Samantha Sanderson

I started playing soccer when I was 5 years old and wanted to be just like my older sisters. After transitioning to a very competitive club team at the age of 10 year old, I evolved into a dedicated, determined, passionate, and coachable player. After making the Regional Team and National Pool at age 14, I started to believe I could play at the next level.

I committed to LSU my junior year of high school and accepted not only an athletic scholarship but also a full academic scholarship. After a year with the LSU Tigers, I decided that a better fit for me would be the University of Miami (FL). I worked my way up to a starting position my junior year at left back. During that year we defeated the University of North Carolina Tarheels and earned our top 25 ranking along with our first ACC and NCAA Tournament appearance  The year was so successful that I began talking to professional teams about  playing at the next level.

The career that was once so promising was cut short due to back to back concussions during the spring of my Junior year. My coach said it best when helping  me decide which was more important–my health or my soccer career, “You can walk with a limp, you can’t think with a limp.”

Samantha currently resides in Columbus, OH. After two years healing from her career ending injuries, Samantha suffered another concussion in a car accident in June 2012. She still suffers the effects of this concussion including but not limited to:

Chronic Headaches, Emotional Bluntness, Essential Tremor, Light Sensitivity, Concentration Problems

Retirement From Soccer:  2008 (Total Concussion Count:  6)

Email Samantha at lifeafterthegame13@gmail.com

2/25/13 Life After the Game featured in Daily Oklahoman Newspaper