This feature originally appeared in the 2024 Fall edition of the Cal Sports Quarterly. The Cal Athletics flagship magazine features long-form sports journalism at its finest and provides in-depth coverage of the scholar-athlete experience in Berkeley. Printed copies are mailed four times a year to Bear Backers who give annually at the Bear Club level (currently $600 or more). For more information on how you can receive a printed version of the Cal Sports Quarterly at home, send an email to CalAthleticsFund@berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-2427.

 
Kevin Carmichael is taking advantage of every opportunity he can before he leaves Berkeley.

That's why he celebrated so much after scoring a late goal in the California men's soccer team's 2-0 victory over San Francisco in mid-August – in the preseason.
 
"He's just got that energy," said longtime teammate Santiago Hopkins, who played club ball with Carmichael at Real SoCal before they came to Cal. "Most people wouldn't celebrate goals like that, but Kevin loves the game and you can tell from his passion. That showed in his extra celebration."
 
Now a co-captain for the Golden Bears in his senior year, the 6-foot-2 Carmichael is one of the top center backs in the nation who was selected by Nashville SC in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft. Carmichael and fellow co-captain Wyatt Meyer, who was also drafted by Nashville last December, will move on to the professional ranks after one more season with Cal.
 
One of the most dependable Bears – he started 47 of 48 games through his junior year – Carmichael played the team's fourth-most minutes as a freshman, led the way in minutes as a sophomore and was second in playing time to Meyer last season. Carmichael is also a threat to score, particularly in the air, tallying three goals, one assist and seven points in 2023, when he was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team.
 
When he's not busy on the pitch or in the classroom, the media studies major participates in two student organizations – SAAC and SABN – and with the Cameron Institute, a world-class model for the holistic development of student–athletes within intercollegiate athletics.
 
Carmichael was the men's soccer team representative for SABN, Cal's Student-Athlete Business Network.
 
"I just enjoy it," he said. "They have speakers there who are CEOs, they hold resume workshops - which I never had help with until being involved with them and also taking a course with the Cameron Institute – and a variety of other things. I learned a lot from them, and hopefully I can go to a few more meetings this semester to learn a little bit more before I leave."
 
One of his aspirations in joining the business world – after a potentially long pro soccer career – is to become a real estate agent. Carmichael grew up watching "House Hunters" on HGTV and became fascinated with the real estate industry.
 
"I used to watch that show with my parents and thought it was super cool," he said. "Some of my parents' friends are realtors. I got to talk to some of them about it, and I liked the idea of talking to people and being able to sell them something I'm passionate about. I like learning about houses and how they're built. It's very interesting to me. It's not as huge a thing anymore, but I still like the idea of being a realtor."
 
Back in Berkeley, Carmichael has put in plenty of time into his roles in SAAC, Cal's Student-Athlete Advisory Council. Last year he was the men's soccer team's rep and was a member of the "Go Bears" committee in which he helped organize Bear Days – an initiative to encourage Cal teams to attend home events of other Cal teams.
 
Carmichael has collaborated closely with members of the Cameron Institute, which oversees and advises SAAC and SABN.
 
"He's an incredibly hard worker, so beyond thoughtful and considerate of others and is always reliable and a pleasure to work with," said Diana White, Associate Director, Executive Operations, and Advisor for the Cameron Institute. "He really spearheaded a couple of initiatives that highlighted his passion for being welcoming, being kind and being fun to be around. One thing that comes around annually is our senior celebration, which he helped with. Kevin put in a lot of effort to handwrite notes to all of the seniors graduating in the fall since they don't have the traditional graduation celebration like in the spring. He put in a lot of time and effort to celebrate and acknowledge those student-athletes."
 
Carmichael also led a project with other SAAC committee reps to create a list of resources – good places to eat, where to study and other helpful tips – to send to transfer student-athletes. He also assisted with "The Oskis" – an end-of-year awards event that honors Cal student-athletes in a variety of categories. He won the dynamic duo award with Meyer, who often partners with him in central defense for the Bears.
 
"Kevin's not only just well-liked, he's also really responsible and a great person to be around," White said. "So incredible, so nice and so willing to roll up his sleeves and help."
 
That's a major aspect of Carmichael's personality and his leadership – not being too big to do the little things – and it shows up in his time with his team.
 
"He's a senior co-captain, but he does all the little things," Cal head coach Leonard Griffin said. "You'll see him picking up balls, moving goals, making sure the locker room is clean or the bench is clean when we leave it. He's good at doing it himself and he's good at delegating as well. He has the humility to make sure he's involved in all the little things that happen in and around the program, both on and off the field. When guys see that, it becomes contagious, and hopefully it's starting to shape the next leaders in our group."
 
Griffin saw the seeds of an emerging leader when he replaced Kevin Grimes, who had recruited Carmichael, as head coach in the spring of 2022.
 
"He already had leadership qualities," Griffin said. "Having the opportunity to get playing time as a freshman helped with that and earned him respect from guys on the team. Heading into his sophomore year he was playing an even bigger role with our group. He's one who's always been a vocal leader and now he's growing into being a leader by example as well. I'm excited to see him continue to blossom and continue to push our group forward."
 
Or as Hopkins puts it, "Kevin's always been pretty loud, ever since I've known him. When he was younger, he was a goofball. He's grown and matured but still has that goofy personality at times.

Everyone respects him, especially with how he stepped up not just on the soccer team but in the entire athlete community. It's pretty admirable."