Character and classܬthe embodiment of what an athlete should be. Going to class, attending study hall, being at practice, attending meetings on time and showing respect for everyone you meet.
These are the little things that often go overlooked. For Mississippi State senior midfielder/forward Betty Ann Casey, it’s simply her way of life.
“Learning to do the little things off the field is hard [for some people], but when you get in the habit of doing them the right way everything on the field takes care of itself,” Casey said.
Growing up a kid with a love for the game, Casey could always see herself surrounded by it, whether it was playing in the yard with friends and family, or playing club soccer from childhood till now. She has even found new avenues to explore the game she loves so much.
“I coach youth soccer in Starkville,” she said. “It’s a way for me to give back what I have gotten from the game. It also allows me to be around something I love so much.”
While she spends her time helping others learn the game, Casey is no stranger to the hard work it takes to be a successful player. Described by a few of her teammates as relentless and determined, Casey does what it takes to get the job done.
“Betty Ann is as strong an athlete as you’re going to find in the SEC,” MSU head coach Neil MacDonald said. “She has worked hard on her game and is really our major offensive threat. When she’s on, she is impossible to stop.”
Recruitment with honesty and Southern hospitality is what she credits landing her at MSU. While going through the recruiting process years ago, Starkville’s and MSU’s charm and an overall warming feel is all it took for this soccer star to fall in love and feel right at home.
“My recruiter here at State was amazing. They showed me around and never made me feel unwanted. Everyone I met was warm and open and presented themselves with unbelievable Southern hospitality,” Casey said.
While most people only see her as a player for the soccer team, her character is an important factor of who she is and strives to be. Always smiling and joking around with her teammates and friends makes her unique, and associates a personality with what most people would normally just see as an athlete.
With all possible legacies she looks to leave behind here at MSU, the most prevalent of them seems to be her sense of humor.
“When my career is over what would I like to leave behind? I would say goals, but there hasn’t been very many this season,” she said jokingly. “I would have to say that my lasting legacy here and among my teammates and I would be an inside joke we share. It is long and hard to explain, and all I can really say is eight mile.”