Maddie Seyller was told she may never play soccer again.

Growing up in Harvard, Seyller first learned the game when she was about 6 years old. Her father Casey was one of her first coaches, and he taught her for a few years while she played for a coed youth team.

Today, Seyller is a junior and a standout midfielder and forward at Richmond-Burton. Flexing a dominant right foot, Seyller has become a leading goal scorer and passer for the Rockets, who’ve won over 40 games in her three years with the varsity team. As a freshman, Seyller helped the Rockets finish 17-3-1 with regional and sectional titles.

“When I first came back out, I had no expectation to be on varsity,” Seyller said. “I didn’t know what it was going to be like. I ended up coming to tryouts, and the girls were very nice. I really do miss that group. They were very positive and hardworking. Every time we’d get to the field, it’d be work, work, work. We took things very seriously.”

Seyller’s right foot continues to be a weapon this season. She has 21 goals and five assists for the Rockets, who defeated Grant on Tuesday to enter the playoffs with a 14-3 record. Her foot has contributed to many highlights throughout her career. What onlookers may not see, however, is that her foot bears many scars and is missing two toes.

That’s because Seyller severely injured her foot in a UTV accident on Aug. 27, 2022. As a result of the accident, she suffered four broken bones, a pair of dislocated toes and a laceration on her foot. Due to her injuries, Seyller underwent a total of 15 surgeries, which included the amputation of two toes. She was unsure of what her future held.

“After my 13th surgery, which was a big one, I asked the doctor if I’ll be able to play soccer,” Seyller said. “The doctor said, ‘Well, as of right now, we aren’t sure.’ A few days later, he said, ‘You can do what you want to do as much as you can.’ I met with a guy in Connecticut, and he made me custom insoles for my shoes to help me move better.”

It took nearly two years of recovery and rehabilitation for Seyller to feel normal again. Throughout that time, Seyller became stronger in her faith. She also leaned on the support of her father when she faced doubt or adversity. The injuries required her to regain the lost strength in her leg and relearn how to walk and move around.

“My dad is a big supporter of me,” Seyller said. “He was there with me every step of the way. He’s a very positive and uplifting person. Not a day goes by where he’s negative. He said to me, ‘You can do whatever you want, and we will get through this together.’ Having people visit me every day kept my mind positive and made a really big impact.”

The injuries have become an afterthought for Seyller, a two-time All-KRC selection who aspires to play soccer collegiately. With the injuries behind her, Seyller can focus on leading the Rockets, who now roster Maddie’s freshman sister, Ella. A midfielder, Ella Seyller has 15 goals and four assists. The two girls grew up playing club soccer together.

“It’s been really fun,” Ella said. “We have a really good connection. We know where we’re going when we’re passing to each other. We did a lot of passing to each other in club, and we’ve brought that up to high school. She always included me before I came into high school. She always helps me. She gives me a lot of motivation to keep going.”

The Seyllers are one of two sets of sisters competing for the Rockets this spring. Returning from last year are Blake and Sydney Frericks, whose older sisters, Reese and Layne, each played at R-B before going on to play collegiately. Blake, a senior defender, anchors a talented back line that has yielded just 10 goals in 17 games this season.

“Every year, I’ve played with a sister,” Blake Frericks said. “I’ve always had that support, and now I can support my younger sister. It’s nice having her on the field. I can have a pass to her, and I’m always super happy when she scores. Even though I’m back on defense. I’m her biggest fan. She’s fast, so she keeps me on my toes at practice.”

Sydney, a sophomore forward and the youngest of the four, has 19 goals and two assists this season. She, along with newcomer Ella Seyller, is aiding an R-B offense that has scored 73 goals and is averaging 4.3 goals per game. The Rockets are seeking their second regional title in three years.

“When [Blake] passes it to me, it’s just a good dynamic,” Sydney Frericks said. “We’ve always played well together, so it’s been really fun. We both know what’s going on, what to do and how to space things out. I watched my sisters and went to their games growing up. Anytime I’d practice with them, it made me so much better.”

The Rockets are in the midst of perhaps their strongest run in team history. Since the start of Casey DeCaluwe’s first season as head coach in 2015, R-B owns a 151-67-14 record with eight regional titles, five sectional titles and one supersectional title. The Rockets, with Reese and Layne Frericks, made the 1A state finals in 2022.

Those sisterly connections continue to fuel the Rockets this spring. Once faced with giving up soccer, Maddie has made the most of her second chance. Moreover, she’s become a mentor for her sister.

“It’s easier to play with someone who’s been playing with me forever and knows where I’m at on the field,” Maddie said. “She can give me the ball, and I can give her the ball for those one-twos. It’s just really fun, and I like playing with her. I get on her a lot because I know what she’s capable of. I can trust her with the ball, and she can trust me.”