A Diamond is soccer’s best friend

Utah State soccer is at an all-time high in 2024. They are off to their best start in program history, winning their first eight matches before their first loss or draw and climbing as high as seventh on the United Soccer Coaches top 25. The ranking of seventh is tied for the highest of any Utah State athletic team in the university’s history.

Coming off their first Mountain West Conference title in program history, the Aggies have a roster full of contributors and familiar players. Although many players have noted considerable production this fall, perhaps none have been more influential this season than midfielder Summer Diamond.

Diamond is in her second season with the Aggies after playing in 22 matches for Utah State a year ago. In her 2023 campaign, Diamond tallied four goals, which tied her for the most on the team. She was named to the Mountain West All-Newcomer Team and was twice awarded Mountain West Freshman of the Week.

Diamond first joined the team in January of 2023, allowing her a few extra months to get familiar with the program before the start of the season. After her stellar first-year performance, Diamond’s offseason plans were derailed by injury.

“It was hard because she could definitely feel it over the end of last season, which I think was difficult for her because she wanted to be 100%, and she was scared that she wasn’t giving the team her 100%,” said Whitney Diamond, Summer’s twin sister. After initially hoping that the injury could be cured by physical therapy, Diamond ultimately underwent surgery after the season, somewhat altering her offseason training plans.

After a great first season for Diamond and despite the offseason injury troubles, she is off to an even faster start in 2024. Diamond has already passed her production from 2023, totaling 11 points and four goals in just her first eight games.

For Diamond, her on-field awareness is what she feels has been the difference-maker in the new season. Additionally, Diamond thinks her jump in production can be attributed to her work off the field as much as, or even more than, her work on the field.

“I would say awareness because I took a lot of time this offseason not playing, obviously rehabbing and stuff, but I would watch film a lot,” Diamond said on her improvement this season.

Despite being healthy and in season, Diamond has kept her adaptive, film-heavy approach the same.

“She’s very coachable,” said head coach Manny Martins. “She always comes in for film. As much as she plays and starts and contributes, she’s every week coming in, asking for film and always trying to find ways to learn and grow and continue to evolve.”

Along with her role as a top team producer, Diamond is also quickly becoming one of the faces of the team from a leadership standpoint.

“She very much leads by example, but she also is someone that everyone likes. Everyone sort of gravitates to her. She’s not an in-your-face personality,” Martins said. “But the really cool thing is, there are moments in games when it’s needed — a level of accountability, a level of firmness … she brings that. She knows how to bring that when it’s needed.”

Diamond has showcased her on-field firmness in her short career with Utah State, leading the Aggies to a level they’ve never reached before. Her high standards and motivation have been inside her from a young age.

“She’s probably the most hardworking person I’ve ever met,” Whitney said of her twin. “She wants to succeed in all aspects of life, which is super cool and really inspiring to watch.”

Both Summer and Whitney credit their parents for instilling a hard-nosed, hardworking attitude in them from a young age. The Diamond family, consisting of Summer, Whitney and their parents, is a tight-knit family that is supportive but also constantly pushes one another to be better.

“I love my family. I think family is everything. That’s how I got here. Those are the people that I love to be with,” Diamond said. “They’ve just supported me in everything. They’ve given me a lot of opportunities that I really appreciate, whether it’s sport-wise, school-wise, having different experiences.”

Not only is Summer playing a pivotal role for one of the top soccer programs in the country, but Whitney is attending school at Colorado Mountain College and will be a member of their downhill ski racing team. With two collegiate student-athletes in the family, the drive demonstrated by the Diamond family cannot be understated.

After a breakout performance last year and already a big start to this season, it would be logical to think that Diamond would have her sights set on further awards and accolades beyond what she attained last season. For Diamond, and for Martins’s squad overall, that’s not the focus.

“I first look at just the team goals, because I think those are more of my goals that I think about. As long as I feel like I’m making an impact on the field, off the field, in whatever my role is,” Diamond said. “Each person has that mentality … we all just love and support each other so much, and we’ve realized that’s what helps our success the most.”

Martins has repeatedly emphasized that while the personal awards are to be celebrated and reflect great on-field performance, the team goal is championships and not individual success. Martins doesn’t want to compete just for Mountain West Championships but be considered a program that could be playing for national championships in the coming days.

With the success the Aggies have seen so far this season, that goal is getting closer and closer to becoming a reality. For Diamond, though the personal awards are not the primary focus, they will certainly come rolling in as she leads her squad to higher highs. In just a few short seasons, Diamond has gained the trust of her coaching staff and fellow teammates through her talent, work ethic and loyal leadership.

“If I had to go to war and I had to pick people to be in the foxhole with me, she would be one of them because she’s loyal. She’s always going to leave it all out on the field,” Martins said. “She’s someone that’s intelligent and always ready to grow and learn and get better. If you have someone like that in your corner, you’re always going to be successful.”