2013 UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME MEN’S SOCCER
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIP
15-year Notre Dame faculty veteran. “That’s just evidence of how gifted, talented and hardworking he is.” Shipp’s favorite business classes also have included one entitled Behavioral Finance, a class that essentially negates, or amends, much of what the students have previously learned. “That class looks at psychological concepts to show how people choose things and why they do so. It explores case samples where things were not valued correctly and when markets were not perfect,” explains Shipp. “On one hand, you may study a financial textbook about choices people might make, but this class presents other external factors that might alter those choices. You come to understand why some choices may not seem rational, but they end up making sense. “I enjoy doing basic finance stuff, but I actually enjoy more learning about examples when the textbooks are wrong. In the real world, things are not perfect.”
FOLLOW THE LEADER Whether he realizes it or not, Shipp has been molding Hodan to follow in his footsteps. The younger Academic All-American and fellow Midwesterner plans to declare his major in finance. But possibly the most telling similarity between Shipp and Hodan can be seen in their awareness level and selflessness.
CONSIDER THIS ANECDOTAL EVIDENCE, PROVIDED BY NOTRE DAME’S ASSOCIATE HEAD COACH: “Harry not only serves the community off the field, but is a servant leader for his teammates by example,” says Craig. “After traveling back from elimination in the ACC tournament, from a game that felt like a defeat, both Harry and Patrick Hodan were found cleaning out the bus while everyone else was inside taking care of things. “Our top two players in points, both Academic All-Americans, quietly doing the dirty work for the team. It is this humility in life that gives Harry the drive to keep improving as a person and player, influencing our team attitude in everything we do.”
Hodan developed his academic skills over the years at St. John Vienney Elementary School and Marquette University High School. The son of a lawyer (Patrick, Sr.) and a former nurse, mom Kerry, the Hodan’s oldest child has two younger sisters, both athletes: Bridget, a gymnast who will compete next year at the University of Illinois, and Colleen, a ninth-grade track athlete specializing in short distances. If they are lucky, children can benefit from parents who give them attention on various levels, including academic discourse that often can be disguised as fun games. Such was the case in the Hodan household. “My parents always have placed an importance on education and my dad often would quiz me on capitals of countries and states. I got to the point where I knew quite a few of them,” says Patrick, Jr. “Sitting around the dinner table, my dad would bring up various current events and then suddenly blurt out a question like: `And what’s the capital of that country?’ “It was a great way to learn about the world while sharing the education process, even in a small way, with your family.” While primarily preferring math and science coursework during his youth, Hodan also developed an affinity for history and social studies. In fact, one of favorite classes at Notre Dame is non-business related, a history seminar entitled Lincoln in America. “Abraham Lincoln is one of my favorite historical figures and I’ve always been interested in politics” says Hodan. “I really enjoyed learning about how Lincoln progressed as a leader and how his childhood affected his politics and his views of slavery. He was very good with his maneuvering and very good tactically with the timing of different aspects of his administration.” Hodan, a product of the FC Milwaukee club program, shouldered a bigger-than-expected load with the Irish as a freshman in 2012, after preseason ACL injuries ended the collegiate careers of veteran flank midfielders Michael Rose and Adam Mena. The sophomore midfielder then took his game to another level this season, after looking to improve directly on his defense and fitness.
One of Hodan’s most noteworthy attributes is his ability on the ball, both dribbling and serving, as a natural leftfooted player. One would assume that he would be playing on the left flank rather than the right, and if Hodan indeed was on the right, then certainly the midfielder on the left would be another leftfooter, right? In actuality, the two midfielders who usually are playing on the left side for the Irish this season are a pair of rightfooted players, senior Leon Brown and Hodan’s fellow sophomore Evan Panken. Don’t worry, it’s by design. “We have our flank midfielders set up this way so that we can cut into our strong foot, so for me I play on the right but am cutting in with my left,” explains Hodan, who writes with his left but throws righthanded. “You are starting to see more teams go with this approach for positioning the flank midfielders, and it has worked well for us.”
TRAVELING ON A DIFFERENT PLANE Several of Shipp’s unique character traits, some of them almost “trademark” quality, have been referenced above. When you consider these elements, some of them quirky to be sure, and then take into account even further aspects of his personality, it seems as if … well, it kind of seems like the guy often is traveling on a different plane than the rest of us. “One thing I can say about Harry is that he is very comfortable in his own skin, not feeling any need to conform with what is popular or accepted,” says Kathleen Shipp, who certainly would qualify as an expert when it comes to her first-born child. “He also operates within a narrow emotional band, never too high or too low. “In soccer, Harry is competitive and confident for the team, yet unselfish and humble individually. He also has these instincts and a sense of intuition, whether it be in a social setting, academics or sports. Often, he can’t tell you exactly why he chose to do something. He just makes decisions and moves on, without second-guessing or regrets.” One such example occurred after Shipp made a verbal commitment to Notre Dame early in his