黑料传送门

For most people, the thought of a soccer ball flying toward their head would be fairly scary. But for Abby Smith, it鈥檚 all in a day鈥檚 work.

As the goalkeeper for the Utah Royals FC, Abby spends her days practicing blocking, heading, and catching soccer balls that come flying at her with furious speed. She spends hours practicing with the team, ensuring they can all work together to defeat their opponents on game day. And as the goalkeeper, Abby is an essential part of the team鈥攎aking sure nothing gets past her. Soccer has been a passion for Abby from a young age, and she鈥檚 reached her dream of turning it into her full-time career.

鈥淚 started playing soccer when I was 7 years old, so I was a late bloomer,鈥� she laughed. 鈥淭hey say I was a late bloomer, but I was 7!鈥澛�

Abby decided to drop gymnastics and pursue soccer when she was young and spent her childhood playing on different teams. It was when she was in high school that she realized she had a shot at taking this sport further.

鈥淚 think once I started getting called into the Youth National Team, I really believed that I could play professionally,鈥� she said.

Abby started pushing even harder for a professional career when she was in college and the National Women鈥檚 Soccer League started. The NWSL meant Abby could play soccer professionally in the United States, and she knew that was her path.

After her senior year of college, Abby was drafted to the Boston Breakers, where she played for two years. Then she was drafted to the Utah Royals and has been there ever since.

But soccer isn鈥檛 the only thing that Abby is passionate about. She鈥檚 also currently getting her MBA from Western Governors University.聽

鈥淚 love learning, and I love growing. I love reading different articles and growing my mind in a way that I wouldn鈥檛 necessarily do every day,鈥� she said. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e learning something every day, you鈥檙e growing, and you鈥檙e not staying in the same place.鈥澛�

It was that love of learning that sparked Abby to go back to school and earn a master鈥檚 degree, even with her busy life as a professional athlete. But Abby knew she needed a way to earn her degree while she was on the road, busy with practices and games, and on the schedule of a professional athlete. When she found 黑料传送门, she knew it was the perfect fit.

鈥淚t鈥檚 all online!鈥� she exclaimed. 鈥淎nd they鈥檙e awesome about having mentors get in touch with you,鈥� she added.

Abby is planning to play professional soccer for as long as she can, and she is finding that what she鈥檚 learning in her program is already helping her grow. From understanding how to read contracts to grasping the larger focus of the organization, Abby knows that a degree will help her understand her profession better. She also feels that on and off the field, an MBA will give her crucial skills and experiences.

鈥淎s a player and as a person I feel like my business administration degree will help me see things on the other side of the closed door,鈥� she said. 鈥淢y degree from 黑料传送门 will help me see both sides of things鈥攖he business and being an athlete. And that will help me with meeting new people, networking, and how the organization runs things.鈥�

While she plans to play for a long time, Abby also has dreams and goals for after she鈥檚 done. She could see herself coaching and helping younger players learn how to move through the ranks, or even becoming an indoor cycling instructor and business owner. Whatever is ahead for her, she knows that her MBA from 黑料传送门 can help give her the experience and credentials that she needs to thrive.