One of the biggest tournaments of United States women’s soccer midfielder Carli Lloyd’s career is only a couple weeks away, but that didn’t stop the South Jersey native from taking some time out to motivate a group of young girls in Mt. Laurel.
With the United States women’s soccer team’s first game in the 2015 Women’s World Cup coming up on June 8, Lloyd visited third-and fourth-grade girls from Hillside School and spoke to them not just about soccer, but achieving their dreams.
Lloyd’s trip to Hillside is part of the national team’s weeklong initiative called “#SheBelieves in her Community.” Across the country last week, members from the team visited young fans and spoke to them about accomplishing their dreams.
Lloyd, 32, has been an impact player for the United States since making her international debut in 2005. She has won gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics and is the only midfielder in the national team’s history to score 50 goals.
A Mt. Laurel resident, Lloyd grew up in Delran and was a multi-sport athlete as a kid. Speaking in front of the girls at Hillside, she had memories of being their age in the 1990s and recalls the challenges of being a kid.
“I remember the things you worry about as a kid, the clothes you’re wearing, the hairstyle, how you’re acting,” Lloyd said. “It’s funny, as you grow older, you realize those things you don’t need to worry about.”
Lloyd taught the group the little things kids worry about at school wouldn’t be a big deal when they become an adult. She instead told the girls to focus on their passion and achieving their goals.
After Lloyd spoke, the girls wrote on posters what their dream is. All took turns to show Lloyd their poster and got it autographed.
Many of the girls’ posters had a dream of one day playing professional soccer and playing for the U.S. Women’s National Team. Many of the girls in attendance last Wednesday play soccer for youth programs in and around Mt. Laurel.
“I want to play for the United States,” fourth grader Campbell Trotter said. “That’s my dream.”
Others had dreams to be basketball players, professional dancers and even doctors. Fourth grader Eva Alexander said Lloyd is a role model not just on the field, but also in life.
“I like how she said to never give up and always keep working hard,” Alexander said.
Last Wednesday’s visit was special for Lloyd as well. Despite her accomplishments on the field, she said she wants to be remembered for the impact she has off it.
“The way I want to be remembered is as a good role model,” Lloyd said. “It’s really important to me because I didn’t have a live role model when I was these kids’ age. So for me to inspire them and push them, there’s lots of mental things you go through. There’s a lot of things I can help them with.”
Lloyd is looking to achieve another dream of her own this summer. The United States has not won the Women’s World Cup since 1999, and Lloyd said it is the one tournament she wants to win more than any other.
“I want to go there and I want to win it,” she said.
