Sabrina McNeill: The Journey of Overcoming Adversity and Empowering Others

Sabrina McNeill playing at Auburn University.

I was always a rambunctious kid. I had so much energy. And so, naturally, my mom put me into soccer. I started off as a goalie, but I loved to run, and I was fast. It was not long until they pulled me out of the net. Once I started, I never looked back; I fell in love with the sport.

It wasn’t until the tenth grade that I realized it was something I could pursue—that the sport I loved could give back to me. I was offered a scholarship at Eastern Michigan University, an NCAA Division 1 school. The decision was not hard; I was young and my parents and coach helped me out through the process. Right off the bat, I got a sense of community from the girls on the team.

We were a family.

EMU was a great experience. The girls, the coaches, the whole environment… It was terrific. I got to play at the highest collegiate level in the United States but it was still a smaller school, so it really was a tight-knit group of girls.

Sabrina McNeill playing at EMU

I have always been a team player, and so a family oriented environment is something that I appreciated. I was signed on a full athletic scholarship, and when I had learned that there was only a certain amount of funds that could be allocated to the athletes, I remember thinking:

What can I do? How can I help out my teammates?

In high school I hadn’t excelled academically; I hadn’t figured out the studying techniques that worked best for me. That being said, I worked extremely hard, especially to improve my grades in order for my teammates to receive more funding. By the end of it, I was still being given a full ride, but half of it now came from academic scholarships.

I played five years at EMU.

I got freshmen of the year in my first year. Each year I played I got First Team All-Conference. I got honoured with the role of team captain after a few years.

I loved and cherished my years at EMU.

I’m grateful for my decision.

Nonetheless, I craved competition and I wanted to push myself further.

COVID-19 hit and I used that time to enter the transfer portal. This time around, I researched and explored my options. I knew I wanted to test my abilities. I found Auburn University and instantly connected with the coach and the captain of the team. It was a bigger school, they competed in the SEC conference, but it was still a supportive and friendly atmosphere.

The new environment was thrilling and I was excited to establish myself on the team through my work ethic and drive.

And then, the second game in … I tore my knee.

I’m sitting on the field, thinking, wow, my college career just ended in a blink of an eye.

It was my second time having gone through ACL reconstruction surgery. I had torn my knee at EMU, but there I was captain, a leader, and I still felt like I could help my teammates without physically being on the field.

I had just got to Auburn, I was just starting to showcase myself. I didn’t know how to establish myself on the team; I had always done that through my hard work on the field.

It was challenging.

But I had two other teammates, one of which was my roommate at the time, going through the same exact situation. I could use this time to help guide my friends, to create a support system. I worked hard to get back on the field.

Sabrina McNeill during the early stages of her rehab

I was in the athletic training room 7 days a week.

My injuries have never been something I dwelled on. 

I went on to sign a professional contract for a team in the first league in Cyprus.

Sabrina McNeill playing for Omonoia FC; her professional club overseas

I see my whole career as a positive journey. I am grateful for all of my harsh experiences. I learnt more about myself outside of my sport. And it helped me learn how to transition out of soccer.

I was able to turn it into something bigger. I now have an online community where I can help young athletes with sharing their similar experiences.

Sabrina McNeill at Auburn University

I want to continue to promote how to maintain a confident mindset through injuries.

I created a clothing line tailored to people that have gone through ACL surgery. They can wear their hoodies with pride; sort’ve as a symbol to represent how hard they’ve worked. To be able to say: “I overcame that”.

Soccer has and continues to be one of my greatest passions. It has taught me many lessons over the years and I cannot wait to see what the next chapter of my life may bring.