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Hardworking Hartman driven to success
By JOHN MARSHALL
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—Kevin Hartman frog hops over the makeshift crossbar, snares a shot inches from his face and circles back, repeating the drill dozens of times, chest heaving and quads burning by the time he’s done.
Seconds later, Hartman’s on his back, catching and tossing soccer balls back to his coach like a hyperactive catapult. Next, he’s over on the field for a scrimmage, hurling himself at shots as if he were playing for the MLS Cup.
First on the practice field, last to leave, never letting up for a second in between, Hartman has used perseverance to earn nearly every major goaltending record in Major League Soccer and become a role model for his Kansas City Wizards teammates.
“Kevin’s always had a good work ethic,” said Seattle Sounders coach Sigi Schmid, Hartman’s coach at UCLA and with the Los Angeles Galaxy from 1999-2004. “His work ethic was very good when he was younger and it’s something he’s maintained over all these years. That’s allowed him to stay at the high level he has for all these years.”
Hartman grew up in Virginia watching Tony Meola, a former University of Virginia goalie who went on to star in MLS and for the U.S. national team. He watched Meola play his first game with the national team and one day hoped to follow his footsteps.
It wasn’t an easy road.
When Hartman arrived at UCLA, he didn’t come in as the starter, had to earn the job. After finishing his college career at Cal State-Dominguez Hills, he wasn’t invited to the MLS draft combine and had to beat out a field of 100 goalies to get a chance. Even in his first year in the league Hartman had fight his way into the starting lineup after being stuck behind Jorge Campos.
Now, he’s passing Meola in the record books.
Hartman entered his 13th season as the league leader in career wins with 138 and shutouts with 77. With four saves against Colorado on Saturday, he became the MLS career leader in saves with 1,139—three more than Meola.
Meola needed one less season to set the record, and didn’t have the benefit of playing behind defenses like Hartman has had in Los Angeles. No matter how long it took, Hartman is thrilled to pass the guy he looked up to for so long.
“To be able to play for as long as I have, play as many games as I have is something I take pride in,” Hartman said. “To take the record from someone who I really have so much respect for really means a lot. I really do relish the record.”
Hartman has always been blessed with good reflexes; he earned the nickname “El Gato” in Los Angeles because of his catlike movements in the box. He had a shutout in his MLS debut in 1997 and two years later became the first goalie to have a goals-against average 1.00 (0.91) or less, doing it again the next season.
Hartman also helped the Galaxy win the MLS Cup twice and was named the league’s goaltender of the year in 1999.
What allowed “El Gato” to sustain a high level throughout his 13-year career is a voracious need to be better than everyone else. Whether it’s a game, scrimmage or drill, Hartman attacks as if it were the last time he’ll ever play soccer.
He helped Los Angeles win its first MLS Cup in 2002 despite a broken wrist and has played every minute each of the past two seasons for Kansas City. When the Wizards coaching staff recommended he slim down before the 2008 season, Hartman changed his diet—no more cookies, ice cream or pizza—hit the gym and went into training camp 15 pounds lighter.
At 34, he’s as fit as ever and still pushes himself to the point of exhaustion to make himself better. He’s even got that same bleached-blond, spiky hairdo he had back the SoCal days.
“He’s got an unbelievable competitive spirit and I still think that’s probably his best quality,” Wizards coach Curt Onalfo said. “He has a drive to win and that drive keeps him in starting lineups, keeps him consistently playing and positioned himself to be in this situation where he’s breaking all these records.”
Positioning on the field has helped, too.
In the early years, Hartman’s reflexes allowed him to make highlight-reel saves, sprawling out on the field like a circus performer.
But goalkeeping is a unique position.
Position players typically hit their prime before 30, when their legs still have some juice left. Goalies are usually at their best a little later in their careers, when they have a better grasp of positioning, where the action will flow.
Hartman has been a prime example. There are still times when it seems like he could snatch a flying bird from the sky, but most of Hartman’s saves are now much more routine because he knows where to be on the field.
“Because of positioning and the angles you take on shots, you look less spectacular because you make less dives and spectacular-looking saves, but that’s because your positioning is better,” Schmid said. “Kevin has improved in his positioning, the angles that he takes and saved himself some work.”
All that means is Hartman is more efficient. It’s not going to get him to stop working.
Part of it is selfish. He wants to keep playing, still wants to be one of the best goaltenders in the league.
But Hartman also knows the younger players are watching.
Since arriving in Kansas City two years ago, Hartman has spent extra time mentoring the Wizards’ young keepers, offering them technical advice on the practice field, encouragement in the locker room. He may want to coach after his playing days are over and teaching now is a way to take that step.
More than that, though, Hartman wants the game he loves to keep progressing in the United States. He wants the next generation of keepers to carry on the tradition he and goalies like Meola set.
“I think that passion I show day in and day out is something they’re going to have to match if they’re going to be successful,” Hartman said. “Sometimes it’s talk, but sometimes it’s just the way I play and hopefully they can see what they need to do. I’m going to stay out and work extra, so hopefully they’ll be out there with me.”
Even if they aren’t, don’t expect Hartman to back down anytime soon
