AUBURN, Ala. – Auburn soccer's Anna Haddock was named the female recipient of the Spring 2023 PNC Achievers Award earlier this month. The award is given out to student-athletes based on their well-rounded achievement through leadership, academic success, community engagement and in competition.
Haddock has started every game since she arrived at Auburn in 2020. She made an immediate impact her first year, earning SEC All-Freshman Team honors, and followed that up with First Team All-SEC honors as a sophomore in 2021.
With two assists in Thursdays 3-2 win over Missouri, Haddock now has 16 goals and 29 assists in her career at Auburn. Her 29 assists rank fourth in program history.
Haddock has almost made an impact away from the pitch where she currently serves as the Vice President of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) and was the Chair of the Marketing and Communication Subcommittee the last two years. She is a three-time SEC Academic Honor Roll selection and graduated from Auburn in May.
Here is Haddock, in her own words, talking about the PNC Achiever Award and what goes into being a well-rounded student-athlete at Auburn.
What does it mean to be a PNC Achiever?
Haddock: It's exciting. Obviously, this is an award that isn't just about athletics or even academics – it's a pretty well-rounded award. I put a lot of time in, and it's nice to see it pay off in terms of getting that feedback that I am making a difference and making Auburn a better place to the best of my ability.
What are some of the things you do away from the pitch?
Haddock: I'm really involved in SAAC. It's something I feel pretty passionate about. I was the Marketing Chair for the last two years, and this year I am the Vice President. I feel really strongly about student-athlete engagement. That's something I've really been focusing on. We've started these "Athletes Support Athletes" events, encouraging all athletes to come to specific sports and sports like soccer that not everyone goes to. I just think that makes a really big difference. And then I am in grad school this year. I started the MBA program a month and a half ago. I try to be involved in that, always kind of pushing myself in the classroom as well.
What is the definition of a student-athlete? What all goes into it?
Haddock: It's a lot. I love that they have this award because it brings awareness of how much that we do. I have four hours of class every day, then I have four hours of practice, and then I have SAAC duties I have to do on top of that. And then there's a social life. So, it's definitely a grind. But things like this, just being aware that we deal with a lot and that we have a lot going on, and just kind of understanding with grace and all the mental health aspects that go into it, too. It's not easy, but certain people are cut out for it. You're going to get what you put in. If you put in full effort, then you're going to get rewarded on the other side.
What is your why? Where does your motivation come from?
Haddock: I can't pinpoint one. I have a couple. My family. My parents are really big supporters of me. They are coming to every single game this year, so that says a lot about them. They're coming from Bowling Green, Kentucky. It's about six hours here and wherever else we go. So, my parents have made a lot of sacrifices to get me where I am. That's kind of my external motivation. Internally, I'm very competitive, and I always want to do the best that I can do. I have a really hard time not giving full effort. We have recovery practice days, and I'm like, "Alright, how can we make this a competition? I'm ready to go." I want to reach my goals, and I want to see those things pay off. That definitely keeps me going every day.
What is your focus in grad school? What is the plan after soccer?
Haddock: I'm in the MBA, Master of Business Administration. I'm pursuing the general degree. That's a year-and-a-half program. I'm actually going to enter the NWSL Draft next January and play pro for as long as I see fit. It's something that has obviously been a dream of mine for a long time, and I think it's attainable. That's kind of the hope, but when that runs out, I will obviously have a great degree in my back pocket. I think I have gotten to the point where I really like college athletics, and I love management, I love leading people, so I could see myself being an Associate Athletic Director. Maybe an AD at some point. I just love the passion around college sports, and I don't think you get that in any other environment – whether it's professional sports or any other kind of business or corporation.
What has been your favorite memory at Auburn?
Haddock: I'm going to go with a specific game. We beat BYU two years ago at home. It was our largest crowd since I've been here. They were ranked 12th in the nation. Night game, Saturday night. It was just all the vibes. All the fans stayed the whole time. I went over to the fence, and I had tears in my eyes because it was just incredible. That was one of those moments where I was just so happy to be here in that time and place, and I think that's always going to stick out to me. I scored two goals in that game, too. That definitely helps.
What does the Auburn Family mean to you?
Haddock: There's nothing like it. I know everyone says that. "You come here and you just feel the family." But there's truly so much support and so much teamwork in everything that I do here. I even see it in my cohort with my grad school. We spent a month together and we're already this super tight-knit community that you think you only get on teams, but the Auburn Family is just really something special. I'm just so thankful to have been here and experienced such great things that I hear other people don't experience at their schools. So, I definitely think it's something special and something I'll have with me for the rest of my life.