It takes hard work and dedication to already know what college you’ll be attending by your sophomore year. Lizzie Mayfield embodies these traits.

On October 24, Lizzie officially committed to Auburn University to play soccer. “The coaches and program were exactly what I was looking for, and I instantly fell in love with the school,” she said.

In Mayfield’s family, everyone has to play a sport until college, and it only took one soccer game for Lizzie to realize how much she loved the sport. “I started playing at Tophat as a ‘little-hatter.’ I was four years old and quit every other sport I was playing after my first soccer game,” she said.

Mayfield attributes her success thus far to the coaches she has had throughout her career. “I’ve had a lot of amazing coaches who have all helped me in different ways, but the two coaches I felt have helped me the most are Ted Colburn, who developed me from the start of my competitive career, and Todd Gispert, a coach at NASA who has helped me move forward with my competitive career.”

The hardest part for Mayfield has been managing her time while balancing competitive soccer, school, and a social life. “Your teammates become your best friends because we all go through the same things, so after a while they become your social life,” she said.

When Mayfield has an off weekend, she is usually with friends or her boyfriend. “School gets a little tricky sometimes, but you have to manage your time really well and sacrifice a lot of sleep,” she said.

Mayfield hopes to make the youth national team before and during college. After she graduates, she plans to pursue her soccer career professionally.