Indy Eleven W Concludes Season with Unique Challenges
The Indy Eleven W wrapped up their season with a decisive 6-0 win over the Dayton Dutch Lions FC, finishing with a 5-5 record under rookie head coach Brandon Kim. Despite their third-place finish in the USL W League Valley Division, the team will miss the postseason for the first time in its history. Among the players is Katie Soderstrom Bulger, a former Butler and Carmel High School star, who balances her teaching career with soccer. She has found the transition to teaching rewarding, maintaining her fitness through personal training and recreational leagues.
Other players, like Maddy Williams Osswald, face similar challenges, working full-time while competing. The team operates on limited resources, often traveling to nearby cities for games, usually returning the same day. Coach Kim, who has longstanding ties to many players, also balances his coaching responsibilities with part-time work at a local Montessori school. Younger players like Addie Chester are navigating their futures, interning while training, and contemplating professional soccer opportunities, inspired by the veterans' commitment to balancing sports and careers.
