Got it From Guam

by: Madelon Allen, Assistant Coordinator/Communications

STARKVILLE, Miss. – Olivia Simpson will be playing soccer in Starkville this fall just like the nine other incoming freshmen, but her love for the game started somewhere far different; Guam.

Simpson spent her elementary school years in Guam, as her father was stationed there for his employment with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. After a few more moves, her family has planted themselves in Georgia in her father's hometown. One thing that always moved with her was soccer.

She watched her brother playing football when she was about eight years old, and when they wouldn't let her play, opportunity struck. "I would go to his practices and I saw people playing soccer, and I kind of just said 'I want to do that!'."

She also had a great teacher at her disposal, for both soccer and school.

"My teacher in third grade was one of my mom's best friends at the time," said Simpson. "She played for the Guam national soccer team. I had known her for such a long time, and her son was the same age as me and also played soccer, and he was my biggest competition."

She would learn the game and start her own co-ed soccer team to play.

"I was the only girl, so my main goal every year was to be better than any guy on the field, in any way possible. My teacher was probably one of my biggest role models because she showed me that if you truly love it, you don't have to stop doing what you love. Out of all of it, I just came away with a strong competitive drive."

Reflecting on her time in Guam, she references it fondly.

"Experiencing different cultures really just gave me an open mind to everything that the world may have to offer, and of course my love for soccer started there."

Mississippi State University Athletics

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