Episode 28 - Kaleigh (KK) Kurtz

This week’s episode of The Mental Matchup features Kaleigh (KK) Kurtz, who is one of Schuyler’s teammates on the North Carolina Courage. KK grew up playing soccer in South Carolina, and committed to play collegiately at Richmond University. The stress surrounding her recruiting process led her to finding her first therapist, who also helped her work through abandonment issues rooted in friends moving away from a young age. After her freshman year at Richmond, KK transferred to the University of South Carolina, and dealt with the difficulties of going from a consistent starter, to a player who was coming off the bench. She went on to play professionally in Sweden, and later in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). During her professional career, she has managed body image issues, separating her self-worth from her athletic performance, and playing behind some of the best players in the world. In this episode, KK shares how she has used therapy to work through her mental challenges, how she has been able to fall back in love with the game of soccer, and a whole lot more about her experiences as a collegiate and professional athlete.