For National Girls and Women in Sports Day, we started a weekly series where we publish interviews with astounding women in sports every Wednesday. This week's guest is Kaiya McCullough.
Kaiya McCullough found her love of soccer at an early age. This developed into a passion as she grew older. In her youth, she played for numerous teams including the San Diego Surf and El Toro High School. Kaiya made the early decision that she wanted to play soccer at the University of California – Los Angelos, which came to fruition when she was recruited at the ripe young age of 14. Little did she know then that her team and the administration at UCLA, would help open the door for her into the world of activism.
In 2017, Kaiya became one of the first female college athletes to take a knee during the National Anthem in protest of racial inequality. Her demonstration was inspired by not only NFL player Colin Kaepernick and US Soccer player Megan Rapinoe, but by “the stories about how [her] family outwardly and inwardly experienced a lot of racism.” It was at this moment that her passion for social and racial activism was ignited.
“The support from UCLA… has played a big part in why my advocacy is where it is today. The first time I did something as an activist, I was supported.”
After completing college, Kaiya went pro in the National Women's Soccer League, playing for the Washington Spirit from February 2020 to September 2020. It was during this time that she realized that there was a need for activism within the soccer space as she played under a coach that was verbally abusive to her and her teammates. When asked about how this time shaped her activism, Kaiya said it provided perspective:
“It's different to think of [racial injustices] in a theoretical sense, but then to experience it, be gaslit by it, and to be told you are making a big deal out of nothing. It was fueling my fire to do the work I am doing [today].”
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To further her activism, Kaiya is sure to bring her unique perspective, as a Black female athlete, into every avenue she can. Currently, Kaiya is the chair of the Anti-Racist Soccer Club and project manager at Common Goal for their Anti-Racist Project. Through her unique lens, Kaiya can bring the intersectionality of race and gender into her activism within the soccer space. She can act as someone who “has lived through the system” and not just a “third party actor who is just trying to change the system.”
Kaiya said that “…being a female athlete, particularly in a sport like soccer, which is predominantly male-dominated, you are dealing with disrespect and people who do not think what you are doing is legitimate… a lot of men will inherently think they're better than you.”
Through working toward her goal to “leave the world a better place than she found it in,” Kaiya has found the intersection between her gender and racial work naturally.
In the end, Kaiya is focused on creating waves in the soccer space by “push[ing] for change as hard and as long as [she] can.”
For the female athlete (and anybody looking to use their platforms to make a change), Kaiya has this advice: “Just stand in your power. What you are doing is revolutionary, and eventually we are going to get to a place where it's going to be better.”
Come back every Wednesday to hear from the next women we feature:
Feb 2: Donna Lopiano
Feb 9: Kaiya McCullough
Feb 16: Kathrine Switzer
Feb 23: Sarah Thomas
March 2: TBA
March 9: Jenny Taft
Have a story idea or know an awesome athlete/coach we should interview? Email us at [email protected]
* Originally published on February 9, 2022, by Rebecca Lutz
