OL Reign’s Sam Hiatt was destined to play soccer. Her parents, Eric and Emily, were both college soccer players at Santa Clara University, where they met. Along with Brandi Chastain, Emily was part of the Broncos’ first two NCAA semifinal teams — serving as team captain, while Eric was on the school’s co-championship team in 1989.
They made their roots in the Greater Seattle area after college — returning to the region where Emily grew up — and both kept playing in adult leagues in the area. Sam, their first child who was born in 1998, would often accompany her parents to their games.