Hasan gets back on the field

Tamia Hasan played behind upperclassmen in her freshman season last fall, but she has proven that she is ready for more in 2013. Hasan, who recently netted her first goal as a Viking during the nonconference spring season against the Seattle University Redhawks, is quickly figuring out her role on the team, and head coach Laura Schott expects her to become a solid contributor for the squad this year.

“Tamia is skilled and fast—very fast,” Schott said. “We want her to use her speed to get by players and get to goal. She has the ability to be a difference-maker.”

Hasan got her start in the sport when she was 4 or 5 years old and, despite trying out other activities, it quickly became apparent that soccer was her true calling.

“My mom put me in every single sport and let me pick,” Hasan said. “I would always get distracted. Soccer was the only sport at a fast enough pace that would hold my attention.”

She stuck with soccer up through high school, where she was also a member of the track and field squad, though she took a full year off at one point because of an injury and family matters. Once she returned to the field, Hasan’s motivation to improve reached another level.

“I realized I couldn’t be without the sport,” Hasan said. “So I started back up and I was more dedicated than ever before. It was a big learning experience.”

Hasan, who is studying health sciences at PSU with a desire to become a physician’s assistant, said that she had some difficulty coming into a new situation at PSU, where she suddenly had to prove herself again among a team full of talented players. She has worked hard to develop her game over the course of last season and throughout offseason training, and is now starting to see the results. According to her coach, this is only the beginning.

“Tamia is a player who has a high ceiling,” Schott said. “She has made great strides in her academics and her game this spring. I can’t wait to see what she does this fall.”

The Riverside, California, native is eager to find out as well. “Sometimes we worry more so about the rules of the games, thinking ‘I can’t do this,’ or ‘My coach wants me to do this,’ or asking why I’m not starting,” she said. “That’s not what it’s about…It’s supposed to be a passion you have.”

That passion should serve her well this season, as the Vikings look to make a run at a third consecutive Big Sky regular season title. Hasan is confident that the team has what it takes.

“It’s important to know who you are,” she said. “If you have a mentality that you want to win, it will show.”