SIDNEY AND LASHON WOOLDRIDGE: THE STRUGGLE WE TAKE WITH PRIDE
For goalie Sidney Wooldridge and her mom, LaShon, soccer is more than a game: It’s a journey of resilience, representation, and opportunity. A high school senior at Girls Academic Leadership Academy, Sidney plays for both her school’s soccer team as well as the United SoCal club, which is managed by LaShon. The club team–previously known as Legends United–may have made history as the first all-African American squad to clinch the AYSO 12U National Games Championship in 2019, but the records aren’t entirely clear as to whether or not that had been done before. For United SoCal and many others, this lack of recordkeeping underscores the wider lack of diversity in the sport. Navigating the landscape alongside her daughter, LaShon has been instrumental in guiding the girls through the often exclusive and almost always expensive club soccer system, advocating for access to both athletic and academic resources.
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In this conversation, Sidney and LaShon reflect on their team’s historic win, where the team stands now, the challenges of diversity in club soccer, and the critical role ACCESS U plays in helping young athletes reach the next level–both on and off the field.
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Read full interview below.
Q: Back in 2019, your club team became one of the first all-African American teams to win the AYSO 12U national games championship. How did that feel at the time? What are your thoughts now–have your emotions changed in hindsight?​
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A (Sidney): Back then, it felt really good! It was the best ending to our season as well because we hadn’t lost any games and had won every tournament that we played. So this was kind of like the cherry on top. I also think it was a moment of proving people [who underestimated us] wrong, showing that we could be–and, we were–the best out there.
Now, though, it actually doesn’t feel the same way. I think because our team’s development didn’t go as we thought it would. Our accomplishment doesn’t feel as it did before because we aren’t with the same people, celebrating and growing together. . While the core of the team has stayed the same [over the years], we aren’t with the same exact teammates from when we first started. We still have a great bond, but it feels different.
A (LaShon): To Sidney’s point about the team changing, I think some parents get too caught up in what they think they know, or trying to get ahead. They put too much emphasis on certain things and don’t always realize the importance of advocacy: no matter what platform they play on, if you don’t have someone advocating for your child, nothing is going to happen for them. . . And, with the tools we [So Cal United] provide through ACCESS U–as far as educational resources–no other team has done that. . . You know, because club soccer is a pay-to-play system; very few people in our community are going to [navigate that well enough] to get to that next collegiate level. I’m very grateful for the support–and thankful to be able to provide support–for the girls in our community that they otherwise wouldn’t have been afforded.
Q: Speaking of the club soccer landscape, how do you feel about the (lack of) diversity as it relates to both socioeconomic status and racial identity, as one of the only all Black and African American teams?
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A (LaShon): It is a struggle, but it is a struggle that we take with pride. It is very important for the girls in our community to play alongside kids who look like them. Although the world doesn’t always look like them, there is a real comfort in being together and being able to go through the same things. For instance, there’s often a lot of prejudice when we go out on the field just as a team. There are parents who adult-ify our children and say things they would not say to another young child. . . Just in the last couple of seasons, we have had incidents with racial slurs against our players. . . But, as always, our community rallied behind us and showed up for our girls. So there’s solidarity in the unity: being on a team that looks like you, with coaches that look like you, gives you a sort of pride and knowledge that we’re all going through this together. It may be bad at times, but it doesn’t seem as bad when you’re experiencing it together.
A (Sidney): Playing around people who look like me is comforting; it’s a safe space for me as well. Being out there–not seeing other teams that look like us–makes our team feel more special. And, it creates a tighter bond than what I think other teams have experienced because they don’t go through what we go through. Growing up in that, it turned into a space of comfort for me, where I can express myself.
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Q: What’s the impact of that feeling–both for your team and for your opponents?
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A (LaShon): It’s funny because we go out to tournaments, and sometimes other teams come to cheer for us because no one looks like us–parents have told me that they brought their kids to watch us play because they don’t have teams ‘like us’ at home. It is a shame in America; we should not be one of the few teams that look like we do.
Really, it’s just a soccer team. But when you’re a team of all-color, it looks totally different. It’s so important for our girls to have a sense of self and a sense of community – especially in this climate – so they can know how to navigate the world. You can change your looks, but not the color of your skin. [We hope] to help them be proud of who they are and where they come from. Plus community is a very important aspect of being able to navigate this world.
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Q: Why do you think there are so few kids of color on club soccer teams?
A (LaShon): Well, club soccer is different from other club sports–maybe baseball is closest as far as diversity on the team. It is a pay-to-play system, and they have outpriced our communities, especially for parents who have more than one child. Between travel, uniforms, just logistical things like that, it’s a big expense. If you look at other communities, [some have] been able to pull together to create their own clubs that aren’t as expensive. They make it affordable for their children to play, but they don’t always focus on the second piece that gets them to the next level: the academic piece.
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​Q: So how do you and United SoCal focus on that second, academic piece?
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A (LaShon): Through ACCESS U: They have been excellent on the academic side. The support they have provided is invaluable, especially the flexibility of everything. For the girls to be able to have SAT prep on their time (and not have to miss games or practice), to get tutoring that is geared around their schedule–it’s been so helpful.
On the college recruitment side, I brought Lindsey Huie, midfielder for the LA Galaxy and founder of college mentoring company GRITNESS, to ACCESS U; and now ACCESS U covers the costs of those services for our girls. She helps our girls formulate our letters, helps them do emails and texts, so many of those details that we really rely on her for. As ACCESS U grows and expands in that space for girls’ recruitment, I think it will continue to be an asset to our community.
A (Sidney): I think ACCESS U definitely helps create opportunities for athletes like me. The biggest difference was how they adjusted to my schedule. Most of the [preparatory] programs I want to do require me to work on their time and their schedule, but with ACCESS U, it’s the other way around. I don’t have to stress about missing practice or tournaments to get academic help; I can do both. It feels like a unique opportunity, and it has allowed me to be more successful because I don’t have to choose.
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Q: In light of all of that academic prep and tutoring, how are you feeling about the current recruitment process and college next year?
A (Sidney): Starting off was a little difficult, but I’d say it’s gotten a little easier. I’ve been on a couple of campus visits, which helps me see myself at those schools and evaluate if it’s the right fit for me. Right now, I’m keeping my options open to see all of the opportunities that come my way. I do sometimes feel like I’m behind, but I’m trying to remember to still enjoy myself because it is my senior year. And I’m doing my best to finish out strong.
A (LaShon): It is tiring; it is daunting. I wouldn’t have been able to do this without Lindsey Huie: I didn’t know anything about the best way to formulate emails, how to give Sidney advice on what clips to put together, which tags to put on what photos… and Google only helps so much. I know different parents are able to pay people to do this, but I don’t know where we’d be without Lindsey, who has been so good. I do wish we had started earlier, but you don’t know until you know. I think Sidney will end up wherever she’s supposed to be, but it is a difficult process. And with so many things changing out there–like new rules for DI schools, junior college no longer counting against eligibility–it will change the landscape of recruiting. Everyone needs as many resources and as much guidance as they can get. I’m so thankful for the support we have received.
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