After facing rejection from joining the men’s soccer club, San Francisco State University student Charlie Thelen decided to take matters into her own hands: create a women’s soccer club for the campus community.
“I tried to try out for the men’s soccer club team and there’s, like, rules against that, which is totally fair,” Thelen said. “They told me that there’s a bunch of interested girls to start one up but no one’s gone after it. So they gave me all the information there and I was like ‘Oh, let’s just get it together, get it happening.’”
Thelen, the president of the new club, has been playing soccer since the age of 3 and was a four-year starter at the varsity level in high school. So far, she’s been restricted to just intramural soccer due to the fact that there wasn’t a women’s soccer club before on campus.
Being the president of the first women’s soccer club in school history is a “nerve-wracking” experience for Thelen and a responsibility she does not take lightly. Her long-term goal for the club is to save enough money to join a league, such as the West Coast Collective, where the men’s soccer club team plays.
“I’m happy that we finally got, like, a space for the girls to play so it’s fair for both the girls and the guys,” Thelen said.
While there is no set schedule or opponents yet for the club, schools around California have already begun to express interest in playing the new club.
“I’ve got interest from San Jose and a bunch of other schools around California that want to play us, which would be super cool,” Thelen said.
Jacqueline Macedo, a kinesiology major, will be one of the two vice presidents of the club. Like Thelen, she has been playing the game of soccer since she was young, at 5 years old. Macedo played for two years at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton and had also expressed interest in trying out for the men’s soccer club before finding out that a women’s club team was in the works.
“Charlie reached out to me and so she kind of sparked the interest. I just wanted to help her out and also continue playing,” Macedo said.
With their experience playing the game from a young age, Thelen and Macedo will take on the responsibilities of not only playing but coaching the team as well.
“I’ve done coaching with little kids and I really enjoyed it but for this team that we’re creating I just want it to become something big,” Macedo said. “I love to coach and to play obviously but we really wanna see how big we can get with the coaching.”
Giselle Sierra, a second-year SFSU student, is the other vice president of the club and will not be playing but will provide advice on starting a club based on past experiences.
“During high school, I did the same thing. I started two other clubs. A club dedicated to empowering women since the school was mainly conservative and a club dedicated on how to treat those on the spectrum with kindness and respect,” Sierra said. “I just like to be a part of a student organization and things like that, especially leaving my mark on schools.”
Since the club is only in the beginning stages, the goal of the first year will be mainly focused on fundraising. Madina Ghafar, a third-year SFSU student, is the treasurer of the club and will take on the responsibility of raising funds.
Ideas such as bake sales, game day concessions, raffles, pickup games with a small charged fee and merchandise sales are all options the club is considering along with sponsorships to help raise funds.
“I heard Chipotle sponsors the men’s club. So, hopefully, we can convince them to sponsor the women’s team as well,” Ghafar said.
While fundraising for the club is one of the main focuses, the sense of pride and accomplishment each member feels for being pioneers of the first women’s soccer club is one of the main motivators for making the club a staple in the SFSU community.
“It’s really exciting, especially when I found out there wasn’t a girls club, I was very surprised,” said Faith Cash, a first-year student and the club’s secretary. “So just knowing that it’s my first year as well, and knowing that I’ve been able to be involved in that type of thing is exciting, and I’m proud of myself for just stepping up and being a part of this.”
Tryouts for the club will be held Oct. 3 and Oct. 4 at the field next to the Mashouf Wellness Center. Attendance on both dates is mandatory for a player to be considered for the club and a $5 fee will be charged each day of tryouts.
“If people are thinking about joining, I think that they should just come out, contact us, try out. It should be fun,” Sierra said.
