Leadership & Teamwork
"I'm running out of adjectives to describe Vicki," Reagle said. "She is so good. Her reflexes are so quick. She is always in the right position, you look over there's the shot, but she is already there. She is an absolute rock in the back and it's almost like we take chances because everyone knows she's back there, which I'm sure she doesn't appreciate. But at the same time, she's so good and we rely on her so much."​
-Former coach, Chris Reagle
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"Long Reach sent several long-ranged shots at Howard early, but its best chance of the half came with about eight minutes left before the break, as Kaitlyn Carino placed a great ball inside the six-yard box for teammate Lyric Swann. Swann found herself one-on-one with Howard, but Howard held her ground a made a fantastic point-blank save, diving to her left to prevent the shot from heading in...Howard came up with another point-blank save midway through the half, preserving the scoreless tie. Gabriela Cabrera carried the ball into the box and around the edge of the six, sending a left-footed strike heading toward the far corner of the goal. But once again, Howard came up huge, tracked the shot, dove, and made the save."
-Monica D'Ippolito from The Baltimore Sun
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"There's obviously more pressure as the game goes on. When it was 0-0 – we went into like eight games last year in overtime and I was really motivated," Howard said. "I really didn't want to lose in the last couple of minutes and I know everyone else was pushing and pushing. I wanted to do it for my team so that if anything happened I didn't let them down." Howard finished an outstanding night with 16 saves and helped Hammond (1-4 county, 3-4 overall) break a four-game losing streak. "This game was extremely important. I think it meant a lot that we won at the tournament and out of county games and stuff. I think we all felt discouraged that we couldn't pull out a win in the other in county games, but we all really wanted one," Howard said. "We wanted to prove we can win one in county or out of county and I think we did that and it was great."
Former Teammate Quote:
"Vicki is a stud," said Hammond's Zoe Pekins. "Having her back there is a huge plus, without her we honestly wouldn't have been in the game."
Baltimore Sun Quotes:
"The 2016 Golden Bears are the only Hammond girls soccer team this decade to finish with more than one county win. Nine different players scored goals offensively, while first-team All-County goalie Vicki Howard led a defense that allowed only 13 goals"
"As a two-time All-County performer, she is one of only three Hammond players this decade to make All-County multiple times. She finished her career with 250 saves, including leading the county with 169 stops and a 92.8 save percentage as a senior"
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This page is dedicated to my ability to lead and be a part of the team. I have been playing soccer since I could walk, and playing goalie slightly after that. Being captain of my club travel team as well as high school has been great experience in leading a team. The articles below are features from my high school soccer career, where I was unanimously voted first-team all-county my senior year by every coach in the county. I was also listed on the Baltimore Sun's 'Athletes of the Decade', and there is an article about a game we played where I was critical to our victory. I have linked the articles and included some pictures for reference. Playing goalie was one of the first things I put my blood, sweat, and tears into (literally and metaphorically), and showed me how all my hard work and 1-on-1 training sessions paid off.
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I highlighted this in my portfolio for many reasons. The main one being the fact of how dedicated and driven I am to achieve. If I am going to do something, I am going to work everyday to be the best at it. Being a goalie requires the ability to be calm under pressure, have quick instincts, be able to analyze and predict plays, control the movement of the defense, and be confident in your abilities. This is a position I wasn't able to dwell on every mistake, I had to learn quickly where I went wrong and get back in the game for my team. Being a goalie is a position that, 'requires you to be a little crazy', as my goalie trainer always said. You have to be a wired a little differently to willingly be the last line of defense, take penalty kicks, and essentially feel the weight of every goal scored against the team. I am that person. I am calm in high-pressure situations, a quick-learner, and will step up to the plate when my team needs me.
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These skills are directly transferrable to the workplace. I am a logical and rational thinker, able to see big picture, and a level-headed decision maker. I am not afraid to make mistakes, those are how people grow and develop. One big lesson I gained from team sports is that not everyone has to love each other. I think we spent a lot of time trying to get all our teammates to like each other as people, then realized we just have to respect each other as players. When we step on the field everything else is irrelevant and we're all focused on achieving a common goal. I am a team player, cooperative, and willing to compromise in order to get things done. I will use these skills in business and personal situations as I develop my career. Thanks to my coaches and teammates, I am a better person with more knowledge and skills from being pushed outside my comfort zone. I have learned how to compromise and how to learn from other people with different views than my own, which is an essential part of creating an effective team. It is also important to me that everyone feels heard and valued, and every space is inclusive and respectful, even when emotions are high. Playing sports my whole life has instilled me with confidence, discipline, and essential teamwork skills.
