JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Former St. Johns Country Day soccer star Carson Pickett was named as an alternate to the U.S. Women’s National team on Monday.
Pickett, currently a defender on the North Carolina Courage, has never been a full-time call up on the national team. The team is in Group A for the CONCACAF W Championship. It faces Colombia in a pair of friendlies on June 25 and 28. The championships begin July 4 against Haiti for the U.S. Then, it’s Jamaica (July 7) and Mexico (July 11).
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The top two finishers in each group following round-robin play will advance to the semis and earn World Cup berths in the process.
Pickett has played for the U.S. on the U17 and U23 teams in the past, but never the main U.S. team. Born without a left arm, Pickett is the first player with a limb difference to be called up to the U.S. Women’s National Team.
Pickett has been a star ever since she set foot on the field at St. Johns Country Day. She started on varsity as a seventh grader and was the state’s Miss Soccer in 2012. She led the Spartans to three consecutive state championships. Pickett went on to play in college at Florida State and was the No. 4 pick in the 2016 NWSL College Draft by the Seattle Reign FC.
Pickett’s father, Mike, remains the head coach at St. Johns Country Day. He led the Spartans to a 2-0 win over Shorecrest Prep in the Class 2A soccer championship last February. The title was the state-record upping 11th consecutive, a feat that is unmatched in the major team sports (basketball, baseball, football, softball and volleyball) in the state.