
Over the past 20 years, playing soccer from youth league to professional level, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world. Location, culture, and people always change, but two things unfortunately stayed the same: diversity within the sport, and a lack of recognition for the women’s game.
My answer to all of that? I made it my mission to create a space that not only gave visibility to young women and non-binary athletes of color, but also created an opportunity for them to change their lives, career trajectories, and paths of success through Football For Her.
Q: Our World Cup-Inspired Collection, Written in the Stars, celebrates how we're all a part of the constellation of change. Just like the stars are visible beacons of inspiration, so too are our mentors and role models. Who is your mentor or role model? How did they blaze the trail for you?
A: My inspiration comes from my family… I take great pride in my roots and my culture. My mom and sisters have always been my role models — I’ve idolized my strong, independent, compassionate, hard-working mother since birth. Being raised by someone who sets such an incredible example has undoubtedly led me to my success as a professional athlete and now business owner.
My father is also amazing; he made sure I was set up for success in whatever way he could, with very minimal resources. He sacrificed everything—gave up his personal life, stretched his pockets beyond their own reach, and showed me how important it is to be present in your kids’ lives and supportive of who they want to be.
Having such a strong support system fuels my need to be that for the kids in Football For Her. I want them to know what it’s like to have role models that look like them, and I want them to feel that they can do anything they set their minds to. I especially want them to know I’m in their corner, cheering for them every step of the way, just like my family has done for me my entire life.
We’ve received countless messages and emails thanking us for being their “safe place” or “positive space.”
We had a guardian disclose that one of our participants was in a very toxic, negative atmosphere with her coach who told her she was overweight and made comments about her 11-year-old body—which translated to our participant cutting back on food at home. She relayed that she only saw joy from her daughter when participating in our Friday night program, and thanked us for providing something positive for her daughters and her community.
A guardian has mentioned that he’s thankful for our program because his daughters are usually the only athletes of color on their teams and it’s nice to have a space where they can play alongside other athletes that look like them. Their daughters have also expressed how they did not know that soccer could bring them all the opportunities that they have seen through Football For Her.
"We need more spaces where girls and non-binary people feel safe to express themselves—and be themselves—through sport.
The status quo leans white, male, wealthy. Football For Her fights for the equality of people who cannot check those boxes."
We need more spaces where girls and non-binary people feel safe to express themselves—and be themselves—through sport. The status quo leans white, male, wealthy. Football For Her fights for the equality of people who cannot check those boxes.