LYNN HAVEN — As a young soccer player, Taylor Hallmon’s vision was to some day compete for Florida State University.
The reigning NCAA national champion always was her preference.
That focus has changed. Expanded, was the term Hallmon used.
The Mosley High School standout recently was selected for development with the U.S. Under-18 Women’s National Team becoming the first male or female soccer player from Bay County to achieve such an honor.
“Growing up, my goal always was to play at Florida State, it wasn’t to be on a national team,” Hallmon said Monday. “As these things are popping up it’s such an honor. My goals are changing.”
Hallmon’s elevation to such an elite status actually is a culmination of a number of years pursuing her sport at the highest possible level. In addition to competing for Mosley, she spent time in the Olympic Development Program, first earning status on a state team, then for Region III.
According to Hallmon’s father, Darrell, players are scouted by officials of U.S. women’s soccer at certain regional events.
“They identify the kids that fit the mold of what they’re looking for,” Darrell said.
Taylor was seen at a regional event in Boca Raton in November.
“I know I was one of eight girls they were looking at,” Taylor said. “April Heinrichs (U.S. Soccer Women’s Technical Director) called my club coach about a camp they were having in December. It came down to me and another girl from North Carolina, and they picked the other girl.
“I wanted to show them that they picked the wrong girl when they watched me in a tournament over Christmas Break.”
Evidently, the hierarchy of U.S. women’s soccer was convinced.
Taylor stressed that the 18U roster changes with every camp and there are no guarantees players automatically get called back. Having recently celebrated her 17th birthday as a junior at Mosley, Hallmon plans to graduate early in December and enroll at FSU in January, 2016.
She already will have missed FSU’s 2015 soccer season which concludes late in the fall, and won’t be eligible to compete for Mosley as a senior because of early graduation.
That doesn’t mean she will be idle by any means, as she described a hectic schedule of national and international travel.
It begins in two weeks at a team tournament in Texas, includes competing in Italy April 1-10 with the Region III developmental team, April 19-27 at a national team camp in California, training for a few weeks at an academy in Japan run by a former FSU coach, then a tournament in Seattle at the end of June, another national camp in July and possibly international competition beginning in the early fall.
Hallmon is in training year-round, but said that her regimen has been such for some time. And don’t think for a moment that Florida State doesn’t remain in the forefront of her plans.
“The Florida State coaches are very excited for me and have encouraged me,” Taylor said. “I’m real excited to get to Florida State and train and have them develop my abilities even more.”
Hallmon is quick to recognize the role that playing for an elite club team in Atlanta, the Concorde Fire, played in her development. She also acknowledged the support of her family.
“That definitely opened up so many opportunities, so many different doors with Coach Brian Moore,” Taylor said of the Atlanta club. “And absolutely my family’s selflessness.”
Darrell Hallmon estimated that family members travel 40-50,000 miles a year pursuing the soccer aspirations of two daughters, not just Taylor.
“Probably 25,000 miles,” he said for Taylor’s events. “Yesterday we drove to Atlanta, she trained, then we drove home.
“Bay United is a wonderful club, but in talking to college coaches, you need to play at a higher level at a lot of weekend events to cause your game to grow. We told her there were sacrifices you’re going to have to make … the social events. Those take a backseat, and she’s had no problem with it.”
Neither has academics been overlooked, Taylor currently taking seven classes to accelerate her progress toward graduation.
Taylor found time to score 14 goals and accumulate 10 assists as Mosley advanced within one victory of the state semifinals this past season.
“Her quality is she can do everything, play at many different positions,” Dolphins coach Marek Betkowski said. “Wherever you put her she can do it.”
Said Taylor, “I loved playing for Mosley. So many girls I played with since we were 8 or 9 years old. Now they’re all going off to different places.”
Quite possibly, Taylor Hallmon’s itinerary will include the most exotic locales of all.