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“I ended up with a closed-head injury with a resulting
brain aneurism,” she recalled. “Because of a pre-existing
problem with the blood vessels in my brain, I was told that I
would never be able to play contact sports again.”
Hartsell later enrolled at a community college in Michigan
and shortly thereafter moved with her boyfriend, Justin, from
Detroit to the Seattle area in search of greener pastures.
After the move, Hartsell found herself working full-time
for nearly a year to save for her education while consulting
with specialists about a possible return to the soccer field.
Saving for school and trying to get back to the soccer field,
though, took a back seat when she gave birth to her and
Justin’s son, Liam.
“Justin was the first one to hold him because I was still under
anesthesia,” she recalled. “But it was just as amazing to
see Justin with our tiny, little baby in his arms.”
About three short months after Liam’s birth, Hartsell was
medically cleared to play soccer and narrowed her options
for school down to Everett Community College, Edmonds
and Shoreline before enrolling in SCC as a nursing major in
the summer of 2007.
“I actually contacted all three schools about playing soccer
and Shoreline seemed to be the best choice,” said Hartsell.
“Not only did it seem like the better [soccer] team, but more
importantly, it seemed like the better school academically.”
With a competitive fire and intensity not often seen in
women’s soccer, Hartsell earned a starting spot on an SCC
team that finished third in the Northwest Athletic Association
of Community Colleges this past season.
“I am passionate
about the game; I step
onto the field expecting
to win and I am
willing to give everything
I have to try and make it happen,” said Hartsell. “I expect
a lot from myself and from my team, sometimes too
much, but bringing more intensity to the field than the other
team helps you win games.”
Off the field, Hartsell alternates between her duties as a
mother and a nursing major—something that, she admits,
has been troublesome at times but the support of her boyfriend
and family have been major contributors to her ability
to juggle her various responsibilities.
“Being a mother of a young child, I am unable to make
schoolwork my first priority, which can be rough at times,”
said Hartsell. “Justin and I have a great relationship, though,
and he is an amazing father. Although we aren’t married, we
are both committed to being the best parents possible. My
parents also moved to Seattle just after Liam was born, and
my mom even postponed going back to work so that I could
play soccer and go to school. All this wouldn’t have been
possible without all of their help.”
Though Hartsell understands that her priorities have
shifted since Liam was born almost exactly one year ago, she
also realizes that her life as a whole has also taken a much
different shape over that time.
“Liam has given me a meaning to my life,” she said. “He
is my motivation to be a better person and his smile makes
even my worst day seem like a gift.
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