University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Former Southern Miss Women’s Soccer Player Brooke Hendrix’s Career Journey Leads to Women’s FA Cup Final
5/3/2019 6:56:00 PM | Women's Soccer
Hendrix will suit up for West Ham United when they face Manchester City in the Women’s FA Cup Final at historic Wembley Stadium on Saturday, May 4.
HATTIESBURG, Miss. – The Southern Miss women's soccer program will have something else to hang its hat on when former Golden Eagle, Brooke Hendrix, takes the pitch with West Ham United in the Women's FA Cup Final on Saturday, May 4. The match will be played against Manchester City at historic Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London at 11:30 a.m. (CT).
Hendrix, a native of Sharpsburg, Ga. played for the Golden Eagles from 2011-2014. During her time at Southern Miss, she served as a team captain and played both the forward and defensive center-mid positions.
Like many current and former Southern Miss student-athletes, the atmosphere at Southern Miss stood out to Hendrix during her recruitment process. "As a junior in high school I remember it being such a friendly environment around the team, and the campus was beautiful. [Southern Miss] had a major (kinesiotherapy) that I became very interested in as well. Basically it seemed like the perfect environment to be challenged both in the classroom and on the field." said Hendrix.
Hendrix was a significant contributor for the Golden Eagles over the course of her four-year career. During her time at Southern Miss, Hendrix played in a total of 71 games, starting in 62. She also recorded seven goals, 10 assists and 24 points.
While Hendrix's career at Southern Miss was a good one, it wasn't one that initially captured the attention of professional coaching staffs. However, Hendrix didn't let the lack of attention from the upper ranks of the soccer world deter her from pursuing her dream of playing soccer at the professional level.
While most would have chalked Hendrix's dream of playing professional soccer up to just that - a dream - there was one person who truly believed that she could turn it into reality if she was willing to put in the work. That person was Southern Miss head women's soccer coach, Mohammed El-Zare.
Before her senior season, Hendrix sat down with El-Zare and for the first time, expressing her want to improve her game and to play at the next level once she graduated. "I remember telling her that her dream was possible, but there was a lot of work that needed to be done in order for her to get to where she wanted to be." said El-Zare.
El-Zare's belief in her dream was more than enough motivation for Hendrix, and she went to work immediately to elevate her game. Aside from making adjustments and giving maximum effort in organized team practices, she took it upon herself to get in extra reps by creating her own workouts. "I would be coming into the office early in the morning and I would see her with a soccer ball inside of The Rock just training on her own," said El-Zare.
After wrapping up her playing career at Southern Miss in the fall of 2014, Hendrix was still uncertain about the playing opportunities that would be available to her. She took a year off from playing competitively and completed an internship that was required for her major at Southern Miss. "In that year, I realized how much I missed playing so I started to really pursue a professional career seriously. I got a trainer to get me back in shape and work on my touches before going overseas for trials at some European clubs."
El-Zare continued to aid his former player in achieving her goals. "Coach El-Zare played a major role for me – he helped me to begin to think that I had the ability to make it as a professional. He helped me sign up for the NWSL draft, introduced me to Alex, my trainer, who has developed me into the player I needed to become to make it, and he still encourages me to this day as I'm playing."
Hendrix got her first crack at professional soccer after earning a trial with SC Heerenveen in The Netherlands. At the end of the week-long trial, Hendrix was informed that she did not make the team so she returned to her home state of Georgia with a weakened confidence but also with a new level of determination and motivation to work harder than she ever had before.
While at home in Georgia, she continued to work with her trainer multiple days a week while also working a part-time job on the side to earn a living. Hendrix returned to competition in the summer of 2016 when she played for the Atlanta Silverbacks of the WPSL. In August of 2016, Hendrix took another stab at making a professional club in The Netherlands when she participated in a month long trail for AFC Ajax. Once again, Hendrix was told that she did not make the team.
While it would have been easy to hang up her boots and pursue a full-time job in her field of kinesiotherapy, Hendrix's love for the sport of soccer would not let her quit, so she continued her journey.
The former Golden Eagle netted her first break after earning a trial with the Rangers W.F.C. in Scotland in September of 2016. At the end of the trial, Hendrix was asked to stay and play with the team. Although not a professional one, Hendrix enjoyed her stint with the club, also staying with one of her teammates' families. To help make ends meet, she also worked at a local Subway sandwich shop during her time in Scotland.
After the Rangers W.F.C. season came to an end in November of 2016, Hendrix returned home to Georgia. In order to find a new team, she hired an agent who helped her get a contract with FC Staad in Switzerland. This marked the first professional contract of Hendrix's career. Hendrix stayed with the club from January to June of 2017.
After her time with FC Staad was done, Hendrix went back to Georgia for a few weeks before joining a new club in Iceland, Fylkir, where she played from July to September 2017. She then transferred to a club in Italy called Brescia where she remained until May of 2018. It was during her time there that Hendrix caught the biggest break of her professional career, which was being discovered by her current coach, Matt Beard. Due to Brescia being one of the top teams in Italy and being a member of the Women's Champions League, Hendrix was given the opportunity to develop her skillset by playing with and against several elite players. It was then that Beard noticed Hendrix' ability and recruited her to play for his West Ham United club.
After battling mightily to earn a career as a professional soccer player, Hendrix is now enjoying the fruits of her labor as she has helped lead West Ham United to the pinnacle of the English Women's Super League in the club's inaugural season.
Although Hendrix has now found success in the most prestigious women's professional soccer league in the world, she hasn't forgotten the path that lead her to it and how her time at Southern Miss helped shape it. "From my four years at Southern Miss I learned so much about mental and physical perseverance to overcome obstacles which I definitely still use today. At Southern Miss I started as a forward my freshman year and then worked my way back to defensive center-mid in my senior year, but now I actually play as a central defender. Playing central defender is obviously pretty different to center mid but it's been a fun challenge that I've been able to adapt to from my time at Southern Miss changing positions. Also, being a captain at Southern Miss helped me to develop leadership qualities that are essential in my role as a center defender and for my confidence in going to play pro in general."
After West Ham United defeated Reading 4-3 in upset fashion on penalty kicks in the semifinals, the club advanced to the Women's FA Cup Final for the first time in its history. It's fitting that a player like Hendrix who beat the odds to get to where she is today has been right in the middle of it all with a team that has also beat the odds to get to where it's at.
When asked what it will be like to compete for West Ham in the Women's FA Cup Final against Manchester City in Wembley Stadium on Saturday, Hendrix says, "It's insane that in our first year as a professional club we are getting a chance to play against one of the best teams in the world on such a big stage. Wembley is known as 'The Home of Football' here and it's a dream to be able to step on the same field as so many great players before me. For us to be able to win we will really have to pull together as a team and really work for each other throughout the whole game. I think if we can really go all in for each other we can put up a great fight in this final."
While many of Hendrix's family members and friends will be watching proudly when she takes the pitch in front of an estimated 52,000 fans at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, one would be hard pressed to find someone who is more proud of her than her former head coach Mohammed El-Zare.
To this day, if you walk down the hallway of The Duff Athletic Center on the campus of Southern Miss where El-Zare's office is located, you will find one of Hendrix's framed Rangers W.F.C. jerseys that she sent him, displayed proudly on the wall behind his desk.
When describing what it has been like to watch Hendrix play for West Ham United this season, El-Zare says, "Watching her play in England and in the best league in the world, I get chills every time that I talk about it. To see a young girl from Georgia who is representing the Golden Eagles on the biggest stage and living out her dream has certainly been a joy to watch as a coach."
As for advice to other players with dreams of playing at the professional level, Hendrix says, "I would just say to them that so many players have different journeys to get to the professional level and to not give up if their journey takes them down some unconventional paths. Also I would tell them not to try to be like anyone else because everyone has different abilities and game styles that make them great and you'll be more successful if you believe in what you can bring to the table. But most important is to really believe in yourself and remember that life is bigger than the little setbacks you'll face; use those setbacks to grow and develop into the best you can be at whatever stage you're at."
Hendrix, a native of Sharpsburg, Ga. played for the Golden Eagles from 2011-2014. During her time at Southern Miss, she served as a team captain and played both the forward and defensive center-mid positions.
Like many current and former Southern Miss student-athletes, the atmosphere at Southern Miss stood out to Hendrix during her recruitment process. "As a junior in high school I remember it being such a friendly environment around the team, and the campus was beautiful. [Southern Miss] had a major (kinesiotherapy) that I became very interested in as well. Basically it seemed like the perfect environment to be challenged both in the classroom and on the field." said Hendrix.
Hendrix was a significant contributor for the Golden Eagles over the course of her four-year career. During her time at Southern Miss, Hendrix played in a total of 71 games, starting in 62. She also recorded seven goals, 10 assists and 24 points.
While Hendrix's career at Southern Miss was a good one, it wasn't one that initially captured the attention of professional coaching staffs. However, Hendrix didn't let the lack of attention from the upper ranks of the soccer world deter her from pursuing her dream of playing soccer at the professional level.
While most would have chalked Hendrix's dream of playing professional soccer up to just that - a dream - there was one person who truly believed that she could turn it into reality if she was willing to put in the work. That person was Southern Miss head women's soccer coach, Mohammed El-Zare.
Before her senior season, Hendrix sat down with El-Zare and for the first time, expressing her want to improve her game and to play at the next level once she graduated. "I remember telling her that her dream was possible, but there was a lot of work that needed to be done in order for her to get to where she wanted to be." said El-Zare.
El-Zare's belief in her dream was more than enough motivation for Hendrix, and she went to work immediately to elevate her game. Aside from making adjustments and giving maximum effort in organized team practices, she took it upon herself to get in extra reps by creating her own workouts. "I would be coming into the office early in the morning and I would see her with a soccer ball inside of The Rock just training on her own," said El-Zare.
After wrapping up her playing career at Southern Miss in the fall of 2014, Hendrix was still uncertain about the playing opportunities that would be available to her. She took a year off from playing competitively and completed an internship that was required for her major at Southern Miss. "In that year, I realized how much I missed playing so I started to really pursue a professional career seriously. I got a trainer to get me back in shape and work on my touches before going overseas for trials at some European clubs."
El-Zare continued to aid his former player in achieving her goals. "Coach El-Zare played a major role for me – he helped me to begin to think that I had the ability to make it as a professional. He helped me sign up for the NWSL draft, introduced me to Alex, my trainer, who has developed me into the player I needed to become to make it, and he still encourages me to this day as I'm playing."
Hendrix got her first crack at professional soccer after earning a trial with SC Heerenveen in The Netherlands. At the end of the week-long trial, Hendrix was informed that she did not make the team so she returned to her home state of Georgia with a weakened confidence but also with a new level of determination and motivation to work harder than she ever had before.
While at home in Georgia, she continued to work with her trainer multiple days a week while also working a part-time job on the side to earn a living. Hendrix returned to competition in the summer of 2016 when she played for the Atlanta Silverbacks of the WPSL. In August of 2016, Hendrix took another stab at making a professional club in The Netherlands when she participated in a month long trail for AFC Ajax. Once again, Hendrix was told that she did not make the team.
While it would have been easy to hang up her boots and pursue a full-time job in her field of kinesiotherapy, Hendrix's love for the sport of soccer would not let her quit, so she continued her journey.
The former Golden Eagle netted her first break after earning a trial with the Rangers W.F.C. in Scotland in September of 2016. At the end of the trial, Hendrix was asked to stay and play with the team. Although not a professional one, Hendrix enjoyed her stint with the club, also staying with one of her teammates' families. To help make ends meet, she also worked at a local Subway sandwich shop during her time in Scotland.
After the Rangers W.F.C. season came to an end in November of 2016, Hendrix returned home to Georgia. In order to find a new team, she hired an agent who helped her get a contract with FC Staad in Switzerland. This marked the first professional contract of Hendrix's career. Hendrix stayed with the club from January to June of 2017.
After her time with FC Staad was done, Hendrix went back to Georgia for a few weeks before joining a new club in Iceland, Fylkir, where she played from July to September 2017. She then transferred to a club in Italy called Brescia where she remained until May of 2018. It was during her time there that Hendrix caught the biggest break of her professional career, which was being discovered by her current coach, Matt Beard. Due to Brescia being one of the top teams in Italy and being a member of the Women's Champions League, Hendrix was given the opportunity to develop her skillset by playing with and against several elite players. It was then that Beard noticed Hendrix' ability and recruited her to play for his West Ham United club.
After battling mightily to earn a career as a professional soccer player, Hendrix is now enjoying the fruits of her labor as she has helped lead West Ham United to the pinnacle of the English Women's Super League in the club's inaugural season.
Although Hendrix has now found success in the most prestigious women's professional soccer league in the world, she hasn't forgotten the path that lead her to it and how her time at Southern Miss helped shape it. "From my four years at Southern Miss I learned so much about mental and physical perseverance to overcome obstacles which I definitely still use today. At Southern Miss I started as a forward my freshman year and then worked my way back to defensive center-mid in my senior year, but now I actually play as a central defender. Playing central defender is obviously pretty different to center mid but it's been a fun challenge that I've been able to adapt to from my time at Southern Miss changing positions. Also, being a captain at Southern Miss helped me to develop leadership qualities that are essential in my role as a center defender and for my confidence in going to play pro in general."
After West Ham United defeated Reading 4-3 in upset fashion on penalty kicks in the semifinals, the club advanced to the Women's FA Cup Final for the first time in its history. It's fitting that a player like Hendrix who beat the odds to get to where she is today has been right in the middle of it all with a team that has also beat the odds to get to where it's at.
When asked what it will be like to compete for West Ham in the Women's FA Cup Final against Manchester City in Wembley Stadium on Saturday, Hendrix says, "It's insane that in our first year as a professional club we are getting a chance to play against one of the best teams in the world on such a big stage. Wembley is known as 'The Home of Football' here and it's a dream to be able to step on the same field as so many great players before me. For us to be able to win we will really have to pull together as a team and really work for each other throughout the whole game. I think if we can really go all in for each other we can put up a great fight in this final."
While many of Hendrix's family members and friends will be watching proudly when she takes the pitch in front of an estimated 52,000 fans at Wembley Stadium on Saturday, one would be hard pressed to find someone who is more proud of her than her former head coach Mohammed El-Zare.
To this day, if you walk down the hallway of The Duff Athletic Center on the campus of Southern Miss where El-Zare's office is located, you will find one of Hendrix's framed Rangers W.F.C. jerseys that she sent him, displayed proudly on the wall behind his desk.
When describing what it has been like to watch Hendrix play for West Ham United this season, El-Zare says, "Watching her play in England and in the best league in the world, I get chills every time that I talk about it. To see a young girl from Georgia who is representing the Golden Eagles on the biggest stage and living out her dream has certainly been a joy to watch as a coach."
As for advice to other players with dreams of playing at the professional level, Hendrix says, "I would just say to them that so many players have different journeys to get to the professional level and to not give up if their journey takes them down some unconventional paths. Also I would tell them not to try to be like anyone else because everyone has different abilities and game styles that make them great and you'll be more successful if you believe in what you can bring to the table. But most important is to really believe in yourself and remember that life is bigger than the little setbacks you'll face; use those setbacks to grow and develop into the best you can be at whatever stage you're at."
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