Jessika Cowart, a Bay Area local, recently played in the Women’s World Cup for the Philippines. She shares the struggles she has faced, her motivation, advice she would give to aspiring athletes and more. Cowart is an example of how hard work can pay off. She is an inspiration to young female athletes, encouraging girls to reach for their goals and find what they are passionate about.
Jessika Cowart (JC): Hi, I’m Jess. I’m from Redwood City. I’m 22 years old and play center back or center midfield. I went to Woodside HS, then I went to the University of Washington for undergrad. Right after that, I went to Turkey for my first pro season, then Serbia, then Sweden and then went to the World Cup. In a couple weeks I’ll be going to Australia to play for a season. So yeah, that’s a quick rundown of my life.
The Catalyst (TC): What was your biggest struggle that you faced to get where you are today?
JC: Yeah, I think I’ve had a lot of struggles in my career, both on the field and off the field. I think, in college, I struggled a lot with confidence as a player because I was used to playing and starting in my youth career. Throughout college and then obviously going pro, you see a lot of people that you’ve played with throughout the years who are getting opportunities. I wasn’t getting opportunities at first. So, I felt like ‘Oh man. Am I doing something wrong? Am I, you know, not doing enough?’ So I think those are some of the mental struggles that I went through.
TC: What was your motivation?
JC: Well, what motivated me when I was younger was that I loved it. Then, in high school, I still loved it. In college, I still loved it, and I still love it now. I think my passion for the game has only grown as I’ve gotten older. I realized that, if I wasn’t playing soccer, I don’t really know what I would be doing. I also have a lot of people to give back to that have helped me in my career … So that also pushes me to keep showing up, playing well and being the best player I can be.
TC: Did you have trouble balancing schoolwork and soccer?
JC: Yeah, I did. I think it’s because I put soccer first most of the time. In high school, I was always up until 12:30 a.m. doing homework. That was just an everyday thing for me in my junior and senior year, because I would have rather trained than be at home doing homework. Time management was something that I learned a whole deal of in college because I had to. I had to learn that the reason I was at that school was not only because I was playing soccer, but because I got good grades in high school and all that stuff. I had to find a good balance, and that didn’t really come until later for me. So, it’s okay to have that struggle. It is a big learning curve, but you’ll figure it out and it’s going to be okay. But yeah, college was an awakening for my time management skills. I really had to hone in on those and stay consistent, create routines and create a good schedule for myself.
TC: What advice would you give to kids?
JC: My advice would just be that you have to love it. You have to love soccer because professional soccer is not just for people who want to do it as a hobby. I’ll be super transparent – it’s hard. It’s super hard. It’s one thing to move away from your parents and be in the same country, but it’s a different thing to go to the opposite side of the world … Nowadays, women’s soccer is not the same as men’s soccer. It’s not the same money-wise, attention-wise, and it’s a very hard thing to do. But, if you love soccer, you’ll make it. That’s what drives me – my passion for the game, my love for the game. So, my advice would be, if you love it now and you know you’re gonna love it as much in the future, then go for it.
