Blakely Mattern came to South Carolina to be a difference maker. She was certainly that for the women’s soccer program and continues to be that for others in her professional life. Mattern is one of eight in the 2022 class to be inducted in the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame later this month.
Mattern has been back in her hometown of Greenville since 2012, and she is the co-founder of 11.11 Training, a business she started with a friend, India Trotter, who was also former collegiate soccer star at Florida State, in 2015.
“There are two sides to the business,” Mattern explained. “One side is 11.11 Soccer, and the other is 11.11 Elite Training. On the soccer training side, we do supplemental training for soccer players. We’re personal trainers for players who can come in. We teach them technical skills, and they have a place to work on repetitions, with speed, strength, and agility mixed in that is soccer-specific. We do anywhere from age 10 through high school, and then we do a college program in the summer and winter. We were also partners with the local W-League team, a semi-pro team.
“Our other side, we do elite training for athletes that do other sports. We do strength and conditioning work, and also work with endurance adult athletes who do races and marathons.”
Mattern noted that the business has grown greatly over the last seven years.
“We started in a pretty small industrial space,” Mattern said. “We outgrew that space and moved to a 6,000 square foot, indoor turf space. Then our Elite training is out of separate building in the same complex. It’s been fun! To be back in my hometown and to be able to make a difference in the community I grew up in by helping young athletes go on to maybe do some of the things I did, means a lot. If I can help the next generation in some way, that’s the most meaningful thing in what I do.”
Mattern (2006-2009) started at defender in 92 matches during her four-year career and was the first All-American in program history. She was a three-time-All-region and four-time All-SEC selection, while also being named the 2007 SEC Defensive Player of the Year and 2009 SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year, graduating with a 3.9 grade point average and earning a degree in international business. She helped the Gamecocks win their first ever SEC Championship as South Carolina won the league tournament in 2009, and helped the team reach the NCAA Tournament in each of her final three…