Olivia Bailey | Senior | Elkhorn High School
Elkhorn High School senior Olivia Bailey dreams of playing Division 1 (D1) college soccer. “I’ve wanted to play college soccer my entire life, and D1 has always been my big goal,” she said. “Even though I’ve had some challenges with my knees, which have set me back compared to a lot of other athletes, working toward playing D1 soccer keeps me motivated.”
That goal seemed unreachable when Bailey blew out her knee during both her sophomore and senior year. “Sophomore year I tore my ACL and MCL in my right knee, and senior year I tore the same things but in my left knee. This has been very hard because those years were big years to get noticed for recruiting, so I’ve been set back compared to a lot of other girls on my club team.”
This hasn’t held her back from trying to achieve that dream. “I’ve been going to physical therapy and I’m working hard to come back stronger to be able to play in college next fall. I plan on attending Iowa Western [a D1 school that is part of the National Junior College Athletic Association] with a major in exercise science and a minor in business. I’m going to be playing soccer there and am super excited to get another opportunity to be able to get recruited to a bigger D1 school.”
Bailey comes from an athletic family. “My parents were both big athletes growing up,” she said. “My dad played football at Hastings College, and both of my parents have coached sports in the past. My mom coached volleyball and soccer, and my dad coached basketball and football.”
Starting at the age of three, Bailey began playing soccer on an all-boys team at the YMCA. “I completely hated it at first, but then I switched to Elkhorn Soccer Club where I was on a girls team and I loved it.” In middle school she switched to Gretna Elite Academy, eventually moving up to play Elite Clubs National League (ECNL) soccer, which is the highest level of club play.
According to Elkhorn High School varsity girls soccer coach Danielle Anderson, Bailey truly stands out. “Olivia is a special player due to her attitude of always wanting more. She is never satisfied with the way she plays and always strives to be the best version of herself. In turn, she leads by example, showing her teammates how to strive for perfection. Olivia is a teammate that demands greatness from her teammates and pushes them to play at their best.”
Bailey started as a winger her freshman year at Elkhorn, which was a switch for her because she had always played midfield at the club level. “I’ve loved playing for Elkhorn High School. Getting to play winger has been a lot different but has given me the opportunity to be able to score more goals, and it’s been really fun. I have a good relationship with both of my coaches and some of my best friends are on the team, which makes my experience even better.”
She’s extremely proud of making First Team All-State for high school soccer last year. “All-State is a big accomplishment for anybody, especially making it on First Team. I’m very proud of that because I worked very hard last season to earn it.” Bailey is also proud of making the ECNL 07 team for the past six years. “Being on the ECNL team is a big accomplishment because that is competing at the highest level you can for club soccer. “It’s demanding and challenging, and something you have to fully commit to.”
Bailey stays busy outside of her time on the soccer field. “Outside of soccer, I also play basketball. I’m in student council at my school, senior class board, Hope Squad, and I attend Leadership Academy. I also go to church every Sunday with my family. I try to go to the gym every day and go to physical therapy twice a week. When I’m not doing any of those things, I spend a lot of time with my friends.”
