Rice Memories: Hayley Williams
6/18/2020 2:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer, Blog
"Oh, where do I even begin," Williams stated. "I remember us having so much fun being together at pre-game meals. Our locker room dance parties are also some of my favorite memories. Jordan McCray and Rachel Petmecky really led the team on this one, with Annie Kadota also providing some important guidance. I will never not smile when I hear Cat Daddy, Love on Top, and Teach Me How to Dougie. Also, because of Hope Ward and Alex Burton my hair has never looked better than it did at Rice. They never failed to make sure that my braid (and everyone else's braids) were perfect before warm up!
"One of my earliest Rice memories is from my very first game of college soccer. We were playing at Texas A&M and I'll never forget how tired I was at halftime, looking over at 'Sparky' (Alexandra Trenary) and thinking 'How on earth do we keep going?' She kept running though, so I did too. But that moment of bonding is one I'll treasure forever.
"For our defensive unit that included Amy Beger, Lauren LaGro, and Cat Fitzsimmons coach John Adams coined the nickname, 'The Force Field.' I can't keep the smile off my face when I think about that nickname.
"Winning the regular season conference championship my junior year is one of my favorite memories. I remember playing at UH for the last game of the season (where Rice had to win to clinch the C-USA title, and do so in an emotional game against the crosstown rival). We won and we danced and cheered around the field to celebrate. There are some great pictures from that time, and they still bring me joy when I see them. One of my other favorite team accomplishments from my time at Rice was when we beat LSU in my sophomore year 2011. (Sorry coach Lee!! 😀) It was such a hard fought game, and I'll never forget the excitement I felt when that second OT ended and we had defeated an awesome SEC program.
"One of the things of which I am most proud from my time at Rice was being named captain my senior year. It was an honor to be recognized by the coaches and by my teammates as a leader on the field. Even though we didn't have the greatest season in terms of results, we fought some hard battles, and it'll always be a season I remember as being filled with growth.
"Looking back, one of the things that I learned from being a student-athlete at Rice was how to dedicate myself to my sport AND to my school work. This required me to hone my time management skills, to work on my ability to prioritize tasks, to set goals for myself, and to reflect on my successes and failures in the classroom and on the field so that I could improve. These skills have been crucial to me as I've gone forward into medical school, and I know they will pay off as I transition to residency this summer. During my time at Rice, I was also lucky enough to participate in a Leadership Development Program, sponsored by the Athletic Dept. I often refer back to the lessons I learned in that course. On a more concrete note, the Rice Kinesiology department, particularly Dr. Rodriguez and Ms. Schell, as well as Dr. Anding, played a critical role in piquing my interest in human physiology. And while I didn't necessarily go the sports medicine route, their passion for their careers was contagious, and I hope to be the kind of educator as I go forward that they were to me.
"Some of my most favorite memories were with my roommates. I was so lucky to get to live with Jessica Howard, Kasey McKenney, Amy Czyz and Amy Beger. You can ask any of them, our house was pretty much a dump, but it was filled with love and laughter. Is that too cheesy to say? I don't care; it's true! Plus we got to be the beneficiaries of Beegs' baking skills!
"I have a million more that I won't bore you with, but suffice to say that all of my favorite memories are tied to the people that I met at Rice, both on the soccer team and off. It truly is a special place with special human beings. I am thankful every day to call myself a Rice Owl."