U.S. Soccer’s Naomi Girma Credits Parents For High Work Ethic
Jul 25, 2024, 11:51 AM | Updated: Jul 29, 2024, 8:15 am
SALT LAKE CITY – U.S. Soccer star Naomi Girma is a first-generation American and gave a lot of love to her parents for pushing her to be great.
Born in San Jose, California, Girma’s parents preached dedication to her and her older brother from day one.
On our Tuesday training grind 💪 pic.twitter.com/K1IYWkjuFy
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 23, 2024
The 2023 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year found her athletic stride from a very young age.
Girma played basketball, soccer, and did gymnastics for much of her youth before committing to soccer in middle school. As she started to find more and more success, her parents told her to not get complacent.
“(Work ethic) is something my parents instilled in me and my brother from a young age,” Girma said. “It wasn’t just with soccer. If you were going to do something or try something out, you were going to work hard and give it your all.”
Wearing white to kick-off @Paris2024 ⬜️ pic.twitter.com/4w4ejal5bD
— U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team (@USWNT) July 25, 2024
And that’s exactly what she did.
Girma was a standout on the Stanford Cardinals women’s soccer team from 2018 to 2021. This led to her becoming the first overall pick in the 2022 NWSL Draft.
After spending multiple years with the United States U17, U19, and U20 squads, Girma will make her Olympic debut with Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
However, it won’t be her first experience with the senior team. Girma suited up for the U.S. in the 2022 CONCACAF W Championship, the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup, and the 2024 SheBelieves Cup.
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Chandler Holt is a co-host of the Jazz Notes podcast, a Locals In The NFL Insider, and Digital Sports Producer for sports.ksl.com. Follow Chandler on Twitter @CHoltSports or on Threads @chandlerho1t.
