Stanford will begin its annual Mental Health Awareness Match by retiring Katie Meyer's No. 19 on Thursday.
During a ceremony ahead of Thursday's match against USC, the Stanford Cardinal will be officially retiring the No. 19. Katie Meyer is the last player to wear that number for Stanford women's soccer.
Fans are encouraged to show up early for the pregame ceremony, with kickoff set for 7:00 p.m. Her parents, Steve and Gina, will be receiving a framed jersey during the ceremony.
After Meyer passed away in 2022, her family established Katie's Save, which is an organization "dedicated to advocating for systemic change at colleges and universities, promoting mental health, protecting students and preventing suicide." Its lone goal is to save lives.
Meyer was the Cardinal goaltender from 2019–22.
“Katie was an extraordinary competitor, an exceptional leader and, most importantly, an incredible person who had a profound impact on everyone around her,” Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe said.
“She played the game with such passion and courage, and she brought a joy and energy to our program that was uniquely Katie. Retiring the No. 19 is a meaningful way for us to honor her legacy and ensure that future generations of Stanford women’s soccer players understand the impact she had on this program, this university and the people who had the privilege of knowing her.”
Meyer was a two-time team captain who helped propel the Cardinal to the national championship in 2019, making four saves in regulation, and another two in the shootout that followed. Stanford ended up defeating North Carolina in the College Cup Final thanks to those saves.
Thursday’s contest will also serve as Stanford’s annual Mental Health Awareness match. The Cardinal will distribute “Mental Health Matters” hats to fans in attendance, while various on-campus organizations will be on hand to promote mental health awareness and emphasize the importance of supporting those who may be struggling.
Stanford Athletics also created the Katie Meyer Leadership Award in 2026. This honor will be bestowed upon the student-athlete who best embodies Meyer's "unwavering leadership, dynamic spirit and relentless commitment to excellence."
The inaugural recipient was women’s soccer player Andrea Kitahata, who was a teammate of Meyer’s during the 2021 season.
Stanford and Meyer's family settled a wrongful death lawsuit in January. According to an ESPN article, at the time of her death, she was facing disciplinary action for allegedly spilling coffee on a football player who was accused of sexually assaulting a teammate, who was a minor at the time.
Those interested in making a donation to Katie's Save can visit the website. The site also has resources for those struggling with mental health that need to talk to someone immediately.
