Rachel Sadowski leads in botany and team chemistry

Strikers co-captain Rachel Sadowski used to drive 90 minutes to play a full field in Delaware.

After moving to San Diego for grad school in 2016, she found herself immersed in the community, playing recreational soccer against competitors who would later become her Strikers teammates. Her commute is shorter, but she’s held onto the passion that motivated those long drives.

“It’s awesome to find a level of soccer like that again and a community of women who wanted to play at that level still,” Sadowski said. “I was able to play more than I had anywhere else after college.”

Sadowski joined the SeaLions while still a grad student. Her first job was coaching high school soccer, but now she balances playing for the Strikers with her career in conservation. She appreciates that the team still fits into her busy schedule.

Her journey towards leadership on the field has followed her path towards leadership at work. Sadowski manages botany projects for the San Diego Botanical Garden, helping to conserve rare plants in southern California.

“I was a captain in college before I was ever a leader in a job. I’m a manager now and lead a team,” Sadowski said. “I see [Strikers] as my opportunity for growth as a leader.”

Like so many of her teammates, Sadowski feels that the Strikers are stronger for their connection on and off the field. She’s a part of the core group of founding players who have returned to welcome new Strikers to the team each season, and is a part of the spark that fuels the team’s chemistry.

When it comes to recruiting, Sadowski said she looks for players who want to show up for the team, not just themselves. 

She has become close friends with teammates over her seven years on the team, including her co-captain, Cassie Callahan, whose wedding she attended last year.

Despite all the opportunities for growth, friendship, and joy soccer has brought her, Sadowski remembers watching the field of opportunity narrow after her undergraduate years. Strikers helped her stay in the game, even as she pursued her other passions through academics and her career.

“I didn’t consider playing pro. I thought those days were behind me. I thought in college those were the best games I would get,” Sadowski said. “This team allowed me to get more.”

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