I was born a baller. No seriously, since the day I was born I wanted to be like my older brother, and that meant doing everything he did which was primarily sports. I started playing soccer at the age of four and haven’t stopped since.

Growing up I was a Michigan Hawk and played in the US Olympic Development Program for over nine years. My favorite thing about soccer is all of the people I’ve met throughout my career. I have the best friendships with people all over the world from the opportunities I was given through this sport. I owe the game of soccer so much.

I played college soccer at Ohio State. As a Buckeye I was a three-time captain, a First Team All-American, and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. I somehow convinced enough coaches in the NCAA to vote me as a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy; given to the top collegiate soccer player. Yet, I am most proud of winning the Big Ten Medal of Honor, which recognizes the athlete in the graduating class who has attained the greatest proficiency in both academics and athletics, and was subsequently named the Big Ten’s nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year. During my last season, we won the Big Ten and made it to the College Cup (aka the soccer Final Four), and I decided shortly afterwards to hang up my cleats and go to law school, or so I thought…

During my second year of law school I had the opportunity to come out of retirement to suit up for the Jayhawks. It’s a long story, maybe I’ll blog about it one day. But, I tore my ACL(s), consecutively, my first three years at Ohio State, so I had eligibility to use. And I’m glad I did, because I met some of the best people in my life through that experience, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.

In the fall of ‘18 I was given the most unexpected honor of being inducted into the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame. While I never could have predicted my career unfolding the way it did, I absolutely never imagined being included in such a prestigious group of individuals. It’s still quite surreal to be a part of the very history and tradition that once inspired me to become a Buckeye.

HOF

I was looking for the best way to express what it meant to me to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Some of that is captured through Instagram posts, but the best expression may have been in my speech, which is included below. It’s not all encompassing, but does a pretty good job…

My journey gave me a very unique perspective as a student-athlete, not having the opportunity to suit up until my senior year. As athletes, I think we all have a preconceived idea of how we’d like our careers to play out before we start them, but I never could have predicted my circumstances. In retrospect, that time gave me the opportunity to develop a certain set of skills no other experiences could have given me, and it prepared me to accomplish many of the things that have afforded me to stand here before you today. 

I primarily chose Ohio State because of the renowned veterinary school and challenge that I felt to uphold the standards of the soccer program, but also because of the respect I had for the history and tradition of the athletics program in its entirety. I knew that by assimilating myself into this athletics community I would be positioning myself in an environment that would not only support, but demand that I reach excellence.

And I assimilated quickly, with the football team…which I think ended up in my favor. My best friend over the past decade, Donald Washington, was a corner on the football team, and because of him I spent a lot of time with those guys. I mean, consecutive Big Ten Championships, and playing for a couple National Championships seemed like a decent standard to be holding myself to. During that time, I was lucky enough to become close with one of the other inductees today and I am still blessed to be able to call the Laurinaitis family my friends, so it is a special honor to share this recognition with someone that I went through the grind with. 

I am also blessed to have such a strong support system, you don’t make it through the things I went through without having a solid foundation, and the unconditional love and support of my family and friends. Many of them who traveled near and very far to be here with me tonight. Which doesn’t surprise me, because that’s what they’ve always done. My mom never missed a game, even when I was playing left bench. You know, my parents didn’t know they were having a girl until I was born. My mom cried tears of joy the day her graceful ballerina daughter who was going to dance into her footsteps was born. And then few years passed, I learned the word no, and became convinced that I was the same human being as my older brother. So that ballerina dream faded quickly... 

I attribute most of my athletic success to my brother, RC. His influence and acceptance of me from an early age not only allowed me to start competing with people who were better than me, but it also gave me this complex, where I never saw age, or gender, or size difference, as an obstacle. All of that seemed normal to me because of the way he took me under his wing. I mean, when he started losing teeth, we would go in to the bathroom and pull one of my teeth out so that I was losing teeth too. Now, looking back, I don’t endorse all of the things my brother and I did as kids, but I’d be remiss to not acknowledge the very reason I even started kicking a soccer ball, and the person who gave me the confidence that I could overcome any obstacle to accomplish whatever I wanted. 

So I played soccer, and basketball, and volleyball, and ran track, and even played football until middle school. I was one hell of a safety might I add, and that’s primarily because my mom’s dream of a ballerina daughter came out as my father’s clone. My dad was a successful multi-degree and multi-sport athlete who instilled in my brother and I a fierce competitive spirit that settled for nothing but the best. He used to come out when I was training, always towards the end of my workout, and he would say “you know there’s a girl a California doing one more than you...” which of course led me to do several more. Funny thing is, that hypothetical girl from California is sitting in the audience tonight. She ended up being my roommate, teammate, one of my best friends and to this day is someone who unknowingly motivates me to be better, even from across the country. 

I’m very aware that the ability and success of my teammates carried me to any achievements I’ve received. The beauty of life and of team sports, is that it takes a village, and we all go further together. I will say this, Ohio State Women’s Soccer is not for everyone. It demands excellence. And when I chose to come here, I committed myself to that objective through thick and thin. There are plenty of coaching staffs who would have given up on someone in my situation. They would have swept me out with the injury rug. But this staff, this university, Buckeye Nation never gave up on me. I saw the game, and I saw life eye-to-eye with my assistant coaches, they’re the best in the industry. And I had a head coach who believed in me, taught me the ropes, and knew the right way to motivate me. The Ohio State Women’s Soccer program is special, and if you can succeed here you can succeed anywhere. Notice I didn’t say survive, there’s a big difference. If you succeed here, you can succeed anywhere. And success looks different for everyone. We are not all measured by the same stick. But if I’m being measured by the company I keep, I feel pretty good here tonight. While I never could have predicted my career unfolding the way it did, I absolutely never imagined being included in such a prestigious group of individuals. As one of the newest members of the Ohio State Athletics Hall of Fame, it’s my honor to humbly join the very history and tradition that once inspired me to become a Buckeye.