Like so many high school athletes, Zyiah Mikes built a recruitment video showcasing various skills. Hers featured soccer specifics such as disrupting attacking offensive players and ball distribution through the air and along the ground.
Mikes closed out the YouTube clip with a bit of the unexpected.
In “getting knocked out on purpose,” Mikes is seen near midfield tracking a ball soaring high above the pitch. As she runs and turns attention to her left, she collides with an unsuspecting teammate and falls harshly to the turf.
It’s not exactly a flattering moment, but the East High senior is clearly a smart character possessing obvious character.
“My mom did not want me to put that in,” Mikes said. “I just think it shows what kind of person I am. Soccer is a serious sport, and I take it seriously.
“But I’m also the first one on the field to laugh, and I felt like I had to include that.”
Mikes said a few college coaches asked about the blooper but appreciated the fun.
All jokes aside, the video plus her on- and off-field exploits worked to offer the perfect fortuity.
Last month, Mikes signed a National Letter of Intent to play soccer at NCAA Division I Alabama A&M University in Huntsville, Ala. The 18-year-old was one of nine “2004” players from the Cook Inlet Soccer Club comp program to make their college choices known.
East’s Zyiah Mikes. Photo by Jo Reid
“Zyiah has a different role on East than she does with her club team,” said East 1993 alum and coach Jo Reid, an accomplished collegiate player and current footgolf champion. “But even as a freshman, she was a captain for me. Our team has a variety of abilities and experience, and Zyiah is a natural leader.
“She’s a coach on the field, and not in a bossy way. She takes you under her wing and other players blossom around her.”
Mikes’ classmates do as well. She’s the EHS senior class president, and was recently tasked with organizing the prom, a pep assembly and more.
“It’s really stressful,” Mikes said of student governing. “We really hit home that it would be our last pep assembly and our first prom in two years.
“I don’t really like ordering people what to do, I like telling them as a single and then watching them from afar. I’ve learned better leadership and how to talk to people because I was shy and anxious. Student government helped.”
Mikes said meeting with school administrators was a new experience. She said the pie-throwing contest at the pep assembly took a week to get approved.
“Each and every day, hit them up with ‘Can we do this? Can we do this?’” she said. “Eventually we did.”
Mikes played primarily as a center back – a stalwart defensive specialist – for her club squad and was recruited as such. When she wears her Thunderbirds kit in a high school match, Mikes can be found just about anywhere depending on the Cook Inlet Conference opponent.
East posted a 1-0 home victory over Bartlett on Tuesday. Mikes potted the lone goal as the Thunderbirds improved to 2-5 overall and 1-5 in the league.
Mikes’ CISC club excelled on so many levels. East has been outscored 27-3 in its seven matches and the program hasn’t qualified for the high school state tournament since finishing fifth in 2004. Yet the Thunderbirds uniform crest features four red stars, one for each state title won 1991, 1992, 1993 and 2001.
Pride abounds.
“I don’t think I’d be the player I turned out to be if I didn’t play for East,” Mikes said. “Comp is comp and always competitive. But even my first year at East was hard for me. I wasn’t used to losing games.
“I learned how experiences are different. Not everyone has the same opportunities (as me).”
Mikes said Alabama A&M first noticed and communicated with her last summer. Apparently, the coach was looking for a commitment then but didn’t get one until recently. Now, Mikes can’t wait to attend the historically black college/university.
“Being an HBCU definitely gave it an edge,” Mikes said. “East is very diverse, and I didn’t want to be in a school that isn’t. HBCUs are diverse in other ways, like the cultural aspect.
“I’m African American and I’m looking forward to the culture.”
Mikes talked Tuesday on the EHS track before her match against Bartlett. East T-birds legend Laura Ingham, on the short list of Anchorage’s top basketball talents regardless of gender, coached up track athletes nearby. Ingham produced collegiately at both Ohio State and Nevada.
Reid soon joined the conversation. She was part of East’s 1990s soccer powerhouses and played four years at Creighton. Once Mikes graduates, Reid intends to sit down and discuss the rigors of being a college athlete.
“Expectations and everything else are on such different levels, and no one really talks to kids that are going off (to college),” Reid said. “It’s easy to get overwhelmed and get in a situation where you just quit. I’m a big believer in longevity and want to set up Zyiah for success.”
Mikes is eager to listen and learn.
“I want to talk more about all I have to do this summer to get ready for DI soccer,” Mikes said. “(Reid) has kind of told me what to expect and it seems like a lot.
“But I can do it.”