Professional Women's Soccer Player (Ryan Gareis)

The Dream Vocation Podcast with Tony Bellagamba

In this episode we speak with Ryan Gareis, professional women’s soccer player with the Houston Dash. This was an exciting episode for me because 3 of my 4 kids play soccer, so this was like interviewing one of their heroes!

Ryan’s path from club soccer to college and eventually to the pros shows what hard work can lead to. While she was blessed with natural athleticism, Ryan discovered at a young age that it’s the extra work you put in that separates the good from the great. This hard work earned her a college scholarship when she was just 15 years old to eventually play at South Carolina, one of the top women’s programs in college soccer. But Ryan didn’t rest on her laurels once she received the scholarship. In fact, as you’ll hear from her in the interview, it only made her work harder because she wanted to be a top player at the next level. And that she did, as Ryan started her freshmen year and went on to have an amazing college career, including an SEC championship. Upon graduation, Ryan fulfilled her dream of becoming a professional soccer player when she was drafted by the Houston Dash of the NWSL.

In the three years since being drafted, Ryan has appeared in over 25 matches for the Dash and signed a 3 year contract extension prior to the 2023 season. And, proving what a badass woman she is, she had a baby just a few days after our interview in early May and said how excited she is to get back to live games by September! That’s toughness right there!

I hope you enjoy the episode and Ryan’s story!