Dedication and Determination: Wingate Women's Soccer Goalkeeper Haley Faucette’s Journey to College Soccer

1. Can you share how your youth soccer journey began and what motivated you to pursue the sport seriously?

I started playing recreation soccer when I was 3 years old, and I actually did not join a competitive club team until about middle school. I really loved soccer, but it was just one of the several different sports that I played growing up, including volleyball and basketball. In eighth grade, I started watching more professional and college soccer, and started loving soccer more than the other two sports that I played, and that was when I became really motivated to pursue soccer seriously. 

2. What was the college recruiting process like for you? Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently or advice you’d give to younger players navigating it?

The college recruiting process was a bit stressful for me, partly because, looking back, I think I started a little later than others. I made the move to North Carolina FC so that I could play at a bigger, more competitive club, and in my first year playing NPL region league, I had a lot of learning to do about the skills and abilities required to play college soccer. Luckily, I developed enough to join the ECNL team the next year as a junior in high school, and the exposure and competitive environment helped me to develop a lot as a player and talk to more schools. I committed to Wingate in the summer before my senior year of high school, after having talked with the coaches via email and attending a summer ID camp here. The advice I'd give to young players is to make a list of things you want in your college career in terms of competitiveness, personal development, academics, and social life. Then, be confident enough to put yourself out there by emailing coaches from schools that meet these personal standards, and go to ID camps to get exposure and learn about the schools' coaching and playing styles.  Additionally, one thing I wish I had done is put together a highlight video. I would advise younger goalkeepers to try and make a highlight video of any game or training clips they have in order to send them out to coaches in emails.

3. What factors led you to choose Wingate University, and how did you know it was the right fit for you both athletically and academically?

I chose Wingate because of the way the players and coaches made me feel immediately at home when I came here for the summer ID camp, and because of the way the competitive environment made me push myself and develop quickly as a goalkeeper from day one. I knew that I wanted to go to a program that I could develop as a player and also work hard to earn minutes on the field, and Wingate is the perfect environment for both. Academically, I knew Wingate would be a good fit for me because of its small classroom environments, especially for my major, Political Science. I do really well in classroom environments that are discussion based, where I can ask questions and have relationships with my professors, and Wingate is exactly that. 

4. How did you prepare for the jump from club/high school soccer to the demands of the college game? Were there any major adjustments you had to make?

Before coming into college, one major way that I tried to prepare myself was fitness. The level of fitness required at the college level, both in terms of fitness and strength, are much higher than that required at the club level, especially for goalkeepers. I asked my coaches for the fitness packets that they used for both the men's and women's goalkeepers at Wingate and followed those pretty religiously the summer before I entered college. The major adjustment that I had to make once I got to college was speed of play. The speed that the game moves and changes at the college level is much quicker than the club level, and therefore I had to develop my decision making abilities and soccer IQ quickly when I came in my freshman year. 

5. What has been the biggest challenge you’ve faced competing at the collegiate level, and how have you worked to overcome it?

The biggest challenge that I've faced in my college career is my shoulder injury. I had my first shoulder surgery between my senior year of high school and freshman year of college, but unfortunately sustained the same injury again in my sophomore year, and had another surgery that summer. Returning to play at a high level following a season-ending injury is very difficult physically, but also mentally. Regaining strength and fitness is only half the battle, because regaining speed of play and confidence once returning to the pitch is definitely the hardest part. Since returning to play in my junior year, I have focused on maintaining strength, but I have definitely learned a lot about how to take care of my body to preserve my health. 

6. College soccer requires balancing academics, athletics, and personal life. How have you managed that balance, and what strategies have helped you stay focused?

I feel as if I have handled the balance of school, soccer, and personal life well during my time in college. As I have gotten older, it has definitely gotten easier, especially because I started with a strong foundation of time management during my freshman year. Taking the time every week to look at the upcoming days and planning out what homework needs to be completed and when, appropriate bedtimes to be prepared for games and training, etc. makes all the difference. Balancing personal life within all of this often requires a bit of multitasking - a lot of friendships in college as an athlete are made by getting meals together, doing homework together, and spending downtime together more than any crazy plans every week. 

7. What aspects of your game have developed the most since joining the Wingate Bulldogs, and how has the coaching staff helped you grow?

In my college career at Wingate, I have developed my distribution skills the most. Being a team that demands a lot of its goalkeepers with the ball at their feet has created an environment where I am challenged to be confident on the ball and break the opposition's lines of pressure with strong technical passing skills and quick decision making. The coaching staff has done the most to help me develop in this area of my game over the years mostly by structuring practices where goalkeepers are included in a lot of our possession based drills, and where the team spends a lot of time simply playing. They have also helped me by watching and discussing film, which helps give a third-person perspective of my options on the field. 

8. Are there any specific moments or matches in your college career so far that stand out as particularly memorable or defining?

There are quite a few games from my college career that stand out to me, so it is hard to pick just one. This past season was the most minutes I played in college, and I truly feel like I learned a new lesson and/or gained a new happy memory from every game that I played in,  

9. For younger players aspiring to play college soccer, what advice would you give about preparing both mentally and physically for the next level?

The biggest advice that I would give younger goalkeepers is to develop a strong positive inner voice as early as you can. College soccer can be very mentally challenging, especially as a goalkeeper, so being able to be your own biggest cheerleader as opposed to your own biggest critic is essential for preparing for the inevitable ups and downs of your career. For preparing physically, I would advise younger goalkeepers to focus on explosiveness and stability, which is achievable even without access to a high level weight room or a coach. Working on plyometric movements and core stability will lead to really strong foundations for athletic movements at higher levels.  

10. Looking ahead, what goals do you have for the remainder of your college career and beyond in soccer or your future profession?

Looking forward, I am excited to use my last year of eligibility at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, TX, where I will have the opportunity to play for another competitive team, meet new people, and explore new places. After that, I think it would be a really fun experience to try and play overseas somewhere for a few years, so I will be playing not only to win titles for St. Mary's but also to continue to develop as a player for whatever journey I have after the college level. I know that I will never be away from soccer because I love it so much, so wherever my future career brings me I know I will definitely still enjoy coaching and developing young goalkeepers.