Soccer Coach Of Bixby Crash Victim Remembers Her Dedication

Tulsa Police say Kinsey Wright, a sophomore in Bixby Schools, was killed in a crash on Tuesday night. People who knew her say she was a sweet girl who was passionate about the game of soccer.

Wright played for her high school soccer team and was also in the middle of the fall season for the West Side Alliance soccer club. Her coach says she was fully involved with her team despite being sidelined with an ACL tear.

“The goalkeeper is 40% of the team, and they can make 100% of the difference,” said Preston Wiruth, Kinsey’s club coach. “Kinsey loved that part of it. She loved the responsibility.”

Wiruth worked with Kinsey up to three times a week for the last two years. He says she was always up for the challenge.

“When I talked to her about what it would take to become the starter and to be the goalkeeper instead of a goalkeeper. She did all of the things,” said Wiruth.

Wiruth knew something was up when Kinsey did not attend practice on Tuesday evening. Once he found out what happened, he says the game plan changed.

“We informed the team,” he said. “Practice ended at that point, and we started to pray.”

Instead of practicing the next day, the team had a vigil in her honor. Wiruth says as difficult as this week has been, he has been finding peace knowing Kinsey was strong in her faith.

“She had custom-made Nike cleats, and on one side it said ‘Trust,’ and on the other cleat, it said, ‘God,” said Wiruth.

There are no games scheduled this weekend. Wiruth says when the team suits up again, the message will be to play like Kinsey would.

A scholarship is being organized in Kinsey’s name through the Westside Alliance Club. More than $51,000 has been raised on this GoFundMe to help pay for funeral expenses.