Feature Women’s History Month Interview Series: Sky Blue FC soccer player, Taylor Lytle For Sky Blue FC’s Taylor Lytle, soccer was always a part of her future. by Staff Post March 25, 2015 (Courtesy of Sky Blue FC) For Sky Blue FC’s Taylor Lytle, soccer was always a part of her future. “It was always my dream,” she said. “I think after the 1999 World Cup, girls my age fell in love with it and wanted to become a better player.” A better player is exactly what Lytle became, allowing the admiration she had for her older brother Ryan pave the way for a bright future in the sport she loved most. A youth national champ and an NCAA student athlete, Ryan served as a constant reminder for what she wanted to be. Lytle is a graduate of Texas Tech, where she said there was an emphasis and equal focus on being a student as much as being an athlete. “At Tech, our main thing was that we were a student-athlete,” said Lytle when asked about current NCAA regulations. “You travel a lot and you miss a lot of school, but I think it helps you grow up because you have to go to classes and take care of things outside of the classroom. It was hard to be a student but it helped me mature and grow as a person.” Lytle gained a skillset and a familiar teammate from Texas Tech after one season with Sky Blue FC. Hayley Haagsma, her former teammate in college and current Sky Blue teammate, was drafted by the club in 2014. “It was awesome when we drafted her,” said Lytle. “She’s from California so I know it’s a big change for her too, It’s nice to have someone to lean onto. We were injured at the same time, so it was nice having someone to rehab with” Taylor reported back to New York from her home state of New Mexico earlier this month and spoke about the adjustments she had to make, not only with the weather, but also her game. “Everyone is just as good and as strong as you,” she said. “It was one of the challenges that you like because it helps you become a better player. I enjoy the new experience, but definitely have to prepare mentally for the weather.” While enjoying the sunshine on the West Coast, Lytle shared a bit of insight about what being a woman in sports means to her and also shared a few of her favorites memories. If she could change one thing about women in sports, it would be that they can do the same thing that men can do. “We all take the same pact of wanting to work hard for what you want in life to achieve the dream,” Taylor said. “People don’t understand that women playing professional sports do exactly what men do, but with a lot less. It’s frustrating because people don’t recognize what we have to give up and how much we put into being professional athletes.” Among the professional female athletes, Taylor said that Mia Hamm is someone she looks up to and admires. “She started the push for female athletes that they can do anything that they want.” Post Views: 2,006 The following two tabs change content below.BioLatest Posts Staff Post Latest posts by Staff Post (see all) In The Zone Announces Initial Podcast Lineup - November 13, 2020 The Essential Resources You Need to Start Your Own Gym in 2020 - February 6, 2020 Wilder vs Fury II – How the second fight will be different to the first? - February 5, 2020 Early turnovers, defensive struggles plague the Scarlet Knights - January 26, 2020 Related TopicsHayley HaagsmaInterviewNWSLSky Blue FCSoccerTaylor LytleWomen's History Month Click to comment You must be logged in to post a comment Login Leave a Reply Cancel replyYou must be logged in to post a comment. Newsletter Subscription Can't Miss Posts! Women in Sports: NHL Network Host, Jackie Redmond by Nicholas Durst | posted on March 4, 2019 Lochte, Dressel and Ledecky all Chasing Gold at 2021 Tokyo Olympics by Anthony Paradiso | posted on April 18, 2021 You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video) by Nicholas Durst | posted on April 19, 2021 Michael Jordan Could Change the Future of Nascar for the Better by Inesh Chari | posted on March 30, 2021 WNBA Rolling Out Red Carpet For Upcoming 25th Anniversary Season by Jason Cordner | posted on March 16, 2021 More in Feature You Know I’m Right, Episode 113: New York Post Columnist Phil Mushnick (Audio/Video) On the 113th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 112: New York Jets’ Insider Brian Costello (Audio/Video) On the 112th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 111: New York Giants’ Insider John Schmeelk (Audio/Video) On the 111th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... You Know I’m Right, Episode 109: The Athletic’s Marc Carig (Audio/Video) On the 109th episode of You Know I’m Right, Nick Durst and Joe Calabrese are joined by... The Worst Tri-State Area Football Contracts In History Highflying Rookies Growing as Players and Friends in Brooklyn