Before her players leave the field, Kayla Steeves asks them to do something simple: thank the people who drove them there.

“Never forget to be grateful for your support system sacrificing their time to support your passion.”

Somewhere behind every practice is someone who made it possible. Someone who rearranged a workday, spent another evening on the sidelines, or believed in a child before that child quite believed in herself.

The women coaching at New England Surf know those people well. They can still name the coaches who changed their lives, remember the encouragement that stayed with them, and recognize something of their younger selves in the players standing before them.

This season, 14 women are part of our coaching staff. Throughout October, we’re sharing their stories: their lives in soccer, the people who shaped them, and what they hope to pass on.

As our community comes together for Breast Cancer Awareness Month through Cozy for a Cause with Ellie Fund, we’re also taking time to celebrate the women who help shape our club every day. We begin with Kayla Steeves, Carlye Crosby, Rachel Kingston, and Maddie O’Brien.

Kayla Steeves

Competition began at home for Kayla.

The youngest of three children, she was always chasing her siblings, trying to keep up. Her parents encouraged them to practice every day. Even family board games could become fiercely competitive.

Those habits carried her through four years as a varsity starter at Needham High School, where she earned All-American recognition, and another four as a starter at Providence College, earning All-BIG EAST honors each season.

Today, she brings that experience to the Metro West U9 Navy Girls and State U15 Navy Girls, along with her work as Surf’s Club Experience Manager and assistant coach for the Brandeis women’s team.

She expects her players to take responsibility for themselves and each other. Mistakes will happen; what interests her is what comes next.

“I care less about the error and more about your response or reaction.”

Yet the person who learned to compete in her backyard also wants players to appreciate everything surrounding the game. Family, academics, friendships and time to enjoy being young all deserve a place.

At home, her husband and five-month-old son help her keep that perspective.

“They are my safe place away from the pitch, reminding me every day to be present, to practice gratitude, and to appreciate the beautiful life we are building.”

At Surf, she values the support coaches offer one another: an open network where colleagues share knowledge and help each other grow. After more than five years coaching at the club, that connection remains one of the things she appreciates most.

It is there in her final reminder before players head home.

“Before you leave the field today, make sure to thank the people who drove you here.”

Carlye Crosby

When Carlye became a stepmother, her two older girls were five and seven. She wanted to get them active. The city needed coaches. She volunteered.

“And the rest is history.”

Twelve years later, Carlye coaches the South Shore U12 Sky Girls and U12 Navy Girls. Her description of her coaching style offers a glimpse of what players can expect: “Empowering, intense, sarcastic.”

She grew up playing three sports, loved soccer, and spent time in goal. Basketball was her favorite. During a difficult adolescence, when she lived with different friends and eventually her grandmother, sport gave her somewhere to put her energy. She spent hours outside shooting hoops or running. Keeping her grades up meant she could keep playing.

She remembers what that space meant to her.

“Now, I coach because I try to be a safe space for the kids I coach.”

Ask about her proudest moments, and she returns to the players who tell her they feel safe, have fun, and feel empowered on her teams. She wants them to discover that they can do difficult things, trust themselves, and compete while being kind.

Her faith gives her strength outside the game. During the season, she looks for churches near her matches so she can still attend Sunday Mass.

Within Surf, she has found people she can turn to as she develops her own coaching. She mentions Peter, her regional manager Dee, and colleagues across the club who are willing to help. Having that support matters to someone whose work is so closely tied to providing it for others.

“Great teams lead from within,” she tells her players.

Each session gives them another opportunity to learn how.

Rachel Kingston

A child breaks a juggling record. A parent says their son loves coming to practice. A team wins a tournament.

For Rachel Kingston, each can carry the same quiet confirmation:

“This is exactly where I’m supposed to be.”

She knows the bigger sporting moments, too. Her playing career took her from town soccer to club, Needham High School, and Boston University. She remembers a state championship, her first start at BU, and a conference championship.

After college, she could not imagine walking away from soccer. Coaching gave her a way to stay.

Today, she leads the Metro Boston U11 Boys Navy and State U12 Boys Pool teams. Over her time at Surf, she has coached boys and girls from U9 through high school, enjoying the personality and culture that each group develops.

She is also a teacher. Both parts of her working life ask her to notice young people’s progress, understand what they need, and help them take the next step.

Her players often hear two words: “Trust yourself.”

She wants them to work hard, enjoy the game and become teammates others can rely on. She also understands what her presence on the sidelines can show them.

“Gender should never determine what roles you believe you can pursue – women can coach boys, lead teams, and be successful just as men can.”

Away from work, she spends time outdoors with her dog, visits the Cape and enjoys being with friends and family. She grew up sailing with her brother and cousins and still loves getting out on the water during the summer.

On the field, her attention returns to the particular child in front of her – and what success might mean to them that day.

Maddie O’Brien

“Be where your feet are.”

It is a reminder Maddie O’Brien gives herself: stay present, appreciate the little things, and keep perspective.

Her life offers plenty of reasons to practice it. Alongside coaching Surf’s U12 Royal team, Maddie works as a nurse. She draws strength from that work, her family, and her closest friends. Her younger sister has helped teach her patience and how to support the people around her – qualities she carries into coaching.

Soccer has been part of her life since childhood, through state teams, ECNL, futsal and 3v3, then Division I soccer at Merrimack College. Injuries made those college years demanding. Completing all four remains something she is proud of.

She began coaching while still in college, working with U17 boys and U14 girls. Now, she gets to watch her own players work through challenges and recognize their progress.

One of her favorite moments comes when something they have practiced appears in a game. The girls can see it for themselves: their work is making a difference.

Maddie wants them to keep loving soccer and take its friendships, confidence, and leadership into the rest of their lives.

Her energy and competitive spirit are part of that experience. So is the perspective she brings from outside the field.

There will be another challenge, another practice, another chance to improve. For now, she wants to appreciate where she – and her players – are.

The people beside us

Kayla’s reminder to thank the person who drove to practice stays with us because these stories are full of those people: parents, siblings, partners, teammates and coaches whose influence continues long after a game ends.

Now, Kayla, Carlye, Rachel and Maddie are becoming part of someone else’s story. Across our State and Regional programs, they are helping players discover what they can do and who they might become.

We’ll be sharing more of those stories throughout October.

Alongside the series, our Cozy for a Cause initiative offers another way to support the people around us. The limited edition New England Surf Hope Hoodie supports Ellie Fund, which provides practical assistance to breast cancer patients of all genders who live or receive treatment in Massachusetts.

Its services help with everyday needs, including groceries, transportation, and childcare – so patients and families have support during treatment.

Visit our website homepage to purchase your Hoodie (today is the last day!), and follow Women of New England Surf as we introduce more of the women behind our teams.