From setting goals to scoring them, Jayla Blue was right on target for her senior season at Bearden High in Knoxville.
Blue writes down specific goals she wants to accomplish before every season, and being named Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year for the state of Tennessee was high on her list. Blue made her case by scoring 33 goals and dishing out 17 assists to help Bearden win the Class AAA title for the third time in her career.
Last month, the University of Tennessee freshman forward learned she was named the Gatorade winner.
“It felt really good to know that all the hard work had paid off,” Blue says. “I was really excited when I woke up and saw a text on my phone. I just felt blessed to even be able to be named Gatorade Player of the Year.”
Blue left Bearden as the school record holder for career goals (135) and assists (62). She enrolled at UT in December to begin practicing with the Lady Vols during the spring season. By enrolling at UT, Blue is prolonging the family’s athletic legacy.
Her mom is Kristen “Ace” Clement, a member of the 1998 Lady Vols national championship basketball team under head coach Pat Summitt. Her older sister, Nyla, is a junior defender for the Lady Vols. They played together in high school for two seasons and for One Knoxville SC’s women’s team this summer.
“I think playing together in college is going to be so much more fun than high school, because we will be playing at a much higher level for every single game and every single practice,” Blue says. “It’s going to be something that we both dreamed of since we were little and have prayed for all of our life. Getting to do it together is going to be so much fun.”
No pressure from mom
Blue’s mom didn’t try to influence either daughter’s decision about college.
“She actually wanted to push us away from UT, because she didn’t want us to feel like there was a high standard for both of us,” Jayla says. “But then she realized that we’re playing soccer and not basketball, and even if we did play the same sport as her, we can create our own pathways.”
Blue received offers from several colleges during her recruiting process. She thought she was going to commit to Arkansas but began to reconsider. All the visits and phone calls started to take their toll.
“I was in a very dark space. I started getting away from reading my Bible and praying to God because I was on so many calls with so many coaches,” she says. “I was trying to take matters into my own hands, and I just realized that God already had a plan for me, so I just gave it to him and he told me to stay close to home.”
Blue has enjoyed being on the UT campus as a full-time student and spotting her mom’s photos around the athletic complex.
“I think it is extremely cool to see her face in the hallway sometimes. I get to point her out to all my friends and talk about my mom to them,” she adds. “I do get recognized sometimes by people, and sometimes they even ask for my mom’s autograph whenever she comes to a soccer game.”
Ready to hit the pitch
Blue has become the soccer team’s resident ear piercer and will volunteer to lead any TikTok dances. She may even offer her organizational skills for any teammate in need. Her mom often asks Blue to organize the pantry and refrigerator at home.
“It’s kind of like a puzzle piece for me, which is weird, because I don’t like puzzles. But I like to see if things can fit in different pockets,” Blue says. “Sometimes I’ll organize by color, sometimes I’ll organize by size. I just think it’s really cool to see everything in order.”
Blue is eager for the fall season to arrive so she can make her official UT debut. She’s already set a few goals that she hopes lead to more honors and championships.
“I think I bring a lot to the table, just pushing not only myself but my teammates around me,” she adds. “We’re all striving for the same thing, which is a championship. And if I cannot only push myself, but push the people next to me, then I think we can all get a title that we’ve been wanting to achieve for a while.”