Player Spotlight, Kimberly!
When did you start playing soccer, why did you start playing? And when did you start with Girls Leading Girls?
I started playing soccer at the age of 6 and I started playing because when I was younger I would spend most of my weekends at the soccer field watching my dad play. I have been playing with GLG for about 2-3 years now.
What has soccer taught you about life or yourself?
Soccer has taught me how to be a leader, how to set goals for myself. It has helped me improve my communication skills and it has taught me how to constantly work in a team. Something soccer has taught me about myself is that if I push myself I can accomplish anything that I want to. For example, in Fall 2019 I had set up a goal for myself of at least scoring once in the whole season I ended up scoring 3 goals that season.
Do the USWNT players inspire you? If so, who is your favorite player and why?
Yes, the USWNT inspires me and many young female athletes. One player who is an inspiration and currently my favorite is Sofia Huerta although she doesn't play for the USWNT anymore. She is still an inspiration for me because she is Mexican-America, and seeing what she has accomplished makes me want to push myself to make my dreams come true and it also helps me see that if i work hard enough, i can accomplish anything.
Who are other woman role models who inspires you? Why?
My coaches inspire me the most because seeing what they have accomplished helps me be more open minded. They also inspire me because they understand what we go through as female athletes, and us female athletes need to stick together. My mother also inspires me because she wasn't given many opportunities in Mexico so she inspires me to take any opportunity put in my path.
Have you ever been or felt discriminated against on or off the soccer field because of your gender or race?
Yes, as a Hispanic female athlete I have felt discriminated against on and off the field because of my gender and race as well. For example, when I was on a different team (not on GLG) I had a game versus a team of girls that had lighter skin than the girls on my team, the referee was discriminating against us because of the color of our skin. Usually when there is a situation regarding my race or gender I just ignore it because I know that what others think of me doesn't make me or affect me because I know who I am.
How has being part of Girls Leading Girls helped you overcome a challenge? What was the challenge or adversity you faced?
Being part of GLG has helped me overcome any challenge put in front of my path, GLG has helped me have confidence in who I am. Some challenges I have faced are that I have been discriminated against because of my skin color but GLG has taught me not to care about what others think due to the support system that GLG provides whether it's my teammates support or my coaches support.
What do you think we need more of or less of right now in order to change the social injustices and racial inequality happening in the world?
I think something we need right now is having a positive outlook on people and not just listening to the stereotypes that are being thrown out there. The one thing we need the most right now is to come together as one to make a change because sticking together can make a larger impact than being individuals. We need to stand up against the things we know are wrong.
How else do you participate in Girls Leading Girls (junior coach, junior board, mentorship program) and how has that helped you with your goals and confidence?
I am a junior coach for GLG and that has helped me improve my leadership skills as well as giving me confidence to speak my mind. I love working with younger girls so junior coaching has really helped me start thinking about what I want to do in the future as a career.
