Community Sports

Speedy Heikkila leads fast-rising Gig Harbor soccer team

Gig Harbor (16-0-3) is the No. 1 seed in the state girls soccer tournament, which begins for the Tides with a game on Friday, Nov. 14, against No. 16 Oak Harbor.

Their leader is Karin Heikkila, one of the top goal scorers in the state and among the best players to ever don a Tides girls soccer jersey.

So says Gig Harbor coach Robyn Saathoff. And she should know.

Saathoff has been around the program for years and played with and coached many elite players. She was also a former team MVP as a Tides player.

Heikkila is “definitely, no question, 100 percent” among the five best players in Gig Harbor history, Saathoff said.

Saathoff described Heikkila as “fast, competitive, driven, composed and unselfish.” “I could give you plenty more” adjectives, she added.

Karin Heikkila of Gig Harbor

Big-time scorer

Heikkila has 19 goals in 19 games this season. That number could have been significantly higher, but Saathoff removed her from the second half of several lopsided wins. She also leads her team with 17 assists. As a junior, Heikkila had 17 goals and 20 assists.

Heikkila is a 5-foot-10 inch cheetah on the soccer field whose bright smile masks a competitive killer inside. Her long strides and top-end speed enable her to race past desperate defenders who can only watch from behind as she strikes at the goal.

That speed allowed her to fly down the backstretch to win a Class 3A state championship in the 4×100 relay in a school-record time of 47.96. She also clocked a time of 44.66 in the 300 meter intermediate hurdles last year, just 0.7 seconds from another school record.

“I know God has given me a gift and I just want to glorify him with it,” Heikkila said of her speed.

Heikkila leaned on her track skills during this soccer season, incorporating midseason cross-training workouts. “I started doing some sprint drills on my own and I definitely noticed a difference in how fast I felt.”

But just pure speed won’t cut it on the soccer field. Heikkila also possesses tremendous balance, flexibility and coordination. She knows how to body up players and use leverage to get inside position. She’s tough, with an aggressive nature.

“My whole life, I’ve always been really competitive. I’ve always wanted to give 100 percent.” Heikkila said. “My dad put me in soccer when I was 3 and ever since then I fell in love with sports. I’ve played almost every sport there is, and he’s always been there for me, pushing me and supporting me, which I’m incredibly grateful for.”

Heikkila is also a star hurdler for the Tides. Photo courtesy Gig Harbor High track and field

‘Too good’

Heikkila put on a show during a regular-season matchup against cross-town rival Peninsula, when she scored a hat trick in a 6-1 win that had Seahawk defenders shaking their heads.

A few weeks later, Heikkila battled two Central Kitsap defenders with a minute to go, the score tied at one and the Narrows Division title on the line.

Karin Heikkila and Sage Sturrock celebrate after a Gig Harbor goal. Photo by Bryce Carithers

The Cougars were using a tag-team defense designed to knock Heikkila off her stride. Instead they received a shoulder and a forearm for their troubles. Heikkila split the defenders and pulled away for a one-on-one against a wide-eyed Cougar goalie.

Heikkila faked a right-footed shot before using a nifty left footer to score the game-winner. “Too good” one consoling Central Kitsap defender said to her teammate as Heikkila raced to celebrate the Narrows League title.

Talking about athletic anxiety

Another adjective that applies to Heikkila is brave. She openly brought up and is comfortable discussing a subject that many high school athletes rarely talk about: athletic anxiety.

The unseen psychological effects of performance anxiety take a toll on many young athletes navigating a pressurized sports landscape. It frequently impacts talented players who are counted on by teammates, coaches and parents to deliver wins.

Those pressures can begin in young athletes whose brains are still developing. By high school, athletes can find themselves in a state of fear or feeling as if they’re only as good as their last performance.

Heikkila faced the subject with a honesty and a refreshing outlook. “That is definitely a topic I think is important to talk about and I would love it if my story could help others,” she said.

The Gig Harbor 4×100 relay team (from left): alternate Nadia Schwab, Eisley Hering, Aejanae Humphrey, Karin Heikkila and Isabelle Harruff. Photo courtesy of Russell Moore

By acknowledging the issue, she has also produced breakthroughs that have fueled a healthy attitude and even more success.

After the league title soccer victory, Heikkila offered an honest insight without any prompting: “I’ve kind of had a problem with performing in the moment. I think this year, I really just tried to settle my nerves down, and just play how I know how to play, and also rely on my teammates, so I don’t put to much pressure on myself.”

Heikkila lists Olympic gold medalist hurdler and sprinter Sydney McLaughlin as her biggest sports inspiration. “She struggled with pre-race anxiety that held her back, but was able to overcome it and I can relate to that a lot.”

Heikkila has used coping skills and the support of her family, coaches and teammates to fuel improvement in both sports.

“Looking up into those packed stands (at the state track meet) with thousands of people watching you from above, is a surreal feeling,” Heikkila said. “The adrenaline rush and pressure is like no other, and although in the moment I hate it, I wouldn’t trade it for anything now because I know how to use it and ran better because of it.”

Up next

The Tides open state tournament play at 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at Roy Anderson Field. A win Friday would put them in a second-round game the next day against either No. 9 Liberty or No. 8 White River. The time of that Nov. 15 game at Roy Anderson Field is to be determined.

If they keep advancing, the state semifinals and finals are Nov. 21 and 22 at Sparks Stadium in Puyallup.

Gig Harbor’s Karin Heikkila (10) hauls back for a kick against Central Kitsap on Tuesday, Oct. 7, 2025.

Win or lose on the pitch, Heikkila is winning in the game of life. She has a 4.0 GPA and will play NCAA Division I soccer next year at Samford University in Homewood, Alabama.

She had many college offers, but picked Samford because its alumni include 60 members of Congress, two U.S. Supreme Court justices, a U.S. Secretary of State, four Rhodes Scholars and recipients of both the Pulitzer and Nobel Peace prizes.

Heikkila, a team captain, reflected on her team’s performance after a recent win over Peninsula.

“I thought as a whole, every single player on that field had such a solid game and I’m so proud of all of them,” she said. “This is without a doubt the best game I’ve ever seen any team play in my four years of Tides soccer.”

Karin Heikkila will attend Samford University in Alabama next year. Photo courtesy of Heikkila