Twin Brother Helps Build Competitive Edge for Katie Shea Collins

Katie Shea Collins started her collegiate soccer career in style. South Carolina’s freshman forward not only earned a hat trick in the Gamecocks’ season opening victory over Furman on August 18, but a few days later, she was off to Bogota, Columbia, to train with the U.S. Under-20 Youth National Team in preparation for the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup. With all her success, she credits her twin brother, Patrick, for helping to build her competitive edge.

“He’s my best friend,” said Collins, who is studying exercise science and aspires to be a physical therapist whenever her soccer career is over. “He decided to come to the University of South Carolina just for school. He’s my best friend and my biggest competitor. When we were growing up, it didn’t matter what sport he played or I played, the other person had to try to be better. When my brother played football, lacrosse, or baseball, I learned how to play all of those sports just so I could try to say that I was better than my twin brother. He would do the same thing to me. I feel blessed for it because now I have the highest competitive drive, and I just want to be the best that I can be, whether it’s school or sports. I’m so grateful for my brother. He’s awesome.”

Collins had to miss three games for South Carolina while traveling to South America with the U.S. U-20 team for a couple of weeks after her debut. While she didn’t want to miss time with the Gamecocks, the opportunity will only help her career in the long run.

“I hope I get to make it there again, but if I don’t, I’m grateful for everything I learned,” Collins said. “Some of us on the team were just going into college, some were juniors, and I think we had eight pro players on my team. So, when we got to practice, it was serious! It was high intensity and quick movements.

“In Colombia, the altitude compared to here was crazy. It was about 8,600 (feet above sea level). It was hard on the body. You had to learn how to recover well. I was challenged every day. It was a fantastic experience because we were all going through it together. Things that I learned from these players and coaches are things that I can bring back with me and preach to my teammates as well. It helped with my mindset in thinking that if I can play with these players here, then I can do it at home, too. It was amazing to see the humility from the players that I played with.”

Gamecock fans already like what they saw in her debut last month, and starting her career with a rare milestone was something she won’t forget.

“I was hyped for the game,” Collins said of her three-goal debut. “Whether it was a goal or an assist or whatever, I was just hoping I was going to contribute to the game. Getting the hat trick was a dream come true. My team just kept feeding me the ball. The vibes were high, and the ball was just moving and flowing. It was just the best feeling ever!

“South Carolina has been an amazing program for so many years, and I knew I was going to have to work really hard to get a starting spot or even get on the field this year. My first goal was to get a starting spot. My second goal is to be a big contributor for South Carolina this year. I just want to make differences for the team so that we can get the results that we want.”

Collins’ three goals in her collegiate debut was only the seventh hat trick in program history, and she became the youngest Gamecock to do so since Jennie Ondo in the inaugural season of South Carolina women’s soccer back in 1996. And just for good measure, her first goal of the match also came just 34 seconds into play, which was the second-fastest goal in program history. While one match does not make a career, Collins knows the early success will make her a marked woman by her opponents.

“I’m ready!” Collins said. “I’d be honored if teams think that about me. I’ll take it. Let’s go! If they target me like that, I know we have so many other great forwards who can score as well. I’m just hungry for goals.”

As the Gatorade High School Player of the Year in her home state, the Gallatin, Tennessee, native could have gone a lot of places to play collegiate soccer, but the team atmosphere and the program’s ability to send student-athletes to the next level made it easy to choose the Gamecocks.

“I remember when I came on my visit, it’s just such a family atmosphere here, and I felt like I already belonged,” Collins said. “Now, I feel like every single one of these girls on the team is my sister.

“Eventually, my goal is to turn pro for soccer. South Carolina puts people into the professional leagues every year, whether that is here in the NWSL or in other countries. I know that (Head) Coach Shelley (Smith) and (Associate Head) Coach Jamie (Smith) know exactly what I need to get there one day.

“Nothing is impossible. You never know when you’re going to have a hat trick game or maybe get called up (to a national team), so you just have to just keep grinding it out and when times get hard, you have to lean on your people.”