Emme Hansard ’25 is an outside back on the women’s soccer team from Sherman Oaks, CA. She has been an indispensable part of the Garnet since recovering from a knee injury her first year. Hansard has started and played in every single game since returning from injury and has accumulated United Soccer Coaches All-Region (third-team), All-Centennial (2x second team and honorable mention,) and College Sports Communicators Academic All-District awards. This season, she had 1,501 minutes and notched two assists, one against Widener University and one against Bryn Mawr College. Throughout her three years, she has played an impressive total of 4,457 minutes in 56 games and has had four career assists. Smart and composed, Hansard is one of the best and most reliable 1-v-1 defenders in the conference. Her defensive style has multiple trademarks — most notably her astonishing clearances off the goal line and precise tackles — make watching her not only fun, but mesmerizing. In addition to being a graceful but impassable wall on the defensive end, Hansard is a key piece in building attacking plays, often overlapping the outside forwards and finding dangerous crosses in the attacking third. Hansard rarely gets dispossessed, consistently beats opponents from the defensive line, and utilizes her speed on both ends of the field. The Garnet have played their final game of the season and will no doubt miss Hansard in their defensive line next year.
Abby Chang: How do you feel about the season and the team’s 5-2-3 conference record?
Emme Hansard: I think that we ended with an overall decent conference record, but it did not reflect the full strength and potential of our team. We had a couple of tough ties and losses against opponents that we were definitely more talented than, and I think we could have easily gone undefeated in conference. All in all though, conference play is always competitive, and I am very proud of the way we performed this season.
AC: What have been some highlights of being on the team over the past four years?
EH: I think that the main highlight of being on the team over the past four years is just the way in which the team is truly there for each other, on and off the field. I was recovering from knee surgery my entire [first] season, and it was really difficult for me to come into college soccer completely sidelined. However, the team still went out of their way to welcome me and truly make me feel like a part of the big soccer family. Now, three years later and at the conclusion of my senior season, I have loved every minute of being a part of this family and it will be one of the things I most fondly look back on as a part of my college experience.
AC: Do you have an athlete role model or someone in the sport you look up to?
EH: I don’t really have an athlete role model, but someone I have always looked up to is my dad. He spent years trying to convince me to play soccer when I was younger and when I turned nine, I finally agreed to give it a try. He then went ahead and coached my very first soccer team, and over the past twelve-plus years of crazy soccer adventures, he has been my number one supporter. I truly would not be where I am in my soccer career if it weren’t for him.
AC: Why do you play soccer?
EH: That is a really good question. I think that, at the end of the day, I play soccer because I really just love the sport. Simply stepping out on the field and playing my heart out for 90 minutes a game has brought me so, so much joy, and I will no doubt continue to play post-college in some capacity for as long as I possibly can.
AC: Why did you choose Swarthmore? What is your area of study?
EH: I chose Swarthmore because it offered the best combination of rigorous academics and competitive Division III soccer. I never got the opportunity to visit the school before I decided on Swarthmore because of COVID, yet the moment I stepped on campus for [freshman year] pre-season, I knew I had found my new home. The community that Swarthmore has to offer is unmatched, and I have made my best friends here as well as memories that will last a lifetime. In terms of academics, I am pursuing a major in neuroscience and a minor in history.
AC: What is your favorite class that you’ve taken at Swarthmore?
EH: My favorite class that I have taken at Swarthmore is actually a class I am in right now called the Psychology of Well-Being. It revolves around the mental, emotional, and physical health of college students and how best to promote overall initiatives of well-being as we grow up.
AC: How do you balance playing a varsity sport and school?
EH: Because I have been balancing playing a varsity sport and school for so long at this point, it feels pretty natural. I think it first and foremost requires consistent motivation and discipline, but having soccer as an outlet and break from my work is also really helpful to clear my head and stay focused.
AC: What is on your bucket list that you hope to do before you graduate?
EH: Every time my dad comes to visit me, we try a new cheesesteak spot in Philly. So far, we have tried Sonny’s Famous Steaks, Ishkabibble’s, Pat’s King of Steaks, Geno’s Steaks, Dalessandro’s Steaks, and Jim’s South St. The one place left for us to try is Angelo’s Pizzeria, so that would be my bucket list item before graduation.
AC: What are your plans for after graduation?
EH: My plans after graduation are still a bit up in the air. Right now, I am planning on moving back home to Los Angeles for a couple years to do research before applying to medical school.
AC: Favorite study spot?
EH: My favorite study spot is Singer. I love the open architecture and all of the sunlight that comes in throughout the day.
