Sophia Jones wasn’t sure what her soccer coach meant when, in September 2015, she was told a United States scout was in attendance to watch her play during a U-15 tournament.
Several weeks later, Jones received an email inviting her to a U-15 training camp.
“I didn’t know what it was and I had no idea what to expect,” said Jones, now a senior at Menlo School and a member of the U.S. U-17 national team that will be competing at the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Uruguay beginning Nov. 13. “I didn’t know any of the girls, and the level of play was so much higher than I had ever seen I was shocked.”
That did not deter Jones, who began kicking soccer balls around at the age of 3, from accepting the challenge of playing to that level. She’s been a part of the U.S. national program ever since, becoming an important member of a team with high expectations.
“Any time you wear the crest, you expect to be the best in the world,” Jones said. “The women’s national team set the standard.”
Jones has since made 19 appearances with the national U-17 team, including a start during World Cup qualifying at the CONCACEF tournament in Florida in June.
The U.S. is unbeaten in 17 of its past 18 matches, suffering a 2-1 loss to England on the final day of the U-17 Women’s Invitational on Oct. 14.
The Americans open the World Cup on Nov. 14 against Cameroon. They will also meet Korea DPR, the 2016 World Cup champion, and Germany during group play.
It’s been a crazy ride for Jones, who will be playing at Duke in the fall. She started competitive soccer with her twin brother, Austin, on a boys team, and at age 7 didn’t think she was any good at the sport.
“It was tough playing with the guys,” she said. “Then I started playing with the girls and actually thought I could be good. I never thought about where soccer might take me but how much fun I had playing.”
Jones also played basketball and tennis and was on the Menlo freshmen basketball team before turning her attention to soccer full time. By age 15, she was aware her athletic talent was in soccer and made the commitment to train year-round.
She did miss playing with her Menlo classmates, and once the World Cup is over on Dec. 1 will play for the Knights in her final year.
Of the 21 players in the U-17 national roster, 19 are committed to play at 13 different colleges, including Jones. Three are headed to University of California at Los Angeles, three to Penn State University, two to Harvard University and two to Stanford University: Maya Doms and Astrid Wheeler.
Jones thinks highly of all her teammates. “Maya is so good on the ball and she leads by example. She’s always in the game,” Jones said. “Astrid leads with her voice as well as her playing. She knows how to play long balls and makes connections with simple, smart passes. She’s super positive.”
Kennedy Wesley, who has made 32 appearances with the U-17 team, is also going to Stanford but will miss the World Cup with a torn ACL.
“She’s maybe the best player I’ve ever played with,” Jones said. “She’s so strong in the back and definitely our leader. She’s willing to make the tough tackles and put her body on the line.”
Jones plays a holding middle, usually alongside Doms and/or Wheeler. It’s a position always on the move, usually without the ball.
“I move forward with the attack and support the team,” she said. “You work hard, but everybody does, and it’s super rewarding.”
Wesley is one of four injured players unable to make the trip, along with Kate Wiesner, Lia Godfrey and Croix Bethune. That doesn’t stop them from being a part of the team. Snapchat goes a long way in keeping them connected.
“We do miss them,” Jones said. “We feel something missing. But at the same time it motivates us to play for them. We’re all best friends … and super close. We work for each other.”
The injured players are also on the field, as their teammates write their names on taped wrists.
“It’s an honor to wear the crest and remember all the players who came before you and how you want to make them proud,” Jones said. “It’s an honor to be playing for something bigger than yourself.”
The team went to Argentina late last month to train for a week before heading to Uruguay. It’s been such a great journey, she’s had little time to digest her future at Duke and in the sport.
“It’s still so hypothetical I don’t think it’s going to be real until I step on campus,” Jones said. “For me, I focus on what’s ahead. It’s so far off that I focus on what I can control.”
