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Syracuse defender Emma Klein entered last season ready to play a key role. After starting all 18 of SU’s 2022 games, she worked all summer to improve and felt confident heading into her junior season.

But Klein’s campaign was cut short on Aug. 24, 2023, when she was subbed out with an injury 52 minutes into SU’s third contest of the season, a 2-1 loss to Auburn. She hasn’t seen game action since.

A minor hamstring strain sidelined Klein for the remainder of the season, one which the Orange saw a lot of bad injury luck. The defender said she was back to full fitness from her hamstring strain in December 2023. Nearly two months later, another spell on the sidelines and recovery awaited. This one would be much longer and more taxing.

Her right Achilles was torn.

“It was challenging, sitting there thinking, ‘Oh, I need to do this again,’ but this rehab is going to be so much harder than my hamstring,” said Klein of her Achilles tear recovery. “But I believe that everything happens for a reason. So I’ve been taking that motto with me through this rehab.”

The recovery is still ongoing, but in the meantime, Klein has become a “fourth coach,” according to Syracuse women’s soccer head coach Nicky Thrasher Adams. Klein has pulled players aside, especially underclassmen, and gave them tips on how to better approach certain game situations.

“(I) tell them, ‘Hey, maybe next time you should do this movement, move into this space,’” Klein said. “So I just give them tips and tricks of what the coaches are looking for and what would make them better players in the long run.”

Klein’s newfound role is something the team can’t live without, Adams said. Adams cites the respect Klein garners among her teammates, and Klein’s development from someone who was capable of leading with her actions, to someone who can now lead with her words.

The last year has been Klein’s first extended time on the sidelines in a versatile athletic career. When she was three, Klein began playing soccer and dancing. Instead of playing with dolls, Klein’s mother, Stacey Klein, described her daughter as an active kid who would rather be running around.

Around that age, Klein also started playing catch with her dad, Joe Klein, with a plush ball the size of a softball in their basement. Standing 20 or 30 feet away from each other, Joe would throw the ball as hard as he could at Klein. She caught it each time.

In high school, Klein played soccer, basketball and lacrosse. Her sophomore year, she realized soccer was “her love” after joining the Western New York Flash — a youth soccer developmental program.

“She went to this team which was a little bit out of her comfort zone,” Stacey said. “So by her doing that, it showed us that she was serious about this and that she really did want to do everything she could to be the best player she could be to play in college.”

Since the start of high school, Klein knew she wanted to play a sport collegiately, but wasn’t sure which one. During a basketball game in Klein’s senior year, her team at Amherst (New York) faced off against powerhouse Cardinal O’Hara. Despite Amherst losing 72-57, Klein registered 27 points, 13 rebounds and seven steals.

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“It was something to the effect of, ‘She’s a D-I basketball player, but she’s choosing to play soccer. I don’t even want to watch her play soccer because she’s got to be scary good,’” Joe said.

During the recruiting process, Adams was impressed by Klein’s grasp on the key components of being a strong center back, her “gritty nature,” dominance in the air and high soccer IQ.

When Klein committed to Syracuse, it meant she was two hours away from her family, allowing her parents to attend nearly every home and away game. After suffering her injuries, that close proximity has also allowed Klein to lean on her parents during her recoveries.

“Whenever I need something or whenever I’m feeling down, I’ll call them and they’ll give me a little pick-me-up and tell me how proud they are of me and how far I’ve come and how hard of a worker I am,” Klein said.

Klein has also been able to confide in her teammates, saying the numerous injured players last season formed a squad that supported each other through their individual recoveries.

“We’ve been able to do rehab together and bounce our feelings off of one another and check in on each other,” Klein said. “It has been super great to have that group of people that are going through similar growth and similar mindsets, similar trains of thoughts.”

As Klein works her way back to full fitness from her Achilles tear, each milestone has been logged with photos and videos she texts to her parents. Her surgery was on Feb. 15. She got her boot off and walked for the first time in mid-March. She ran for the first time on an underwater treadmill on June 20. She ran for 30 minutes straight and did some soccer passing in early August. She turned and attempted a shot on goal on Aug. 24.

Even if the return date is unclear, Klein is taking it one step at a time. She’s doing what she can to help an SU team that got off to its best start to a season since 2016 in four games.

“I’ve just been taking a new role on the team and embracing it with what it comes with, even if it’s not the first choice of what I want to be doing,” Klein said. “Still being grateful for the opportunity to stand on the sideline, cheer my teammates along and watch them do amazing things.

“It’s been a different role, but (a) good (one).”

Published on August 26, 2024 at 10:40 pm

Contact Nicholas: njalumka@syr.edu