Dayton, Ohio. Colorado Springs, Colo. Mojave Desert, Calif. Rhode Island. San Pedro, Calif. Alabama. Virginia. San Pedro again.
Culture shocks. East Coast, West Coast.
Ten months here, ten months there.
Welcome to Kelly Baird’s childhood.
The Oregon senior defender grew up in the nomadic lifestyle of a military family and found a constant in her life through the game of soccer.
On two separate occasions and several years apart, she found herself living in San Pedro. While she said she would remember the people by face, it was impossible to remember any names.
“It was tough,” Baird said. “But at the same time, soccer was the thing that never really changed. The game is the same everywhere.”
While soccer was one of the few constants in her life, it was not always a positive experience. Being forced to routinely change teams presented its own unique challenges.
“(Soccer) meant a lot, but it
was also a hard thing,” Baird said. “Because club teams are getting
progressively more (exclusive), where you have this group of 20 girls and they move from one level to
the next, trying to break in and get your spot is a lot (to handle) mentally. It makes you question whether you really want to do it.”
But breaking in was always necessary for Baird and she continued to adapt. She learned to just go with the flow.
“I tend to sit back at first and watch,” Baird said of feeling out a new team. “But once I’m comfortable, I’m fine and in my own element.”
What that element is depends on what she is preparing for. Before a match, Baird assumes the role of the focused, quiet player lost in her own world.
“Before (a game), I like to put
my headphones on, listen to a
little music and be by myself,” Baird said. “(I also) picture things in
my head, like hitting a girl hard or
a tackle and then I build off of
everyone else’s energy in the
locker room.”
Outside soccer, Baird is described as a great friend with, as teammate Christine Mintz describes, a weird sense of humor.
“A freshman told me that ‘you’re a lot nicer off the field than on the field,’” Baird said. “(Normally) I’m just laughing and having a good time, but once I get on the field, it’s a whole different story. So, a lot of things that I’ll put up with off the field, I don’t on the field.”
That mentality has transformed Baird into one of the strongest defenders on the Duck squad. Baird and Mintz routinely draw the assignment of covering some of the best players in the country.
Her career numbers at Oregon — 17 shots, eight shots on goal, two goals and one assist — do little to speak of the contribution she brings to the team.
“Teammates look to her to be calm and composed,” Oregon head coach Bill Steffen said. “Kelly is a key leader for us defensively and a calming presence in the back.”
Her strength in the back extends
to many aspects of her life. Baird
has endured a number of injuries
in her Duck career. The biggest came when she dislocated an ankle during the first minute of the Ducks’ 2004 spring game, an injury that required three screws to be inserted into
her ankle.
“Everybody has injuries over the season,” Steffen said. “But she has overcome every one. She worked hard on her rehab and that earns her respect from her teammates.”
A true teammate in every sense, Baird is quick to return that respect.
“Every game we’ve won, every game we’ve lost, they’ve been there,” Baird said. “It sounds almost corny, but at the same time it’s who you have at your side day in and day out.”
Mintz agrees.
“When you move around a lot, it’s always nice to have a team to fall back on,” Mintz said. “It’s always a stabilizing force.”
Soccer has provided not only friends and opportunity for Baird, but has been a showcase for her strength as an individual.

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