Hailey Blackburn is a solo act in goal this season—literally. Blackburn is the Haybalers’ lone goalkeeper on the roster, and the senior has bided her time to become the unquestioned starter from the start of the season. During her freshman and sophomore seasons, Blackburn alternated in goal with Jen Martin.
A year ago, Blackburn alternated play with Mariana Magana, who decided not to come out for the team this season. That left Blackburn as the only keeper on the team, a role she doesn’t take lightly. Instead of resting on her laurels, Blackburn has worked harder than ever to produce her best season yet.
“Hailey is a huge asset to our team,” Balers coach Becky Bonner-Leland said. “We are fortunate enough to have a great goalie coach in Victor Perez who has worked with Hailey all four years. The work they put in together shows as Hailey is not only a defensive threat, but an offensive threat as well. Hailey comes out of the box, is quick, has great game sense and is often the start of our offensive attack as our players are able to use Hailey as support to distribute the ball.”
Blackburn has helped lead San Benito High to another solid season, as they entered the week with a 5-2-2 record in the Monterey Bay League’s Gabilan Division, good for sole possession of second place. Knowing she was the only goalkeeper on the roster, Blackburn made it a point of emphasis to work with Perez and improve her skill set, both mentally and physically.
“I love my goalie coach,” she said. “This year I’ve been able to get a lot of one-on-one time with him to strengthen myself each day. If I let in a goal, we’ll replay that exact scenario the next day in practice to see what I could’ve done differently. Each year I’ve tried to improve my strengths, work on my weaknesses and try to react better to different situations.”
Goalkeepers need to communicate well with their defenders and be vocal on the field, especially when the opposing team is lining up for a corner kick or a set piece. Blackburn’s voice can be heard in those situations, as she works to line up her players in the correct position. Blackburn realized in her freshman year that she would need to develop a rapport with her teammates to get everyone on the same page.
That’s why when Blackburn and Martin were co-starters for two years—the two would often split the first and second half of every match—they stayed unified. Far from letting their egos get in the way of the team, the two bonded and built a great friendship.
“That was probably the closest goalie relationship I’ve ever had,” Blackburn said. “We stayed positive with each other and tried to build each other up. We were happy no matter who was playing.”
Blackburn first started playing soccer at 4 before making the switch to goalkeeper while she was in the seventh grade when the coaches for the youth team she was playing for at the time asked her to play the position. Her initial thought?
“As long as I could stay in shape and not be left out, I was all for it,” she said “I was always worried as a goalie you wouldn’t be doing the same things with the team, and I didn’t like the concept of that. But I learned there are plenty of ways to be involved as a goalie, so it stuck with me.”
Blackburn has two younger sisters who look up to her, but aren’t afraid to keep her in check.
“They always tell me I’m slow and that is why I play goalie—because I can’t run,” Blackburn said with a chuckle. “They always keep me on my toes.”
