The UVA Men’s Soccer team has enjoyed a rollercoaster of a season so far. They have slowly risen to a Top-20 ranking and beat #18 Clemson on the road this past weekend. Soccer fans know that the team has a number of hardworking strikers to thank for putting them ahead, but this success would not be possible without stellar defense. Holding it down behind the Hoos’ four big men in the back is none other than third year goalkeeper Holden Brown. 

“My only job is to not get scored on,” said Holden, “which means I fail at my job every single practice.” This is one of the many ways that being a goalkeeper challenges Holden’s mental strength. “It's a balance between understanding that you got scored on and using that to get better.” 

Holden has been playing soccer for his whole life, but only became a goalie in high school. “Mentally, I think it's got to be one of the hardest positions in the field,” he said. Of the eleven players on the field, Holden’s position requires a unique ability to handle pressure and bounce back from failure immediately. Holden explained, “I know all ten guys in front of me can make a mistake, but if I make the final mistake, that's why they score.” Similar to a quarterback, the goalkeeper position comes with special advantages and protections, but also a huge amount of responsibility. “All I care about is if the ten guys in front of me are happy,” said Holden. 

Holden’s routine differs from his teammates’ given his special role on the team. “Usually it's about 7:30 AM when we have to be in the locker room. We eat, get to the training room, stretch, and roll out. Just get ready for practice,” he explained. “The goalies get to do our own thing in a corner of the field with our own goal, which is super fun because we get to try to score goals on one another and make some saves.” Typically, the guys have games on Tuesdays and Fridays throughout the season. That leaves Monday and Thursday for game preparation days, Wednesdays and Saturdays for  lighter “reserve” practices, and Sundays off. Holden does not shy away from the pace. “The season is super busy and making sure we are on top of our game is important.” 

The Men's Soccer team is currently 8-4-1 this season with a 4-1-1 conference record. They have notable wins over ranked Syracuse, Pitt, and Clemson. The Hoos have only three matches left in the regular season before the ACC tournament starts on November 1. Holden is proud of the performance his team has put up against out-of-conference opponents and is also looking forward to the second half of his season. “The back half of our season is when we really pick it up pretty consistently, which I'm excited for,” he said. Holden has shut out six opponents this season, including Duke, ranked number two in the nation. 

“Everyone on the team is super hard-working,” said Holden, “arriving early to practice and staying late is usual.” Holden also emphasized the value of trust in the team. “For our coaching staff, trust is massive. If they trust you, then you know you are on the right path,” he said. Holden has formed an interesting bond with the coaches as he joined the team in the midst of a COVID-19 season. “My first year, we had two seasons. We had a fall and a spring,” he explained. He had no off-season that year which left him with little time for typical out-of-season skills practices. “The first semester I was given to really develop that relationship with Coach George was really good,” Holden said. 

When Holden isn’t on the field, he enjoys spending his time making art. This passion started in high school when he was the teacher assistant to the art teacher. At first, Holden kept this quiet. “I didn't tell a soul. I  just did my thing and honestly, the stuff I was making was probably pretty bad.” During COVID, Holden started expanding his passion into other mediums like photography and painting. “I would go outside and go on hikes and take pictures. I thought that was really cool,” he said. “Then, when I came to college, I had accumulated a ton of my paintings so I just decorated my entire dorm room with them,” said Holden. Word started to get around about Holden's talents and he was actually able to start selling his artwork to fellow students around Grounds. Sculpture and ceramics are Holden's favorite mediums and eventually, he would love to open his own art gallery. “Art is just my escape,” he said, “it's something completely different than the athletic performance that I can do.” For right now, Holden runs a personal art account on Instagram featuring many of his creations. He said, “Outside of soccer, my ambitions have always been focused on creativity.” 

You can explore Holden’s artwork on his Instagram account @hb_things and follow along with his soccer journey at @holdenbrown10.