Professional soccer freestyler Skye Cowie will be at Big Swim Big Kick April 29. Kids will have the opportunity to meet Skye, take photos, and learn freestyle tricks.
Teenager Skye Cowie is a soccer freestyle phenom. A couple of times per week she heads outside with her headphones and a soccer ball to master new tricks. For Skye, it’s her time to be creative and express herself through the sport. We chatted with Skye and learned what keeps her motivated, how freestyling has impacted her as a person, and why she loves the sport.
Q: How did you get into freestyling?
A: I played soccer my whole life, and then my sister was introduced to freestyle. She saw the world champion do a show in England, and she thought it was amazing. So, I watched her do it for years and I wanted to do it too.
Q: What do you love about the sport?
A: I love the creativity side of freestyle. There is no coach. It’s just me out there. I have to be dedicated and come up with tricks. The most challenging part is not getting discouraged. It often takes a while to get new moves down. It’s easy to give up, but you have to persevere. That can be hard sometimes.
Q: How has freestyling impacted you as a person?
A: It has definitely made a stronger person and taught me a lot about myself. I have to be self-motivated to go out with just myself and my headphones every day.
Q: What are some opportunities you have had because of freestyling?
A: There have been tons. I have been able to work with amazing brands like Nike, Adidsas, Wilson, and Samsung. I have met amazing people, done some incredible photo shoots, and traveled the world.
Q: How do you stay motivated?
A: It’s just that drive to be better than I am. Be the best I can be. Just keep going.
Q: Who do you look up to?
A: My sister. She knows so many freestyle tricks, and I learned by her side.
Q: What are your goals moving forward?
A: My goals are to better myself and push the sport out to more young girls. It’s an up-and-coming sport, and I want to get it out there.
Q: What advice do you have for kids who want to get started in freestyle?
A: Start with basics, don’t get discouraged, and practice. Get juggling down first. Start with your knees or feet, and then progress to simple tricks like around the world, click, or hoops.
Q: What is your favorite move to perform?
A: I like performing lemmens. It’s a double around the world (circle your foot twice around the ball in the air). It probably took me a couple weeks to learn. First, I mastered one around the world, then I progressed to two. Once you get the basics down, it’s a lot easier to do harder tricks.
Q: Why is it important for kids to play sports and be active?
A: I think sports really build your character, whether you’re on a team or doing an individual sport. I think it helps in life. When you’re active, you’re learning new things.
Q: What are you most looking forward to at Big Swim Big Kick?
A: I’m most excited to just meet all the kids and hopefully teach some freestyle!