Times Hillsborough Player of the Year

By KEITH NIEBUHR
Published January 15, 2006

Hatcher, a sophomore midfielder for Berkeley Prep and the Times' 2005 Hillsborough Player of the Year, began learning the game when she was 3. By the time she was 12, she had "just exploded," Buccaneers coach Ken Roberts said. In her distinguished prep career, which began when Hatcher was in seventh grade, she has scored more than 100 goals. A year ago, she helped lead her team to the Class 2A final four. Today she's one of the squad's three captains and the first non-senior to earn that distinction in Roberts' 26 years as coach. The daughter of former Major League Baseball player and one-time Devil Rays first-base coach Billy Hatcher, she also is strong in the classroom and carries a 3.8 grade point average.

TIMES: What do you enjoy most about the game?

HATCHER: The competitiveness. I'm a pretty competitive person, so I really enjoy competing against a lot of good players.

TIMES: What are your long-term goals?

HATCHER: I definitely want to play in college, hopefully at Yale. That's my No. 1 school right there. I want to be a lawyer, so hopefully soccer will get me into Yale. That's pretty much as far as I want to go (with soccer).

TIMES: How would your friends describe you?

HATCHER: Probably by saying that I'm a competitive person. Competitive at everything, not just soccer. If I'm playing Monopoly, I'm competitive. And I like to have a good time. I'm a fun person. TIMES: What would your enemies say?

HATCHER: Hopefully nothing bad (laughing). Again, that I'm competitive. That's a flaw at times.

TIMES: When you're unwinding, where would we find you?

HATCHER: Probably in my room, reading. I love reading.

TIMES: What are you currently reading?

HATCHER: Harry Potter at the moment.

TIMES: Favorite TV show?

HATCHER: The OC.

TIMES: How many bruises have you gotten from playing soccer?

HATCHER: (laughing) Definitely a lot.

TIMES: And what's the most common spot?

HATCHER: For some reason, I always seem to fall on my right leg. I've broken it twice. It's ridiculous.

TIMES: If you could have any player on your side, who would it be and why?

HATCHER: Mia Hamm. I know that's a cliche, but from what I've heard she's not just a phenomenal player but her work ethic is insane.

TIMES: You were pretty young when your dad finished playing. Do you remember watching him out on the field?

HATCHER: Not really. He retired when I was 7 I think. So nothing really stands out.

TIMES: Okay, let's test your knowledge about his career. How many organizations did he play for?

HATCHER: I'm going to say seven or eight (Answer: seven).

TIMES: How many hits did he have?

HATCHER: A thousand (Answer: 1,146).

HATCHER: Sixty (Answer: 33).

HATCHER: Just to go out and give everything I have.

[Last modified January 15, 2006, 01:48:18]