Meet Lake Highlands High School soccer’s Owen Faris

Soccer has been a constant fixture in Owen Faris’ life.

The Lake Highlands senior central midfielder was first

introduced to the game at just 3 years old, running up and down the pitches of the Moss Soccer Fields. Faris remembers dominating other youth teams with his friend Caleb Swann, who is now with FC Dallas.

The technical side of the game came fairly naturally to Faris, especially once he really started to fall in love with the game. What stood in the way of his early success was a fear of failure.

“Elementary school, I was like, deathly scared to make a mistake,” Faris says. “(I) make one mistake, and I’m in my head the rest of the game.”

Fear of failure is not uncommon in youth and high school athletics. In fact, 91% of high school competitors reported stress due to playing a sport, according to a study published in Health Psychology Research. Of these, 64% of respondents cited a fear of failure as a cause of stress.

Faris credits his father, a former soccer coach at Naaman Forest High School in Garland, with helping him overcome this mental block.

“Having him by my side, it allowed me to kind of get over that,” Faris says. “Whether it was what I wanted to hear or what I didn’t want to hear. He wasn’t afraid to tell me. But I think that was what I needed to push me over that little hump in my career.”

His father wasn’t the only influence in Faris’ growth. He also credits his club team’s coach, Solar Soccer Club’s David Hudgell, and Lake Highlands coach Tim Guinnee for his success.

“(Hudgell) was able to teach me the game like no one else has, and I’ve had a bunch of great coaches. But without him, I wouldn’t be where I am,” Faris says. “Before Hudgell, I was kind of at a point in club where I couldn’t see my future.”

“He was able to get me over it. It wasn’t easy at all. It was a struggle, and it took me some time to kind of adjust to his style and for me to be more coachable in that aspect of the game. (Being) able to just take some criticism on the chin and just use it, find a way to learn from it.”

Guinnee deserves a lot of credit, too, particularly for helping Faris develop as a leader. Faris, who is more apt to lead by example, attributes becoming more of a vocal leader to Guinnee’s unwavering support.

“Coach Guinnee has seen that and allowed me to use that ability,” Faris says. “I’m able to talk more, use my voice (and) verbally lead, rather than just leading by example.”

“He’s never turned away from me, and he’s always been there, had my back. (He’s) probably one of the most supportive coaches I’ve ever had, if not the most.”

Leading with his voice has become increasingly important, with an abdominal strain sidelining Faris for most of the Wildcats’ district play.

While he’s been in physical therapy, Faris has needed to shift his focus to impacting the game off the field.

“Owen’s maturity has always been there, even as a freshman,” Guinnee says. “Everybody still looks to him, as to, ‘Hey, what are we going to do with this?’ because when he is on the field, he is very much the leader on the field and how he goes, we go. Luckily for us, there’s five other kids that do the same.”

Guinnee and Faris have both lauded the team for helping pick up the slack since Faris’ injury. With so many leaders, someone is bound to step up. Faris, especially, has learned not to take his teammates or his health for granted.

“It’s a gutting feeling. And I think I’ve realized how grateful I am to be able to play the game,” Faris says. “So I think just the game’s awesome, and to be able to play soccer is just, in and of itself, it’s amazing.”

“Having people step up and to fill our positions and for us to have already clinched the playoffs says a lot about our team. And I think it’s important that we don’t take our team for granted either, and we just play for each other.”

Now, soccer has given Faris the opportunity to compete at the Division I level across the country. He officially committed to furthering his athletic career by signing with San Diego State last November.

That decision partially came down to a trip with his club team two years ago to San Diego. Faris remembers the late June sun, consistently beautiful weather, and being just a stone’s throw from the beach. It all felt perfect.

Helping further, that trip was when the Aztecs first started showing interest in Faris. From then on, San Diego State provided consistent communication, letting him know that playing on the West Coast could be a real possibility.

As with most high school athletes, Faris had to talk with his family first. His mom and dad helped to guide and support his decision, while his older brother, Will, provided some insight on the recruiting world.

Will Faris, who graduated from Lake Highlands in 2021, was the kicker for the Wildcats’ football team before playing Division I at Vanderbilt and later at University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio. Although there are notable differences between football and soccer recruiting, Owen kept in close contact with his brother throughout the process.

The nail in the coffin on Faris’ decision came down to the genuineness of the recruiting pitch.

“Talking to the coach, it didn’t feel as if they were trying to sell me,” Faris says. “It was almost like it was just a person talking to a person. It was a little bit more of a personable call, more than a business call.”

Faris knows he’s in for a challenge, but it’s one he is more than capable of taking on and succeeding in.

“It’s going to be a very hard first semester or first season, even,” Faris says. “So I think the best thing I can do is just look to other people for help, always find ways to learn, and really put my head down and work hard.”

Guinnee certainly has faith in Faris and knows that the San Diego State staff is in for a treat as he prepares to make the jump to college.

“He’s an amazing young man,” Guinnee says. “The things that I see in him – when he gets to college, he may be coming in kind of equal with several other players, but the little things he does will separate himself and put him above the other freshmen that are coming in. The coach will go, ‘Wow, I think we really found something here.’”

The joy of his future is not lost on Faris, who is happy every day to continue playing the game he loves. Hoping to join the ranks of professional soccer one day, he won’t take his connection with the sport for granted.

“I couldn’t see myself doing anything else,” Faris says. “I think about it a lot, like, ‘What would I be without soccer?’ Like, ‘Who would I be?’ Honestly, I find it hard to answer that question sometimes.”