SPOTLIGHT: Strength Through Adversity

By now, many know Haley Pounds' story. It's a story of perseverance through a very difficult freshman year in College Station. 12^th Man Magazine detailed the story back in 2015.

Fast forward to 2017. Pounds is now a senior for Aggie Soccer. She started her Aggie career with adversity. Unfortunately, her career is also ending with adversity, as a season-ending injury cut her senior campaign short.

Fresh off surgery, Pounds now has a different role with Aggie Soccer as the season winds down. She may not be able to impact the team with goals and assists, but she can still lead and be an example for her teammates.     

Lou Holtz said, "Life is 10 percent what happens to you and ninety percent how you respond to it."

Pounds has had to practice what Holtz preached, as her A&M career hasn't always gone the way she hoped. It certainly can't be easy to start and end a college career with such difficult times, but if anyone can handle the challenge, it's Pounds.
 

In 2014, Pounds battled through her freshman year. She responded with bravery. She has needed that bravery and perseverance again as a senior. Her response has earned the praise and respect of many, including Coach G Guerrieri.

"The struggles she dealt with as a freshman are ones that I'm sure she still learns from every day," noted Guerrieri. "Life throws all of us some very difficult issues that we have to handle in the best way we can. I'm so proud of her bravery and spiritual strength, and will forever admire her as a winner in life. The fact that she was our leading scorer over the past three years is a testament to her inner drive and many strengths on and off the soccer field."  

Being a student-athlete and balancing everything is tough enough, especially as a freshman just getting used to it all. Add in depression, a broken leg and other setbacks to Pounds' plate, and it made for a rough freshman year. Those obstacles, however, proved to be no match for Pounds' resilience and growing faith. That faith is the first thing Pounds mentions when talking about her progress in soccer and in life.  

"Once I surrendered my life to Christ and just let go, I've been so much more joyful," said Pounds. "I think the best way to put it is that my faith allowed me to free myself from those tough times."

Mission trips also played a huge role in the healing process. A well-timed trip to Ecuador was vital to her turnaround. Pounds has taken multiple mission trips since, including a recent trip to Haiti with her soccer teammates. Those trips obviously made a huge impact in getting Pounds back on track.   

"I felt like I had lost my purpose in life," recalled Pounds. "I didn't know who I was anymore, but I knew I had a heart for helping people. Going on those trips showed me the purpose of helping others, and that gave me hope and clarity."
 

Pounds found a way to better deal with things outside of soccer, but her growth was evident on the field, as well. Immediately following the tough freshman campaign, she enjoyed a highly successful sophomore season for the Aggies. That sophomore season proved a lot to teammates, coaches and most importantly, herself.

"My sophomore year showed that I was good enough," remarked Pounds. "When I got here, I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of playing time and ability to contribute. That year proved I could do it."

Contribute she did, so much so that she became a leader and one of the faces of the program. The hard work had paid off.
 

Difficult times weren't over for Pounds, though, as 2016 proved to be a different kind of challenge. A rash of injuries proved difficult for the Aggies to overcome. A 5-5-1 finish in conference play was a disappointing break from the norm in College Station, but the difficulties also provided another test for Pounds and her personal development.

"Last year was tough because we didn't do as well," noted Pounds. "I had to look in the mirror and ask myself, 'am I going to crumble again'? The struggles I faced before really helped me, and because of that, I continued to fight."

Pounds and her teammates dug deep in 2016. Despite all the injuries, the Aggies kept their NCAA Tournament streak alive. They fell to eventual national champion USC in the second round, but it took penalty kicks for the Trojans to advance past the Aggies in Los Angeles.  

Now, here we are. It's the senior year for Pounds, one last go around in Aggieland. Pounds had high expectations for the team and for herself in 2017. While the team has been on a roll, including a 10-game win streak to end the regular season, Pounds' season ended with a knee injury against Alabama. She's been here before, however, and you can tell how much she has learned from those times.
 

"I look back at my freshman year and am thankful for the adversity I faced," noted Pounds. "It gives me so much hope now as I battle through this season-ending ACL injury."

It's a tough break for the team, losing one of the top scorers on the squad. It's another tough break for Pounds, who is forced to be a fan instead of a player as the Aggies look for success in the SEC and NCAA Tournaments. Several individual and team goals, however, remain the same for Pounds despite the injury.

Another trip to the College Cup is just one of the goals, and it would be a fitting way for the seniors to conclude their A&M careers. Pounds and her senior teammates made a trip to the College Cup in 2014, the school's first-ever appearance at the event.

The team goals aren't the only things on Pounds' to-do list. She has other personal goals to take care of, and being the selfless person she is, helping others is the main priority.
 

"My mission is to be the best teammate," said Pounds. "I want to give back, because people have been so gracious and helpful to me. I would do anything to be back on the field playing with my teammates. I try to channel that passion into being their biggest cheerleader on the sidelines and in the locker room. My new role on the team is to encourage, motivate and coach my teammates in any way that I can. I want to be a positive outlet for my teammates, and share my wisdom with them."

Her desire to help others goes beyond her teammates. Pounds recently got involved with jail ministry. Pounds knows there are many facing tough times in their lives, and she wants those people to thrive through adversity like she has.

"The adversity I have faced has given me a passion for being a listening ear and a light for women in dark situations," Pounds disclosed. "This semester, I started volunteering at the jail in hopes of reaching women who are incarcerated. The week leading up to my injury, I told an inmate that I firmly believe that when God allows a door to be shut, He has something way better in store. Little did I know, one of the biggest doors in my life was going to be shut just days later. That is my hope during this time. I am looking forward to what is in store for me next and trusting that God will lead me there. I can't change the past, but I can control how I respond to it."

There's a different outlook for Pounds as her Aggie career winds down. It all stems from the challenges she has faced, and more importantly, how she's responded to those times. Pounds is quick to point out, however, that she didn't get through it alone.

"My life has changed drastically from my freshman year until now because of the people here at Texas A&M," stated Pounds. "I've had coaches, teammates and staff members constantly around who've wanted to help. They care. I'm not sure I would've had that level of support at other schools. I think the biggest thing is the people here. They have a heart for others."
 

Coach G isn't surprised at the support system Pounds has found at Texas A&M. Guerrieri points to the fact that Pounds is the kind of person people want to help.

"Haley has been more than just an inspirational leader on this team," Guerrieri added. "She's one of the kindest, most caring people you will ever meet, and people love her because of what a wonderful young woman she is."  

What's next for Pounds?

"I graduate this upcoming December and plan on staying in Aggieland in the spring," answered Pounds. "I am excited for the next chapter in life! I am uncertain of what is in store but I just pray that God will use me wherever I am lead to next." 

College can be a life-changing experience. It has been for Pounds. She has seen the highs and lows, both on the pitch and off.

Faith, support and a strong will to persevere have helped her through. Now, even with the recent injury, she can enjoy the rest of her senior year and look to the future with hope and excitement. She knows what she's capable of, and she has the right perspective as she moves forward in soccer and life.

"I've been in a really good place these past few years," Pounds concluded. "I just feel like I'm continuing to grow and be healed from the tough times and what I've gone through. In terms of soccer, I've had so much fun and have loved every minute of it. My goal is to live for God, because he saved my life."