Life as a college athlete can be tough. Balancing school and practice can be a 40-hour a week job. But life as an athlete can be more difficult as a walk-on.
Typically for a walk-on, or a non-scholarship player, school is not paid for and meaningful playing time is a pipe dream.
Then there is Erin Stigler, a junior goalkeeper on the Oklahoma State soccer team. Just a few years ago, Stigler was fourth on the depth chart, and on the verge of not even being on the roster.
“(The coaches) liked me a lot and said I had a great personality, great chemistry with the team and I worked hard and everything,” Stigler said. “But (the coaches) told me unless I picked it up after my freshman year that I would probably be a practice player and I liked being on the team so much I was OK with it. I was going to contribute any way I could.”
Although she was happy to simply be a part of the team, it took some time for her to adjust to sitting on the bench.
Before her career at OSU, Stigler was five-time Texas state champion in club soccer and was all-district for her high school. The transition from starter to walk-on was hard at first, Stigler said.
“It was tough,” Stigler said of being a back-up. “It’s such a high level here, we were all the stars of our club teams and our high school teams. We were the steady players, the ones everyone looked to to put the game away.”
“It was really different going from the top of the heap to the bottom of the heap.”
That’s when Stigler made a choice.
“I just decided for myself I was going to play that much harder, work that much harder on my own and eventually (the coaches) gave me a chance,” she said.
That chance came in the middle of this past season. Stigler, having filled in sparingly for injured goalkeepers, made her first career start against Kansas.
Stigler posted a shutout as the Cowgirls won 1-0 in an overtime thriller. Stigler hasn’t looked back since, said head coach Colin Carmichael.
“She’s a great story,” Carmichael said. “Last year she took over midseason and hasn’t missed a beat. She’s not spectacular, just solid, rarely makes mistakes, which is good.”
One of the biggest factors in her emergence as the starter was improved fitness.
“She came in as a walk-on and first couple years didn’t really play very much but really made a commitment to get fitter and get herself in better shape to be able to play,” Carmichael said.
Stigler went on to have a season to remember. The Round Rock, Texas native set a school record eight shutouts and logged 1,511 minutes, the most by a Cowgirl since 2004. When asked of her record-setting season, Stigler was quick to give credit to the defense she had in font of her.
“It felt great,” Stigler said. “I think everyone worked really hard for it. I have to give a lot of credit to my team. My back four (defense) was solid. They helped me out a lot, very supportive.”
Despite that memorable season, Stigler will still fight for her place as first choice goalkeeper. A pair of freshman will push Stigler as the season gets closer.
“Kaitlin Gustaves is a very good athlete, she’s probably the best athlete of the three. Sam Sumners is the biggest physical presence. They all kinda have a dimension that’s good.
“I think Stigler has the edge just on experience. I certainly think if she’s not getting the job done I think the other two are capable.”
Stigler said the experience she gained last year certainly helps her, but also said she welcomes the competition.
“I think the one thing I do have over them is experience,” Stigler said. “They both worked real hard and everything. I think I do have a bit more experience but I actually like the competition it pushes me that much harder. If you’re going to have a backup you want them to be just as good as you.”
That experience might prove invaluable, given Stigler is only 5 feet 5 inches tall.
“I’m not tall, they say I’m 5’5” I don’t think I am really. Most goalkeepers are tall, pretty strong so I’ve had to work on different things in order to make up for my lack of height.”
Stigler said she makes life easier by keeping her defense organized.
“I just try to make situations to where I don’t have to put myself in a dangerous spot where I have to make a huge save. I’d rather make a ton of easy saves because I’ve organized the team into that position to where the other team can’t get a good shot off.”
With an exhibition against Texas Christian University this weekend, Goalkeeper coach Tony Economopoulos said he has high hopes for Stigler this season.
“She’s returning number one so she has big shoes to refill again this year with the fact she had eight shutouts last year. So I’m hoping she does all that, plus more.”
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