Passion Equates To Success

STARKVILLE – To be successful in athletics, it takes a tremendous amount of passion and desire to be the best at all times in your respective sport.

From her childhood kicking around the soccer ball in her front yard, junior goalkeeper Harlee Head has always held a competitive spirit that was ignited by her love for the game of soccer.

"I loved the competitiveness as a young kid," Head said. "I had the drive to be better the next day and the mentality that I get to go out and kick a ball around and have fun. That's what made me really fall in love with it and then I realized that I was actually kind of good at it."

Head was more than good. She was excellent. As the Douglas County High School keeper in Castle Rock, Colorado, Head was a four-year varsity starter. Every year Head displayed her passion and determination to be the best, which resulted in her being named as a member of the All-Continental League during her senior year with the Huskies.

The athletic keeper found her next opportunity in the form of the Colorado Rush DA club. As a member of the Rush, Head led her team to a national championship in 2019 and was named the 2017 State Cup MVP.

From there, camp invites from all across the country came flowing in for Head. As a result of excellent play guarding the goal for the Rush, Head was invited to attend the USYNT U21 camp and earned the opportunity to train at the U.S. Training Center from 2015-2018.

"The camps were really eye-opening and cool because I learned so much from all these camps and throughout club soccer," Head said. "The competitive environment and all the teammates around me playing definitely helped. Playing with different players, seeing different types of forms, different coaches coaching me and all that different stuff made me realize that this sport is so much more than just competitiveness. It's also an art to me."

Needless to say, Head was a highly sought after commodity across the country to become the next game-changing goalkeeper.

Originally, Head made her decision to play collegiate soccer at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California. She made an incredible first impression on the world of college soccer, as Head recorded four saves in her debut. Before deciding to transfer elsewhere, Head recorded eight shutouts for the Wave.

Although her time at Pepperdine had concluded, Head's time expressing her undeniable passion for the game of soccer was far from over.

"During the transfer process, what really caught my eye about Mississippi State is that I wanted to be in a more competitive conference," Head said. "I wanted to be somewhere where the coaches were harder on me [and] they kept me at a high level. I wanted to strive for greatness. Pepperdine was great, but I just felt like there was something missing and I didn't know what it was. So then when I came here, went on my visit and saw how much everyone loved the sport and wanted us to succeed. That was really big for me."

Since transferring to MSU, Head has formed an everlasting bond with graduate Maddy Anderson and Katelyn Carroll as a member of State's fierce goalkeeping unit.

But the talented trifecta of athletes are more than just teammates on the pitch. They are a family that supports each other through moments of triumph and when they are at their lowest.

"Our group of goalkeepers have such a strong connection. No matter what, every day we compete, but at the end of the day, we just want whoever's playing to be at their best," Head said. "That's something that's really important, especially at the college level. Being able to compete, push each other and hold each other to that high standard, but at the end of the day, make sure that whoever's in the starting lineup is prepped week in and week out."

The comradery between Head and the entire roster of gifted athletes on State's roster is not the only reason she is here in Starkville.

Everyone in the community has made her, and so many other athletes, feel welcomed at MSU. The ongoing support is something that Head will cherish forever as she continues to represent the Maroon and White kit on the pitch for the Bulldogs.

"It means a lot because people are actually coming here and supporting what we can do," Head said of the Bulldog faithful's backing. "It shows us that we put on a show and people want to come watch us and they want us to succeed. Having that and seeing all the people that showed up is amazing and put me in awe because I've never really had that."

Mississippi State University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Maddy Anderson

Katelyn Carroll

Harlee Head

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