So I have this friend.

We used to walk to and from school together when we were in middle school and high school. We haven't kept in touch very much, but we're Facebook friends and we Snapchat every once in a while. But this friend, a lovely lady named Caitlyn Schrepfer, is low-key kind of famous when it comes to soccer freestyling, and I want to brag about her in the form of an interview because she's awesome.

For the uninformed, what exactly is freestyle in the world of soccer - or football?

CS: Freestyle can be considered the artistic side of soccer. It is a sport entirely in its own right, with a different mindset and governing body and rules, but it is also the product of the classic Joga Bonita ads featuring Ronaldinho and his early freestyle skills. At the same time, many would consider it an art form and manner of expressing yourself since everyone develops a style unique to themselves, and create tricks that reflect each person's individuality.

How did you become involved in freestyle?

CS: I first learned a few tricks from random teammates of mine, then I saw some of the local LA freestylers at a soccer convention in February 2012. As soon as I saw it I was hooked; I kept in contact with a few of them and started teaching myself more of what is considered to be "classic" freestyle. Then, in August of the next year, after I saw them again, one of the guys invited me to go and try out for the performance team they were part of, the Futboleros. And that was the beginning of my freestyle career!

Is there a specific community within the soccer community, or are they all one and the same?

CS: The freestyle community is more or less entirely separate from the soccer community. There are a few of us here and there that walk the line between the two but for the most part, we only interact with the soccer community as entertainment and for business purposes. However often times, new freestylers will come from the soccer community, that's usually how they find us

What is the freestyle community like? Were there people who were instrumental in your career? Do you find yourself becoming a mentor of sorts as you practice and improve?

CS: Absolutely one of a kind, and in my opinion, the best part of the entire experience. They have been unbelievably supportive from the moment I started freestyling, everyone from the group I performed with to the foreign freestylers that I meet for the very first time. We're a very small community relative to soccer and you definitely can see that in the familial atmosphere that pervades the sport. I would have to say that there are a number of people who were instrumental to the growth of my career, obviously some more than others but in all honesty, more or less every person that I've met has had an impact on my growth.

I would say that hands down the LA crew of freestylers would probably have had the greatest impact, they were my teammates of sorts and training partners, my motivation, and my mentors. At the same time, I have a very good friend up in Canada who works with the same management company as me, and he has been a huge influence on the more unique aspects of my style. I could definitely go on to say that the vast majority of the USA scene as a whole has been a huge influence as well as I met them at my very first competition and they gave me the first taste of what the freestyle community is all about. As for becoming a mentor myself, I would definitely say I see it happening. I have a few close friends that I played with on my college team in my first year that showed an interest in the sport and I've been working with them on their development since then. It's a bit strange to become the teacher in what feels like such a short period of time, but it helps me understand the mindset of the rest of the community as well.

I've seen videos of you busking in cities around the world, do different places have different reactions to freestyle?

CS: Definitely, I think that is grounded in the city's relationship to soccer/football. In places such as England and Scotland where football is an integral part of the culture, the response to freestyle is huge and extremely positive. In Prague as well, though it's not a capital for soccer, Europe, in general, is much more interesting in the sport than the USA, so my performances there also garnered a great deal of positive feedback. Here in LA, I've been to a few spots to perform, and while the response is good, it can't hold a candle to the sheer number of people that took an interest in it while I was abroad.

You travel a lot, and you've been in a handful of commercials - how do you handle the change in your life?

CS: Honestly it increased proportionally to my time in the sport, so it was actually a very gradual and manageable change. It started with a few occasional domestic trips within the States, then slowly increased from there. It was actually very easy to adapt to, because I was so used to traveling to visit colleges when I first started and I had other people helping me, so now it's almost routine for me to go through airports and all that they entail! The schedule, however, probably seems pretty overwhelming to most, but like I've said to many people, it's kind of like trying to balance school and soccer schedules. It's all about communication, to be honest, my university and professors are very supportive of my career so as long as I let them know what is going in they're willing to be fairly flexible with me as well. Balancing everything is all about learning on a curve, and more than anything I think it's just taught me how to handle last minute surprises with relative grace.

What is your biggest accomplishment so far?

CS: Ooh that's a tough one. From a career perspective, I think I would say having a principal role in the Gatorade commercial that I did recently; it was a huge step towards increasing my presence as an entertainer. On the other hand, I personally consider my recent battle at the North American Freestyle Championships against my good friend Magnet to be a huge accomplishment. Although I still lost the battle to him, I consider it to be hands-down my best showing to date, and my mentality was exactly what I had been hoping to achieve since I had first competed in 2013.

What has been your biggest challenge to date?

CS: I think I would have to say maintaining the right mentality that allows me to be successful. The one thing about freestyle is that although it can generate unrivaled passion and excitement, it is the single most mentally and emotionally challenging task that I have undertaken to date, and that is coming from a person with a long background as a goalkeeper for soccer, yet another mentally taxing position. It's ridiculously easy to get frustrated and give up at any point during a freestyle career, that's why there are so many who started and never progressed past a certain point. It is a near constant struggle to maintain the determined and progressive outlook that will allow me to deal with the sheer amount of physical and emotional challenges that come with being a freestyler

What is the best advice you've been given regarding your career in freestyle?

CS: To sum it up in the words of Elliot Hulse, "just...keep f***ing going." There will be obstacles, and I will be pushed to my limits and beyond them, but dreaming will get me nowhere without tangible, grounded action. As long as I continue to work towards the goal in my mind- (slightly) ever-changing though it might be- I will progress and eventually I'll be able to see what I've accomplished, and that moment will make everything worth it.

What is your advice to people who have an interest or a curiosity in freestyle?

CS: Just try it, don't be afraid and don't compare yourself to anyone else. Progress is unique to each person and we may not always learn the same things at the same time, or in the same manner. Watch videos and don't be afraid to talk to other freestylers, everyone has been or will be a peer or a mentor to someone else and there is truly no better way to learn than from another, live person. Also, it's important to understand the challenge that freestyle presents; the one thing that separates hopeful freestylers from actual freestylers is simply the willingness to accept and deal with that challenge.