Q&A session with Caitlyn Yates: Sahuarita High School goalkeeper saves the day

SAHUARITA, Ariz. — A Q&A with Caitlyn Yates who is a soccer and taekwondo athlete at Sahuarita High School.

Age: 14 years old

Years in current sport: Eight years in soccer and five years in Martial Arts/Taekwondo

School Team: Sahuarita High School Mustangs

Club Team: Southern Arizona Cardinals Soccer Club

Taekwondo: Mr. Cruz’s Taekwondo & Self Defense

School: Abeka Academy

Grade/Year: 9th Grade-Freshman

What are your personal goals within your sport/athletic dreams?

Caitlyn Yates: As a goalkeeper, I would like to play college ball and become the best that I can possibly be. In Taekwondo, my goal was to become a black belt and I earned my black belt in January!

What is your biggest challenge in your sport, and what do you do to manage this challenge?

Yates: Being a keeper is a very demanding position that holds a lot of responsibility. It takes mental, emotional, and physical strength. It has taken a lot of hard work, dedication, and perseverance to stick with goalkeeping. I think my biggest challenge currently is to maintain a balance between evaluating what I could have potentially done better if I got scored on, but also not taking the goals personally and leaving the game score on the field when I go home.

What was the best advice you were ever given?

Yates: My parents have always told me to stick with the people who build me up as a player and as a person. Their encouragement has helped me grow so much, not just in soccer or taekwondo, but in all of life.

What do you love about your sport?

Yates: In Taekwondo, slow and steady wins the race. It’s about doing the correct technique, having core strength, self-discipline, and the art that can be found in the forms. I appreciate the tranquility that is found in martial arts.

As a goalkeeper in soccer, I love that feeling of going in for a save. It’s like everything around me is moving in slow motion on the field and all I can see is that ball. I love the challenge the position presents to me and being that last line of defense on the field. I love the dirty cleats, the smelly socks, the grass stains, the carpools, the hard work, the players, being out on the field…everything about it.

Do you have a pregame ritual you follow?

Yates: I always warm up with some good Christian music and before the game begins, I have a good luck warmup “dance” that I do once I get into goal.

What do you like to do outside of your sport?

Yates: My faith, family, and friends are very important to me.  I like to write fiction books. I enjoy science, art, and reading. I love hanging out with my dog, Comet. I have played piano for eight years and like to play music by ear. My favorite place to be is camping in the woods, surrounded by pine trees.

What has being a member of a team taught you?

Yates: In team sports, it’s all for one and one for all. All our decisions on the field affect each other. So, I never give up on my team and always try to give 110% in games.

What is the best piece of advice you received from a coach or mentor?

Yates: The coaches who have believed in me and invested in me mean so much. At the end of my school season, my coaches told me that if I stayed committed and keep working hard, I can go far in goalkeeping. Their belief in my potential makes me want to keep showing up and putting in the work.

Describe a mistake you made while competing and how you overcame it.

Yates: Some of my mistakes stemmed from lacking soccer IQ and from missing some foundational goalkeeping coaching. Now, I read soccer books, watch games, study other players, and seek to surround myself with encouraging coaches who support my growth in this sport.

Anything else you’d like to add?

Yates: Whether you’re pursuing your dreams in soccer or martial arts, all the hard work will be worth it. Find something you love, become passionate about it, and keep going. If you want to have your moment to shine, work hard when no one is watching. But remember, mistakes help you grow and take time to enjoy the journey.

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