Former A&M All-American Ally Watt ready to continue pro career in the NWSL

Key notes from Ally Watt interview

• It's been pretty hectic coming back here after the pandemic. I got back in from Australia last week, so it's been good to get out of isolation and train with people and my team again.
   
• Becoming a pro soccer player is something I've always wanted to do and something I talked about with my dad all the time growing up. Soccer has always been in my life. I honestly can't tell you when I started, because I was always at a field growing up. I came into college soccer because I knew I wanted to play professionally. Coming to A&m was the best decision I ever made, and by coming here, I've grown so much. My coaches helped me grow into the player I wanted to become, and I can't thank them enough for all they've done for me.
   
• During the NWSL Draft, I was super nervous. You can ask my teammates, I am never at a loss for words, but I sat through the draft silently because I was just humbled to be in that situation and nervous to see what would happen. While I was there waiting, North Carolina took the entire allotted time, and I was sweating waiting to see if they would take me at sixth overall. Once they did, it was an incredible feeling, and I kept thinking about having to make a speech, and all I could think was that I had to open with "Howdy."
   
• I was trying to take in the whole experience. Seeing all the excitement surrounding the draft and being able to experience it myself was incredible. After you're drafted, you're whisked into interviews, so you don't always have time to let it soak in, but once it sunk in for me, it was an incredible feeling.
   
• After I went to Baltimore, I flew to Arizona to say goodbye to a few people, and then I was in Australia the next day to play over there for a little while and get my feet wet playing professional soccer. I got to take a couple of weeks to adjust to the time difference and experience playing on a pro team. I was able to get some firsts out of the way, like the first game and first goal, so it helped get the nerves out. I just wanted to learn in Australia. There were so many amazing players, some of the best in the world I got to learn from, and they have helped me learn and continue to build myself into the best player I can become.
   
• I had the opportunity to play with Claire Emsley from the Scottish National Team, and she took me under her wing and taught me a lot. She is the perfect example of a hard worker and a team player, and she helped me adjust to being in a new country and to understand there is a lot of room to grow in my game. I learned there is always something else you can do around the game to make yourself better. Even the best players are continuously working on getting better, so it gave me a new hunger for the game.
   
• It was stressful seeing how the world was responding to the pandemic. We didn't know if we were going to be able to play the last few games of the season, but Australia never really had a serious situation with the pandemic. During our semi-final game, we played what ended up being one of the last games in the world that allowed fans in the stands. Going into the Grand Final, we were playing in a huge stadium that was completely empty. It was bizarre having to create our own energy during the game. We were fortunate enough to win, but we had to fly back the next day in hopes of being able to get back into the country before the travel restrictions were in place. We were one of the few leagues that were fortunate enough to be able to finish the season.
   
• My life has been sports for so long, and with no games, it's been so bizarre. I couldn't get to North Carolina during the quarantine, and at one point, I had to isolate for two weeks on my own, so finding the motivation to train was tough. It was tough to find places to train and try to stay as fit as possible. It taught me a lot of self-discipline, and not getting to train with my team was a tough obstacle for me to overcome.
   
• Before we get to start to play in the NWSL, we will have a month of the preseason so that we can train. Right now, we're training to the best of our abilities before we leave for Utah during the last week of June. I think the 27th is when our first preseason game will be played. We're doing our best to build our team chemistry now before the season gets started, and there are a lot of protocols to follow right now. There's a chance there won't be any fans, and if so, it will definitely be a  weird feeling, but we can create our own energy. Playing at A&M, the support in the stands was always incredible, so adjusting to not having that physical support behind you will be a little difficult for me for sure.
   
• One of the biggest differences between college and professional soccer is the speed of the game. The skills the players possess is much different in person than what you see on TV, and it takes a little adjusting to. Attempting to get caught up to their level is the main thing I've been trying to do since I started playing professionally. 
   
• My teammates at A&M pushed me every day to become the player I am now. Whether it was training, lifting, or running, they always held me accountable. They were always my motivation, and it's hard to switch it up and go to a new team where you don't have the relationships that you built for three or four years, but thanks to them, it was a challenge I was ready for. My coaches were instrumental in my game as well. I think if you look back at the player I was during my freshman year and looking at where I was by the end of my senior year; it's a night and day difference. I don't think I would recognize my freshman self, and that tells you how good my coaches were.
   
• The accolades I got while in college were awesome, but the legacy I wanted to leave at A&M was who I was as a person. I wanted to be remembered as a player that was willing to go the extra mile for my team, even if I wasn't getting the ball. I wanted to be the type of teammate that anyone can go to if they are struggling or if they needed to talk to someone. That was the legacy I wanted to leave at A&M because accolades are great, but all of that was only possible because of my teammates and my coaches.
   
• Since leaving school, I've grown to really miss the culture of Texas A&M. I miss being able to say Howdy and Gig 'Em and have people understand what I'm saying. A lot of people don't understand the lingo. My time here was such a great four and a half years. I fell in love with the school and the people, and I really miss being a part of the university. 
   
• There are a lot of things I'm looking forward to in my career. This isn't how I imagined my rookie year going, but I'm excited to get back to it and adapt to my surroundings and keep moving forward. I'm fortunate enough to be able to play with some of the best players in the world and on a team that is a two-time defending champion. I'm just hoping for the best, and I will be holding myself accountable in every aspect of my time as a professional. I can only control the things I can control, so I've always valued being a good teammate, and I hope to be that no matter where I go.