Kayla grew up in Niceville, Florida, along with her twin sister Liliana, where the dream to play professionally was the ultimate goal. It was even part of her DNA as both of her parents played soccer, so naturally Kayla followed suit. That dream from when she was a little girl followed her all the way to Mexico, first to Guadalajara and then to Toluca. Kayla has achieved her childhood dream, but with it came a lot of sacrifices.
While Kayla was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, she was primarily raised in Niceville
where there were very few options for girls to play soccer. This was why her dad decided to enroll her and her sister with the boy’s team he coached. Playing with boys meant the girls were able to challenge themselves at a young age as playing with boys meant they had to play faster and think faster. It made them more competitive. “Yeah, I do think [playing with boys] was helpful. It got us at a fast pace quicker. It kind of set us up for where we are now.” Kayla played with boys for years until she, along with her sister, got the opportunity to take part in the Olympic Development Program, which was “designed to identify and provide opportunities for high potential players.”
While this program was a giant opportunity for the girls, it was one that also came with a high price. Their hometown of Niceville is located more towards the west side of the state while the camps for the ODP were held in South Florida. That meant that the whole family would spend their weekends traveling more than five hours one way just to take part in camps where they might or might not be chosen to play in games. For a lot of people this amount of traveling would deter them, but not the Fernandez family. As Kayla explained it, it was what they needed to do if they wanted to develop, “it was just kind of known in the state that the best of the best go to this camp in South Florida.” These long driving hours allowed the family to grow closer as, “there was a lot of family bonding,” and this closeness is what fueled Kayla’s college decision.
When it was time to choose colleges Kayla wasn’t sure which school she would attend but she did know she wanted to do it alongside her twin sister Liliana as, “we really wanted to keep playing together.” They had offers from different colleges but then the University of Tulsa came asking for both of them, something other colleges weren’t offering. Playing in Tulsa also gave the sisters the opportunity to play where they were born as they still had family there which would make the process of adapting to college life easier. It also meant that they could have home-style cooking, “I had some tia’s there and I could get a home cooked meal still,” Kayla recalled through laughs. The chance to play together and be around family and friends they grew up with all but sealed the deal for the players. Their college days became even sweeter when they got the opportunity to reconnect as a trio, this time with younger sister Ashlyn.
Kayla’s younger sister Ashlyn played with the twins in high school for one year before they went off to college. Due to the age difference the siblings believed they would only get one year together in college, but during the COVID pandemic the situation changed and Ashlyn had the chance to attend college early and that is what she did. All three Fernandez sisters reunited for three years at the University of Tulsa. “To be in college, in the community, in the environment and then playing together, it was so much fun,” Kayla recalls of her university days. After years of playing together it was time for a change as Kayla was faced with life after college, which meant separating from her sisters and everything she had known up to that point.
Kayla’s decision to play in Liga MX Femenil can be traced back to the COVID pandemic as it “gave us another silver lining,” the player recalls. During the pandemic, the Fernandez sisters were called-up to National Team camps so they headed down to Mexico to report. While they were there they asked their coach if they could stay down in Mexico longer since the pandemic limited their training back home. The coach agreed and through this the sisters met Jen Muñoz and Jocelyn Orejel who talked to the sisters about the Mexican league. Kayla recalls all those discussions and how it led to their decision. “It really opened our eyes, like we really want to come back here. So we really made a promise to ourselves after that. Once we’re done with college and get our degrees we’re going back. Whatever it takes we’ll be back here.” One by one, all three sisters made their way to Mexico.
Kayla made her way to Liga MX Femenil first after she was done with college. She wanted to make her way down there with her sister but Liliana had not yet finished her degree while Kayla did. So she made the decision to head to Mexico on her own as she headed to Guadalajara to play for Atlas. The biggest adjustment Kayla dealt with was being without her sister, “I think the biggest adjustment was that I wasn’t with my sister,” the player confirms. The good thing was that Kayla had her teammates to fall back on who helped her immensely and took her in with open arms. Their support helped a lot during the transition period. After a few seasons with Atlas it was time for a change and while Kayla was sad to be leaving Guadalajara, she was finally going to be reunited with her sister.
After college both Kayla and Liliana ended up in the same league, but on different teams. That all changed when Kayla received a call from Toluca and the player did not hesitate. She was even willing to get on a plane immediately saying, “I’ll be there tomorrow!” The moment the two stepped onto the field together it was as if no time had passed. “This feels like we’re back at home in our backyard, passing the soccerball.” Being able to play together professionally was the “ultimate goal,” Kayla recalls. Not only does Kayla get to play with her twin, but also her younger sister Ashlyn who followed her older sisters down to Mexico. Ashlyn signed with Rayadas and the trio had the opportunity to face each other a few weeks ago. Right away Kayla remembers that they started to talk smack and make bets, “what are we betting this time?!” Even though the sisters play against each other on the field and get competitive, they want the best for each other. They always want each other to succeed.
When Kayla joined Toluca she got the opportunity to share the field with international players who have won it all in Europe. Players like Abby Erceg, Amandine Henry and Eugénie Le Sommer just to name a few. These players have had long and successful careers and it reinforced the idea in Kayla’s head that she can have that too. “I can play this game I love so much for as long as I want to if I really want to.”
Kayla has been playing soccer her whole life and has been able to play the sport alongside her family. As she has said, “It’s all I’ve really known my whole life.” Which is why it wasn’t a surprise when she was stumped when asked what she would do if she wasn’t playing soccer. She said she would be a basketball player, “though I don’t have the height for it.” There’s also the possibility that she would have a career in marketing and management seeing as that was what she studied in college. Thankfully she won’t have to think about other possible careers because she plans on playing professional soccer for as long as she can. Kayla worked her whole life for it and it’s something that she doesn’t take for granted. “I am just really blessed to be where I am. I’m going to play soccer for as long as I’m able to.”
