Jasmine Aikey: Getting Back Up

Kate Hanson: Welcome back to the 5280 pitch, Women's Soccer Altitude. I'm Kate Hanson. Okay, so my guest today decided at seven years old that they were gonna go to Stanford. Not because of soccer, but because someone told her it was the hardest school in the country to get into. And she thought, well, that's the one. And now here we go. She graduated a computer science degree. ⁓ She has a Herman Trophy and a pro contract with your Denver Summit FC. Today, I'm sitting down with Jasmine Aikey She is number 12 for the Denver Summit and today we're gonna be talking about how you can keep getting back up when things just might be tearing you down a little bit and keep that positive mindset. Jasmine, thank you so much for joining me on the 5280 pitch today.

Jasmine Aikey: Thank you so much for having me, Kate. I'm excited.

Kate Hanson: Well, and you know, I kind of gave a little bit of it but you're from Palo Alto. How did soccer even start for you? Because you ended up at Stanford and you did some amazing things there. But I want to start back at the beginning. Was soccer something that your family really pushed you into? ⁓ Or was it you saying, want to I want to play that sport. Sign me up.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, was more of like that was an AYSO league that was around. I started off with softball because my dad actually missed the first year of signups for soccer. So I started up an AYSO my second year and just fell in love and just kept moving to like a club team and higher club teams. And yeah, I loved it.

Kate Hanson: did grow up and ⁓ stay right from the get-go like you did have softball? That was my sport. ⁓ I played soccer and softball and then I had to make the decision once I got to high school. Things were a little different back then. ⁓ But I got to high school, I had to make the decision between soccer and softball. And I chose softball. I played D2 ⁓ softball. when was it for you that time where you're like, yeah, soccer's it. Soccer's my sport.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, I think I stopped softball at about around 10, and I stopped taekwondo, which is another sport I was doing pretty competitively shortly after. And pretty much since I was 11 or 12, I've kind of specialized in soccer, which is a little early. yeah, for me, it just always a sport I enjoyed the most. I was probably naturally better at softball, but soccer was the one I wanted to do.

Kate Hanson: Taekwondo, that's really interesting that you did that too. Do you think that that helped you learn to kick a little bit better? I think that sometimes when kids are younger, learning how to strike the ball and find that, you the strike bone on their foot and everything is a little tricky. Do you think that because of your martial arts background, it helped you with soccer?

Jasmine Aikey: I think it more so helped me in like a discipline and like perspective. ⁓ There's just certain things that you can't really teach until you go through it. And I think discipline is probably one of them. And I think that doing martial arts at a high level can help with that. ⁓ And then as for like how to strike the ball, I was probably pretty average for a while. And then I... started practicing every day extra and that's probably when I actually learned how to strike the ball. So yeah, a lot of repetition and failure.

Kate Hanson: Yeah, yeah. And I know in California, it is, it's a different beast when it comes to soccer. It's, it's, it's a lot of practices. It is year round. You said that when you were 11, that's probably when you made the decision to go all in on soccer. And then you did have that knee injury when you were younger too. Talk to us about going through that injury when you were at a young age.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, in the grand scheme of things, it was a pretty minor injury, three month recovery. But obviously when you're 12, it's like, oh my gosh, the world is ending. I was lucky. I had a really great support system. I was on a really great club team. You know, my parents got me to go to great PTs and I had a great surgeon. So really it was just like, again, from there, like discipline. It was actually after that injury when I first started weightlifting, because obviously I was pretty young. And when I came back, I was actually like more athletic than when I got injured. So I think that was the first kind of aha moment for me in terms of like putting in the work physically will lead to better outcomes in the future.

Kate Hanson: Yeah, for sure. And weightlifting, that's intense at 12 years old. think that my 11-year-old, she every summer does a camp at Columbine High School where it's three days a week of strength and agility training. And she did it last summer and absolutely loved it. And I was like, really? You're just working out. But she absolutely loved it. And I think that sometimes we don't give kids credit for how just lifting weights and that kind of training can really they see the benefits of it at a young age. like, oh yeah, I am faster, I am stronger. So when you were growing up, did you really decide on this is gonna be my sport? Because I think that after an injury, a lot of times we all have those negative thoughts. Do think that having that taekwondo discipline really helped you stay positive in it and just stay focused on, yeah, this is still what I really wanna do, I'm 12.

Jasmine Aikey: 100%.

Kate Hanson: I can come back from this.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, mean, honestly, I think it wasn't even a thought when I was that young. I was very dedicated to my schoolwork, so I always knew that that was going to be an option for me. ⁓ So I think it was really just a, you know, let me try it and see where it goes, and I can come back from this, and I will. ⁓ And then I had great role models, like older girls around me that had gone through injuries. So it wasn't the end of the world, thankfully, although I felt like it.

Kate Hanson: Yeah. When you mentioned you were really dedicated to your schoolwork and Stanford was always on the dream board for going to, talk to us about how that decision came together.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, so actually I started homeschooling after seventh grade, so when I was 13. ⁓

Kate Hanson: because of soccer or what the decision?

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah. It was actually because of soccer. went to my first youth national team camp at 12 years old and I told the school, got letters, told all my teachers and most of my teachers were fine with it except my PE teacher like almost failed me. And yes, and I was like, oh no. And my parents were like, this isn't sustainable. Like any given teacher can fail you and like you can't do anything about it if you're not in class. So again, this is where I'm like, I'm so lucky and grateful.

Kate Hanson: The P.E. teacher?

Jasmine Aikey: actually ended up retiring ⁓ to homeschool me ⁓ starting eighth grade. And through that process, ⁓ first years of charter school and when I started high school, I immediately started taking community college classes. So if I had gone to UC, like UCLA Cal, I would have started like half through my sophomore year with the credits I had. So just took a lot of community college credits. Luckily some transferred to Stanford. But ⁓ yeah, it was really just a way to not get kicked out of school. My parents have a truancy letter and end up in jail, but also I got to commit more time to soccer because of it.

Kate Hanson: You Wow, that's crazy. And you always wanted to go to Stanford then? You said some of the credits didn't transfer, I mean, that's still very impressive that you were doing community college.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah. Yeah, no, Stanford was always the goal. There was never really a thought that I wouldn't go there unless I didn't get in. ⁓ Yeah, thankfully some credit.

Kate Hanson: So even if soccer wasn't on the table, you still wanted to go to Stanford.

Jasmine Aikey: Yes, yeah. was a, education's really important to me and my family, so I just knew that I wanted to get the best education I could, and I was interested in computer science, so it just seemed like the best of both worlds.

Kate Hanson: Yeah, so computer science major, why did you choose that major?

Jasmine Aikey: I think it's definitely to do with the people I grew up around, my parents. ⁓ My mom was in like software engineering, that world, now she's a board member. ⁓ And my dad, you know, did data analytics, was a math teacher. Like I've always been into like the math and the computer stuff more than anything. So just kind of fell into that.

Kate Hanson: So after you're done with soccer, what do you envision yourself doing? You're to be building some incredible apps for us, or what do you envision yourself doing?

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, I mean, I think this comes back to like my mom, who's definitely my biggest role model. Seeing the stuff she does with companies, taking companies public, know, ringing the bell, ⁓ New York Stock Exchange. Like, I would want to be here when I grow up. So hopefully that, but yeah, maybe some apps before then. She's on a different level, so.

Kate Hanson: Yeah, that's incredible. That's awesome. So with being a computer science major, AI, data analytics, you have almost a 4.0 GPA with it, ⁓ Academic All-America Team Member of the Year. And then you also won the Herman Trophy that year. And that's pretty unheard of. So how did you balance all of that? Because it's not like a computer science major. and is an easy degree and you are still playing at the top of your game for soccer.

Jasmine Aikey: ⁓ Truthfully, a lot of tears. I think my dad can tell you that. There was a lot of crying and falls. Yeah, no, mean, it was, it's always a struggle in college, even when you're just a student to balance, you know, your schoolwork and your social life. So for me, it was my social life. I definitely had to take, make sacrifices, ⁓ but I'm really content with the path I chose. And even though was a lot of work, I'm really happy with how it worked out.

Kate Hanson: Ha! do you find when you're looking at film or kind of going over your soccer playbook, you're looking at it from a little bit of a different lens than maybe some of your teammates just because you do have that data science background?

Jasmine Aikey: Sometimes I look at the video apps we use and I'm like, ⁓ like I think I know how that works. And like, I know there's a lot of different like AI companies that track different stats on the game. But I would say we all pretty much see it the same way when we're like, ooh, should have made that pass a little earlier.

Kate Hanson: Yeah. So your freshman year, you started with a bang and you led the team in scoring with 10 goals, scored a hat trick against Oregon State. It was the first time a freshman had done a lot of the things that you were doing at Stanford. What was your freshman season like for you?

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, it was actually very up and down for me personally. I remember I got to preseason and the first week I called my dad and I was like, I need a red shirt. Like I'm not good enough. This is going terribly. ⁓ Luckily I didn't and I some great support around me, but it was kind of a slow start. I was playing midfield really just getting used to the college game. I mean, we had a lot of cool opportunities. We played the Chinese national team and like my second ever Stanford game. Like it's pretty fun. ⁓ And then halfway through the season, I ended up playing nine in a game. and I scored a hatcher against Oregon State and that was when we kind of started this scoring journey I guess. ⁓ I'd practiced a lot of shots growing up and I always wanted to be like an attacking player but that was the first time I was able to showcase it in college so it's kind of how my freshman year went.

Kate Hanson: I think it's really important to, mean, you're a D1 soccer player, played with the, you know, US national junior team coming up. And I think that to hear you say like, I need a red shirt, I'm not ready for this. It can be really intimidating for a lot of players, especially as they move up, maybe. And at the time that we're recording this episode. tryouts are coming up for a lot of clubs in the next few weeks and there's going to be a lot of team movement and girls moving around and now they're with the higher team. If anyone's listening right now and they're maybe maybe it is them going into a higher team or show a lower team or whatever, what advice would you give them?

Jasmine Aikey: ⁓ Well, first off, as much as I was very nervous about my performance, at the end of the day, once I stepped onto the field, I kind of left that behind. And I think that's why I was able to succeed later in the year as I grew more comfortable. But I think the biggest thing is you have to focus on what you can do to get better. And a lot of times that is outside of your team training. So if soccer is really something you want to pursue and you want to get better at, it's always going to be the stuff you do outside of the regular activities that will help you the most.

Kate Hanson: ⁓ yeah, that's such great advice. So you started at, you were playing midfield and you were doing phenomenally there. And then your junior year, you got switched positions. Talk to us a little bit about that and what that was kind of like for you as a player, both on the field and emotionally.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, you know, I've always prided myself on being a really versatile player. My junior year, I ended up playing center back, but that wasn't exactly new to me. In club, played center back, goalkeeper until I was 13, midfield, nine, winger, kind of did it all. And I really wanted to be a player that you could put anywhere. And I kind of understood the game. And I have lot of credit to my early coaches for helping teach me the game in that way. So yeah, so when things got a little dicey with certain lineups, my junior year, I ended up playing center back. much the whole time, up until I got injured with a few games left. So yeah, it was an interesting transition. I felt like I wasn't playing as well as I could have been, but ultimately you have to do what the coach wants and what's best for the team.

Kate Hanson: Yeah, I didn't know that you played goalie growing up. What was the decision behind, cause a lot of times I feel like a lot of kids, either they make that decision, like I'm goalie or I'm not. And it's hard to come back from being a goalie, especially at 13, it's hard to come out of the net because you've missed a lot of touch training.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah. Yeah, well, I got lucky. I was never like just a goalie. I was always growing up, I'd play half on the field, half in goal. And then once I got to like 11 or 12, it was very clear that I was gonna be a field player, but I would still go and play goalie up until I was 13. But I was still doing all the field player training. I would just go and do extra goalie training as well. But yeah, you're right. It's hard when you don't get the foot skills early.

Kate Hanson: Okay. And then your senior year you're back at striker and you're leading the nation with points at 53. You win the ACC championship. You win the Herman Trophy. Honestly, it's a storybook turnaround from having the injuries in your junior year. Like you said, moving back to center back. How when you look back at your senior season now, what do you feel the most proud of?

Jasmine Aikey: I think I feel most proud that I was able to get back into a better position like for my team and just to be able to be there and play that last season with joy for the most part. Obviously there's always tough times in a season, seasons long and now it's even longer than to be so, but ⁓ I was really happy with how I can connect with my teammates this past year.

Kate Hanson: So when you were in your senior season, were you thinking, yeah, I want to go to NWSL or I want to go to Europe, like that is the next step? Or were you thinking, I studied real hard. I want to go ahead and put my, if that whole thing doesn't work out, I'm ready to go into the workforce.

Jasmine Aikey: you You know, I was ready to go into the workforce up until I broke my ankle at the end of my junior year. And then I kind of had some time away, time to reflect. And I was like, no, I'm going to miss this. I should really lock in and try to go pro to the best of my ability. Obviously, if it didn't work out, that's the reason I got my degree and still have it. So we'll see how this contract goes. I think for me, was like I just wanted to give my 100 % effort to it and see what happened. And yeah, I got really lucky to have a storybook ending. much did with my last year.

Kate Hanson: When you found out that the pros was an option for you, were you getting a lot of calls? Like why, if you were getting a lot of calls, why did you decide to sign with an expansion team? Because that can be a little, it can be a little unnerving to go to a team where there's no history, there's no culture, there's, you know, there's what you can put out there, but you know, there might not be any fans. Like why did you decide to? signed with an expansion team.

Jasmine Aikey: Well, ⁓ when I had my first calls with Kurt and ⁓ Nick and all the other amazing people who hopped on a call with me, it was very clear that the club had a direction, whether or not we had signed many players. And to be a part of something and build it up from the ground up was also very exciting. And as someone who has played soccer in Colorado when I was younger, I knew that there'd be fans. I was pretty excited about the project and the fact that they were interested in me and I was so interested in going to Denver was just like the perfect storm for me.

Kate Hanson: if ⁓ the option, mean, a California girl, ⁓ with ⁓ coming to had been to Denver before? I know a lot of girls ⁓ on the summit did trainings here. Had you been to Colorado and you were like, yeah, I got to get back there.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, so I lived here for about four to five months during COVID when my team was shut down for training. Came out here, played it throughout Colorado. But I had also been here for showcases and actually committed to Stanford in Colorado. So just a lot of ties, I guess here. And one of my best friends is at the Air Force Academy right now.

Kate Hanson: ⁓ nice, very cool. Yeah, the Air Force Academy is not too far of a drive from Denver and hopefully they can come on up and check out some of the games. ⁓ well that's amazing, that's incredible. So when you were talking with Nick and ⁓ Kurt, was there something that Nick said or the front office said that you were like, yeah, this is it, this is the place?

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, she's on the soccer team, so I got to see her games too. You know, they said so many great things and they're on the same page. It's hard to pinpoint one, but you can just tell from like when I was talking to Nick that like he was incredibly knowledgeable, of course, but he wanted to win first and foremost. And I think that's just something that. I mean, it just draws you to a place. mean, obviously I went to Stanford for the education, but they're also like such a good program. And like we had a chance to win and that was really important to me. obviously being an expansion team is hard, but I think the girls have done great so far and you can see the energy throughout the staff and into the players. It's like, we're going to go after every game. So yeah, it's been fun to watch.

Kate Hanson: When you got to Denver for, you signed in January 8th, so you signed relatively early on. When you got to Denver for the pre-season and started training with this group, what was your impression of the team that had been assembled?

Jasmine Aikey: ⁓ One of my first thoughts actually was, wow, the vets are like so nice. Obviously, you come in with a lot of big names and you're just like, you know, they might be a little harsh, which wouldn't be out of the ordinary. But no, mean, our veteran group is really able to keep a standard and they're just some of the nicest people ever. And it's really a joy to be able to train with them and learn from them.

Kate Hanson: Was there someone that you connected with like right away? Because this is a whole new team. There's no cliques, there's no, I mean I guess some of the vets know each other. I learned from Kaylee, well no from Abby that she and Carson played together growing up out here in Colorado. But I mean for the most part, no one's really played together a ton and there are no cliques. Everyone is new.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, mean, obviously, like all the vets were super nice. I'm rooming with Yuna, who I played club soccer with. We actually won a national championship together. And then, you know, being in PT with a few of the girls, just getting to know them. I really feel like I know everyone pretty well, and it's really fun to just be around the team.

Kate Hanson: Yeah, and you were called into the US under 23 camp in March. Talk to us what it's like going from the college to now the pros and then up to the US under 23 camp. What is that experience like?

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, I think it's like the same jump from like every level. Honestly, it's like you go from, know, if you're getting these opportunities to being one of the best players on your team to just being, you know, another player that's talented. And I felt the same thing going to college. And then you have to like work to make yourself stand out. Same thing coming here. And then same thing with U-23s. There's just so many talented players. And, you know, it's all about getting out there and doing the extra work on your own, like I was saying, and just trying to differentiate yourself. Yeah.

Kate Hanson: Yeah. And then March 23rd comes and it was a sad day for us Summit fans. The Summit announces that you're on the season ending injury list, ACL. I don't want to put words into your mouth, but just tell me what were those first few days like when you got the injury?

Jasmine Aikey: I mean, just a lot of disappointment. You work so hard for certain things and you're kind of just like, oh, I didn't even get a chance to play a game yet. But at the same time, there was a lot of gratitude. I was with my family. They were able to come fly out. And then I had to think about all the blessings I had already been given to make through my senior year uninjured and have that ending, to sign my first pro contract, to be in such a great place. You just kind of have to latch on to what you're grateful for. ⁓ yeah, and then I'm in a great spot where now I'm working with some of the best PTs to get out there next year and have a redo of my rookie year.

Kate Hanson: How has it been being a rookie on the team, ⁓ you're not there on the field with them and you're not able to do a lot of things that is helping ⁓ form a little bit of the ⁓ strategy and of the culture and everything. How that been for you? Because I'm sure that it's hard kind of being a little bit on the outside looking in, or have you found it? No, we're all... great. I watch all the practices. We're going to these events together. Just talk to me about what it's like being on the team, but still in the the training room.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah. No, I mean... At first, especially like the first couple weeks of ACL surgery, anyone's gone through it. It is just so painful. So you're kind of at home a lot. But I mean, this past week, I've been able to go out with the team a little bit, go and watch a game, a little scrimmage we had. So it doesn't feel like I'm really gone. And honestly, I feel like I'm so focused on the PT I'm doing that I'm not really, you know, like, oh, I'm missing out on this or I'm missing out on this. I think that's kind of something that you have to... get out of when you're in like when you're going through an injury that's so long term like you can't really think about all the things you're missing because it's a lot to be honest but I'm grateful for the things I am doing so can't complain too much.

Kate Hanson: Yeah. Well, Nick Cushing has publicly said that you mean so much to this team, both on and off the field. What has the support from the club looked like during this? Like, what does a day in your life actually look like right now?

Jasmine Aikey: Well, first off, the support from the club has been amazing. They've made sure I've gotten everything I need. And from the staff, from the players, even from the management, I've gotten multiple care packages, making sure I'm all set up. So that's been great. As for a day in the life, I can take you through what I did this morning. I tried to get out of bed after a few alarms. Finally made it out. ⁓ My dad brought me some breakfast because he's helping me out right now. I can't drive.

Kate Hanson: I'm

Jasmine Aikey: ⁓ So yeah, and then he drove me over to the facilities and I started with upper body, so upper body conditioning and then a bunch of PT for my knee. ⁓ We drove home, got some lunch and I'm here. So it's pretty much what I do every morning.

Kate Hanson: So are you studying any film or are you kind of still meeting with the team for team meetings and stuff?

Jasmine Aikey: Well, right now I'm on crutches, so I haven't been able to go around the facility as much, but ⁓ once I can walk again, I'll be in on all the team meetings again. Yeah, I have met with our analysts on Zoom, going over some film with the team. It definitely feels like I'm kind of still there just learning, and I think that's one of the biggest things about your rookie year is learning as much as you can. Now I've got two tries at it to learn as much as I can, so definitely trying to absorb and, you know, just learn.

Kate Hanson: Yeah. you on and being on the season ending injury list, ⁓ people are probably if they didn't get a chance to watch you at Stanford. Hopefully some of the stuff we talked about earlier with all the awards you won and all the goals you scored ⁓ has them excited you as a player. How would you describe your of play for people who are listening and maybe can't wait to see you out there on the pitch next year? ⁓ And this way they'll have an idea of what to expect when you're out there.

Jasmine Aikey: I think one of the biggest things about my game is like I like to have a little creativity and flair. ⁓ That's probably something I really pride myself on. It's like having different skills that I can use on the field, different types of shots. And then honestly, hopefully just like aggressive hard work. That's what they can expect from me because that's the identity of our team.

Kate Hanson: Yeah, when you talk about identity, I know that this is expansion year, year one. You want to help set the standard here in Denver. And you're doing that right now, not just on the field. What do you want your teammates and Summit fans to take away from this year one and what you're bringing to the team?

Jasmine Aikey: as a club, I think we're just moving in the right direction. Obviously, I've been able to watch all the games and ⁓ the energy from fans ⁓ and from the think it's been amazing and it's been really fun to watch. And then, you know, for me personally, ⁓ you know, that working my hardest to get back out on the field. Maybe you'll see a day in my life video pop up soon on the Instagram. ⁓ But ⁓ yeah, really ⁓ all doing best and we're so excited to be here. ⁓

Kate Hanson: Well, and you're watching the games just like us fans. And what are some of your biggest takeaways from the team's first five games? Because the scheduling committee didn't do us any favors. We had some pretty tough opponents to kick off the season. Lots of travel. What are you seeing from the team so far?

Jasmine Aikey: I mean, I'm really impressed with our defense and obviously their goalkeeper Abby, she's doing great. ⁓ I mean, Carson, Jeanine, all of them, they're just killing it. Meg Reed coming in. Ava, I should name them all, but they're just doing great. I mean, we have the what lowest goals scored against us in the hide for them to be so yeah. Watching them lock it down has been amazing. And then got our German robot up there scoring goals. Fun to watch Melissa. She's hilarious. ⁓

Kate Hanson: Abby's, yeah, she's doing great.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, I mean, I'm super proud. I love watching the games and it's always fun for me to like watch as a fan, but also know everything that's going on within the team. So it's kind of like I got both perspectives.

Kate Hanson: Yeah. Do you envision the team really trying to be that possession-based team? Like, is that going to be our identity? Do you see us being more of a physical team, like Utah? What do you see this team's identity being?

Jasmine Aikey: Well, I think the main thing for identity, which I don't think I mentioned yet, is that we're here to win a championship. We're here to win the shield. That is what our team is about. And I don't know if we're necessarily how we're going to do that in terms of, we're going to be a possession or a physical team. But I know that we're going to outwork everyone for training at altitude. We should be outrunning everyone. And we'll keep the ball. But I think really the big thing is we want to score as much as possible. I think that's something that you'll see from team going forward.

Kate Hanson: you get the opportunity to see the game ⁓ at Empower Mile High Stadium, ⁓ and with of ⁓ your other and friends, ⁓ talk to about what it was like for you being able to be a part of a team that really is shattering records for ⁓ women's sports, just women's soccer, but women's sports.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah, I mean, was a crazy experience. Yeah, I got to go. I was four days post-surgery, so still in the pain meds, kind of like, hmm, what's going on? But I made it out onto the field for warmup. And I really thought I was hallucinating from the pain meds at this point, because I was sure I didn't see Malala on the field. But I got a picture with her that proves that it was real. And yeah, then I got to watch from the suite, just hear the noise of the stadium. Like, our box was shaking whenever the crowd had erupted. It was super fun. ⁓

Kate Hanson: Yeah.

Jasmine Aikey: And yeah, think going down after the game, getting to walk around, sign some jerseys and different things, it was really cool.

Kate Hanson: For kids that are listening to the show right now, there's a lot of young fans that listen to the podcast here. What's one piece of advice that you'd give them as they are just beginning their soccer journey?

Jasmine Aikey: I think you have to have fun with it, but that also means that if you want to improve you got to have fun with the boring parts. ⁓ My dad always tells me like the bad days lead to the good days. So it's like those days where you have to do the technical drills you don't want to do. You have to your weak foot and you have to learn how to do a different skill. Like those won't be the most fun days, but they lead to the good days. So just really commit to that.

Kate Hanson: What do you know now about yourself, about soccer, that you wish you could have told your 15-year-old self? ⁓

Jasmine Aikey: Trying to say something that's not generic, but I feel like, like trust in the work that you've done, like how I was mentioning like the bad days with the good days, like the rewards don't come right away. ⁓ I can, for example, free kicks were kind of my thing throughout college, but in high school and in middle school, when I first started practicing them, I was pretty below average, and there were a lot of sky balls, a lot of field goals, and you know, but I did thousands of them, and then they would show up in big moments in college. So it's really like, the work doesn't pay off right away, but it is so worth it.

Kate Hanson: What is your pregame ritual?

Jasmine Aikey: You know, I like to calm down before games. was, one could describe me as a bit of a crash out when I was younger. I've said calm down a little bit, but I would listen to like, you know, slow songs, slow country, sad music before games to just kind of center myself. Didn't need to get any more hyped up.

Kate Hanson: So like we... sad, slow country. Okay, so what's on your pregame set list?

Jasmine Aikey: I just like find some songs. Indigo by San Barber is one that I really love right now. And then also like any vintage Sam Smith song, I was belting out for sure. So yeah, kind of a little out of the ordinary, but besides that, I don't really do anything special.

Kate Hanson: Yeah, I was gonna say that's pretty not intense. It's just kind of get your zen and focus in and is it just kind of visualization that happens or yeah.

Jasmine Aikey: Yeah. Anyone who played me when I was younger knows that that was probably necessary. ⁓

Kate Hanson: Well, Jez, this has been an awesome conversation. I can't wait to see you take the field next year. It's going to be great seeing you out there and ⁓ really getting the opportunity to see what you can bring to this team. And I wish you nothing but a speedy recovery and can't wait to see you out there on the pitch.

Jasmine Aikey: Awesome. Thanks for having me, Kate.