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OCTOBER 2018 23 ficult thing is they had an injury and just as soon as they came back they had another injury. Most of their injuries happened prior to college and were daunting. "Their strength was their mental tough- ness for the long haul. In Anna's case it happened during her formative years. That makes things much more challenging." Hanging up her cleats never was a consid- eration for Sumpter. "I don't think there ever was any doubt I wanted to keep playing," she said. "I didn't want to have any regrets when looking back on my career. I encountered people who did have doubts. "I had to have conversations with my par- ents [Kristal and Lee Sumpter], my coaches and my surgeons. They made me aware of the risks. They gave me the information I needed to make a decision whether or not to play." After making that decision, Sumpter played 10 games last season, albeit for a total of 138 minutes. That playing time laid the foundation for the 2018 campaign. "This year I started the first couple of early season games and got some opportu- nities to play some really good minutes," Sumpter explained. "I started to see some of the creativity I had in high school. "I was starting to play free again, which was nice. I got to a point where I felt I wasn't holding back. Now I can finally fo- cus more on soccer and less on my knee." Swanson opted to focus on various sub- jective qualities that enabled Hoen-Beck and Sumpter overcome this wealth of adver- sity and continue to play soccer. "Never once did I feel Mia was giving up on her dream while Anna is driven beyond imagination," Swanson said. "They're going to keep pushing no matter what. You need that drive and resolve. I'm sure there were doubts in their minds. But when push came to shove, they never held back. "Each is very competitive, driven and motivated. Maybe they might not see them- selves in that way, but they're very inspira- tional to our program." Inspiration notwithstanding, Hoen-Beck always felt she was a part of the team, even though she was unable to predict when she would be able to play an active role. "I had a huge support system," she said. "Bill was there every day. The whole coach- ing staff was very relevant. They constantly reassured me. My role was going to be dif- ferent than what I was used to. "I owe a lot to my first-year roommate and teammate, Jasmine Wright, plus all of my teammates. She helped me with life in general. I always felt like I belonged on the team and there was a meaning for me being on the team despite all the injuries I was going through." Sumpter's injuries really hit home for Swanson because she grew up in Charlot- tesville and he knew her from a young age. "I've known Anna longer than a player from another area," Swanson noted. "I'm very aware of the trials and tribulations she's gone through. It was much more real and tangible for me to know what she's gone through. "What I've seen both of them go through almost from start to finish hit home. It's easy for me to grasp what they've gone through." Swanson, of course, was cognizant of the fact what Hoen-Beck went through differed in severity from what Sumpter experienced. "Anna's injuries haven't affected her as much as Mia's," he said. "Mia had to deal with changes physically and has had to learn how to become the player she was before she got injured. She has two knees that have changed her. Every practice over the last couple of months you can see the skill set and creativity coming back. "What you can't overestimate is the phys- ical challenges they've had to overcome, but also the mental challenge of playing with these injuries — 'I could do this before, but now I can't.' That can be challenging. "It takes a real strong competitor to put that aside to know there is a vision that I can get back to where I was." In her fourth year on campus, Hoen-Beck has finally become healthy enough to make her UVA debut, seeing action in three of the team's first nine games. She even scored two goals in a preseason scrimmage. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA