During the current state of athletics across the country, the Kennesaw State athletic department looks to fill the void by highlighting the amazing stories of select student-athletes both past and present as well as the faculty and staff that help to make KSU the unique and special university that it is.
Most athletes spend their whole career searching for firsts, their first start, their first goal, their first championship. For former Kennesaw State women's soccer player Rebecca Nolin, formerly Rebecca Hall, those moments have been found time and time again.
From being a member of one of the first women's soccer teams at KSU and helping the Owls win a Division II National Championship to transitioning to Division I and recording the program's first ASUN regular season title to being the first KSU alum to play professionally in the U.S., Nolin has hit major milestones as if they were potholes in Atlanta.
And throughout that journey one thing was always at the center of each step, her connection to the Owls.
"I bleed back and gold, so many tremendous and wonderful things happened for me there during my life," said Nolin. "It was an opportunity, an experience of a lifetime. So many wonderful experiences and memories, friends and career opportunities that came from it. I'm so thankful for Kennesaw State and the staff there."
A woman whose soccer career is linked with Atlanta and KSU, Nolin actually began her journey in the states inadvertently.
Originally from Windsor, England, some of Nolin's teammates were pursuing opportunities to play collegiately in the U.S. That drew the attention of founding head women's soccer coach Rob King. Making the trek across the pond to see one of Nolin's teammates, King mistakenly thought Nolin was the player he was trying to recruit.
Eventually realizing his error, King still liked what he saw and offered Nolin the opportunity to continue her career at KSU.
"I wasn't looking to pursue America, but once it came knocking at my door I couldn't turn it down," said Nolin. "Once I got the official acceptance letter and the VISA in the mail, I really didn't ever look back. I came over on a recruiting visit and just absolutely fell in love."
Joining KSU as a freshman in 2003, just the second season in program history, Nolin was inserted into the starting lineup very early on. Not an easy feat on a team that just went undefeated in its inaugural season with a berth in the DII National semifinals.
It was an adjustment at first as she got used to the American style of play, the athletes and the Georgia heat, but she helped anchor a brick wall defense for KSU that season.
"Although I was a very technically solid player and I could read the game well, the athleticism and the fitness was just on another level over here," said Nolin. "You might come across a player that's not very technical, but they're an absolute athlete so they are going to chase things down and constantly hustle. I admired that about the playing style over here and I implemented that into my game."
Nolin's game, as well as the Owls, continued to get better and better as the squad finished the regular season 17-1 and a perfect 7-0 in the Peach Belt Conference. Their only loss on the year? To the defending National Champions Christian Brothers, 2-1.
After winning the final game of the season 3-0 over USC Spartanburg, the Owls tore a path to a PBC Tournament Championship and a berth in the DII National Championship against Franklin Pierce. KSU went on to win that game 2-0, capping off the year with nine straight shutouts.
"I truly didn't understand how big it was for the school and the program until we were really there," said Nolin. "It was brilliant. It was just the best feeling."
Nolin credits that season and championship run to a game much earlier in the year at North Florida. Down 2-0 at halftime, Coach King looked at the team and simply said 'it's your season. If you lose this game and you lose conference, it's your season.'
The team then came together and proceeded to score three goals in the second half to pull out a come from behind 3-2 victory. That game gave the Owls the drive that they could win anything.
Following that tilt with UNF, Nolin and the Owl defense gave up only two goals in the final 13 games of the season, allowing only 11 total goals in 2003.
"That was a testament to the whole team, the defense and the goalkeeper," said Nolin. "There were some games that were really tough to win and that team, we always found a way to get a result. It didn't always come super easy for us, but we found a way. It was like a fear of losing."
Standing atop the mountain in DII, the Owls did not get a chance to defend what was theirs as the soccer program was one of two teams at KSU that were 'fast-tracked' to Division I in 2004 as the department began its transition to the next level.
Unfazed by the step up in competition, the Owls excelled in their first season at the DI level, winning the season-opener 2-0 over UNC Asheville before downing in-state rival Mercer 4-3. KSU finished the year 12-4-1 overall with two of its losses coming against perennial powerhouses Duke and the defending national champions North Carolina, both of which finished in 1-0 results.
The transition season over with, Nolin helped the Owls make a dominant entrance into the ASUN her final two seasons, finishing in the top-two both years.
After an 8-2 conference record in its inaugural season in the ASUN, KSU went undefeated with an 8-0-1 record in 2006 to capture the regular season title during Nolin's senior year. Once again, the defense shined that year for the Owls, allowing only seven goals, three of which came against top-ranked Florida.
"I'm very proud to be a part of that program at that time," said Nolin. "We had some really good players on that team, they were absolutely ridiculous. There were so many people that were quality. It was a proud moment to play with all of them and to be considered a part of that success."
With her collegiate career now over and a one-year OPT VISA in her pocket, Nolin was happy to see where life would take her. Until yet again inadvertently she would wind up with another amazing opportunity.
One weekend Nolin and her friends drove to Silverbacks Park outside of Atlanta to watch then assistant coach Kevin Garneys play. Joining her in the stands was coach King who eventually began talking with someone that Nolin did not recognize.
That person was the Atlanta Silverbacks women's coach. He, being from England himself, overheard Nolin's English accent and asked King about her. Coach King proceeded to give Nolin a glowing recommendation saying that she would be a good fit for the USL squad.
Cut to the following summer and Nolin is the Silverbacks' starting center back.
"I didn't have plans on playing for the Silverbacks, it just kind of fell into my lap," said Nolin. "I played with some players that were Canadian internationals and they were ridiculously good. The level was brilliant. It was all ex-North Carolina, Duke, UGA and Auburn players and then there's me from little old Kennesaw State. It was the best experience and the best players, and it just made me even better than I was."
Nolin helped the Silverbacks reach new heights in her first season, winning the clubs first conference and division titles on the way to a berth in the 2007 national championship. The Silverbacks fell in the final but went on to win their division the next two seasons.
"I was just thriving and living in those moments and learning from those really good players," said Nolin.
In the midst of her third season with the Silverbacks, Nolin was searching for a new home with her husband in Gwinnett county when she received a call from friend and mentor Coach King.
'Don't buy a house in Gwinnett, look for one in the Cobb County area. I've got a potential job for you.'
That job was the equipment manager for the newly formed Atlanta Beat soccer club. The club was set to be the newest expansion team to join Women's Professional Soccer, the top level of professional soccer in the U.S. at that time and predecessor to the current National Women's Soccer League, in 2010.
And thanks to King and the administration at KSU, the Beat were set to play their home matches at the newly created KSU Soccer Stadium, now known as Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
But fate had other ideas.
Once again Coach King called and once again he brought an opportunity.
This time he was hoping for tickets to come see Nolin at a Silverbacks game. Tickets for him and the General Manager of the Beat. After that game King asked her what her thoughts were on playing for the Beat.
"I was thinking 'me? No absolutely not. What are you talking about? I'm going to be the equipment manager I'm not good enough to play at that level'" said Nolin.
Well that was not what they thought.
After a showing in the WPS combine in Florida in front of all the coaches in the league, Nolin made the cut and was signed by the Beat.
"I could not have done it without Rob King," said Nolin. "Not without him saying absolutely you can play at that level. I still doubted myself. I still felt at times there's no way I belong here. I lost a lot of confidence in that first month of preseason because I was so scared. But props to the players in the program for trusting the process and becoming awesome people for me to confide in and push me and help me believe that absolutely I belong there."
Returning to her old stomping grounds at Kennesaw, after a timid preseason Nolin cemented the fact that she belonged there in the home-opener.
Earning the start against the Tampa Bay Hellenic, the team found themselves in a battle trailing 1-0 nearly the entire match. Finally, in the 89th minute the Beat drew a corner kick that would find Nolin's head and the back of the net, escaping with a 1-1 draw.
That goal not only helped solidify Nolin's position in the lineup, but it was the first-ever goal scored in Atlanta Beat and Fifth Third Bank Stadium history.
"Obviously it was wonderful," said Nolin. "At the time all I kept thinking was thank god we didn't lose this game. Looking back on it now I cannot believe it. It makes it extra special because I have such great ties to Kennesaw State and the area. It's a really proud moment."
That game proved to be a measuring stick for the Beat's inaugural season as they struggled to climb the ranks of the WPS, finishing the year in last place with a 5-13-6 record.
As the season came to a close, Nolin was presented with a choice, continue on with her professional career or move into the coaching ranks.
As it turned out longtime KSU assistant Garneys had moved on to pursue other opportunities, so who did Coach King reach out to? None other than Nolin.
"It was always such a great program to work for and a great school to work for, I thought no one is ever going to leave," said Nolin. "I was thinking I could continue to play pro but not really on a great salary or I could actually become an assistant coach at KSU with a good salary and excellent benefits and I had to make a decision. It was time to grow up, I can't do both and I'm going to go for the job that provides my family with the best situation."
Nolin went on to be an assistant coach at KSU for the next four seasons, but she couldn't give up the game right away. In 2011 she played her final professional season, re-joining the Atlanta Silverbacks and helping lead the team to its first and only USL Women's League Championship.
While at KSU, the Owls enjoyed reasonable success during Nolin's tenure finishing in the middle of the ASUN her first two seasons before back-to-back top-three finishes in 2012 and 2013. With a focus on in-state recruiting she played a key role in the addition of standouts
Brittney Reed, Katrina Frost and
Danielle Gray among many others.
"It was fascinating to see the behind the scenes of what a coaching staff did," said Nolin. "Looking back as a player I had no idea what was truly involved in making a program successful. I learned a great deal from Coach King. You don't just show up for practice, you're in the office at 8:30 in the morning and you don't go home until six o'clock at night. It was fascinating to actually witness and experience the work that goes into the coaching side of college soccer."
After four seasons with KSU, Nolin eventually took those experiences with her to Valdosta State where she became the Head Coach for the Blazers for three seasons.
After an 0-3 start to her tenure at VSU, the Blazers righted the ship for a 12-7-2 finish and the first ever Gulf South Conference Championship in program history. But following that season, and the loss of 12 seniors on that squad, the team struggled with youth and a rebuild going 5-21-8 over the next two seasons before Nolin stepped down to return closer to home.
"Becoming a Head Coach was the toughest transition for me," said Nolin. "Although we didn't stay there as long as I had planned to, I learned a great deal about myself. I'm super thankful for the opportunity at Valdosta State, it just wasn't meant to be."
Nolin, her husband and her daughter now live in Rome, Ga., where she coaches at the Darlington School Soccer Academy preparing young athletes for life at the collegiate level both on and off the field.
"I try to implement that if you truly want it you have to work for it," said Nolin. "Being High Schoolers it's important for me to make sure that they don't show up to college as inexperienced freshmen. It's very important for me as a coach to help these girls realize that they might be the best player on this team, but what if you're not at the school you're going to and if you're not, how are you going to respond?"
These are just some of the lessons Nolin has learned throughout her time at Kennesaw State and in the professional league that she tries to instill in her players.
That and a love for the game, a love that she carries for soccer as well as for Kennesaw State.
So, as Owl Nation readies for a hopeful return to the pitch in 2020, you can be sure that Nolin will be in the stands along with her team cheering the Owls on to victory.
"I'm super pumped," said Nolin. "I can't wait for the season to start and to get to watch them play again, and to take my current soccer girls there to watch some more games."
