Zoe Watts, a young African American college student, grew up playing soccer since she was five years old. In her city, Jackson, Georgia, she was known for being one of the most skilled players. It wasn’t until she reached middle school that she started experiencing racial discrimination while playing soccer.

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“Growing up, I never was nervous about stepping out onto the field and showing off my skills. But when it was time for seventh grade tryouts, everything changed,” she said. “I knew I would probably be the only Black girl trying out, but I wasn’t expecting to be told ‘this sport is for white girls only’ by one of the other participants.”

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Zoe made the girls varsity soccer team in her first year of high school. The coaches had watched her play growing up, so they knew her skills could be beneficial. On the other hand, the players were very skeptical about her instant placement.

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“Playing time is very important in high school,” Zoe said. “Me being a freshman getting more playing time than one of the graduating seniors was very problematic. Not only because they had been there longer, but I was the only Black girl on the team.”

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Zoe faced many issues with her older teammates because they felt threatened by her skill. After one of the games in her freshman season, Zoe and her senior teammate, Madison, got into a verbal altercation about playing time. Zoe had received more playing time than Madison that game, so they had a heated discussion when they got into the locker room.

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“After we finished arguing, the team had to huddle for our end-of-night chant. When we all placed our hands into the middle, Madison accused me of slapping her hand. I admit I was still a little upset, but I would not intentionally hit her, especially unprovoked.”

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Not only did Zoe face issues with her teammates during her high school career, but she also got into five physical altercations with players from other teams. She said that she would be the only player punished in most of these altercations even though she would be defending herself. Zoe’s parents tried putting pressure on the school’s athletic department to get answers on why their Black daughter was painted as the “aggressor,” but they would never give them honest answers. Zoe often told the coach that she would quit the team if there were no change.

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Despite the challenges, Zoe graduated maintaining a 3.3 GPA, was the highest-scoring player throughout each year of her high school career and broke the record for the most career goals in the girl’s soccer team. Most importantly, Zoe accepted a scholarship offer to play soccer at LaGrange College, a private school located in west Georgia.

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“Honestly, LaGrange was not the school I dreamt of playing for,” she said when asked how she felt about playing at the private school.  “It was too small, and there weren’t many Black people, so I was scared it would be like high school all over again.

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Unfortunately, Zoe was right. She noticed that the other players stopped interacting with her during her first practice after seeing how skilled she was. Also, on opening night, Zoe was named a starter on the team as a freshman. She ended up scoring four out of the five points to win the game, but her teammates still were not satisfied.

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“Overall, I felt really good after that game,” she said with a smile on her face. “But walking off the field, my parents and I could hear other players telling their parents how they didn’t understand why ‘the freshman Black girl’ was getting so much playing time.”

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During her freshman year of college, Zoe started all 21 games, had the highest stats for goals and assists, and won the USASC Freshman of the Week twice. Her sophomore year, she also started all 21 games, had the highest number of goals and was second in assists. It wasn't until Zoe’s junior year that she began to get fed up with the school's athletic department. 

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“My junior year at LaGrange, I got into a physical altercation with another player, resulting in our athletic director suspending me for getting a red card,” she said. “During this altercation, it was very clear that I was only defending myself. It became very evident that not only did my athletic director not have my back, but my coach did not have my back either.”

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After this incident, Zoe and her parents went to the athletic department, sent multiple emails to the coaches and reached out to the National Soccer College Association. According to Zoe, the athletic department wanted her to “be quiet and apologize” even though she was hit first. Neither Zoe nor her parents would do that, so Zoe decided to quit the team. 

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“When they told me I should just apologize and let it go, I knew I needed to leave,” she said. “I felt like there was now a target on my back, and they would do anything to bring me out of character.”

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Zoe’s parents were very supportive of her taking a break from the soccer team. They understood the pressures of not only being a full-time student but having to deal with unfair treatment as an athlete.

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“During my break, I got a job at Atlanta Medical Center, and I continued training with my childhood coach.”

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Eventually, LaGrange College got a new head coach, so Zoe decided to talk to him about potentially going back to play her senior year. The coach allowed her to return and ensured that she would have a better experience.

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When asked what advice she has for other players who may be dealing with the same issues, she said, “Be you. Do not let other people’s opinions discourage you, and don't let your teammates bring you down. Be humble but show them you know your worth and your skill.”