Katie Shea Collins Ready for Bigger Role

At 5’3” tall, sophomore forward Katie Shea Collins has big shoes to fill. After a tremendous rookie season playing alongside fifth-year senior and South Carolina’s career goal and points scorer Cat Barry, Collins will be more of a focal point now that Barry has graduated.

“Pressure is a privilege,” said Collins, a Tennessee native, who earned Second Team All-SEC and All-Freshman team honors last year. “There is a little bit more of it now because teams know who I am. I’ve been working really hard, and I’m excited to show how I’ve progressed.

“Cat was one of the best mentors I could have ever had. She is so calm on the field, but she is also so confident. She helped me a lot.”

Collins burst onto the scene last year as a freshman, scoring 13 goals and tallying three assists in 19 matches for the Gamecocks. The 13 goals were second on the team and tied for second in the SEC, and despite her small stature, she plays big. She is off to a big start after scoring two goals in South Carolina’s first home game against South Florida on August 17.

“Heart over height!” said Collins. “I wish I were taller for headers and stuff, but it just means I have to work harder and be more proactive. I’ll take that challenge any day.

“I was never expecting to play as many minutes as I did last year. I was just excited to get on the field. I learned so much in those first two months. When I got my chance, I tried to take advantage of it.”

Collins hasn’t exactly been taking it easy in the offseason. She was selected to train with the U.S. U20 National Team last spring after also competing with the team at the World Cup in Colombia last fall. This summer, she also played with Team Solo in The Soccer Tournament (TST), which is a seven vs. seven soccer tournament where student-athletes join legendary professional and international stars on the pitch to compete for a one-million-dollar prize.

“It’s about learning the game and having more wisdom,” Collins said of her experiences. “You get to meet players from all over the country and the world and see how they play. You pick up things from other players. Then with TST, you’re seeing legends like Hope Solo and Carli Lloyd and how they do things. It was the best experience ever!”

Part of Collins’ competitive nature comes from the sibling rivalry with her twin brother, Patrick, who is also a student at South Carolina.

“We were competitive with each other in anything you can think of,” Collins said. “It was the best atmosphere to live in though. I learned how to play baseball and football. I’ve been able to take certain aspects of that and add them to my soccer game. We still compete in anything from who gets up first in the morning or who makes the best breakfast. He comes to my games, and I can hear him no matter how many thousands of people are in the stands. He’s my biggest fan.”

When she’s not training for soccer, she enjoys finding trails to walk and also adopts dogs for a day through Final Victory Rescue which allows you to foster dogs for short terms. As she embarks on her second season with the Gamecocks, Collins can’t wait to see what the next chapter in her career brings.

“I’m so excited about our team this year,” Collins said. “We have an amazing group of 28 players. Even if they double team me, they’re not going to be ready for all the others we have. I want to be a leader on this team, on and off the field.

“Soccer doesn’t last forever, but these relationships and how you treat people will.”

(Pictured below – Katie Shea and twin brother, Patrick)