Freshman Sydney Spotts started playing soccer around the age of six and since then, she has played with three different clubs, along with her recently beginning to play for the girls varsity team at La Salle. 

Spotts became interested in soccer after trying out multiple sports such as tap dance, ballet, and T-ball, and finally settling on soccer after watching her brother play.

She started playing with Eastside, later on playing for the Olympic Development Program, and eventually the Portland Thorns Academy, who she still plays for now. 

Spotts recently started playing varsity soccer at La Salle and said that she originally didn’t think she would make the team. 

“It was really cool,” she said when reflecting on making varsity. “I felt good about myself and…  I feel like I gained some confidence from that, and I feel because the girls are so good on varsity, they’re just so good… it’ll really help me push myself to maybe do better.” 

Spotts plays as a forward and sometimes midfield. Thinking ahead, soccer is the only sport Spotts anticipates playing at La Salle. She said that she is considering basketball, but is still unsure, as she doesn’t know what the season would look like due to COVID-19. 

The most challenging thing about soccer for Spotts is her confidence. “I tend to think that other people will know [me] better than I know myself and I try to always… please others on the field,” she said. “I could have an open shot, but I choose to pass to somebody else because I think they’re right to try to score for themselves, but in my coach’s mind or my coach’s eyes, I should have taken the shot.”

To build her confidence on the field, Spotts practices things on her own at the field near her house. “I’ll go to that goal and turn and shoot 40 times, 50 times—as much as it takes sometimes—[just] to get that shot down,” she said. 

Spotts practices every Monday and Wednesday with the varsity team, playing games on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Additionally, she trains every Saturday and occasionally on Sunday.

Spotts said that her favorite thing about playing soccer is assisting goals and the friendships she has made. “I love to see when my teammates score,” she said. “I find that really fun. You really feel [fulfilled] when you participate in something like that.” 

A goal Spotts has for the future is to improve as a player and focus on her touch. “I want to get really good at technical work,” she said. “I think it would be really fun to pass and move good and all that stuff.”

Spotts said that her biggest inspiration is her dad. “He’s an ER nurse and he works day and night, all the time,” she said. “He’ll be up at 4 a.m. work till 10:30 at night… If [he] can do that for my family, what’s stopping me from doing this for my team—scoring [and] helping people out.” 

Spotts has traveled to Washington, Colorado, California, Florida, Texas, and Utah to play soccer. “Some of the games for Thorns Academy, we would fly down for the weekend to play a team, sometimes two,” she said.

To pump herself up for games, Spotts said that she likes to listen to Lady Gaga, “Thunderstruck” by  AC/DC, “Kiss Me Deadly” by Lena Ford, “Still D.R.E” by Dr. Dre and Snoop Dog, and “Bust A Move” by Young MC.

Spotts encourages other athletes to “have fun,” she said. “If you’re not having fun, then you’re doing something wrong.”