Syd Nelson’s love for her team pushes her to recover from injury
Cover image: Syd Nelson in action. Credit: Syd Nelson
By Skylar Mattson
After claiming the top spot in the MIAC for another season, St. Kate’s soccer team ended its season in round one of the NCAA Women’s Soccer Tournament on Saturday, Nov. 11. The Wildcats took on Simpson College and lost 1-2. Despite the loss and the team making it no further in the NCAA tournament than the 2022 season, this season concluded on a high note because of the Wildcats’ 9-1-1 conference record.
One Wildcat’s season came to a halt before it had even officially started. During the team’s second pre-season game, Syd Nelson ’25 (Exercise Science pre-PT) tore her ACL and meniscus, putting her on the sidelines for the season.
I met up with Nelson in Butler Center, where you will often find her on campus, to talk about her recovery from her untimely injury.
St. Kate’s soccer team at the last practice of the season. Credit: Maren Schoeberl
Nelson did not delay the surgery she would need to recover. She shared, “I’ve been through many surgeries before. I don’t know. I just kind of wanted to get the surgery done with so I could start the healing process as soon as possible.”
Nelson battled the exact same injury during soccer season in her senior year of high school, heading into her first season with St. Kate’s. From her familiarity with this injury, she knew the drill for her recovery.
Post surgery, Nelson spent six weeks on crutches to avoid bearing weight on her healing leg. “Crutches was the hard part,” she said. Even during what she described as the most difficult part of her recovery, Nelson showed up to cheer on her teammates at almost every game.
Even though she could not train with the team in any capacity, Nelson still attended every practice. She described her role as, “Being supportive for all of my teammates on the bench at practice.”
Nelson continued, “It’s just supporting them in every aspect. Practice is hard mentally and physically, being there for them, cheering them on, getting them through the hard points, and then games.”
Listening to Nelson describe her team makes it easy to see why she is happy to support her fellow Wildcats. “The team culture is amazing. There’s no other team like it. I toured many other schools, and there’s nothing like this team.”
Nelson concluded her interview by sharing that she is motivated to recover because of her teammates. “I want to just get back on the field with my team. It’s so much fun, so that’s my end goal. The sooner I can do that, the better.”
Nelson should be able to spend her entire senior season playing with her teammates. She explained that nine to 12 months is the typical recovery time for her injury. She is optimistic that she will recover on the shorter side, nine months, so she will begin training for her final season in May.
The Wildcats will take their cleats off until winter. Players will lace back up for captains’ practices throughout winter until their preseason in the spring.
