By Harriet Muller
Imagine spending hours perfecting your first touch, placing shots into the corners of the net, and pushing your body to the absolute limit — all so that you can live out your dream of being a Division I soccer athlete.
Now imagine having your very own training buddy — a 24/7 teammate to push you, compete with you and go through every step of the journey alongside you.
Then, you look around the changing room and see your other half staring back at you from another locker.
For Taylor and Hayden Kish, this is not just something to imagine.
The sisters gear up to take to the pitch together for the 2026 fall conference season, with older sister and captain Taylor saying, “Not many people get the opportunity to play college soccer with their sister, so I never want to take it for granted.”
Like siblings in many competitive households, the pair grew up pushing one another to be their best. Younger sister Hayden explained, “I would not be at the level I am at without Taylor. She always pushes me to be better.”
That competitive edge was not something the sisters picked up on the soccer field alone. Like many of us, they are products of their environment. Taylor described it this way: “We grew up in a very competitive household where you just develop a certain mentality about the way you go about life.” For Hayden, this mentality came down to one simple goal: “Beat her.”
When the opportunity came for younger sister Hayden to join Taylor in San Antonio and continue her soccer career at UIW, having her sister there played a significant role in the decision. Hayden said, “It was definitely a large reason I committed to UIW.” But Hayden earned her own place on the team. Taylor made that clear, saying she was “excited because of the quality player we gained and the leadership qualities she has.”
Now some questions might be coming to mind. What happens when the whistle blows? Do they fight? What is their chemistry like?
On the pitch, the sibling relationship steps aside. Taylor explained their professional approach: “As a player, I hold her to the same standards, communicate honestly (sometimes probably more than others), but nonetheless expect her to do her job.”
And Hayden knows exactly what this looks like. When the going gets tough, Taylor will bring her straight back into the moment. “If I am not playing my best, she will snap me out of it,” Hayden said.
But we all know the reason this story is so special is that beneath the honest conversations, there is something much bigger than just a soccer game. Hayden knows that whatever happens during those 90 minutes, Taylor will always be in her corner. “Taylor is always someone that I can count on… she is in my corner no matter what happens.”
For Taylor, now in her fourth year of college soccer, their chemistry is unlike any other. “It is a different type of connection… we can be the best versions of ourselves when we play together because of the last 18 years.”
This isn’t just a story about two teammates. It is a story about two young girls who collectively chased a dream. Years of growing up, competing and pushing each other have now given the sisters the chance to share some of the “best years of your life” together.
