The Get to Know NJ/NY Gotham FC continues with one of the hardest-working players in the NWSL: Sabrina Flores.
Robbie: How did you first get introduced to soccer?
Sabrina: I got introduced to it because my parents had my siblings and I always playing sports and doing outdoor activities. We were always playing sports and always outdoors. So athletics and being active individuals was a priority of my parents and we just tried out different sports and soccer was one of them. I guess we just weeded out the sports that didn’t really stick with us and then it ended up being soccer was everything.
Robbie: How did you end up at Notre Dame from New Jersey?
Sabrina: So my parents both immigrated here from their respective countries, my mom is from Romania and my dad is from Mexico so they really had no idea what universities were like here and what were like top schools and if like playing collegiate sports was a thing. So from that perspective, we didn’t have any idea that Notre Dame was even a school heading into high school. I had no concept of who they were and what they were about. My parents didn’t really help us in that aspect because they weren’t from here, so they weren’t familiar with the schooling process here.
It all fell into place because the head coach for Notre Dame reached out to my high school coach was like, “Hey, we are interested in Monica and Sabrina. Do they want to come visit, or are they interested?”. From there we realized Notre Dame was a school, we didn’t know where it was located, we realized it was in Indiana in South Bend and realized it was a very high academic and athletic achieving school and that was something that was very important to us. We wanted to go somewhere that had both of those qualities and so from there that was the first school that reached out to us and I think throughout the whole college process as we were touring different schools, visiting, and talking to different coaches. That one just stuck and we like that was our home, so that is how we ended up there.
Robbie: What is it like to play for a team in your home state of New Jersey?
Sabrina: It’s incredible! Honestly, when I say I’m living my childhood dream, it’s like I am living my childhood dream, ever since I was little I’ve wanted to become a professional soccer player and I would always imagine myself playing in front of my home state and so it is very humbling to play at Red Bull Arena in front of fans and realize, “Wow, all of this is what I’ve always wanted”. I feel super blessed and grateful that I’ve come this way. I am a pro soccer player and I get to represent my home and my community, the people that I grew up with, and the people that supported me, and also the younger generation of kids who are now coming through the clubs I played for. It is something that makes playing much more than just playing the sport. It is much bigger than just me, it is something that I love.
Robbie: What is like getting to play for the National Team?
Sabrina: It was pretty cool! So I played for the youth teams up until the U20 World Cup and of course representing your country, it takes you out of just playing the sport and there is something bigger than just yourself and so representing your home state has an awesome feeling but then representing your country is something so humbling and so awesome. It was always I was grateful for opportunities I was given and of course, getting to play with the highest level of players that there are is incredible because of the competition.
Robbie: When did the realization of being a professional soccer player hit?
Sabrina: To be honest, that was always like a dream of mine. Even through middle school, like all of high school and, all of college, my mind was set that I wanted to be a professional soccer player so I don’t know. I just really wanted that and I worked towards it and at some points, it felt harder but in my mind, I was never like,” Wow, I don’t want to do this or wow, this not attainable for me”. I always had in my mind that I was gonna be good enough. That is what I wanted in life so I never steered away from that path and I got me to where I want to be.
Robbie: How did you find out you were drafted in 2019?
Sabrina: I personally had low hopes of me being drafted. I didn’t get that feeling like I would be, I knew that I wanted to play pro and I was going to play pro but I was ready to have a much harder experience to get to there. I knew I wasn’t going to be a top draft pick, so during the 2019 Draft, I was like hoping that I would be drafted. I know I could be good enough to play in this league but I knew that I probably wasn’t going to drafted. The draft got through the first, second, and third rounds and my name wasn’t called so I turned off my computer and I was actually playing a pickup game.
I went to training during the draft and then all of the sudden my phone blew up and I was like, “Oh my God, I got drafted!”. I had such a big relief in my stomach, especially because it was for Sky Blue FC and I wanted to play home. That was a pretty cool feeling and then I didn’t earn a contract right away and I only got a National Team replacement contract and that was a tough process but again in my gut, I knew this where I wanted to play. I want to get better to earn a full contract and contribute to this team and so that has just always been my goal to continue growing and growing so that I could add value to the team that I’m on.
Robbie: What is a short term goal with the team and what is a long term goal with the team?
Sabrina: Short term, I mean is just being part of a newly rebranded club is pretty cool because it is a fresh slate and I feel that I’m part of the change like whatever change is gonna happen, I’m in direct control of that. Short term is honestly just want to compete and be part of the immediate change and transition from the last cycle to this cycle and focus immediately on the season, my development, helping the team win games and helping transform the team culture, and helping be part of a team that is fully part of the community which are all the aspects of what Gotham FC represents. If I show up to training, my number one priority is to get better, get my teammates better, and then the rest will follow. Long term, of course, I would love to be part of history being made with Gotham FC, to win a championship.
Robbie: What is a hobby or interest you have outside of soccer?
Sabrina Flores: I love learning so since I was little, I’ve always been fascinated by medicine and the human body. I studied pre-med going through college, so I know later in my life I want to do something related to medicine and helping people in that way. So that has occupied a lot of my free time, taking courses, learning, or doing internships regarding that.
Another passion of mine is working in my community in terms of giving back and helping the community around me, that is anywhere from volunteering to just all the coaching I do. I work with a lot of young players and coach/mentor people on an individual basis and that is what drives my passion outside of soccer is being involved in soccer but like in a different way by inspiring the next generation and giving back to those that are less fortunate and helping people feel good about what their goals are.
Check back in later this week for our next Get to Know NJ/NY Gotham FC article!
NJ/NY Gotham FC returns to the pitch this Friday night when they host KC WoSo at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, NJ. The kickoff is set for 7:00 PM ET on July 2nd. Fans unable to attend the match can catch it on Paramount+.
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