Kelley O’Hara - The Competitor

SOCCER - DEFENDER - USWNT - WASHINGTON SPIRIT - STANFORD

ARCHETYPE: THE COMPETITOR

Day 114/135

Athletic Accomplishments

Kelley O’Hara plays outside back for the U.S. Women’s National Team and the Washington Spirit.

O’Hara grew up playing soccer in Georgia, where she was a prolific scorer and one of the best forwards in the country. She was All-League, All-County, and All-State all four years of high school, and a two-time Parade All-American.

She landed a scholarship to Stanford University, where she played forward for the Cardinal. At Stanford, she was a three-time Pac-10 All-Conference Team, and in 2009, she was first team All-American, and the recipient of the Hermann Trophy, given to the nation’s best college soccer player. Her senior year, she scored 26 goals with 13 assists, and led the team to the NCAA Finals. In the gut-wrenching loss to UNC, O’Hara earned double yellow cards and was sent off. That kind of loss will stick with you.

She was drafted third overall by FC Gold Pride in the 2010 Women’s Professional Soccer Draft, winning the regular season and WPS Championship in her rookie year. Despite their success, the team folded later that year for financial reasons. (Can you imagine that happening in a men’s professional league? Invest. In. Women.)

O’Hara was signed to the Boston Breakers, where she played a primarily offensive-minded outside midfielder. She later played for Sky Blue FC, shapeshifting into a forward, winger, right back, or center mid. Whatever you needed from O’Hara, she could give it to you. Today, O’Hara plays for the Washington Spirit.

In the role you most know her for, O’Hara also plays for the U.S. Women’s National Team, where she has developed into a formidable right back. In the 2012 Olympics, where the USWNT won gold, O’Hara played every minute of every game. She’s also a two-time World Cup champion, working to make the roster for this summer’s Olympics.

Character Archetype: The Competitor

When she’s on the pitch, Kelley O’Hara is not there for fun and games. She’s not there to make friends. She’s there to win.

Though O’Hara started her soccer career as a forward, she later played midfield, and has finally settled into her role as a right back for the U.S. Women’s National Team. With O’Hara on the roster, the team has won two World Cups and an Olympic gold medal in 2012, where she played every minute of the tournament.

O’Hara has developed a reputation as an extremely physical and aggressive player. She’ll make every hard run or sacrifice her body to come up with a stop. You might call her scrappy. You might call her chippy. You might say she’s earned her wins, titles, yellow cards, concussions, and reconstructive ankle surgeries the hard way.

But she wants to win the ball, the game, the title. And that competitive edge is what makes her remarkable.