Sarah Emigh’s love of playing soccer is matched only by the total dedication she puts into practically everything she takes on. Though forced to sit on the sidelines this fall as COVID-19 wiped out the 2020 season, the longtime Wildcats standout has been productive with her time, finishing her double major (nursing and psychology) while preparing to begin Chico State’s prestigious—and difficult to get into—nursing program. And if that’s not enough, she’s fully intending on using her final year of athletic eligibility to return to the pitch in 2021. Emigh’s “taking care of business” approach makes her the latest Wildcat of the Week.
“That’s the plan as long as long as I get the opportunity,” Emigh said about rejoining the team next August. “I’m going to stay as long as they allow me to.”
Following the recent announcement that Chico State and California State Universities are anticipating a return to in-person courses in the fall, Emigh couldn’t help but feel positive about returning to some sort of normalcy.
“I feel like if school’s in-person, then sports should be, too,” Emigh said. “It’s giving me hope for soccer.”
Who can blame Emigh for her upbeat outlook on the future? The Bay Area native has a lot to look forward to on several fronts. A two-time California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) and All-West Region selection, she’ll anchor the midfield for a young, hungry Wildcats team that’s loaded with talent. But earlier this year, she and her teammates were in the grips of uncertainty when it was announced that fall sports had been suspended.
“My first thought (after hearing the announcement) was ‘Now what happens?’”, Emigh said. “Am I going to get any closure? I went straight to ‘I’m never going to play soccer again’…all of a sudden it was gone. I’m not going to get to finish my dream.”
But because she will stay at Chico State to begin the nursing program, Emigh can look forward to again donning her No. 13 jersey for the Wildcats, and play alongside her longtime teammates Kylie Martinez and Jordan Doukakis. The three players all have one year of athletic eligibility remaining.
“The three of us have our fingers crossed,” Emigh said. “I have really high hopes for the (2021) team. I was ready to come away with a banner this past fall, because we had some freshman and sophomores ready to play thanks to all the experience they gained in 2019. We’ve added some more great players since then, and I think there are big things ahead for this team.”
Emigh has some big things ahead for her post-soccer future. An outstanding student with the honors to back it up (five CCAA All-Academic awards, two Division II Athletic Directors Association Academic Achievement Awards, 2019 CoSIDA Academic All-District and United Soccer Coaches Third Team All-West Region Scholar awards, and the recipient of the 2018 CCAA Championship Scholar Award), she was one of just 40 applicants out of 300 to be accepted into Chico State’s ultra-competitive nursing program.
“I waited for the e-mail for so long,” Emigh said about receiving news of her acceptance. “I just cried, I was so happy.”
Emigh knows that juggling both athletics and academics will be a lot harder than it was when she was an undergraduate.
“It’s definitely going to be a new challenge,” Emigh said of the priorities the nursing program will present. “I’ll have to pick and choose when I miss practices or go to class. I can make the games and some of the practices, but I’ll also have to do as much as I can (to stay on the same page as the team) on my own.”
Emigh knows that Chico State head coach Kim Sutton will remain supportive and work with her in successfully balancing academic and athletic responsibilities.
“Coach is just the epitome of a woman to look up to,” Emigh said. “As a soccer player, my freshman year she was so hard on me, but it made me so much better. I came back sophomore year and, thanks to her, I excelled as an individual. I gained confidence as a player, and the next year I gained confidence as a person. She brings out the best in each individual player…with each person she wants them to grow in such a way that makes them want to excel and exceed.
“She’s very adamant that being a student comes first. Having a coach that cares about school made me think I could do nursing here. She encourages me so much, and she pushes us in so many positive ways. I’m forever grateful to her.
“She also really cares about family,” Emigh continued in her praise of Sutton. “Coach made the concept of family so important, and it’s intertwined in our culture. That’s what makes the program so special.”
Not that Emigh had to be pushed to stay serious about her studies. She learned the value of education growing up in her hometown of Martinez.
“My parents always expected me to do well in school, so it’s always been important,” Emigh said. “I’ve always taken school as a really big priority. I set my standards high. I’m one of those people who can’t do anything until my homework’s done. I’m definitely a planner. It helps me make sure I accomplish everything in school.”
With no soccer in 2020, Emigh focused on her classes during the fall months, and prepared for what will be a demanding nursing school curriculum. She also used her time in Chico to log some invaluable in-person work at Enloe Hospital.
“The first few weeks of the semester I was averaging about 23 hours on Zooms,” Emigh said. “It was busy. But now that I’ve got the hang of it, I think I’m going to try to get a job in the spring, with school and soccer next fall.”
Zoom has also been vital in keeping Emigh close to her Wildcat teammates.
“We’ll meet in small groups and do things like reading a book,” Emigh said. “Then we’ll have competitions within our small groups…just to have something to stay connected. We’ve tried to reach out to freshmen and incoming players to let them know the team has this strong support system, and that we’re there for each other.”
When she’s not studying or Zooming, Emigh is doing what she can to keep in shape and ready for the upcoming soccer season.
“I’ve really taken this quarantine thing seriously,” she said. “I try and run at least once a day, and I bought a set of dumbbells to do some weight work at home. Working out gives me a feeling of self-care.”
Emigh has already amassed a long list of treasured memories as a Chico State women’s soccer player—traveling as a freshman to San Diego for the NCAA Championships, beating her sister Kaitlyn’s Sonoma State team in 2018 to set a new Wildcats unbeaten streak record, and getting to compete on the LA Galaxy’s home field in Carson in 2019 among them. If all goes according to plan, Emigh will be making even more memories for the ’Cats in the fall of 2021—and she hopes the other student-athletes that comprise the Wildcat Family feel as confident about their futures as she is about hers.
“Just remember why we all chose Chico State, and why we chose it for the athletics,” Emigh said. “When times get hard and we question what’s going to happen next, remember how much joy it brings. We’re all going to get there, and when we do, we’ll realize that it was so worth it.”
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