We called ourselves the Ponytail Posse because that’s what the US women’s national team was about. The white girls next door. You want statistics to back that up? Barely more than a dozen female players of color have represented the United States at the highest level since 1991. Something is broken.

Some teammates believed there was a race issue within US Soccer. I recall a conversation with one player who told me she thought a coach had an issue with the color of her skin. She said she could feel it in her bones. She was the first person to tell me something like that but it opened my eyes. Others have since told me similar things.

Race was something most people on teams I played with didn’t want to talk about, though. Over most of my 20-year career I hadn’t realized how uncomfortable some teammates were around certain coaches or officials. Most players wanted to represent the US, to be at the Olympics or the World Cup, and they’re proud to be on the team. So they kept quiet. But those conversations with teammates who felt things were off, means race is an issue we need to discuss a whole lot more.

The numbers are very clear. We need more men and women of color to represent US national teams. So few players of color representing the USWNT means there are great athletes across the country we are ignoring. We need to open up the game to the whole nation – women and men. Imagine if the next LeBron James played soccer. But I don’t think we’re even looking for players in places like Akron, Ohio. That needs to change.

A lot of my close friends are scouts for US Soccer or development academy coaches so I see things from both sides. I know kids from underserved areas are invited to one-off try-outs but those scouts and coaches need to have a bigger presence in inner cities and rural communities. In my experience, scouts and coaches typically focus on the suburbs of big cities – usually where there is an MLS team – and wait for kids to come to them. That’s a reason you see a majority of white, upper middle-class, kids when you look at club teams, youth development academies, and Olympic development programs across America. There are some great kids in those programs but it is not the only way to find talent.

Obviously, there are a lot of different variables involved in establishing diversity. However, one thing that sticks out is how the US Soccer Federation, a non-profit organization, is sitting on more than $100m in surplus funds - money that should be reinvested in the game. The federation has got the professional side of the sport down - the national teams, the 2026 men’s World Cup, MLS, and the NWSL - but youth and amateur soccer is neglected. That $100m or so surplus should be going to development in inner cities, rural communities, and underrepresented communities. US Soccer - the federation - should not be about profits when communities are neglected.

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We talk about people of color when we speak about diversity but we also need to look at socio-economic diversity. When that gap is closed we will see a more accurate representation of the real America. I’m not exactly a role model for many women of color but I did come from a family that struggled financially. I kept my hopes and dreams of playing for the national team alive through dedication, hard work, and tenacity. I also had luck.

I was told that if I wanted a college scholarship or to try out for the US national team I had to drive to Seattle - which was almost five hours from my hometown in Washington state. My mom said flat out no way was that going to happen. But I was the lucky kid in a small town who through handouts, and scholarships, and going door-to-door doing car washes, was able to raise money and make those long trips and - eventually - made the cut.

'It’s only working for the white kids': American soccer's diversity problem Read more

The USWNT right now includes some players of color but that doesn’t mean socio-economic diversity is on display. Christen Press and Crystal Dunn are great players but soccer was on their doorstep when they grew up. Christen didn’t have to drive five hours to play soccer. She’s from a part of Los Angeles with some of the top youth teams in the country.

Briana Scurry, however, is a women of color who was a great athlete and had an amazing career with the US women’s national team. She’s an example of someone who wasn’t from an upper-middle class family. These days, though, I don’t think US Soccer would discover players like Brianna and me. Unless money or geography is on our side, the system is closed.

There is some hope. I’ve been lucky to meet incredible people across the country. I call them The Resistance. They want reform in American soccer. They’re men and women who are passionate about the game. They are Hispanic, men and women of color, great coaches, great competitors, and great leaders. They can make a difference in opening up soccer to all communities. These resistance fighters give me hope about soccer in America.

Tudela FC LA is one club in Los Angeles that has inspired me. They have tryouts all over LA and if families can’t afford to join they find a way for the kids to play. They have upper middle class white kids on the team, they have young girls of color on the team, they have Hispanic girls on the team. It’s true diversity. It looks like Los Angeles.

My message for young players and their families is this: I want them to know there are a lot of people fighting for them – people who believe soccer should be the world’s game, who want to grow the game, and open it up to everyone. I also want families to know their voice matters. Change is difficult and often takes time; but the more people who stand up and demand better, the quicker we can get there. Silence never changed the world. It takes bold action and the voices of many.