Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Tracey.
Sam, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Davison, MI, a town just outside of Flint. My soccer journey began at an early age, and I immediately fell in love with the game. Every match I could find locally and on TV, I was watching. I was enamored with the big players, big names, and big personalities of the European side of football as well as the grittiness, pace, and relentlessness of our US women’s program. It is this love that has driven every decision that leads me here today. I played collegiately at Spring Arbor University, winning one of their three national championships with the group and working with all energy and effort to earn each role I had within the group- sparkplug bench player, regular starter, impact player, and valued veteran. Through it all, my love for the sport and what it has given me has only grown, cultivated by the immensely talented and dedicated coaches and players surrounding me.
When I made the decision to become a full-time coach, my family, friends, coaches, and teammates supported because they knew that soccer has always been my passion and priority. I was offered the opportunity to join the coaching staff at Grand Valley State University, and I knew their decorated past, high expectations, and championship culture would check every box for me.
I was also afforded the opportunity to continue coaching club soccer at Midwest United when I moved to Grand Rapids to pursue the job at GVSU. The club game at the grassroots level is the most beautiful part of the game in my eyes, watching my players fall in love with the game, grow together as sisters, and learn the lessons of life, good and bad. My time at Midwest has given me some of the most joyous moments in my coaching career, watching players set goals and surpass them, become technically proficient through hours of individual practice, and be supported by all coaches on staff at every event, level, and field.
The call to excellence, competitiveness, and grit definitely does not end when I leave the walls of Grand Valley to head to the Midwest fields. Midwest United demands a level of technical precision, tactical savvy, and gritty attitude that inspires myself and my players to be the absolute best in every competition, regardless of age, level, or experience. I am also blessed to work with some of the best athletes in West Michigan, particularly in the pre-professional environment with our USL-W team. Developing athletes and demanding their best as they prepare to face off against other collegiate powerhouse-level competition is what makes that program unique. All in all, I have gotten to where I am through the investment of those around me and through my little eyes falling in love with the beautiful game of soccer.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a goalkeeper standing at a measly 5-foot-1 inch presented its challenges every step of the way along my playing journey. Many times, I had doors close to life-changing opportunities, being told that there was nothing I could do to overcome it. But I never let it stop me. I played for a collegiate team with a storied past and became an All-American because I never let anyone tell me I could not do something. I am committed to convincing people to give me a chance and see the fruits of their investment. My passion, dedication, and perseverance speaks for itself in my playing journey, which is how I have landed positions at both prestigious institutions in West Michigan in Grand Valley State University, and Midwest United.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Day-to-day I spend morning and afternoon hours at Grand Valley State University, where I am responsible for training and preparing our student-athletes to perform optimally and compete for championships. I am the goalkeeper coach there, so I specialize in teaching goalkeepers the technical aspects of the position as well as how they can create high-success outcomes out of all situations they encounter. I spend my evenings at practices and games with my club teams from Midwest United. I plan those sessions intentionally based on the previous weekend’s results, successes, and failures.
I am known for my energy and passion; in everything I do. My players at Midwest and GV know for a fact I would run through a brick wall for them, and in turn, they do the same. My commitment and loyalty to players, parents and the details it takes to manage them sets me apart.
I am most proud of the incremental progress I see in my players each and every day. It gives me great joy and pride watching our GV players win conference and national awards for their hours of dedicated practice. My youth players clinching a championship in the last 30 seconds of their match, after setting the goal of winning the division in preseason, was similarly rewarding. However, all of the little victories that get us to that point are the ones I am proud of. Foundational to it all is also the personal growth piece of soccer that is unique to sports in general. My players are held accountable to their actions and conduct on and off the field, and their growth as little humans (and big ones) makes it all worthwhile.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
Definitely- sports were ripped away from us all throughout the Covid-19 Crisis, but what stood out to me was the resilience of players to continue to stay connected and invested in their teams. Additionally, life is not all about sports (although mine has largely been). Coaches and athletics are here to teach us lessons in life, to create lasting bonds, to be resilient, to persevere, to play every play like your last (or treat every day like your last). The pandemic highlighted the importance of this aspect of sport and what I have chosen as a career.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://midwestunitedfc.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/midwestunitedfc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/midwestunitedfc/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/midwest-united/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/MidwestUnitedFC
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@MidwestUnitedFCLive/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@midwestunitedfc
Image Credits
Midwest United FC
