Idaho twins chase pro soccer dreams. They are growing, learning side by side
The rookie season for a professional athlete presents a host of challenges, no matter the sport.
New roles. New teammates. New coaches.
New tactics. New responsibilities. New distractions.
The list goes on and on. But Keegan and Kelsey Oyler can rely on one constant in their lives — each other.
The Idaho-born twins are both breaking into the American professional soccer ranks. Keegan Oyler has worked his way into a regular role with Athletic Club Boise in its debut season, while Kelsey Oyler just wrapped up her first season as a defensive stalwart for the Spokane Zephyr of the USL Super League.
The 2021 Rocky Mountain High graduates described their fraternal twin as a lifeline during their rookie seasons. During a whirlwind year full of firsts, they both said the other “just gets” what it takes to chase what seemed like an impossible dream just a few years ago.
“She’s my best friend. We talk all the time,” Keegan Oyler said. “... I’m lucky and fortunate to have someone like that where we can talk about games, practices, different stresses and pressures with someone who just gets it.”
Kelsey Oyler said their conversations involve plenty of soccer. How to keep up with strategy adjustments, how to manage their bodies, and how to handle specific, in-game situations remain regular topics. Kelsey added that her brother remains a valuable resource as she transitions from an attacking midfielder to an outside back as a pro.
But Kelsey, the older twin by 4 minutes, said the conversations more often revolve around their personal lives, serving as a way to ground each other and bringing them closer than ever before.
“To be honest, they have a relationship now that we don’t even know about,” said their father, Kenyon Oyler. “They don’t tell us everything they talk about. … They both have leaned on each other in a positive way through this whole thing, a lot more than we probably even know.”
FROM IDAHO TO THE PROS
Kelsey Oyler often cast a long shadow as the duo starred at Rocky Mountain. She earned five state player of the year awards, leading the Grizzlies to three straight state titles as a prolific scorer. She was the first to commit to a Division I scholarship. And she became the first to sign a pro contract last summer.
Keegan said that bred a healthy sibling rivalry. If she could do it, so could he, he thought. But Keegan had plenty of his own accomplishments.
He took second in the 800 meters at the Hershey Outdoor Nationals as an eighth-grader in 2017. Overuse injuries led him to focus on soccer, where he was a first-team all-state selection as a senior and played collegiately at Oregon State and Utah Valley. He led the WAC in assists (eight) and ranked in 10th nationally in assists per game (0.53) last fall.
A host of teams reached out to invite Keegan for tryouts. But once AC Boise entered the picture, the allure of founding his hometown club proved too much to pass up, even if he had to navigate a long-shot route onto the roster.
He first attended an open tryout. That earned him an invitation to a closed-door tryout. His performance there kept him on the radar through preseason training in San Diego. And he impressed enough in California for AC Boise to pull the trigger and sign its second Idaho native.
“He did it the old-school way,” AC Boise coach Nate Miller said. “... Stories like that are amazing when guys truly earn it, show up to earn it, and he did that.
“The first time I saw him in person, he was by far the one guy where I was like, ‘OK. This guy can probably play at our level.’”
Signing with his hometown club came with a drawback, too. Blake Bodily, Boise’s first signing and most decorated player, plays the same position at left wingback. That means Keegan’s minutes are anything but guaranteed.
But he has appeared in 11 of 14 games across all competitions, recording his first assist in Boise’s first home win, then scoring his first goal against Las Vegas of the USL Championship to earn man of the match honors.
Miller pointed out the growth Keegan had already shown in an April interview. He said Keegan navigated falling in and out of the lineup, handling himself like a pro and realizing he can no longer rely on his raw athleticism to outshine everyone. All in little more than a month as a pro.
“He’s gone through moments where every professional looks at himself in the mirror and really realizes what it takes every week to prepare for competitions,” Miller said. “I do think that he’s getting there. And I would expect his role to consistently rise throughout the season.”
ROOKIE SEASON COMES WITH TOUGH LESSONS
The twins have also learned little is guaranteed in professional sports.
Kelsey Oyler appeared in 27 of 28 games for the Spokane Zephyr, and the club voted her its rookie of the year. But the economics of low-level soccer remain brutal, and Spokane’s women’s soccer team folded three weeks ago after completing its second season.
Kelsey said she couldn’t have asked for a better city to spend her rookie season, noting her ties to Spokane from her time at Gonzaga, friends in the city and its regional connection to Boise.
“I’m working right now trying to find another team, hopefully find a good opportunity to keep playing,” Kelsey said. “I’m just in that process right now, trying to stay patient and stay ready for whatever happens next.”
For the moment, she’s returned home to Meridian as she contemplates her next professional step. The near-daily phone calls with Keegan come easier with both in the same town. And she’s taken a spot in the stands alongside their parents, who have spent years chasing their youngest children around the country to make sure at least one parent attends each pro or college game.
Kelsey’s next step will come with another raft of new experiences as she tries to find a new team, earn a new role and impress a new set of coaches. But no matter where she lands, her twin brother remains a regular in her corner.
“He’s the person I call more than anyone, maybe besides my mom,” Kelsey said. “Since we’ve been in college, the competitiveness has turned into support. ‘I get what you’re going through. I can help.’
“It’s nice when we’re both in our offseason, and we can train together and push each other and make each other better. It’s nice to always have a buddy to be able to go out and do those things with, even if it’s like, ‘Hey, you want to go out for 20 minutes and kick the ball around?’
“We can do that, and not everyone else has that.”
AC BOISE VS. RICHMOND KICKERS
- When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday
- Where: Expo Idaho, Garden City
- Watch: ESPN+, KTVB 7.2
- Records: AC Boise 4-4-3 (7th) | Richmond 3-4-2 (12th)
This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 12:02 PM.
