Penn State Women’s Soccer Gains New Appreciation for Competitive Excellence Alongside Adaptive AthleticsPenn State Women’s Soccer Gains New Appreciation for Competitive Excellence Alongside Adaptive Athletics

Penn State Women’s Soccer Gains New Appreciation for Competitive Excellence Alongside Adaptive Athletics

Author Michael Giorgianni

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Hard work is a defining quality of every team at Penn State. 

As the Penn State women’s soccer team learned, Adaptive Athletics redefines the term. 

Following a two-hour training session on a uniquely warm October afternoon in Happy Valley, the program welcomed four members of Adaptive Athletics to the training pitches behind Jeffrey Field. Hannah Jordan, a sophomore defender for the Nittany Lions, led the charge in getting the two teams together. 

Jordan learned about Adaptive Athletics this past summer through the Rise Above fundraiser benefiting the program. Through the event, she discovered adaptive athletics as a pathway to athletic achievement for those with physical challenges. The members of the program discussed their inspiring journeys and the passion they have for continuing to break barriers in the sports world when they easily could stay on the sidelines. 

Fast forward to this fall, Jordan and her teammates huddled around the world-renowned athletes to learn their stories. The team heard from Jack Cunningham, Lucas Resch, Esther-Faith Henn and Angel Guzman, all of whom compete at the highest level while at Penn State. 

On the experience, Jordan said, “Meeting the adaptive athletes was special and eye-opening. They all have such great attitudes and true passion for what they do. It's amazing that no matter the number of times they have been told no, they do not let it define them or make excuses.”

Adaptive Athletics Story Photos

Cunningham, Resch, Henn and Guzman are some of the top adaptive athletes at the collegiate level. Cunningham is a quadruple gold medalist and 400m national champion at the 2026 Toyota USATF Nationals. Resch is another national champion as he earned gold in the shot put at the same event. Guzman is also a gold medalist in sled hockey while Henn is a double silver medalist. 

Their level of success in the face of adversity inspired the women’s soccer student-athletes and staff, who are among the best in their own right, proving to be the foundation of a connection between the two programs.  

Freshman goalkeeper Lily Selvy said, “Getting to learn more about Adaptive Athletics was fascinating. It’s always a pleasure to meet others who enjoy the grind just as much as us." 

Brenna O’Connor, Director of the Adaptive Athletics Program, has seen immense growth in the team at Penn State. As she oversees the program, she continues to find ways to connect her group with the varsity sports on campus.  

“Knowing that others are cheering for you goes a long way and it is encouraging,” O’Connor said. “They can relate with one another and know that they understand each other in terms of the demands of being college student-athletes.” 

After the introductory session, the student-athletes spoke to Cunningham, Resch, Henn and Guzman in breakout groups. After 10-15 minutes of exchanging phone numbers and discussing each other’s journeys to athletic excellence, the team gave the adaptive athletes an unprompted tour of the new Jeffrey Field Soccer Complex from the locker room to the weight room. 

“It allowed us to be seen as fellow athletes, which has been hard due to our program being so new,” Cunningham said. “It is great to be able to make these connections between teams because it allows us to feel more like one big Penn State family all competing for the same goal!” 

As Penn State looks to capture its 12th Big Ten regular season championship and 20th consecutive NCAA Tournament berth under the direction of head coach Erica Dambach, the program continues to find new inspirations on and off the pitch that motivate the group to reflect on what hard work truly looks like. 

Dambach said, “We were honored to host Adaptive Athletics after our training. Our team was able to gain a new perspective on the meaning of hard work and dedication that motivated all of us to push even harder to achieve our own goals.” 

For a program that always strives for more, learning the stories of Adaptive Athletics adds an extra layer of motivation for one of the top women’s soccer programs in the country. 

"Perspective is a powerful thing and I think our team really gained a lot from meeting these athletes that embody hard work,” Jordan said.