The Bishop O’Dowd women’s soccer program continues to build a strong and competitive program, filled with talented athletes and dedicated coaches. However, a particular individual within the team has shown to be the promising future of this program. U16 USA National Team athlete, Sadie Siedel. Sadie demonstrates relicense, dedication, leadership, and hustle throughout her work that demonstrates the team’s success.
Sadie began her soccer journey at just two years of age, watching pros on the big screen. Observing these elite players compete at the highest level greatly inspired her to get into the world of soccer. Learning from these professionals allowed her to develop her game within the sport, gaining confidence, creativity, and striving, at such a young age. These qualities still shape her to this day and helped her become the person she strives to be.
On the field, Sadie plays three attacking positions: the 9, 10, and 11. These offensive roles perfectly suit her style, being someone who enjoys playing in the center of the attack and being creative with dribbling. Sadie thrives in these 1 on 1 situations, taking defenders head on showcasing her talented dribbling skills. One of the biggest challenges she has faced throughout her career was dealing with a stress fracture in her right foot, this was during a very crucial part in her time, and was out for 2 months. Sadie worked around this by working on what she could do, staying committed to what she could still do, working out at home, watching games, and studying her role on the team.
Representing Bishop O’Dowd while on the big screen for the national team means something very special for Siedel. She views the team chemistry this season as a key part of the program, “it feels like we’ve been playing with each other for years.” Sadie also spoke about the coaches, particularly Coach Mark, for creating such a tight and special relationship within the community. The encouragement, leadership, and feedback from the coaching staff makes this team especially stand out to her.
As an athlete that represents Team USA, Sadie leads by example. Siedel’s key point to success on and off the field, is to use your strengths to your full advantage. Something that is also a key component to Siedel’s success is to maintain a growth mindset, soccer isn’t just a physical sport, but also mental. This leader continues to focus on improving her game, especially in her 1 on 1 situations and goal-scoring ability. Sadie also encourages supporting teammates to help the team stay confident and tight.
Looking ahead of her future, Sadie believes that Bishop O’Dowd women’s varsity soccer is headed in the right direction. With dedicated coaching, gritty athletes, and strong team chemistry. Sadie hopes to keep growing as both a player and leader before she graduates. For younger students interested in joining the program, her advice is simple: enjoy the process, work hard, and never stop improving.
