Growing up in northern California, if you enjoyed soccer, you sat in the stands and watched the Earthquakes take the pitch weekend after weekend. Whether you had season tickets or were just catching a match, you were one of the thousands that packed the house.
Minnesota United head athletic trainer Stacey Hardin grew up a San Jose season ticket holder, attending matches with her family. She sat in the stands as a 12-year-old player herself, admiring both the play on the field and the medical staff on the sideline.
When her soccer career came to a halt because of a career-ending injury in her junior year of high school, she was inspired by her physical therapist to pursue a career in the medical field. Hardin shifted her focus from sports to academics and began to search for a university with a good sports medicine program. She found Boston University.
From Boston to Minnesota, Hardin stayed true to her soccer roots, combining her soccer background with her passion for medicine and earning a spot on the MNUFC training staff.
Breaking barriers, Hardin is now the first female head athletic trainer in the league.
“I think I’ve been very lucky in my career to work with open-minded people,” said Hardin. “Gender has never been an issue, and I’ve primarily worked with male sports my entire career. I know that’s not the same experience some women in professional sports have had, so I know I’m lucky to be in the minority in that case. I think it just speaks to everyone’s ability to do a job if you’re qualified to do it, and if you carry yourself in a professional way. Then you can do any job you want. You really can.”
Hardin is responsible for the health and wellness of all of the athletes on the first team, and oversees the health and wellness of the Development Academy.
During a typical week of training, Hardin’s day starts early and ends late.
Training days begin with any long-term or post-surgical rehabs, and will segue into short term or practice preparation rehabs. After any last-minute training preparation modifications — taping, stretching — it’s time for coverage of the training session itself. Once the session is done, Hardin will help modify the programs for any injuries or soreness a player might have. An afternoon session will be held for any injured players on the squad, depending on what those players need.
Match days are a little different.
Players who are not in the 18, or injured, will get to the stadium early for rehab and a training session. Closer to kickoff, members of the first team will begin to arrive, and Hardin will handle any pre-activation or pre-match treatment they need. Then, it’s kickoff. After the final whistle, Hardin will conduct any sort of treatment that’s needed.
Day to day, Hardin and her training staff have communication and documentation to complete and track that’s required by both the league and team.
“Getting to help the athletes in reaching their goals is rewarding,” said Hardin. “And then establishing a rapport with them and being part of a team is very rewarding, compared to maybe a clinic setting, where you don’t necessarily see the patients as much. You can’t follow them through the duration through their career, or their life. You get them at a very small snapshot, compared to some of these guys. I’ll know them the rest of their life because of the interactions that we’ve had here.”
And recently, she had the opportunity to see Avaya Stadium from a different perspective when the Loons started their season against San Jose on March 3.
Heading back to her home state, her parents followed their old family routine and attended the match. This time, though, they cheered for Minnesota United and their daughter. Instead of sitting next to them in the stands, she was walking out of the tunnel and onto the sideline.
“It was kind of a surreal moment where my mom said, ‘Hey do you remember when you were growing up and we came to these games together?’” said Hardin. “I think it just proves that with the right support and resources, you really can achieve anything you want to.”
