McCourt commits to play soccer at D1 Cleveland State
By Mike Ramczyk
Sports Editor
She isn’t the one scoring all the goals or stealing all the spotlight.
Burlington senior Sydney McCourt would much rather wait in the wings and break down her opponent before making her move.
The 17-year-old Brown’s Lake resident is a defender extraordinaire, and recently her soccer exploits have led to a college career.
McCourt made history by becoming the first Burlington girls soccer player to commit to a Division 1 college, Cleveland State University.
Quiet and soft-spoken in school, McCourt turns into a completely different animal on the field.
The Demons’ vocal leader sees the game like a head coach, and her motor is constantly running.
“She’s the fiercest of anybody on that entire field,” said Burlington coach Joel Molitor. “She wants it more than anyone else. Wherever I put her, she’s the best player on the field. It’s like having another coach on the field.”
Always in tip-top shape, McCourt will go on a two-mile run sometimes after soccer practice.
It was this vigor and zest for the game that attracted Cleveland State last summer.
All the years of long drives for club practices and regional tournaments have been worth it, as McCourt will receive nearly a full ride.
McCourt and the two-time defending conference champion Demons should be in a good position for a third title this spring.
The Standard Press recently sat down with McCourt to discuss her decision and her future.
SP: How big is women’s college soccer?
SM: It’s a huge women’s sport in the U.S. right now, and it’s growing. And Cleveland State doesn’t have a football team, so they can put more money into the soccer program.
The SEC and southern conferences are the biggest soccer conferences. North Carolina has a lot of national team players.
SP: Take me through the recruiting process.
SM: It started with Tyson Mundt (father of Burlington teammate Merin Mundt).
He was at BYSC (city’s soccer club), and he was the older girls’ coach. He wanted me to play with the older team when I was 12.
By doing that, a coach from a bigger club, Lake Country United, saw me play and brought me on his team. I traveled to practice an hour three days a week in the Hartford/Merton area. My parents drove me and a couple other girls. There were games every weekend in the fall, and we traveled to as far as Kansas for league games.
Now, I play for Strike, which is based in the Kettle Moraine area. Half of my teammates are playing D1 college soccer. Our coaches have helped us with the recruitment process.
SP: Why Cleveland State?
SM: It happened last summer, which is late. Usually, girls commit by sophomore year.
We were at club regionals in Ohio in June, and we just beat a South Dakota team. After the game, a Cleveland State coach ran over to my coach and was pointing at me. I was like ‘What’s going on?’ Usually, people who play my position don’t get a lot of good looks. Coaches tend to go toward players that score goals.
As a defender, there’s no glory and it’s always my fault if the other team scores.
The Cleveland State coach thought I had a good voice and showed good leadership. She emailed, I emailed back, and she replied within four hours.
They sent me to another camp, and we talked on the phone about committing there.
A month later, I went to their camp, and after we sat down and she offered me a scholarship.
It was honestly surreal, because as a center/back, you have to have big shoulders because you take a lot of criticism.
I knew if I went to Cleveland State, I would have an opportunity to get a lot of playing time.
SP: Was there other interest?
SM: I was approached by Loyola, and I went to camps at Northwestern and Wisconsin (Madison). They didn’t offer as much as Cleveland State.
My father went to Wisconsin, and his father went to Madison, so I would’ve been a third generation. I considered walking on there.
SP: How was your Cleveland State visit?
SM: It was incredible. The coaches were awesome, and I never thought I’d like an urban campus, but I fell in love with it. It’s in downtown Cleveland.
The school had my education major, so it made it even better. I even got to stay with a fellow recruit.
SP: What are your strengths on the field?
SM: My coaches have told me I’m not the fastest or strongest, but I have intelligence out there. I’m very good at knowing the game and the anticipation, and that’s what the Cleveland State coach noticed. I’m the one yelling on the court.
It’s kind of a joke, because I am quiet at school but I’m a different animal on the field.
SP: What’s your soccer background?
SM: When I was 6 years old, my dad was my coach. All I wanted to do on the field was run up and down, I didn’t care about the ball.
I discovered I was kind of good, and I wanted to play more. I love having teammates, and I know these girls will be my friends forever.
SP: Why do you love soccer?
SM: When you’re on the field, everything else doesn’t matter. It’s a whole different world. There’s the camaraderie with my teammates, and I love just being outside and running around.
SP: What’s your perfect-world scenario in soccer?
SM: I would want a hard-fought game, and shutting down a player is the best feeling you can have. It’s almost like a winning feeling.
I’m reserved and I think about things as a defender. An offensive player can go a million miles an hour and make a lot of mistakes.
SP: What’s the difference between club and high school ball?
SM: It depends what Coach Molitor wants. If we’re playing a really good team, I’ll stay back, but as a holding midfielder I can help with offense for the high school team.
SP: Where are you playing now?
SM: We play at an indoor facility for the Strike in Hartland.
I drive there with Hannah Anderson two nights a week, and on Saturdays I have games there.
Usually, I’ll travel to three big club tournaments in a year, and it’s all on the player to pay for the trips.
SP: How much have your parents helped with your soccer career?
SM: I couldn’t ask for better parents. My dad drives to Chicago for work. He would drive home sometimes and drive another hour to take me to practice or watch me play.
Being able to pay them off through this scholarship is incredible. They’ve given me so much support.
They love sports, too.
We have a deal. I have to pay for gas money, so I have a job at Plaza Theater.
SP: What do you want to major in?
SM: Education, elementary-age. That kind of schedule would fit into coaching, and I would love to coach a high school team some day.
With younger kids, there’s this innocence and you’re able to give them a foundation for life.
SP: What are your goals the rest of the year?
SM: Club-wise, I hope we can finally win regionals and go to nationals.
With the Demons, we lost 12 seniors. But we’re bringing on younger players, and we have good returning players. I wouldn’t anything else but to win conference.
SP: What’s your dream job in 10 years?
SM: I’d like to have a steady job teaching somewhere. Also, I’d like to coach a little bit. Maybe I could have a family by then as well.
Meet Sydney McCourt
Soccer is…easy.
I’m playing D1 college soccer because…I love the game.
Favorite movie: “Pride and Prejudice”
Favorite music: Christian rock, Gospel, Newsboys
Food ritual: I try to drink as much as possible before games. Before games, we all come together and pray.
Twitter or Instagram? Instagram, it’s so easy to deal with pictures.
If you could have dinner with one person dead or alive, who would it be and why?
Michelle Akers, she used to play for the U.S. Women’s national team. I’d like to figure out her mindset and how she got over her chronic fatigue.
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