FL Soccer Player Retiring After 13 Years Discusses Career, Women’s Sports

TAMPA, FL — It’s a bittersweet moment for Tampa Bay Sun FC midfielder Erika Tymrak. After years playing soccer professionally, she’s retiring from her hometown team.

In its first season with the new USL Super League, the Sun secured a playoff berth and now has a shot at the championship title. The team finishes its regular season May 24 at home in Tampa against the DC Power. The playoff semifinals are set for June 7.

Tymrak, a Detroit native who moved to Bradenton with her family when she was 10 years old, told Patch that she first played soccer when she “was super young, maybe 3 or 4.”

“My parents put me in a ton of sports and soccer was one of them. I kind of just fell in love with it,” she said. “I kind of had a natural gift whenever the ball was at my feet. Soccer was always the (sport) my heart was set on.”

Though she took to the game easily and was an impressive figure on the field, she didn’t initially have big aspirations for herself.

“I was just doing it for the love of the game. There wasn’t any pro league or anything to aspire to in that sense,” Tymrak said.

She recalls when that shifted for her. She played well during a tournament, catching the attention of college scouts in attendance. She was just 12 or 13 years old when the college offers started coming in after that game.

“Until then, I never really expected anything from soccer. I just loved playing,” she said.

Tymrak went on to star at Bradenton’s IMG Academy, where she was named IMG Soccer Player of the Year in 2008 and 2009, and IMG Most Valuable Player in 2005, 2006, and 2007, and played with the U.S. Women’s National Under-17 team.

“I started traveling the world. I was constantly going to different countries and different places,” she said, adding, “It’s crazy. I look back and have nothing but gratitude. Soccer has taken me everywhere.

There are so many important people in my life because of it and it’s given me purpose and identity. It’s volatile, sometimes, being an athlete, but it shaped me as a woman.”

She went on to play for the University of Florida. As a Gator, Tymrak was named to the Southeastern Conference (SEC) All-Freshman Team in 2009 and the All-SEC First Team in 2010 and 2011. She was also named an All-American in 2011, the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2012 and to the UF Hall of Fame in 2023.

After graduating from UF, Tymrak played for FC Kansas City in the National Women’s Soccer League from 2013 to 2017. She was named the NWSL Rookie of the Year in 2013 and her team won the NWSL championship in 2014 and 2015.

She also made appearances with the U.S. Women’s National Team.

She briefly played overseas on loan with Bayern Munich and Melbourne City before returning to the NWSL in 2018, joining the Utah Royals and later, from 2021 to 2023, the Orlando Pride.

Tymrak has seen women’s soccer evolve throughout her career, especially in the past five years.

“There’s been so much momentum,” she said. “Players are putting out good product and all the pieces are finally coming together. Women’s soccer has come leaps and bounds. And it’s not just about people watching it. It’s the medical (services) and player facilities, too. There are stories from when I was a rookie that would shock people. We had to claw the way here and we’re here now.”

She was excited to learn that the Tampa Bay area would be home to a team in the newly formed USL Super League and considered the possibility of returning home for her final pro season.

“I’ve been saying Tampa Bay needs a women’s soccer team for a long time. There’s a huge market for it and it’s a huge sports city,” Tymrak said. “But I tried not to put any expectations on it. I thought, ‘Let’s see what happens. If I end up in Tampa Bay, it was meant to be,’ and I did. I got to play my final season in front of friends and family at every game.”

As she considers the trajectory of her soccer career, she’s proud of every move she made.

“When I look back, I see all the different teams I played on, clubs, countries, leagues, coaches,” Tymrak said. “So many things change, but throughout my entire career, I tried to stay constant to who I am. I’m a very technical player and creative, and I tried to stay true to that. I stayed true to myself as a person the whole time and as a footballer.”

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