Laura Harvey is a player's coach. A fun-loving human, always open to collaboration, with a knack for making her players feel valued and heard. She's approached each season with a clear vision and an obvious passion for her job.
She's guided and molded the Seattle Reign from its inception, and over the years she created a home. One that three players, Megan Rapinoe, Jess Fishlock, and Lauren Barnes, opted never to leave.
My in-person exposure to Harvey adds up to only a handful of days in the fledgling moments of her NWSL coaching career. And at the end of those days I left Seattle in tears having been gently told I'd have to begin my professional career elsewhere.
If you talked to me in the days that followed, I was not the most jovial conversationalist and naturally I had my thoughts on how my time in Seattle played out. Yet my feelings towards Harvey were remarkably positive.
With Laura Harvey my presence in Seattle felt welcome
I came to Seattle with something to prove and Laura Harvey gave me the space and encouragement to do it.
As a player in preseason without a contract it's easy to feel left out. You attend team events but are asked to stand to the side. No one wants an autograph from someone who might not be there in a week.
Your name's not up on a locker. Your foot's only half in the door.
But for one week, Harvey prepared me for the season like any of her other players. She applauded my strengths and made a start at fine tuning my weaknesses. And at the end of it all, knowing she was about to send me home, she was upfront but kind when she could have been dismissive.
Perhaps my memories have been colored by a healthy distance from the event and the praise friends sung for Harvey in subsequent years. I'd have to consult my parents for a more accurate take on the words I used to express my feelings in the moment.
However I felt, there's no denying Laura Harvey is a coach who knows how to win. She has made history as the first NWSL coach to achieve 100 regular season wins. A wonderful accomplishment for a deserving person.
Laura Harvey is the first coach in NWSL history to record 100 regular season wins 👏 pic.twitter.com/qFH5HPowG0
— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) August 26, 2024
But beyond this, she'll be the coach who championed her players. The coach who created a safe haven. The coach who made time for a good laugh or a much-needed hug. The coach who listened.