From the time she was little, Carson Pickett spent a lot of time at St. Johns Country Day soccer field watching her father coach the perennial state power program. Following the completion of her rookie season with the Seattle Reign, Carson wasn’t sure what her next move would be. It turns out it wasn’t that hard of a decision at all: come back to St. Johns.
Her other option was to continue playing professional soccer in Australia or Greece, but that would mean having only one week off the entire year. After talking to her family and her Reign coach, there was only one move for her: move back home to Orange Park.
“That was my first time being away from home really, and that was tough on me,” Carson said. “My dad said I could come home and teach and coach.”
That was an offer she couldn’t refuse. Her father, Mike Pickett, is the head coach of St. Johns Country Day girls soccer program, home of the current five-time consecutive state champions. Carson, 23, was hired as the middle school and junior varsity head coach this winter under her father’s watch. When her games end, Carson switches over to being an assistant coach for the varsity team.
After her Reign team missed the playoffs by one point, the family decided her next move.
“We talked to her, and we all agreed it was in her best interest to move back home in October,” Mike said. “She still trains and works out here, but now she subs about four days a week as a teacher and coaches both the middle school and junior varsity teams.”
The relationship, to no surprise, is working well given the fact the two are extremely close. Carson played for her father until 2011, winning state titles in 2007 and 2009 as an underclassman. According to her dad’s extensive research, Carson still holds two school records with 152 career assists and 153 games played while also being second all-time in goals scored with 154 goals.
After graduating from St. Johns, Carson went on to play at FSU, where she was a four-year starting defender for the Seminoles and guided them to their first ever national championship two years ago.
With her professional career temporarily on hold until the spring, Carson looks to continue the legacy of domination her dad built at St. Johns through guiding the middle school, junior varsity, and varsity programs.
While coaching was one of the last things on her mind, so far it’s been working well.
“Through the Reign, I was able to get a coaching license,” Carson said. “It made me excited about coming back home and working again with the program.”
Unlike most new coaches who take over a program and have to learn things immediately, Carson is quite familiar with the program and her father’s ways, giving her an immediate advantage.
“It’s tough to play under him,” Carson said with a laugh. “But he is always teaching them and me, and coming back and not having to relearn the system or a new system is definitely an advantage.”
Having been a part of the Spartans program and having had success at FSU and now in Seattle, Carson and her dad hope that her experience carries over at St. Johns and steers them in the right direction.
“She played with some of these girls when she was a senior as they were six graders then,” Mike said. “They are not in awe yet. Most of them are not really aware there is professional soccer, but they love being around her.”
“She is hard on them when she needs to be,” Mike said. “It’s good for everybody that she is here.”
Carson agrees and hopes to be a good mentor to and role model for the ladies.
“It’s a relief to be coaching the middle school and junior varsity program,” Carson said. “It’s really relaxed here. I’m trying to teach them to have fun and (that) it’s not life or death when it comes to wins and losses.”
Having the pleasure of teaching and coaching girls in the program from the time they enter sixth grade until the time they are seniors is a huge advantage that has helped them polish their skills on the field and establish great relationships off the field.
“Coming in as a sixth grader and seeing seniors, it can be an intimidating factor,” Carson said. “However, they know from day one our goal is to win the state championship every year and anything else is not accepted.”
That might seem a bit rough, but that’s the high expectation of a program that has won eight state titles. Second place is last place mentality.
While winning titles is the ultimate goal, both coaches are trying to teach their players more than just soccer.
“I’m not here to be their friend, but they look up to me, and I respect them, and they respect me,” Carson said. “I want to be a great role model as well.”
Her father echoed those statements.
“She is a great resource for us,” Mike said. “The girls can ask her about recruiting at any time.”
While her relationship with her father is extremely close, her mother, Treasure Pickett, has been a lifelong supporter as well. Despite being the principal at Oakleaf High, Treasure makes a point to attend nearly every game.
It truly is a family affair for the Pickett family with Carson and father reaping the benefits of a long and storied career. Together the two look to lead the Spartans to their sixth straight title in March, which, if they are able to do, would put them second all-time in consecutive state titles, passing Parkland Douglas with five and placing them one behind St. Thomas Aquinas with seven straight titles.
No Place Like Home for the Pickett Family
Written by: Corey Davis
