Even at 42, Gilbertsville native Nicole Barnhart still living out her professional soccer playing dream

CHESTER >> Even at 42 years old and with the Hall of Fame plaques continuing to pile up, Nicole Barnhart still has so much to give to women’s soccer on and off the field.

The Gilbertsville native and Boyertown High School graduate returned to her home region on Sunday as a backup goalie for the Washington Spirit of the National Women’s Soccer League. Barnhart is in her third season with the Spirit, who were at Subaru Park in Chester to take on Mexico’s Chivas Femenil in the team’s first NWSL x LIGA MX Femenil Summer Cup Match. The friendly was the Spirit’s first of a three-game series that involves all 14 NWSL squads along with six Liga MX teams competing during a break in the normal NWSL schedule.

And while Barnhart didn’t get into the 2-1 Spirit win, that didn’t stop a legion of supporters that included her parents, sister, aunt and a couple of former teammates and a coach she estimated she hadn’t seen in 15 to 20 years from coming out to see her. Of all the players on the pitch, she perhaps was the most popular on Sunday.

“It was fun to be back home, see everybody and catch up very briefly – I love them,” Barnhart said postgame. “My two best friends from high school were also here with their families. I don’t get back too often, and if I do it’s usually to my cabin in the Poconos. That’s my getaway, but I love coming back and seeing friends, family and former teammates to reconnect. Philly fans here are awesome and incredible, so it’s always nice to come back and play in front of them.”

Barnhart has had quite the professional career, which is now in its 17th year. She played club soccer for FC Delco, Souderton and Boyertown SC after graduating from Boyertown before crossing the country to Stanford, where she graduated in 2004 as a two-time First Team All-American.

She earned 54 caps as a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team from 2004-13, and also has two gold medals from the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Olympic Games. Beginning in 2009, Barnhart made professional stops with FC Gold Pride and Philadelphia Independence of the Women’s Premier Soccer League before moving on to FC Kansas City from 2013-17, where she won two NWSL titles. After banking a few NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year and team MVP awards in Kansas City, Barnhart played with Utah Royals FC from 2018-21 before landing with the Spirit.

As the eldest player in the NWSL, Barnhart recognizes she’s closer to the end of her playing career than the beginning, but at the same time feels like she still has so much to give both on and off the field.

“Just pure love and passion for the game,” she said. “I still find too much joy every day that I get to step out on the field. I’ve also had the opportunity to take years of knowledge and experience and help that next generation of youth grow in this league. I’ve had a lot of experience helping grow the league into what it is, and I’m excited to nurture that next generation to take over.

“There are things I’ve done in my career that have helped me be successful enough to play this long. I hope other players see that and pick up on it enough to take some of that for themselves. I love being that source of knowledge and information for them.”

Barnhart, who double majored in Art and Psychology at Stanford, said the next phase of her career will likely be on the coaching side. She was a volunteer coach with the Cardinal after graduation and has also instructed players at the youth national level, club level and done some one-on-one training. It’s a huge passion of hers to help grow and develop players who have the same passion for the game that she always has had and still does.

However, even with Barnhart’s 43rd birthday approaching in October, that time has not arrived just yet. She still enjoys working with her coaches and teammates every day, especially the Spirit’s goalkeeping collective.

“Part of what keeps me out there is the joy and passion,” she said. “There are parts of my game that I’m still looking to improve and grow, even at this stage of my career. And I obviously want to help this team win a championship. It’s been awhile since I’ve been to the playoffs in this league and it’s been awhile since I’ve won a championship. I’d love to do whatever I can within my role to help this team get there again.”

It was Barnhart’s first trip back to the area since she was inducted into the Southeastern Pennsylvania Soccer Hall of Fame back on May 7. It was at least the fourth Hall of Fame Barnhart had been enshrined in, along with the FC Delco Hall of Fame (2005), Boyertown Hall of Fame (2010) and Stanford Hall of Fame (2014).

“It was definitely an honor, and I was very grateful and surprised to get that call to be part of the class,” she said. “Our schedule worked out so that I could be there in person and meet everyone else in the class. Obviously, southeastern PA has been a hotbed for talent over the years, and it’s an honor to be acknowledged as part of that.”

As an athlete from a small town who got to live out her dreams on the biggest of stages under the brightest lights, Barnhart finds it to be a privilege to serve as a role model for younger athletes, especially female ones within the soccer universe. The next Nicole Barnhart could be out there right now, and likely is. Becoming a professional athlete is not the most linear of paths, but it didn’t stop Barnhart from dreaming big.

She encouraged others like her to do the same, no matter what others might say about that choice.

“Don’t be afraid to chase those dreams,” she said. “Believe in yourself, even when others don’t. If you have the family support behind you, you can go wherever you want to. You might not ever fully achieve it, but the journey along the way can be just as valuable. I definitely had people question it when I said I wanted to become a professional athlete, but in my mind I was always dead set on achieving that. If you have that determination and drive within yourself, you never know where it will take you.”