Volkswagen All-Star Spotlight: Kaylee M​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‍‌‍‍​‌‍‍​‌‍‌​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍​‍‌‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍​‌‍​‌​‌‌​‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌​​​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‌‌‍‍​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌​‍​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌​‍​​​​‍​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌​‌​‌‍‌‍​‍‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‌​‌‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌​‍‌‍‍​‌‍‍​‌‍‌​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‍​‍‌‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍​‌‍​‌​‌‌​‍‌‌‌‌‍‍‌​​​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​‌​​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‌‌‌‍‍​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‍‌​‍​‌​‌‌​‌‌​‌​‌‌​‍‌‍‌‍‌‍‌‌​‍​​​​‍​‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍​​‍​‍‌‌​‌‌‌​‌​​‍‍‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‌

The Volkswagen Honoree Spotlight program is a collaboration between U.S. Soccer and VW to highlight children with a passion for the game. The VW Honoree for the U.S. Women’s National Team’s upcoming match against Uzbekistan is 13-year-old Kaylee M. from Lithopolis, Ohio. Kaylee sets her goals high and strives to reach them each and every day. Not only does she play for an ECNL soccer club, she has also maintained a 4.0 GPA in school and makes spending quality time with her friends and family a priority.

Get to know Kaylee!

 

Who is your favorite U.S. Soccer player and why?

Julie Ertz is my favorite player as I play center back and defensive midfielder for my club team. She is also an amazing role model on and off the field because she supports her teammates and puts all her success and faith in God.

 

Why do you love soccer?

I have loved soccer since I started playing at three-years-old for Upward in Lancaster, Ohio. I love the memories that I have made with the different teams I have played for -- Pride SC and Ohio Premier. Soccer has taken me to many different places and introduced me to some of my best friends from many different schools. The coaches that I have had over the past five years, Mark Massey and Kevin Dougherty, have helped instill even more of a passion and love of the game.

 

What is the most important lesson you have learned from playing sports?

Playing sports has taught me that there are always going to be obstacles that you have to overcome. You won’t always have the perfect game. There are times when you will mess up and you can’t let how you played in the past affect how you are going to play the rest of the game or in the future. Playing sports helps you become supportive of others and it has helped me develop into the leader that I am today.

 

What are you most looking forward to this year?

Lots of exciting things have already happened this year, and there is so much more to come! I have already traveled to Tennessee and Arizona with my club. Later this spring, I will be traveling to South Carolina and New Jersey. I am also looking forward to spending time with my family and friends this summer during break.

 

Who inspires you the most and why?

My parents, Jeff and Karen Morris, inspire me. They both work incredibly hard and make sure that my brother and I know that we can do anything we set our minds to. They encourage us with in all our different interests and support us with whatever those might be.

 

What do you want to be when you grow up?
I want to be a nurse when I grow up. My plan is to play soccer in college and earn my nursing degree while I am there.

 

What or who are you thankful for?

I am thankful for my parents, family and friends for all the love and support that they give me. They attend as many of my events as possible and are there no matter if it was a good or bad day. They encourage my dreams, and always tell me to dream big as anything is possible. I am also thankful for my teachers and coaches along the way, as they have helped teach and develop me as a person just as much as my family and friends.

 

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