Southlake’s Kennedy Fuller wins national soccer award, first step toward fulfilling her dreams

Gabriel Trevino
·2 min read

Kennedy Fuller was already starstruck when she got the chance to meet her idol.

But Fuller wasn’t only going to meet Mallory Swanson — a starting forward on the U.S. Women’s National Team — she was going to get a surprise.

On Thursday, Swanson told Fuller, a junior from Southlake that she won the 2022-23 Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year. Fuller won the 2021-22 Gatorade Texas Girls Soccer Player of the Year Award, but is now among the players to win the national award who have won 17 gold medals.

“Last year when I won the Texas one and looking at the names who’ve won it and what they’ve done, it was crazy to me,” Fuller said. “Now that I’m looking at national winners, it’s mind blowing. I’m still surprised.”

Fuller, the No. 7 recruit in the class of 2024, is committed to play soccer at North Carolina, after helping Southlake Carroll to a 6A class state championship and playing for the U.S. under-16 Women’s National Team.

The 16-year-old Fuller said she already has planned out how to accomplish dreams beyond high school. She said she wants to play for the USWNT in the World Cup, and after talking with Swanson, who plays the same position, Fuller received advice on how to stay focused on her goals.

“She told me that not everybody’s path is the same,” Fuller said. “Although we’ve both won the award, our paths will be completely different. It reminded me that anything is possible. This has been a goal since last year. If I continue to work, my dreams are endless; going to UNC, playing professionally then making the World Cup roster.”

But Fuller said she doesn’t just want to make an impact on the field wherever she plays in the future, but to help young athletes discover what they want to do. Using the advice Swanson gave to her, Fuller plans to pay it forward to the next generation of athletes.

“One of my biggest goals is to use my recognition to inspire young athletes to be the best version of themselves,” Fuller said. “And to tell them to not be anybody but themselves. Everyone is unique. Like Mallory said, everybody’s path is different.”