Return to UWM News Page

Issued by: Michelle Alioto 414-229-4593 oto@uwm.edu Date: July 27, 2002

Ex-Panther Kathy Hoverman Working Her Way in the WUSA

Former goalkeeping standout heeds newest challenge with the Washington Freedom

MILWAUKEE -- Kathy Hoverman has never been one to back away from a challenge. When given the chance to play for the WUSA's Washington Freedom in early July, the former UWM standout goalkeeper didn't waver. Instead, she seized the opportunity to compete with some of the world's best players and is still taking notes along the way. Facing perhaps the biggest challenge of her life, Hoverman is willing to take it head on like she has done so often before.

During her collegiate years at UWM beginning in 1995, Hoverman juggled the challenges of maintaining successful soccer and academic careers, while also leading numerous community service organizations. Double-majoring in civil engineering and conservation and environmental science, she was the president of WISPIRG and also had a voice on the Student-Athletic Advisory Committee among other groups. Between volunteering her time and studying, Hoverman worked diligently on the field to earn first team All-MCC honors three straight years and post a 0.58 GAA in 1997, which ranked fifth in the nation and contributed to UWM's first NCAA Tournament berth.

Life after college soccer brought more scholastic demands for the UWM record holder. The Fort Wayne, Indiana native interned in Florida while continuing with her B.S. degree. Though preoccupied with her academic opportunities, Hoverman missed the thrill and challenge of competitive soccer.

"After my senior year of playing at UWM, I really didn't think about soccer as any sort of a future," Hoverman said of her desire to return to soccer. "So I kind of quit and just didn't play much, but two years went by and I really missed soccer--and at the competitive level. I knew I wasn't as good as I wanted to be when I finished college, so I was interested in seeing how far I could go. I was still in school (earning an undergraduate degree) and going to go to graduate school, so I thought I definitely had the schedule to play again if I really wanted to get back into it competitively."

In the summer of 2001, Hoverman joined fellow former UWM teammates Katie Waltenberger and Crystalin Montgomery in getting a tryout with the Hampton Road Piranhas of the USL W-League, the semi-professional outdoor league and highest level of women's soccer prior to the WUSA. Three years removed from college soccer, Hoverman endured the task of training at a high level again, yet quickly regained her previous form. As always, her work ethic carried her to equally split time with another talented goalkeeper. Though both had solid performances on the season and helped the team finish third overall, Hoverman maintained a 0.88 GAA in front of the net.

"Playing in the W-League kind of exposed me to some much better players and allowed me to be seen by a few more coaches, especially ones outside of my collegiate area. If nothing else, I made a really good impression on my coaches there at Hampton by my work rate and improvement. At least enough of an impression where they must have thought, ‘Okay, she's willing to work and she can get better. Those are good qualities and we're going to push this and see where she can go'."

That led to what Hoverman calls something of "dumb luck". Apparently her coaches with the Piranhas had been impressed enough with the former Panther to mention her name among some WUSA coaches. As luck would have it eventually, the Washington Freedom's third-string goalkeeper was released during the season and the squad quickly needed someone to fill the position. The coaching staff remembered Hoverman, and hence came the ultimate challenge the 5-foot-9 lean goalkeeper had waited for.

The former Panther signed a contract and was added to the Freedom, otherwise known as Mia Hamm's squad. Here, Hoverman, who played soccer somewhat inconsistently growing up, trains everyday with some of the world's elite players. Though she enjoyed great success at UWM, Hoverman has realized the incredible task of just staying competitive in practice.

"The level (of competition) is a category jump up from the w-league, yet its more than one level in terms of skill. In the W-League, you've got a few really solid players and then a bunch of players who are really good. On this team, everyone is just incredible. In my first week with the team, everyone was schooling me right and left, scoring goal after goal. But slowly, I learned their tricks and started to learn how to play with them. Everyone strikes the ball so hard that sometimes, you just can't catch it. That's the biggest difference compared to college for me. It goes from being able to catch almost everything in college, to almost everything being a parry here."

According to Hoverman, ‘parrying' the ball is pushing it wide of the goal instead of catching it because the shot comes so hard and fast that the ball would go right through a goalkeeper's hands if she tried to catch it. Of course, one of the players who most puts Hoverman back on her heels is Hamm.

"These players can put shots in when their not even looking at the goal. That's something big I learned about playing with Mia. She can put shots in when you don't even think she's ready to shoot. And then all of a sudden, she's scoring on you upper corner or right past your ankles because you're not even expecting a shot. She's just a phenomenal player to play with--her workrate is unbelievable and her intensity is so tough everytime. And if she sees someone who is not giving it completely, she'll put them up to the question and ask, ‘Do you want to be here, do you want to be playing today?' She is by far the most experienced player and she'll ask that to anyone not pulling their weight."

Though Hoverman may be a young player, she has never given anything less than her best possible effort. She says she has steadily improved every week of training, making the saves she initially couldn't when she first arrived. However, she still feels that she has a long way to go before she's even competitive with the first and second-string goalkeepers on the team, or just able to give her teammates a good defensive effort to shoot against. Though she suits up for every game, she's realistic about the challenges ahead of her, which also includes keeping her confidence high enough to compete.

"The biggest truth of it is that I have very, very little experience. That's okay because I'm comfortable with not being the No. 1 or No. 2 (goalkeeper) because there is so much I don't know. I've realized that the other goalkeepers know so much and they have exceptional ability. I am just hoping to gain some space and even provide my own motivations at times in order to really learn and go further. And now I have a huge challenge: I'm at No. 3, can I get to No. 2."

It was Hoverman's work ethic and drive that led her to the exciting challenge of playing with the Freedom now, and it may be those same qualities that carry her past the current challenges and into the lineup someday. After all, anything is possible, and Hoverman's advice to young, aspiring professional players reflects that mentality--as long as it also includes hard work and a little luck.

"If you want it, keep going for it. That's the absolute truth of it," Hoverman said. "If you think you have something within you and you have the support, look for the opportunities and never, ever close doors. You never know when you may need to return to those doors and seek that opportunity back. Also, always keep working and continually preparing your body and mind for things that may come up so that you will always be ready for a transition and another step."