As Kelsey Jacobs settles into the place where she will spend the next four years as a college student, she is sure of two things:
First, she knows that her parents will always walk beside her; second, she knows a bit about how to deal with disappointment. Both are lessons she’s learned on the soccer field growing up in Mahomet.
Like many young athletes, Jacobs began her soccer career around the time she turned five or six.
“My parents really encouraged me to try everything at least once,” she said. “When it came time to transition from recreational soccer to club soccer, I didn’t want to because I was so nervous to try out for a team. My parents knew how much I loved the sport by then and convinced me to try out. I’m still playing because of them.”
During her time with the Mahomet-Seymour Soccer Club, Jacobs was noticeable, oftentimes directing and encouraging her teammates from the backfield.
“Another person who was really influential was my first and main club coach, Jason Issac,” she said. “He essentially molded me into the player I am today. From third grade, all the way through sophomore year, he was coaching me in some way and I still use the tricks and techniques he taught us ‘03 girls.”
She brought the same energy to her high school club.
The 5’9” center back helped the Bulldog capture the 2018 and 2019 Regional titles before their season was canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“It was always cool to feel like I was part of an elite team that also could joke around and make lots of memories together,” she said.
“As a senior (2021), I wanted to make sure I was a leader on the field and practice pitch. I know every senior says that, but after the loss of one season and the uncertainty of this one, I wanted to make sure I had some sort of impact on the program I loved.
“As a freshman and sophomore, I felt that not only did my fellow classmates support me, but even some upperclassmen. I guess that’s also why I wanted to fill a leadership role on the team. I wanted to give back what was given to me.
With six seniors on the roster, Jacobs hoped Mahomet-Seymour would be able to finally break the trend of losing the first game of the IHSA Sectionals. She also hoped to find a starting position in her final year. Those plans did not pan out.
“I’m not going to pretend like my senior season wasn’t rough. It took me a while to be okay with the disappointment I faced. Probably an embarrassing amount of time. Towards the end, I had to realize that I was really there to have fun and enjoy the sport. I’m lucky enough to have four more years after this, so just find joy in it now.”
Despite the personal adversity, which included also worrying about her parents as they became ill her freshman and sophomore years, Jacobs was offered a spot on the Millikin University soccer team.
It’s a goal she’s had her sights set on since joining the Bulldogs her freshman year.
“I loved the competitiveness too much,” she said.
“Millikin was the first school I ever toured and my first real offer to play in college. I loved the school as soon as I set foot on campus. It’s a quaint campus with strong academics and a highly competitive soccer program.
“I was hesitant to pull the trigger on it for a while because I always assumed I would go farther away for school. The energy that my now fellow teammates bring and the passion that my coach has were too hard to say no to.”
While she hopes to add to the “fun-loving and hardworking environment” of the Millikin soccer program, she also has her sights set on helping others in the future. Jacobs decided to turn some of her struggles and realizations into a career in psychology.
“(I) want to give other people peace of mind like I was given,” she said.
