In this episode of Inside Westchester, Steve Padernacht sits down with one of the young New York area natives on the club, former Marist College star Kyle Evans to discuss his path in soccer, from making the difficult decision to leave college behind to pursuing the professional game at just 20 years old.
Kyle has made an immediate impact on WSC, as in his first match he became the youngest goalscorer in club history with his stoppage-time finish against One Knoxville in the season opener, notching his first professional goal at age 20 years, 146 days old, surpassing the mark of Ermin Mackic (20 years, 174 days) set in last year’s inaugural season. He is also one of only two players to have started all eight regular season games so far, and continues to build confidence as the WSC season progresses.
Things we learned and to listen for:
Background
– From Monticello, New York, Kyle Evans started his soccer career at Red Bull Academy. During this time, he would practice with his dad, who was the Women’s Soccer coach and is now men’s coach at Pace University, and his team.
– Challenges
– During his time at Marist (where he ended up being selected All MAAC first team), Kyle suffered two ankle injuries in his freshman Year, which slowed his development for a short time.
Not only did this sideline him from soccer, but it also created a significant mental challenge for him, as he had never been tested with adversity in his soccer career up until this point.
– Mentality
– Evans got past this adversity by turning to the church, the Bible, and God; leading Kyle to gain a more positive mindset on life. This adversity also led Kyle to become a more humble athlete, as he realized he is blessed to be in the situation he is currently in. Now, Kyle has stopped being so tense before soccer matches and has turned to a more relaxed and tranquil mindset.
– Routines
– Part of creating this relaxed mindset is Kyle’s morning routines. On a game day, Kyle wakes up early and eats pancakes or waffles with eggs and bacon. He then goes on to watch YouTube or Netflix, followed by his pumpkin spice tea, before a game. However, most importantly, Kyle spends time each morning writing down positive affirmations and manifestations in a notebook to get in the proper mindset for a game.
You can listen…and watch, the full episode here.
WSC returns to action at home this Friday vs. NY Cosmos.
