Playing On The Biggest Stage

Sarina Bolden, Phillipines

Can you introduce yourself and tell us about your current soccer life and heritage?

My name is Sarina Bolden and I currently play for the Philippines Women’s National Team and Newcastle Jets in the A-League Women in Australia. I am originally from Milpitas, California. I grew up in the Bay Area for all of my childhood, before I moved from the Bay to Los Angeles to study and play football at a four-year university called Loyola Marymount University.

My mom is Filipino and my dad is African-American. Mom was born in the Philippines but her family moved to the US when she was about three. They eventually found a permanent home in California and grew up mainly in Milpitas. Dad was born and raised in the US, originally from Ohio, but when he was a teenager he moved to California.

I was always closer to my mom’s side of the family, because that is who we had more contact with growing up. I have fond memories of getting together to celebrate holidays and birthdays. Family and celebration is an important part of Philippine culture. My mom never spoke her native language growing up. This started a domino effect because her parents never really spoke the language to her when she was young. I also did not have a lot of Philippine influences growing up. My family and extended family are Americanised, which played a factor in not having all the typical Filipino practices and knowledge in my household growing up.

As an adult now, through my experiences and through my national team I have learned so much more about my Philippines heritage than I ever did growing up.

What has been your soccer journey?

I started playing soccer at about six years old. I grew up playing a bunch of different sports like softball, basketball, track, tennis and gymnastics, but my parents noticed I was quite good at soccer so that was the main sport that I stuck with.

Being a very sporty family, my dad stressed hard work when I was growing up. At a young age I sacrificed a lot of my free time for training and honing my soccer craft. I did not get to hang out much with friends or go to all the after-school activities that people normally do when young. I had a greater goal in mind that not many people could see except for myself and a few others in my life.

The decision to focus on training in my youth rather than hang out with friends paid off in the future, because it set the foundation for how I conduct myself in my career as a professional footballer today. I had already instilled good habits at a young age. Transitioning to the professional world and being with the national team was not a big shock, because I had already been doing it for so long.

That being said, with sacrifice there comes a price. I felt like I was not able to connect with people outside the soccer world as much, because I was pouring my all into the sport. Looking back, I wish I had branched out more and made more connections with people who were not involved with soccer. But ultimately it has what got me to where I am today and I am proud of where I am. It just gives me a better perspective now as an adult, to know that I can branch out and be focused on soccer at the same time. I don't have to compromise. If I find a way to balance things out I think I can be even more successful in soccer and in life.

The most influential people who pushed me at a young age and got me where I am today are my parents. My mom taught me through her actions what it meant to be a strong hard working woman. I picked up a lot of my determination and good work ethic from her. My dad really instilled all the good habits of what it means to be an athlete. He would take my brother and I to do hill sprints when we were 10 or 11, and pushed us hard. He knew if I wanted to go far in soccer, it was going to take a lot of hard work and it was not going to be easy. He is the person who got me comfortable with being uncomfortable at a young age. Both of them are the biggest influences on my soccer career and in life.

What did you try to show with the photos? Was there any wider meaning with the photos?

I took photos of people from my soccer life between 2021 and 2023. National Teammates, professional club teammates, coaches, staff members, and places that soccer has taken me to all around the world.

Photography is a hobby that I enjoy. I pick up my camera to capture little moments in my life. I have been using film cameras since my junior year of high school, because film is less complicated and the process is more fun.

Most photos that I take in soccer settings are for my own archive, so when I look back I can have something to physically remember from my perspective. It is more a documentation of my life, but sometimes I just like to capture a silly moment. One day I can share with people to show what it looked like on the inside at that time.

My favorite photo is where my Japanese teammate is waving goodbye to everyone on the bus. It has more of a deeper meaning now compared to when I took it initially. As I reflect, it shows what it means to be a good teammate, no matter the circumstance. My teammate was not selected to travel for the match that day, but that did not stop her from sending off her teammates who did get selected.

In a situation where she could be bitter and upset, she chose to still be positive and show support. Support and respect were attributes that I noticed most of my Japanese teammates possessed. Even though I did not speak the language during my time in Japan and almost none of my teammates could speak fluent English, I could still understand that girls supported each other because that is what you do when you are a part of a team.

Are there any good stories connected with the people you photographed?

The former Assistant Coach of the Philippines Women’s National team, Nahuel Arrarte, was taking photos of the field conditions at the 2022 AFC Women’s Asian Cup in India. I wanted to capture how much our staff paid attention even to the smallest of details and specifically how they always were trying to make sure we played in/on the best conditions possible. For any little bumps, holes, divots on training fields and especially match fields, our coaching staff at the time would take photos and videos and/or let event personnel know that it was not good enough. For me it showed they are always demanding the best from everyone so that our team could have the best opportunity to be successful.

What are the opportunities and challenges for women’s footballers in the Philippines, Australia, and USA? What changes have you seen in women’s football since you started playing?

In the Philippines, football provides another avenue for success. In a country where it is still hard to get out of poverty, women footballers have an opportunity to get an education and to maybe one day play on the National Team and/or in bigger leagues outside the Philippines, to help provide better income for themselves and family.

Women footballers get to show other girls and women that there is another way to be strong and powerful, in addition to the “mainstream sports/competitions” that are more popular and prevalent in the Philippines such as volleyball, basketball, and even beauty pageants. Women footballers have slowly become more mainstream in the Philippines but there is still a long way to go.

There are many challenges for women footballers but the main one would be investment. Hearing from my teammates, before the World Cup the PWNT faced many financial hurdles, barely being able to have matching training kits. There were not enough proper basic resources to perform well. Before I joined the team people had to pay for their own accommodations and flights for camps and competitions.

The basic funding was not there for a long time until just recently. Investing into women's football is a recurring theme that is a challenge for many countries, not just the Philippines.

From playing in the A-League for almost two seasons I have experienced and heard a lot of opportunities that women footballers have in Australia. Right from the grassroots and youth level there are a variety of different ways to immerse yourself in football in Australia for young girls. As young players make their way through the football system there are opportunities like the National Premier League (NPL) leagues and A-League Women to play at the highest levels. From there women footballers can be scouted by overseas clubs and seek opportunities outside the country which can elevate their playing career even further. There is a good ladder to success here in Australia. Girls can work their way to the top if they desire to play at the highest level in Australia and abroad.

There is even an opportunity to be paid at a young age and get sponsorships. The A-League Women has a players union where you are supported if you find yourself with any type of hardship or confusion within the league. There are good media outlets to get recognized on via social media and streaming services to watch matches. For live games, decent crowds have steadily been more and more consistent. Fans showing up to games has been increasing especially after the FIFA WWC was hosted in Australia and New Zealand.

One of the biggest challenges that women footballers face in Australia would come back to financials, specifically pay. Most players (excluding the Matildas Senior Team) are not getting paid enough, therefore they must juggle working and playing. While there are a lot of opportunities for success in Australia, not all women are able to play at their 100%, because they are having to split their time trying to make enough money for basic living conditions. Australia possesses so much raw talent and many of the players that play in the A-League Women play with this natural ability, athleticism, and soccer awareness that is just innate for them. So if there was more investment to pay women footballers a good amount of money, imagine how far they could grow their craft and really focus on soccer 100%.

In the US, there is not just one path to reach success in soccer. Many girls go through the youth travel club/academy system which has girls traveling and playing in competitions on the weekends. Many of these clubs/academies work to get the players identified by colleges and universities. One of the biggest goals for most women is to play collegiately for the top Division 1, 2, and 3 universities or to play for top Community Colleges.

There has been a recent shift with some women players opting out of playing in college and going straight to the NWSL, due to there being more money invested into the league. With so many exceptional players in the US and a lot of different ways to be successful, I think that it can be overwhelming and challenging for players (and for people tasked with identifying top talent), to get their opportunity to play in the NWSL or for the USWNT.

There is a big group of players that are just as good but are being looked past and not considered, so they look abroad to further their playing careers or they quit. I have seen far too many women soccer players who were very good at the college level, but because they just did not know how to further their career or did not get drafted into the NWSL, thought that that was the end of their careers. Until more opportunities for all players become accessible, the US will potentially miss out on talent that could grow its talent pool.

What role does football play in your community?

In the Bay Area, soccer is pretty popular. We currently have one men’s top professional club called San Jose Earthquakes. And this year the NWSL has started a new club called the Bay FC backed by some pretty big investors in Silicon Valley and from the sports world. Soccer has gained steady popularity in the US in the past five years, so investors are taking notice of the attention soccer is getting and want to buy in.

At the professional level the Bay Area has been fortunate enough to have professional soccer within the community for many years. There are also many youth clubs and academies where many young children can get the opportunity to play and be involved in the sport. The Bay Area cultivates people with different cultures, ethnicities and backgrounds and many have an opportunity to get involved in soccer at all levels.

For me one soccer club stands out among the rest in the Bay Area community and that is the Oakland Roots Sports Club in the USL Championship League. They use soccer as a tool to bring the community together to enjoy the beautiful game, which I think that is what soccer is all about. Even though I am not from Oakland, I am still proud to have a team that represents the Bay Area with such pride and makes sure to give back to the community around them.

What does football and representing your country mean to you?

Football means so much to me. Soccer has given me everything that I have today. I have been able to travel to countless countries in less than two years. I have met so many amazing people and made deep friendships along the way. I have developed and grown immensely as a soccer player but more importantly as a person, and I have fulfilled childhood dreams through soccer. On an even more basic level football puts food on the table for me, I get to have a roof over my head because of this career I have chosen to stick with.

Something more significant that has come from soccer and one that I cherish deeply, I have found my partner through soccer. Without this beautiful game I do not think I would have found this beautiful person. Soccer has been the biggest blessing in my life and I have to respect it for what it has given me so far.

Representing the Philippines has been one of the biggest honors of my life. I get the responsibility of representing people who are so proud to be Filipino. I get to represent the people of the Philippines from the motherland and those that immigrated outside of the country. Even though I was not born and raised in the Philippines, I feel such a sense of pride being on the PWNT, when I wear that jersey and step on the pitch to play.

What was your 2023 Women's World Cup experience like? What was the best moment?

The experience of the Women’s World Cup was more than I could ever dream of. The whole experience was like an electricity in the air or like that feeling you get as a kid on Christmas Day, but for a whole month. It surpassed all my expectations. I knew it would be a big moment in my playing career and for the Philippines Women's National Team, but now I understand why people call it the grand stage.

The best moment was winning our second match in the group stage against co-host nation New Zealand at their home stadium. When that final whistle blew I was filled with so much joy, happiness, and pride. We as a collective group worked so hard over the past two years and it all paid off that day. It was magical and beautiful and surreal all at the same time. It is a moment I will remember for the rest of my life. I am so glad I got to share that moment with my teammates, coaching staff, everyone who helped us along the way, and above all the people of the Philippines.

What are your personal ambitions for the future?

In the future I want to continue to learn and grow as a footballer. I want to constantly be working to be better than I was from the last time I stepped off the pitch. If it was from a previous match or even a training session, I want to just keep elevating my craft. The same goes for my personal life. Growth is my number one ambition at the moment and learning each day how to be a better person.

What does the future look like for women's football? What do you want to change after the 2023 Women’s World Cup?

The future of women's football looks bright. It has been growing exponentially through these recent years and I have no doubt that it will continue to grow. I believe the next generation of women footballers will have it even better than what I grew up with and what I am experiencing now.

With consistent investment and people who see the value in the sport, women’s football will be in the spotlight for a very long time. Especially after all the attention that the FIFA Women’s World Cup garnered this past year. I hope one day the conditions, pay, and treatment of women footballers and women’s football as a whole can be taken just as seriously as men’s football across the world, and not just at the top levels.

In order for that to happen I think it starts at a very basic level of respecting women. I hope more people understand that women's football cannot progress if there is not that same level of respect that people give to men’s football. I believe the sport has come so far because many women have started to demand that respect. Women footballers possess so much value. With this value we move the game forward for everyone to be a part of.