccer Team, starting varsity when she was just a freshman and remains a
valuable component of the team. She comments, “I enjoy the Nazareth soccer program because it teaches you not only soccer but how to be a good teammate.” Her favorite part about playing soccer is “learning new things every day and being a part of the team.” Not only does she play for her school team, but she also plays for her traveling club team too. Sadly, next soccer season will be Kayla’s last season scoring goals as a panda. But, Kayla sees a bright future in soccer, hopefully continuing her athletic career in college.

Kayla brings a positive attitude to the field for every game and sets herself as an inspiration to those who play around her. When asked what advice she would give to anyone that wants to give soccer a try, she says, “Try it out and never give up because it takes a lot of practice!” Kinniry’s best memories of playing soccer are “going to the national championship in Florida with my club team over the summer and playing Nazareth soccer on the same side with my sister when she was a senior, and I was a freshman.”

Soccer may seem like simple fun and games, but there is more to it. As Kayla remarks, “the hardest part of being a soccer player is the mental part of keeping going and realizing it takes time to get and to move on from bad games or plays and to be ready for the next.” Kinniry’s  motivation as she plays soccer is “the amount of time and practice because you never know when your last game is.” Her strong work ethic, in addition to her talented skills on the field, make Kayla Kinniry one of Nazareth’s best soccer players!

This article originally appeared in the October 2021 edition of The Nazareth, Volume XCIIII, No. 1.