SoccerWire is publishing Q&A articles with recently-committed players who have Featured Profiles in the SoccerWire Recruiting Directory. The series allows players to share their stories on the college recruiting process, travel and high school soccer, and their passion for the beautiful game.
In this edition we will showcase Hailey D’Andrea, who has verbally committed to play NCAA Division I soccer in 2025 at Northern Arizona. D’Andrea plays travel soccer in the ECNL for Virginia Development Academy.
D’Andrea plays center back and outside back for Virginia Development Academy, one of the top clubs in the ECNL Mid-Atlantic Conference.
SoccerWire: What made you decide to verbally commit to NAU?
Hailey D’Andrea: I absolutely love the culture at NAU. Coach Alan [Berrios], Ray [Leone], Chris [Campbell], and Sydney [Ross] are amazing, and they have so much experience! I felt so welcomed by them and the current NAU players. NAU’s campus is beautiful, and Flagstaff is such an amazing town! Arizona is one of the many places I used to live being a military kid and I always loved visiting Flagstaff when I was younger. Flagstaff is such a special place and NAU WSOC is always competing to win the Big Sky and get to the NCAA tournament. All of this really made NAU an easy decision for me and I cannot wait to join them.
SW: What was the recruiting process like and what did you learn about yourself while going through it?
HD: Very busy at times and stressful. It was much harder than I thought to keep up with the demands of the process with visits and calls while staying focused on school and soccer. For me, I learned first-hand you can achieve your goals if you are determined, work hard, and stay focused. NAU was a school I have always been interested in and once I was on my visit, I knew it was home.
SW: How do you feel your strengths on the field will help NAU?
HD: I’m so excited to join the NAU team! They already have such a strong team, and I will continue to work hard to show up in peak physical condition ready to contribute and compete to win the conference title and get to the NCAA tournament. I’m excited to contribute wherever the NAU coaches need me so I can help the team win.
SW: When did you first start playing defender and what do you like most about the position?
HD: I think I was 12 when my coach at the time was putting people in random positions and I happened to be put at center back. I like a lot of things about center-back, but I think my favorite thing is shutting people down, especially on breakaways.
SW: How has social media helped you with the college recruiting process?
HD: Social media has been incredibly helpful. It allowed me to see what the players were doing in their day-to-day life, see what they do for fun, and allowed me to see things I was looking for in a good culture for a program. It also allowed me as a kid who has moved a ton to have a place to put my highlights and contact info. I emailed a lot and used social media to update coaches on where I was going next.
SW: What are your favorite subjects in school and what do you think you would like to study in college?
HD: I am deciding between Criminology and Political Science for my Undergrad before pursuing Law School. I am flexible though and trying to not stress this right now.
SW: Outside of soccer, what clubs, organizations, and/or jobs are you involved in?
HD: I do a lot of volunteering being a military kid and a National Honor Society member. I have been a volunteer soccer coach, tutor, and animal volunteer. I’ve also been a coach for a girls-only running club which was a lot of fun and super rewarding. I really love animals and love to support younger girls in chasing their dreams.
SW: What are your favorite pair of cleats that you have ever owned?
HD: I’ve gone through a lot of cleats, but I can certainly say my favorite pair of cleats I’ve ever owned are the ones I have now which are the Adidas X Crazyfast cleats.
SW: What has your experience been like playing for VDA so far?
HD: VDA is awesome! The best part about VDA is my coach. Coach Michelle [Alioto] was my coach years ago before I moved to Alabama. She always pushes me and gives me feedback which I crave. She is someone who has always been very close to me, she helped me during the process of moving away from Virginia in 2021, and she stayed in touch with me for the two years I was there too. When I learned I would be moving back to Virginia this year I was so excited, and she was the first person I called. I was just so happy to get to come back to Virginia and play for her again.
SW: If you could give one piece of advice to a younger player that wants to play at a high level what would it be?
HD: I have thought about this one a lot. There is so much but I think the most important thing I would say is to make the process your own and make your own decision on your school selection. So many people will have inputs, some good and some not so good. Don’t be pressured by schools and don’t be pressured by other people committing. At the end of the day, it’s your process, your school selection and you alone have to really want everything about the school AND the location. I am so fortunate to have lived in so many places and seen so many schools. I am grateful to have experienced NAU and Flagstaff when I was younger and for me, NAU has everything I was looking for as a student-athlete and I cannot wait to join my teammates to compete in the Big Sky in the future!
SW: Is there anyone that you would like to give a shoutout to who has helped you both on and off of the field?
HD: A huge shoutout to my parents!! I can’t even begin to express how thankful I am to have a support system like them. The number of hours they took driving me to games and practices, all the conversations after games and before games, camps and traveling, and when I needed a little push, they were always there. I really don’t know where I’d be without them. Secondly my Coach. Coach Michelle has been with me since 7th grade and has taught me to be the player I am today, and I am so happy I have her as my coach. Finally, I’d like to give a shoutout to my teammates. Every practice we push each other to be our best and compete to better ourselves. I wouldn’t be the player I am without their support.
