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Sophie Radkowski Discusses Path to College Soccer and Blessings of Large Family
Moving in the middle of your senior year, being one of nine children, and committing to play soccer for a program and school you’ve never visited. Such is life for current Saint Marys Area Lady Dutch soccer player Sophie Radkowski.
Not that any of those random attributes listed correlate with one another. It’s just a lot to take on for a young woman, don’t you think? But if there’s someone equipped to take it in stride and find the positives in life, it’s her. Radkowski and her ten family members will move to Indiana this fall. It will grant each of them expanded opportunities in their life. Not to downplay Elk County, but there’s not always something for everyone in this small area.
A club soccer team was one of those resources that she lacked as Radkowski traveled to Bradford to play outside of her high school season with Bradford United. It was this initiative that helped her to get recruited and find institutions and programs that fit her playing style and educational preferences. Oddly enough, she found her top school in the same state that her family moved to. It wasn’t even fully purposeful, either. It also wasn’t purposeful that her current high school and her college selection sport a similar name.
The current St. Marys Area High School senior will join the Saint-Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC) Pomeroys women’s soccer program in 2024. The team competes in the River States Conference of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA). Their physical playing style was something that matched Radkowski’s skill set, and her future teammates and coaches have made her feel welcomed by their first interactions. “It was luck,” she said about SMWC finding her. “The coaches viewed my recruiting profile and reached out to me to express their interest in speaking with me. I am visiting the school later this month, but I have already visited so many colleges before this. No place else gave me this feeling of the people just feeling so comfortable. I know SMWC is meant for me because it didn’t take me long to really feel a connection with my teammates and coaches. I’m excited about everything they offer.”
At SMWC, Radkowski intends to major in either nursing or biology with a pre-medicine focus. Her goal is to one day become a pediatrician and to impact children coming to the United States for international adoptions. This was something that impacted her family as the Radkowski’s hoped to add their tenth child to the family through an international adoption agency. However, because of complications, this did not materialize. From their family struggles with this complicated process and also from being a big sister to seven, she wants to make a difference in the lives of as many children as possible.
But, let’s not look too far ahead. Radkowski still has plenty of her senior year left to enjoy. The Lady Dutch are off to a 4-1 start in the 2023 season and are playing some larger programs to help them get ready for the District 9 playoffs. The program has not captured a D9 title in Radkowski’s career, but she hopes to end her days as an Elk County resident on a high note with a D9 medal around her neck. Even if this doesn’t happen, she can still be proud of two Bucktail Soccer Tournament titles and a chance to secure a third later this season.
Winning these tournaments with her classmates and all the craziness of road trips together have been some of her favorite memories from her time playing soccer. She’s also thankful for all the friendships and mentors she’s met through her club team and the New York/Pennsylvania Corporate Soccer Club Showcase held annually in Bradford. Not only did the event help college coaches to see her play, but it introduced her to teammates that she’s now proud to call her friends.
Soccer has also blessed her with some great coaches including Sam Zimmerman, Doug McNany, and Jazlin Keniston, who all have coached for the Lady Dutch during her time as a player. She’s also thankful for the Corporate Cup bringing her into contact with Kane Area Head Girls Soccer Coach, Brittany Sprankle, who became her head coach in the Corporate Cup and an advocate to local colleges that she would be an asset to their program. But to make these additional opportunities in club soccer possible, it has taken dedication from her entire family, including her parents, Elena and Lou. They have spent a considerable amount of time taking her to practices and tournaments in order to make her goal of playing college soccer a reality.
Much of Sophie Radkowski’s life has been spent as a Pennsylvania kid. However, her final few months of high school will be completed in the Midwest. It’s a great tune up for college as she will go from being a well-known person in school to the new kid on the block. It’s similar to how college will go, as she quickly will have to adjust to another new place and try to find her people to rely on through her time as a student-athlete. Like she says it, it’s about finding the right people that can make any place feel like home. “I have so many people to thank and it’s even hard to thank everyone. My coaches, parents, and teammates have all helped me find the love for this sport and made college soccer a reality for me. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without all the help I’ve had from so many great people in my life,” she said.
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