Player Spotlight - Izzie Miller

Izzie started training with Finesse in the fall. She’s trained in a mixture of groups with us, both private session and our Skills Academy. She’s a very skillful player, always smiling and working hard!

What's your name?

Izzie Miller

Any nicknames?

Iz

How old are you?

10 and will turn 11 next month

What number do you wear? Any particular reason why?

#13, I’ve been a fan of Alex Morgan since I was old enough to read her books.

What position do you play?

Center Mid and sometimes Sweeper

How long have you played soccer?

I started with HappyFeet here in KC when I was 3 and have played ever since.

What city do you live in?
Lee’s Summit

What team/club/coach/school do you play for?

I play for the Legends club and am lucky to play for my uncle, Andrew Clifton as my coach.

What is your favorite thing about training with Finesse?

I love the coaches, Ree/Stephanie/Sarah Grace are all awesome and really push me during practices

How has training with Finesse helped you? 

I have met a lot of new friends and amazing coaches that helped me have better passes, first touches and shots.

Tell us about why you wanted to start training with Finesse.

My dad heard from his friend about a girl named Afton that practices with Finesse and said it is all girls and the coaches all played in college.  I really liked that it is all girls. 

(Parent question): What is something you like about your daughter training with Finesse?

The coaches are truly amazing.  Every coach has connected with Izzie quickly and they all know how to push her physically and mentally without burning her out.  Finesse is very easy to work with and schedule around, which is very nice. 

I would say that Finesse is a fantastic supplement to any club in KC, or even girls just getting into the game to learn fundamentals and expectations.  Carrie has been great explaining what to expect as Izzie gets older and various things to work on from both a physical and mental approach to the game.

What is your favorite thing about soccer?

I like that I have made a lot close friends and that I get all of my energy out with exercise before the end of the day. 

Who is your all-time favorite athlete (any sport)?

I like Alex Morgan and I also really like Ali Krieger.  When we lived in Houston, Ali stayed after the game when all the other players were gone and went all the way around the stadium, taking pictures and signing autographs with the fans.  I thought that was really cool and now I have a puppy that I named Krieger.

What is something you like to do in your free time?

I like to be with my soccer and school friends and my cousin Livy.  I like to draw and make Musically videos.

If you had a song that played as you walked onto the pitch, what would it be?

“All I Do is Win” would definitely be one or “My House”.

Do you have any pre-game rituals?

I like to get to games early and listen to music in my headphones and work on skills before our team starts stretching.

What advice would you share with younger players?

Rate your effort after every game and practice from 1-10 and always work hard to get better.  My dad always tells me to finish as hard as I start and thats good too.

If you could nominate a Captain of Kindness, who would it be and why (1-2 sentences)?

Livy Clifton is my cousin and is always nice to everyone; she introduced me to all the friends on my team when I moved here from Houston last summer.  Avery Kelly would also be one she plays hard is always happy and a great teammate.  She was my first friend on my team in Houston.

Who do you look up to and why?

I look up to my mom and dad.  My mom and dad both work and are the best parents ever for me and my brother Kaleb.  My mom keeps the family organized and works very hard at her job at Sprint.  I want to be a mom just like her some day.

What are your goals as a player, both short term and long term?

I always want to get better with my skills and shots and also be a great teammate.  I also want to play soccer at Notre Dame.  I love watching their videos on youtube and I think their coach is awesome.  If I could coach one day, I think that would be very cool too.