GLASGOW, Scotland — Havana Solaun knew there would be setbacks and difficulties on the road to a successful career.

So she was determined to battle adversities and prepared to find ways to get past mental blocks that tried to stop her from playing the game she loves.

In fact, the stout-hearted player even wrote a letter to her young self in which she stated:”Your career is your story. Don’t get lost in someone else’s narrative. You will experience all those moments and you will rise to the top. Don’t allow the fear of these inevitable moments to hold you back.

“Soccer is a game that changes your life. Love every second.”

And she is indeed currently loving every second of it. Her selection to the historic Reggae Girlz team to the Fifa Women’s World Cup in France is currently among her best accomplishments, but Solaun is not done yet and her appetite for more success is clear for all to see.

However, overcoming adversities that faced her was not always easy, as she once had a torn ACL — anterior cruciate ligament, one of the major ligaments in the knee — and then a broken ankle during her time at Seattle Reign FC in the 2015-16 campaign.

“Injuries affect you physically, but mentally it makes you question what you are doing and your confidence coming back. The beginning (of an injury) is always difficult and it was hard to find my way back, so I struggled both physically and mentally and so I started doubting myself, but I eventually learnt to trust the process,” she shared.

Solaun, who interestingly holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Florida, credits her mother Sandra Brower, from whom she earns her Jamaican stripes, for her mental recovery, as she was later traded to Washington Spirit where she made 37 appearances and scored five goals in a successful 2017-18 campaign.

Prior to that she enjoyed an impressive college career with the Florida Gators, making 90 appearances and scoring 30, goals and was a key player in the US Under-17 and Under-23 teams.

“My mom was born in Kingston and lived there for the first 10 years of her life before moving around the Caribbean. She has always been my biggest role model, is always telling me how important it is to remain mentally strong and so on, and that is how I kept going,” she revealed.

Now, the highly motivated player is ready to become a potent performer in the Reggae Girlz set-up, after being drafted as the final player in the 23-member squad for the Fifa Women’s World Cup.

“For me, making the final cut is still very fresh; I don’t think it has fully sunk in yet. There was so much uncertainty for me leading up to the decision not only because of on-the-field competition, but also because of the off-field complications with Fifa and paperwork.

“It was very stressful and there was most definitely a point in which I thought the paperwork was going to deny me the opportunity to represent Jamaica. It is always an exciting opportunity to represent your country and getting invited into a World Cup-bound team magnifies all those emotions,” Solaun told the Jamaica Observer.

The 26-year-old, who believes passion overcomes setbacks and doubting oneself leads to working harder, which creates confidence, recalled when she was afforded the opportunity to play against Chile.

“Initially, coming into camp, I tried not to compare myself to the other players and just focus on my own performance. For me, my mindset was that I can only control myself and hope that what I have to offer complements the vision the coaches had for the team.

“I could not have imaged a better welcome than I received since I joined the pool and I can proudly say this is a truly special group of girls and I am excited to be a part of this journey with them,” the outspoken player noted.

Looking ahead, the midfielder, who is very good on the ball under pressure, is hoping to excite Jamaican fans during the June 7-July 7 World Cup in France as Reggae Girlz battle Brazil, Italy and Australia in the preliminary group stage.

However, before that the 5′ 9” player will have a crack at Scotland in a friendly here today.

“I hone my skills as a creative and composed player. I think one of my biggest strengths is my ability to see the field and read the game and so I hope to contribute to the team by creating goal-scoring opportunities, but also helping manage the emotions of the game,” reasoned the Norwegian club Klepp IL representative.

“I hope to help show the rest of the world what the Reggae Girlz can do. Football is a crazy game and I truly believe this group of players has endless potential for some big upsets,” Solaun ended.

—Sherdon Cowan