Allison Beard '26 Recruiting Profile

My name is Allison Beard, but I go by AJ. I grew up in Southern California surrounded by supportive family and friends. When I was 12, my parents, sister and I moved to the state of Utah, where we currently reside. It was a difficult move at first and I struggled being away from those I was closest to. I had to make new friends, find a new soccer team and learn a whole new culture. With this change I have learned to always look at the good side of things. I learned that it's ok to step out of my comfort zone and be a little uncomfortable for awhile. One thing that always kept me going and was always a constant in my life was soccer. It provided the opportunity for new friendships and always challenged me to be my best.  As an athlete, I think the best way to get better is to train with someone who wants to work as hard as you, and have the same goals in life to succeed together so that you stay competitive and hold each other accountable. 

I am born in 2008 but I have always played up a year with the 2007 age group ever since I started club at the age of 8. This has allowed me to play with and compete against girls that are a year to a year and half older than me. This has helped me prepare for high school and college where I will be playing with girls 3 to 4 years older than me. I also competed with the Utah Surf Boys team which helped me better develop my speed of play and quick thinking on the field. 

My dream, since I started playing soccer at the age of 7, has been to play on the US Women's National Team. I know there is a lot of hard work ahead to reach that goal. I believe playing at the highest caliber in college will help with that development and challenge me to become the best athlete I can be.