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10/01/2024 11:21 AMFor Katie Harmon, she is someone who is never afraid to leave it all on the field, even if it means stepping into a new atmosphere outside of her element. Yet no matter how much she steps out of her comfort zone on the soccer pitch, her tenacity carries her past any trepidation.
Katie first set out in her soccer career at the age of 5 by playing town soccer for Branford. While she stayed in net the entire time and through her freshman year for the Hornets, she was moved over to the offense as a striker. This year, Katie has shown her selflessness and dedication to the team by not only being a senior captain, but she also moved her field assignment again to become a center midfielder after Branford graduated a plethora of starters from the 2023 club.
“I feel there has always been a good team spirit around soccer, and it is fun and interesting to watch. I have played with the seniors my whole career in the town, and we also loved to watch the U.S. Women’s National Team’s games together,” says Katie, also a captain for the Branford High School (BHS) sailing team. “I have always been a versatile player who is willing to work hard. It is hard to go from keeper to a field position, but I feel that being an athletic person helped the transition. It was hard at first to play in my position and relate it to others on the field. I always tried to listen to my captains’ or coach’s advice. I was able to see the whole field as goalie, but in the middle of a game, it could be hard to tell where I needed to be. I will never be a person on the field who gives up.”
The Hornets parted ways with a great deal of depth in terms of their starting lineup. Still, Katie views it as a positive–giving her an opportunity to show what she can do as a steady disruptor on the defensive end of the pitch.
“This year was hard at first because we had 10 seniors graduate from last year’s team. It has been a little challenging with a more rebuilding-focused year,” Katie says. “For me at my position, I am trying to clog up the middle on defense. I try to back up the ball for other people if they lose it, and help in clearing the ball.”
Taking on the stewardship role of a younger club, Katie keeps it simple in navigating those waters. She aims to keep everything upbeat, while displaying the payoffs of hard work and sacrifice with the wisdom of those around her.
“Being captain is a lot of responsibility, but I am honored to be one,” says Katie. “We have new and returning players who I know are looking up to me. I try to keep the energy positive around the team. I am trying to keep the energy up, and it is helpful to work with [Head Coach Jen Kohut] and find strategies to get the best out of people.”
When Katie takes a licking, she just keeps on ticking. Her durability as a defender has aided her well when it comes to overcoming those days when things are not always falling into place.
“I have always been someone who gets hit and keeps playing,” says Katie. “It can be hard when you are not playing as well as you are capable of and you know it. I hold myself to a high standard, and I don’t make excuses. The same standard goes for games and practices; not showing up is not an option for me.”
Katie is someone who has stretched her leg and is always willing to take the set pieces to help the team, and she hopes to become a more aggressive player when it comes to her attacking game.
“I am proud of my kicking abilities. I have been taking the corner and free kicks for the team this year,” Katie says. “I have gotten better at keeping my head up. I do need to get better at taking the ball myself because sometimes I won’t.”
Kohut has seen Katie grow tremendously on the pitch, and she sees Katie as someone who never stops to take on the toughest tasks in all walks and avenues of her student-athlete life.
“Throughout her soccer career, Katie has led by example. Katie takes the most challenging courses in school and excels in the classroom,” says Kohut. “She is a member of the National Honor Society, as well as a member of the 2024 Class Officers. She comes into the season with a high fitness level and pushes those around her to match it. As the sole captain of the team this year, she has her work cut out for her with a young, inexperienced team. Katie has risen to the challenge and sets the example for others to follow.”
With the new look to the club this year, Katie and the Hornets have had to fight through some natural growing pains in finding their collective form. Yet they recently struck some triumphant ground and look to keep trekking on that terrain.
“It was hard to get into a groove at the start of the year, as we did not have a ton of returning players,” says Katie. “We also have a lot of new players, but we are working on getting everyone involved and have a positive atmosphere. We are teaching everyone to work hard, as well. We had our first win of the year recently against East Haven, so we want to keep that positive energy and keep it going. We hope to keep winning more games.”