Tearing his ACL and meniscus in his right knee the spring of his high school senior year, Jayden Mace was not fully recovered to play in his first collegiate soccer season at Winthrop.
Back after almost a year away, the current academic junior and redshirt sophomore was eager to finally be back on the field for the team’s first game on Feb. 14 against USC.
“I didn’t want to believe it until the beginning whistle was blown because it had been so long. I just missed being out there on the field, and for a lot of us that go to college to play soccer, we just love the sport and love to play it, so being off for almost a year was very tough,” Mace said.
The season opener ended with a tough 2-4 loss for the Eagles in Columbia, and after three more games, the Eagles are 0-4 so far this spring season. Nevertheless, Mace remains confident in his team, “looking for the spark” that will ignite their first win.
“We’re in a funk. Everybody wins and loses some; we just have to understand that, and go have fun and keep working hard. At the end of the day, if we keep losing and we give everything we have, that’s all you can ask for,” Mace said.
Mace began playing soccer many years ago at age three, with his uncle coaching him in rec ball. Throughout the years, soccer was only one of Mace’s many athletic passions, as he joined travel baseball, basketball, wrestling and even played a year of football.
“When I was in 6th grade, that’s when there was the cut–off of baseball and soccer in the same season, so I had to choose between [them], and I chose soccer. The only one I still play for fun is basketball, but really my main focus is on soccer most of the time,” Mace said.
Ever since about third grade, Mace has been dreaming of the day he could become a professional soccer player and is proud to have his parent’s full support behind him.
“I remember in elementary school when we had the wax museum or career day; I would always be a professional soccer player. And that is still my number one dream, to be a professional soccer player, so hopefully it’ll work out,” Mace said.
Mace always looked up to his grandma, who sadly passed away in 2015, for inspiration. Now he always wraps his wrist before every game and writes her name on it to honor her while on the field.
“I feel like I’m not just doing it for myself; I’m doing it for her as well. She actually was my number one fan at all my rec games growing up and in middle school. She was always at the games. She was the only one I could hear on the field,” Mace said.
Another inspiration is professional soccer player John Wilson, but Mace simply knows him as the man who tagged along to Mace’s uncle’s soccer practice wearing Converse and jeans.
“He got out there and kicked the ball around a little bit and just fell in love. He didn’t really have any big offers for soccer, but he knew in himself that he could go bigger, so he actually walked onto Clemson. After he graduated from Clemson, he played professionally. He’s been definitely a true inspiration for me, knowing where he came from and just being so close — he’s family,” Mace said.
Aside from the influential people in his life, the experience of more than fifteen years of soccer continues to shape Mace both on and off the field.
“I find motivation in my sport, and it drives me. I think it translates over to me outside of my sport, just doing things for others, giving everything I have, even if it’s not on the field, just that motivation to do good for others,” Mace said.
Being closely connected to so many other people is one of the reasons Mace was drawn to Winthrop instead of larger schools around South Carolina.
“There’s so many good people here. You can go on a walk and get waved at by ten people, and I really enjoy that and the community. I knew coming in that I didn’t know if I would enjoy a bigger school as much. I feel like the smaller setting was perfect for me,” Mace said.
Mace’s dreams and family will continue to push him through this season, taking it “one game at a time, week by week.” The Eagles return to the home field tonight, March 17, against High Point at 7 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Winthrop Athletics
