As the youngest of four soccer-playing sisters, Metea Valley senior Tyra King hasn’t lacked for role models.
She used vast amounts of determination and grit to become one of the most feared strikers in the state. But she might not have done it without the encouragement of sisters Jordyn, Jaelyn and Justyce.
“It definitely is from my older sisters,” Tyra King said. “Growing up and watching them play has inspired me. They always pushed me the hardest, especially my oldest sister.”
Jordyn King played soccer at Grambling State, Eastern Washington and Northern Illinois. Jaelyn King played soccer and ran track at Metea Valley, and Justyce King was a teammate of Tyra King’s on Metea Valley’s Class 3A state championship team last year and plays for Lincoln University in Philadelphia.
Tyra King, a Northern Illinois recruit, did her sisters proud this season. She set a single-season program record with 23 goals and also had eight assists in 17 games for the Mustangs (19-1-3), who went undefeated against Illinois teams for the second regular season in a row and were the top-ranked team in the state until losing to Plainfield North 4-1 in a sectional championship game.
“Her first strength as a player is just her work ethic,” Metea Valley coach Chris Whaley said. “She works so hard on the field, and on both sides of the ball, offensively and defensively. That hard work turns into goal-scoring opportunities that your average player doesn’t get.”
Tyra King, the 2023 Naperville Sun Girls Soccer Player of the Year, finished her career with 58 goals and 19 assists. She ranks third on Metea Valley’s scoring list behind Jenna Kentgen (66) and Jade Eriksen-Russo (65), both of whom played four seasons.
Tyra King, whose freshman season was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, amassed her numbers in just three. Her 2023 production is even more noteworthy considering she missed six games after suffering a concussion and was aggressively marked by opponents.
“Everybody knew who she was, and everybody had a plan for her,” Whaley said. “As much as they tried, nobody could really slow her down until we get to the sectional final.”
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Tyra King scored Metea Valley’s only goal against Plainfield North, a team with 11 college-bound players. It was the end of an incredible playoff run during which she scored 11 goals in four games, including four against Neuqua Valley in the regional final and four against Lockport in the sectional semifinal.
Tyra King led the Mustangs in scoring last season, too, finishing with 20 goals. But something really clicked this season.
“It’s definitely that confidence,” she said. “Last year, even though I felt like I performed pretty well, I wasn’t as confident, and I definitely could have had more goals than I did.
“Having that confidence this year allowed me to be stronger and be more direct and take shots from a distance and take advantage of the opportunities that I had. That really helped me.”
Tyra King did some of her best work after star midfielder Jordan Lange suffered a season-ending foot injury on April 23. The increased attention and physicality from foes didn’t deter her.
“She’s fast and physical and aggressive, but ultimately she just works hard and creates goal-scoring chances for herself and her teammates,” Whaley said. “At the end of the day, it’s about percentages, and if you create enough chances, you’re going to score enough goals.”
But Tyra King always wants more, and her sister Jordyn stokes her fire.
“She was always holding me accountable,” Tyra King said. “She would tell me, ‘Oh, this isn’t enough.’ During the Lockport game, I wasn’t feeling good after I scored my second goal. She came to the bathroom and said, ‘You have two goals. You need more.’
“My sisters have definitely been an inspiration for me and my drive and love for the game — and my parents as well. They’ve put so much time and effort into making sure I can be the best player I can be, so I’m really grateful for that.”
Tyra and Jordyn King haven’t played together, but they will work together at Northern Illinois, where Jordyn King will be the mental health performance coach for the Huskies.
Tyra King will leave big shoes to fill at Metea Valley.
“She was a source of encouragement and energy and hype that other players didn’t necessarily bring to the table,” Whaley said. “Girls look to her on the field to lead the way, and she’s got some great qualities that helped drive our team to another level.”
That’s a legacy worth savoring.
“It feels really good to know that I made an impact on the school and the people,” Tyra King said. “I’m just glad to have helped bring this team to its success.”
Matt Le Cren is a freelance reporter for the Naperville Sun.