Maryland Made: Faith Luckey reflects on inaugural NCAA Legacy Lab

Maryland women’s soccer goalkeeper Faith Luckey partook in the inaugural NCAA Legacy Lab this past weekend in Indianapolis, Indiana. 

The four-day program focused on helping student-athletes explore entrepreneurship while still in college. Luckey qualified for the event with her solid academic standing and gained mentorship and knowledge that will prepare her for life after sports.

Luckey reflected on her time in the NCAA Legacy Lab after returning to College Park:

Q: What did “legacy” mean to you before attending the NCAA Legacy Lab and how did the experience challenge or expand that definition?

Luckey: Before attending the NCAA Legacy Lab, I thought legacy was something you left behind after your career, as well as helping youths throughout their journeys. This experience taught me that legacy is built through daily intention, leadership, and the way you impact others right now. I now see my role as a student-athlete not just as performance-based, but as a platform to lead, advocate, and create ever-lasting change.

Q: What was a session, workshop, or speaker that impacted you?

Luckey: One speaker, Jeremiah Brown, said something that has already stuck with me: “Turn pain into passion, passion into purpose”. That statement shifted my perspective by reminding me that challenges are not setbacks, but foundations for impact. It reinforced that my experiences can be transformed into meaningful leadership and long-term influence in sports, and even life beyond sports.

Q: What was a meaningful conversation you had?

Luckey: A meaningful conversation I had was with another student-athlete, who spoke about navigating identity while competing at a high level. We talked about the pressure to perform while also trying to figure out who we are outside of our sport. That conversation surprised me because it reminded me how universal that struggle is. No matter the school or sport, we are all balancing performance with purpose.

Q: What was a moment that shifted your perspective?

Luckey: A moment that shifted my perspective was realizing that pursuing law in sports isn’t just about becoming successful, but also becoming responsible. During a discussion about athlete rights and long-term protection, I began to see sport agency and law as more than contracts and negotiations. I saw it as a way to safeguard athletes’ futures, especially in moments when they may not fully understand the power dynamics around them. It helped me to reflect on the kind of attorney and agent I want to be: I want to be known as someone who prioritizes education, transparency, and advocacy over profit or prestige.

Q: How did this experience shape the way you see yourself in sports?

Luckey: This experience strengthened my leadership confidence. I’ve always considered myself driven, but the NCAA Legacy Lab helped me see leadership as service rather than status. Leadership is not about being the loudest voice, it’s about using your voice with intention and leaving a positive impact. It also made me reflect deeply on identity. Being biracial and moving from Arizona to Maryland expanded my understanding of who I am. This weekend helped me to reinforce that identity is not something to compartmentalize; it’s something to lead with. My background, perspective, and lived experiences are strengths in the sports industry, especially in representation and advocacy.

Q: What did you learn about impact beyond a job title?

Luckey: I gained clarity about my career direction. I want to become a sports agent and attend law school. Speaking with Jackson Marcotte, he helped me to gain clarity on the steps and direction for my aspiring career. Networking also took on a new meaning. It’s not about collecting contacts, but understanding your value to help build genuine relationships rooted in shared values. 

Q: How will you apply what you learned on your campus or in your career?

Luckey: Moving forward, I will apply what I learned by being more intentional in how I lead on campus. That means mentoring younger athletes, speaking up in rooms where representation matters, and building community instead of competition. In my future career, I will prioritize advocacy, identity, and integrity. My legacy will not be defined by accolades, but rather defined by how many doors I help open for others.

Q: What will you take away from the NCAA Legacy Lab?

Luckey: Because of the NCAA Legacy Lab, I now understand that legacy is not something I will leave behind one day; it’s something I am building right now, in every conversation, every decision, and every opportunity to lead. These connections I made over these last four days weren’t transactional, they were transformational!

Maryland Made’s Adaeze Alaeze-Garbo shared the Maryland Athletic Department’s excitement on Luckey’s weekend, and voiced Maryland Made’s support with her statement:

"We are so proud of Faith being selected as an inaugural cohort member for the NCAA Legacy Lab. Faith has been invested in her professional development to ensure she continues to set herself up for success post her collegiate soccer experience! She is a great representation of a student-athlete capitalizing on opportunities within Maryland Made."