Jordan Silkowitz: Chasing Excellence with Bay FC & the USWNT
Episode notes
Bay FC goalkeeper Jordan Silkowitz sits down to discuss her rise to the international stage and anchoring the defensive foundation of Bay FC in the NWSL.
The goalkeeper and rising star joins the podcast, in a special episode being released just days before USWNTs first match against Spain in the October window, a roster Jordan's a part of, to share insider insights on her historic journey as the first Iowa State player ever drafted into the league, taking her game to the next level, Bay FC's high-stakes playoff race under a new tactical reset, and stepping into the undisputed number-one goalkeeper role, becoming a part of the team's climb to the pinnacle of women's soccer.
She shares what it meant to enter the professional ranks as a young player, tracing her journey back to her earliest soccer memories and her crucial developmental loan stint overseas with Australian club Brisbane Roar.
Jordan also talks about her evolution as a player, reflecting on her historic trade to Bay FC, where she has been in spectacular personal form, leading the league in goals prevented and setting a historic penalty-saving record. She takes us into the locker room to discuss the delicate balance of stepping into a vital leadership role while still developing as a young pro, navigating a grueling NWSL schedule alongside her first senior USWNT call-up ahead of friendlies against Italy, and how her preparation with the analytics staff directly impacts her squad's on-field cohesion and defensive chemistry.
Jordan shares why the Bay FC project was the perfect step for her current career phase, the exact mindset required to serve as a designated squad centerpiece after back-to-back contract extensions, and the profound pieces of coaching advice that altered how she views the game, including how goalkeeper coach Daniel Ball helped her rediscover her joy for soccer at a time when she seriously questioned whether she wanted to keep playing.
She walks us through the importance of the U-23 national team program as a fundamental international entry point, detailing what was going through her head when she achieved the "I will get called into a USWNT camp" flashcard inside her locker.
Lastly, she shares what excites her about the club's new direction under head coach Emma Coates, the short and long term goals on her career vision board, and so much more!
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