An emotional Kyndal Hubbard waits for the whistle before delivering the final kick of her high school career on Tuesday. (Ashlyn Brown photo)
Senior Night is usually an emotional time for everyone at the field level – players, coaches, and parents.
Tuesday was no different at Lyon County as six Lady Lyon soccer players were honored before their game with Mayfield.
However, the start of the contest ratcheted the emotion up a notch or two when senior Kyndal Hubbard took the field for the first time in 2024.
Kyndal, a three-year starter, was expected to be a key contributor for the Lady Lyons this year. She was also looking to improve her recruiting profile over the summer so she could continue her soccer career in college.
But sometimes life isn’t fair, regardless of how hard you work or how much you want something.
At an ID camp in the summer, Kyndal was playing in a match and collided with another player, falling to the turf in a heap and injuring her left knee. It was the three letters that follow a knee injury that no one wants to hear. A-C-L.
She had surgery on August 2 with a possible return to playing in soccer in May. But there would be no senior season for Kyndal, at least on the field.
Kyndal still came to practice and still showed up at games to support her teammates.
“I love these girls. I’ve been with them for six years and I just want to see them succeed. I want them to have a winning season so I’ll be here at every game supporting them no matter what,” she said.
Her presence hasn’t been lost on her coach, Abby Smith.
“Unless she’s had physical therapy, she’s been at every single practice and that takes some dedication,” Smith said. “I know that that’s been hard but she has kept a positive attitude through it all and she’s been the biggest cheerleader over there on the sidelines.”
Kyndal and five of her fellow seniors were honored before Tuesday’s match with Mayfield. And then in a gesture that defines what sports should be, Smith, through agreement with the Mayfield coaches, allowed Kyndal to take the field one final time and provide the first kick.
Kyndal couldn’t keep the tears in but provided a perfect kick to a teammate and then departed the field of play for the final time as a Lady Lyon.
“It was very emotional to me because all I want to do is play. And I know that’s my last time ever stepping on that field again. It was very emotional for me, and I love the support that everyone gave me,” Kyndal said after Lyon County’s 10-2 win. “They’ve been so supportive of me ever since I got the injury. They’ve prayed over me every practice we’ve had. They’ve supported me.”
Kyndal’s kick was a nice, simple gesture from coach to player. But it was also bittersweet for Smith.
“I’m really proud of her and that meant the world for her to do that. I teared up a bit,” she said, referring to Tuesday night but also reflecting on what could have been.
“She would have played outside back for us. She’s gotten to where she really liked it there and she can score from out deep.”
Kyndal’s athleticism extends beyond the soccer field. She has been a two-year member of the LCHS track and field team with three top-10 finishes at the region meet in middle-distance events.
“Kyndal is the benchmark for student-athletes. She is an extremely intelligent and fierce competitor that displays mental toughness that is far beyond her peers,” Lyon track and field coach David Townsend said.
Smith agrees that the Cumberlands is “lucky” to get Kyndal because of her athleticism and speed as well as her ability to gain possession.
Unfortunately, Kyndal’s season-ending injury served as an unfair foreshadowing for Smith, who has seen three other players suffer injuries that cut their season short. A fourth player may be able to return in time for next week’s district tournament.
And there have been nights when Smith has looked to her bench and seen more of her players wearing knee braces than in uniform.
But through it all, Lyon County has a winning record. They are 8-7 with one regular season game left ahead of the postseason.
And for Kyndal? A short time before that fateful ID camp in the summer, she received a college offer to play soccer at the University of the Cumberlands. Despite the injury, the coaches still extended her an offer to play for the Patriots and Kyndal accepted.
As a college student, Kyndal wants to pursue criminal justice or psychology. However, her injury has already made her a student of soccer by simply watching the game from the sideline
“I’ve learned a lot more about how the game works. I can see the whole field, the whole play, and I can be like, ‘OK, this is what went wrong in this play?’
Tuesday’s kick is just the first step of several Kyndal will take in the coming months as she continues to work on a return to the soccer field. She’s someone you probably shouldn’t bet against.
You can watch Kyndal’s Kick below.
