Gabriel Freeman

Kiley Carmichael rushes to the goal with the ball while being pressured by the Winchester defense.

While typically commit stories are written for students of the graduating class, junior Kiley Carmichael is ahead of the game with her commitment to Arizona State University (ASU) for lacrosse. Not only is she an exceptional dual-sport athlete in ice hockey and lacrosse, she will be competing at one of the highest levels of lacrosse for a college athlete.

Carmichael’s lacrosse journey started when she was in first grade, following in her older sister’s footsteps. Although she started playing lacrosse solely due to its popularity, she later grew a passion for the sport.

“I was very into hockey when I was younger, but then once I got into seventh grade I realized that lacrosse is what I wanted to do, so I to put a lot more time into [it],” Carmichael said.

As Carmichael’s athletic career progressed, she realized that although she loved hockey, lacrosse was what she wanted to dedicate more of her time to.

“I think I just enjoyed [lacrosse] a lot more. I’ll always love [hockey], I’ve been doing it since I was four or five, but I just think that lacrosse was more of a fit for me,” Carmichael said.

With this realization, Carmichael began to prioritize lacrosse when seasons and practices between lacrosse and hockey started to overlap and conflict.

“If there was a conflict, usually I went 50/50 [and] just [did] what I felt like going to, but then I started going to lacrosse over hockey,” Carmichael said. “I think that was where it started.”

Even before Carmichael had begun playing in high school, WA Girls’ Lacrosse coach Julie Olivier had already noticed her skill.

“I started coaching Kylie her freshman year when she made WA Girls’ Lacrosse,” Olivier said. “I had seen her in clinics during her middle school years, so I knew of her but that’s when I first got to really work with Kylie.”

The skills Carmichael has obtained from hockey along with her natural abilities in both sports have aided her in becoming a standout player.

“She’s a natural athlete. She’s got speed [and] agility that comes a lot from her hockey that she plays. She has excellent stick skills which you need in the sport of lacrosse, she’s smart, and strategic on the field,” Olivier said.

This passion that Carmichael has for lacrosse is evident when on the playing field, where she also holds a powerful presence according to her teammate sophomore Grace Trahan.

“Kiley is very reliable and passionate as a player and as a teammate,” Trahan said. “Whenever the ball is in her stick everyone settles down and trusts her. You can tell she loves lacrosse every time she steps on the field.”

According to Olivier, Carmichael is also the ideal player every coach wants to have.

“Kylie is competitive, driven, a hard working, and coachable. She’s always thinking about [the] team first, not herself. She’s a coach’s dream because she’s fully engaged, and asks good questions,” Olivier said.

Carmichael knew for certain that she wanted to play lacrosse in college from very early on in life, even before she entered high school.

“[I knew] by eighth grade, because freshman year is when you start emailing coaches,” Carmichael said. “I started emailing coaches [the] summer going [into] my sophomore year, and I was getting the feel of what school I wanted. I knew I always wanted a big school, and I like the warmth a lot so that’s where I was looking.”

For Carmichael to reach the point she is at today, it took countless hours of work outside of her standard practices. According to Carmichael, these hours involved private lessons and practicing in her backyard.

These endless hours of preparation brought Carmichael to the Division 1 level of skill. Depending on if an athlete is applying to Division I or Division II schools, the year they commit can be as early as junior year, which was the case for Carmichael and her Division I commitment. Her situation is rare, however, due to the elite level she plays at already.

“[Kylie’s situation] is unique because she’s in a top group of players across the US. It’s a small [group] if you take the number of programs that are out there for women’s college lacrosse. It’s over 520, multiply that by 30 players per team, that tells you how many girls can be playing,” Olivier said.

Olivier also played a crucial role in helping Carmichael through the recruitment process with sending recommendations and making phone calls to college coaches. The work for this begins as early as sophomore year, and Carmichael was at one of the highest levels of skill possible.

“She was in the first wave, [and] first wave goes to the top. Through her freshman, sophomore year [I] would nominate her for League tournaments [and] things to try out for because she was in that pool of players.”

The key to Carmichael’s commit can also be accredited to the vast amount of time she dedicated to showcasing herself and her skills to prospective coaches.

“I would say going to tournaments [coaches] would be at, constantly reaching out to them, showing my interest and telling them what games and tournaments I’ll be at [helped me stand out],” Carmichael said. “Showcasing myself is the biggest aspect of that [and] finding the opportunities to get myself in front of coaches.”

Not only did it take a dedication to her sport, personal characteristics also played a role in spotlighting Carmichael.

“A coach is looking for a player that’s going to come in, fit with the culture, mesh with the girls, [and] isn’t going to be a liability [but] an asset,” Olivier said. “Kylie gets along with everybody. She fits into anywhere that she goes, [and] as I said, she’s a coach’s dream.”

This path to success did not come without its struggles for Carmichael. As it is for many, the recruitment process certainly had its challenging aspects for her.

“I would say it was definitely stressful, because you’re emailing all these coaches and going to all these things, but they aren’t allowed to talk to you, so you don’t know if they’re interested or not,” Carmichael said.

As her junior year is coming to a close and having the knowledge that soon she will be competing at the collegiate level brings Carmichael feelings of both excitement and trepidation.

“I’m very excited to get out there and play, but it is a little stressful just because it’s a whole different level of lacrosse,” Carmichael said. “You’re going against the top girls [in the country].”

To aspiring collegiate players, Carmichael’s biggest piece of advice is to always go the extra mile.

“Put in the time. Any chance you get do something extra, whether it’s [putting] a highlight reel together, [emailing] a coach, [going] to a prospect clinic, or working [on] yourself,” Carmichael said. “I think that’s the most important part, because you have to be consistent. So once you are comfortable with yourself and know you’re consistent as long as you’re putting in the work you’ll [succeed].”