CEDAR CITY, Utah - When Naomi Kehl opted to transfer into the Southern Utah University soccer program from Westminster College earlier this year, she had no idea that the opportunity of a lifetime would be presented to her this summer.
With the help of SUU head coach Kai Edwards, Kehl received the opportunity to journey halfway across the world to train with Spanish clubs Antiguoko KE and Añorga KKE. Kehl accepted the opportunity and embarked upon what she described as one of the best experiences of her life.
"Everything about this trip was just so incredible," said Kehl. "All of the people were so welcoming, so friendly, and I can't even describe how amazing it was to be able to do something like this."
Kehl landed in Spain in early May and immediately got to work. Her daily schedule typically consisted of one individual training session in the morning, followed by another session in the evening.
Kehl spent a good portion of her individual training sessions working with Antiguoko KE's primary goalkeeper coach, Gorka Azpeitia; she could not emphasize enough how much he and the other coaches that she worked with helped improve her game over the two-week training period.
"I learned so much from Coach Gorka. He was amazing to work with, and this whole experience really helped me grow as a player. They play such a different style of soccer over there. All the players were so technically sound and skilled, and it was just so fun to go over there and see and experience the different style and level of play firsthand."
Not only was this a remarkable soccer experience for Kehl, but it was also a remarkable chance for her to see another country and experience a different culture.
"Just learning and seeing firsthand how they do things over there, and getting to actually experience their culture and meet so many great people, it was just incredible. Every aspect of this trip was amazing."
When the two weeks of training were up, Kehl wasn't ready to leave; and, although it was tough to accept that the trip was coming to an end, it was undoubtedly an experience that she will remember forever.
Kehl's plans for the summer mainly consist of preparing for the upcoming fall season, and she has big expectations for the Southern Utah squad. She will continue training on her own, as well as competing for a semi-professional team until she returns to campus to begin training with her SUU teammates again.
Although she is new to the program, Kehl has already developed a special bond with her teammates, and she believes that there are great things in store for them this season.
"I'm super excited for this upcoming season. Coach Kai is a great coach, and you can just tell how dedicated he is to winning and to his players. I think we have an incredible group heading into this season, and I'm expecting big things from them. Everybody is all in on this team, and I know that we're going to accomplish great things because all of our players have an incredible work ethic."
A tough schedule awaits SUU soccer this fall, as they will be entering their first season as a member of the Western Athletic Conference; but, with some strong returning players combined with some new incoming freshmen and impact transfers, the Thunderbirds have the opportunity to put together one of the best seasons in their Division I history.
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