Haley Kopmeyer’s greatest soccer achievement did not come with a trophy or a medal. Instead - it came at what could have marked the end of her career in soccer.
After only one appearance in her first season in the National Women’s Soccer League, Kopmeyer was cut from Seattle Reign due to roster constrictions, leaving her without a club or organization to belong to.
“I hired a coach on my own and went off into that first offseason with nothing, no contract and no job,” Kopmeyer shared.
By the beginning of the 2014 season, Kopmeyer was re-signed and back on the roster. But she did not take this experience for granted, taking the time to define the type of player she was going to be for the rest of her career -- a persistent one.
“For me to be here in Year 6, still fighting, that is the work ethic I never want to lose,” Kopmeyer explained. “And that's something I’m really really proud of.”
That next season Seattle set a league-record unbeaten streak of 16 games, finishing first and winning the NWSL Shield for the first time. Kopmeyer played in four of those games, serving as backup to World Cup Champion Hope Solo.
“I’ve learned from Hope. Any goalkeeper who has ever been at this level has something that they bring, something that they do well,” Kopmeyer said. “I really do learn so much from those around me.”
That mentality is reflected not only in her style of play, but in her character as well.
“I try to be smart,” Kopmeyer said. “I try to think about what is going to happen next and make decisions based on that and obviously it is not black and white, but I try to be a student of the game.”
Those decisions apply in her life off the field as well. Always looking to expand her horizons, Kopmeyer is known for pushing the limits with her YouTube show “Stops with Kop.”
What originally began as a way to express her lighter side, the show soon became a way for Kopmeyer to explore many of the things she is passionate about.
The show allowed her to experience people and places in ways she never had before, including going behind the scenes at a zoo, taking a hip-hop class and even participating in a drag queen show. At the close of each episode, Kopmeyer would sit down with a teammate over coffee to talk soccer, life and the world around them.
“It was cool to be a part of something cultural and progressive,” Kopmeyer said. “I have no issues pushing boundaries.”
Now that Kopmeyer has settled in Orlando and established herself as an experienced goalkeeper, she is eager to introduce Pride fans to her unique style and personality.
“I am one of those people who has about five million ideas in my head at any given time,” Kopmeyer said. “I think people are ready for ‘Stops with Kop’ to return and you know I have some stuff up my sleeve.”
As for how she will contribute on the field, Kopmeyer is still looking beyond the trophies to becoming best player she can be.
“I’m in a new place for the first time in five years and I think this is going to be a big development year,” Kopmeyer said. “This is going to be such a good learning year and I just want to do whatever the teams asks and needs of me here.”
Kopmeyer will keep giving it her all. And who knows, there just may be a 2018 NWSL Championship trophy as well in this next stop with Kop.
