Inheriting her goalie skills from her mother, sophomore Kelly Donaldson is a living legacy. This young athlete keeps her family’s tradition alive on the soccer field, one save at a time. Since her freshman year in 2023, Donaldson has been an amazing goalie for the KHS girl’s soccer team and had a large impact on the team and all the girls she plays alongside. Beginning soccer at the young age of about six or seven, it has always played a huge role in her life.
From the very beginning, Donaldson’s mom and Kinnelon Board of Education member, Jean Donaldson, influenced her soccer career. She said, “I played because my mom signed me up.” Donaldson’s mother had a striking soccer career. Playing Division 3 soccer at Albany University and continuing to play in women’s leagues when she moved across the country, she began the legacy that Donaldson would want to live up to.
Although Donaldson enjoys following in her mom’s footsteps, it was never an expectation. “It has never been important to me that any of my children follow in my footsteps. They all need to find their own passion and what motivates them,” says Mrs. Donaldson. Donaldson not feeling extra pressure while playing soccer makes her a more confident athlete and continues to build her and her mother’s relationship.
Donaldson’s mom has always served as a source of motivation when playing the sport and has always pushed her to do her best, especially when she’s watching, “When my mom is at games, it makes me feel extremely motivated. I’m not afraid to make mistakes in front of her because I know she’ll understand, but I want her to see me playing well, so it motivates me to play better.” Donaldson can closely relate to her mom when it comes to making mistakes in soccer since she experienced very similar things. This makes Donaldson a more confident athlete knowing that her mom won’t doubt her and frown upon her mistakes.
Donaldson’s mom thinks very highly of her as a soccer player. She says, “She had an amazing season this year as a sophomore. She is better than I was in college as a high school player. It is very hard to be a goalie as an underclassman, you are in the spotlight. She rose to the occasion and had a huge impact on the success of the team this year.”
Another way Donaldson plans to follow in her mom’s footsteps is to continue her soccer career in college, similar to her mom. She says, “I plan on playing soccer in college because I love the sport, and it’s just such a great opportunity for me.”
As well as Donaldson continuing in her mother’s footsteps on the field she also gets to play alongside her older sister, senior Kate Donaldson. She mentions how great of an athlete Donaldson is, “One of the best qualities she has is her determination and effort, she always gives one hundred percent.” She shares many qualities with her mom when it comes to soccer. She also mentions, “My biggest role model in soccer is probably my mother, because she was also a goalkeeper, and she was very determined as well as competitive.”
Donaldson’s dedication to the sport serves as a positive asset to the team and helps boost the morale of the team every practice and game. Being able to continue on her mom’s soccer and goalie legacy has ultimately made her a more proud athlete. Playing the sport she loves and representing her mom while she does it makes her feel more connected and her love just continues to grow.
