A Sky Blue Season

 Gina Lewandowski, USA

Gina Lewandowski is a defender for Sky Blue FC - based in New Jersey, USA - playing in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL). She previously spent a decade in Germany with FC Bayern Munich and 1. FFC Frankfurt and represented the US Women’s National Team. Gina captured the 2020 NWSL season, on and off the pitch, where she is also an ambassador for our collaborators at sport experience platform SPRTER. Her Goal Click story goes behind-the-scenes of Sky Blue FC during an unusual 2020 season (also featuring plenty of rehab) and tells of her hopes for the next generation.

What has been your football journey up until now?

I was born in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and raised in Coopersburg, about 15 minutes away. I started playing soccer when I was around 6 years old and basically wanted to do whatever my friends were doing. My mom enrolled me in a variety of sports growing up and I just enjoyed being active, busy and with my friends. 

I stayed local in the area throughout my High School and College education. I focused on basketball and soccer in High School and then played 4 years of collegiate soccer at Lehigh University. When I graduated in 2007, there was unfortunately no US women’s professional soccer league at the time, so if I wanted to keep playing soccer after college I would either have to stay local in the US and play amateur or head overseas and try my luck at playing at the professional level. 

I have relatives near Frankfurt, Germany, who opened the door for me to explore my options in the Bundesliga. After having several tryouts with a few teams, I landed a contract with 1. FFC Frankfurt in July of 2007. In my first season with 1. FFC Frankfurt, we won the Treble (all 3 titles in one season) and then in our 2010/2011 season we won the German Cup. 

Playing professional soccer in the US was always still a dream of mine, so I decided to come back to the USA in the summer of 2011 and play for the Western NY Flash. During that season we won the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) League title before the league unfortunately folded shortly afterwards. Due to the collapse of the league, I headed back to 1. FFC Frankfurt for another season before transferring to FC Bayern Munich in 2012. With FCB we won the Bundesliga in our 2014/2015 and 2015/2016 seasons and for me they were personally the best years of my playing career. 

The 12 years of playing overseas were full of so many amazing memories that I will always carry with me. I was blessed to experience the many highs and lows that come with playing in a different country, which helped me grow as a person both on and off the field. I will always remember the successes I had with my teams, the life-long friendships I created, and appreciate the sacrifices I had to make to pursue a dream I always had. After 12 years in the Bundesliga, I felt the call to come home in 2019 and be closer to my family and friends. I wasn’t quite ready to hang up the cleats and took an opportunity with Sky Blue FC in May of 2019. I have been with Sky Blue FC since then and I am excited to be a part of club that is striving to raise the bar each day and build the game in the Tri-State area.

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

Most of the photos are of me and my team during our 2020 NWSL season. I wanted to show a timeline of 2020, beginning from my rehab process to the end of the NWSL season. At the beginning of the year, there is also a picture of me in the off season where I was still rehabbing an injury that I sustained at the end of the 2019 season. 

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

Jennifer Cudjoe had a standout year. She started as a walk-on with us in preseason and then earned her way up to a starting spot during the Challenge Cup and NWSL Fall Series. 

What are the opportunities for female footballers in the US?

The professional league has been growing each year and more opportunities are arising for college players to pursue a professional career after college. Sponsorships, endorsements, and partnerships are also increasing as a direct correlation to the growth of the women’s game in the US. 

What role does football play in US society?

Football gives its players a platform and a voice to advocate for values, human rights, and other important topics that they are passionate about in our world right now. Many players in the women’s game are particularly passionate about equality, justice, and freedom from discrimination. 

Human rights reflect the minimum standards necessary for people to live with dignity and give people the freedom to choose how they live, how they express themselves and what kind of government they want to support, among other things. Many people in society look up to professional athletes and their platforms can be used as a means to reach a greater audience. 

What does football mean to you? 

Football is an outlet for me to express and enjoy my God-given talents. Over the years, it has been an avenue for me to grow and learn about life and the world we live in. I have been able to reach many people and places through the sport and appreciate all those who I have come to know throughout my journey. 

What does your family think of your job as a professional soccer player?

My family fully supports me in whatever I choose to do, which I am very grateful for. They love being able to stand by me and cheer me on in my professional career. 

What is the future for women's football in the US?

The game is constantly growing in the US and I believe the future is limitless, but it all depends on how those with influence can help cultivate and expand the league to make it the best and most attractive league in the world. We have the means to do it, it’s just about putting the right pieces together and I think we are on the right path to do so. 

Has anything changed since the 2019 WWC?

I would say that after the US Women’s National Team won the World Cup in 2019, they became the face of US Soccer as a whole. The women have been more successful than the men at the international level and have raised the bar. Awareness of the women’s game has grown, and more is being done to get women to a level they deserve. 

What is your favourite photo?

The pre-game training photo of the team in the Zions Bank Stadium is a great one. To me, it highlights how hard we have worked this past season to get to a level we want to be at. We still have a lot of work to do but we are all in it together and focused on raising the bar each day.