In Focus: Serendipitous Scenario Landed Heard At Washington
October 29, 2015 | General, Men's Soccer
By Mason Kelley
GoHuskies.com
For Josh Heard, playing at Washington is the result of a serendipitous scenario, a confluence of events that ended with the forward playing his best soccer when the Huskies' coaching staff just happened to be watching.
At the time, Heard was in high school. He lived in Victoria, B.C., and his club team only ventured into Washington once a year.
“We didn't really have many opportunities to showcase for American schools,” said Heard, now a senior at Washington.
However, during one of the annual visits, Heard's club happened to play a game against Sounders Academy. The club's center backs were his current Washington teammates, Michael Gallagher and Ian Lange.
The duo had already committed to play for the Huskies and the program's coaching staff was there to watch their future while looking for other potential prospects.
At the time, Heard wasn't on Washington's radar. Then, as he puts it, “I ended up having a really good game.”
He scored two goals. The 5-foot-9 forward proved capable of scoring against top-tier defenders. He made the Huskies' coaches take notice.
“They were like, 'Who is this little ginger kid?'” Heard said with a laugh.
Two weeks later, assistant coach Jeff Rowland called to ask Heard if he wanted to visit Washington's campus.
“It kind of just blew up from there,” he said.
Heard considers the right-place, right-time scenario to be a “life-changing” experience.
“It's an unbelievable place down here,” he said. “Great guys, and the coaches are the best in the country. Not only do they care about soccer, but they care about character development as well, which goes a really long way. I don't think you find that everywhere else.”
An undersized forward, Heard arrived on campus determined to prove he could be effective at the Division I level.
“I had a little chip on my shoulder, because I knew I was little behind, development-wise,” Heard said. “I had something to prove. I like to think I have a lot of heart when I play. I make up for whatever I don't have in size and strength.”
Off the field, Heard likes to keep things light-hearted. Once he steps on the field, though, his demeanor changes.
“A lot of people are surprised when they know me off the field and see me on the field,” he said. “I'm kind of a jerk sometimes on the field. You've got to have that switch.”
When the switch flips, “Soccer Josh” comes alive.
“It just happens,” he said with a laugh.
Born in Cardiff, Wales, and raised in Victoria, Heard has always been a soccer fan. His grandfather turned him on to Manchester United and he quickly became enamored with Ryan Giggs, “The Flying Welshman.”
“I grew up watching him and fell in love with the team,” Heard said.
Now into the back half of his senior season, Heard said Washington has set him up with a future of “endless opportunities.”
“I don't know where I would be if I didn't come here,” he said.
However, for now, his focus is on helping the Huskies find the net a few times in an attempt to make a late-season push for the postseason. The final five-game stretch starts with home games against Cal (Friday) and Stanford (Monday).
“We've got five games left,” he said. “It's not the season we all wanted, but if we do well these next five games, we will have the season we want.
“We all know what it takes, the ball has to break our way a couple of times and we have to just keep doing what we're doing. It will come. It's about time we start scoring some goals. We've worked hard. We've earned it.”
