Bradenton native Erika Tymrak’s pro soccer career is ending soon. What’s next?
When Erika Tymrak first arrived at IMG Academy, she was dropped into training with the boys soccer players.
“I remember dancing around some of them, and I remember being like … ‘I think I can go pretty far,’” Tymrak said.
Now, she’s getting close to wrapping her 13th professional soccer season.
It will also be her last.
The 33-year-old Bradenton native is a midfielder for the Tampa Bay Sun FC, a fledgling USL Super League franchise.
“A lot of people grapple with this decision of retirement,” Tymrak said. “I kind of just knew and I’m grateful for that. When it was my time, I just ... had a feeling.”
Tymrak ends pro soccer career with playoff run
Tymrak’s last regular-season match was Saturday, and it included a celebration for her.
But there’s still a little more soccer left to play as her team prepares for a playoff run.
The Sun clinched second place in the league Saturday with a 2-0 victory over D.C. Power FC. The win also earned them a home playoff match in Tampa. That semifinal is set for June 7, with their opponent to be determined after the USL Super League’s regular season concludes Saturday.
“I’m just excited for the atmosphere,” Tymrak said. “I think Tampa Bay fans are going to show up for us, and I think the team’s been working really hard and just kind of building for this moment. And yeah, it’ll be a nice way to go out.”
Going out on her terms
It isn’t the first time Tymrak has retired from the game. She said she was burnt out mentally and physically when she retired in 2020.
“It took so long to recover from that, and I remember telling myself, ‘When I retire, I want to feel good, I want to still love the game, and I want my body to be healthy,” Tymrak said. “And I’m at that point right now.”
This time, the decision to retire comes after accomplishing all her goals as a player, Tymrak said.
They include:
- Earning a scholarship and playing at the University of Florida, where she was inducted into the Gators’ Hall of Fame.
- Becoming a two-time National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) champion with FC Kansas City, winning the league back-to-back in 2014 and 2015.
- Playing overseas for FC Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga and Melbourne City in Australia.
- Representing the United States Women’s National Team.
While her professional playing days will be over, Tymrak says she wants to stay involved in soccer.
“I like to be challenged,” Tymrak said. “And I like to keep growing.”
Bradenton native Tymrak reflects on career
Playing in Germany for a club like Bayern Munich was “a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Tymrak said.
“(I got to) not only experience soccer in another culture, but you learn a lot about yourself being thrown out of your comfort zone,” Tymrak said. “Like day one, I had to learn to drive stick shift in a foreign country speaking German. It’s just a lot to get thrown at you, but I think those are the moments that you grow the most as a person.”
Wrapping up her career near Bradenton for the Tampa Bay Sun is also a full-circle moment, Tymrak said.
“When I was young, we didn’t really have a pro league to aspire to play in, let alone one in our backyard,” Tymrak said.
There isn’t a goal or assist that stands out for Tymrak as a favorite moment. Rather, it’s the collective team effort it took winning back-to-back championships at Kansas City.
“That team that I was on was so special,” said Tymrak, who was the 2013 NWSL rookie of the year. “We had some ballers on that team … and I think we played soccer the way it should be played, possession, tiki-taka. So those are my favorite memories.”
The Sun play at Blake High School’s Riverfront Stadium, 1701 N. Blvd., Tampa. The semifinal kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 7. Tickets are on sale now.
For more information, visit TampaBaySunFC.com.
