They are simultaneously big fans of one another and fierce competitors, trying to outdo each other at every turn.

The best explanation for this may be that they’re sisters, but Lauren Arnold and Schyler Arnold enjoy pushing each other to new heights as they stake their place as top goalkeepers nationally in their respective age groups.

Lauren is a 2010 grad who has committed to play college soccer at Clemson. Schyler is a  high school freshman just now gaining notice as a keeper with a special ability to pull fantastic saves out of her hat. The pair both play at Eric Dade’s Birmingham United club in Alabama, and are enjoying their friendship, their soccer and especially their rivalry.

“They are competitive with each other and they bring out the best when they are around each other,” Dade said. “But they also admire each other.”

Neither sister attempts to deny the rivalry can get a bit fierce at times.

“We always push each other,” Lauren said with a laugh. “If anything it’s gotten worse as we’ve gotten older. We want to be better than the other. When she got started, she would always try and do what I did.”

Schyler concurred that Lauren spurred her on, but added that this hasn’t changed.

“I still do try to do what she does,” she said. “I try to even beat her sometimes. We’re both very competitive, most definitely, but ever since I saw my sister play in goal, I thought, 'That looks like fun. I should try it.'”

If there’s any question about admiration, consider that Schyler, at age 6, approached U.S. WNT goalkeeper Brianna Scurry after a WUSA match in Atlanta and told her to watch out for her older sister Lauren, because she would be hearing her name in soccer circles someday.

Dade said Schyler is a bit more of the free spirit of the two, while Lauren has a conservative streak to go with an intense work ethic, which includes working nearly every day with her father Dennis on strength and conditioning. Lauren also has organization and decision-making as strengths, while Schyler’s biggest asset at this point is acrobatic shot-stopping, even as she works on being a more rounded keeper. Standout play at the recent Disney Showcase is putting Schyler on the radar of a number of top college programs, and she lists LSU and Miami as two she is most interested in at this point, in the context of a longer list.

Lauren’s choice of Clemson came after a hugely enjoyable visit to meet Coach Hershey Strosberg and his team.

“I love Hershey and the team chemistry there is amazing,” Lauren said. “He really has them as a family and that was really welcoming. Once I made a verbal, nothing could have changed my mind.”

Lauren has trained with a number of goalkeeper coaches including former USWNT backstop Tracy Ducar, who she credits with helping improve her tactical awareness and communication.

“In the women’s goalkeeping game there’s not a lot of tactical awareness and you’re always growing tactically,” Lauren said. “In the past two years my tactical awareness has improved a lot. A lot of it is from Eric, but Tracy and my other goalkeeper coaches have a lot to do with it too. I’ve always been pretty vocal, but I’m getting better at putting it to the point and making it easier for my players to know what I’m saying.”

Dade said Schyler has superior distribution and a valuable quality of fearlessness. For her part, Schyler said her dad’s training is a big help to her vertical jump and other physical characteristics. Both sisters possess the highly athletic quality that too often is missing from between the sticks in the girls' game, and we look forward to continuing to track their burgeoning careers, even as they strive to support (and outdo) each other.

Other top Birmingham United players include Christine Schweer, Molly Atherton, Shanna Brooks, Jillian Hester and Olivia McKenzie.