“Bigger Than Soccer”: The USWNT Defender Who Made History This Week
Carson Pickett became the first US soccer player born with a limb difference to appear for the national team.
Once upon a time in a youth soccer game, Carson Pickett got whistled for a handball; they said she’d touched the ball with her left hand. That’s when the defender wheeled around to confront the official. She told the ref, I don’t have a left hand. And, her father, who coached the team, added, she wasn’t going to get one any time soon.
Last Tuesday, no such calls were made. But Pickett, now 28, made history when she took the field for the US women’s national soccer team in their friendly against Colombia, becoming the first person with a limb difference to appear for a senior American national team. She played rock steady defense. Due to her help, the backline held the Colombians scoreless. The Yanks won 2-0.
Pickett was born without a left hand or forearm, but that never stopped her from pushing further and faster. When she was six months old, her parents took her to be fitted for a prosthetic, but even as a toddler, she kept ripping the limb off. She didn’t need it.
She competed in every sport and even swam the anchor lap on the relay. But soccer was always Pickett’s passion, and she became a prized recruit earning scholarship offers from across the country.
Now, Pickett is a standout player for the NWSL’s North Carolina Courage, and she regularly meets with children who have limb differences to show them what’s possible. In 2020, she worked with Nike to develop a soccer cleat that didn’t have laces that needed to be tied.
The women’s national team, more than just about any other collection of talent in sports, constantly pushes the boundaries of what we can expect from athletes. They are symbols of acceptance, of righteousness—of teamwork, equality, and passion. Pickett is the latest in a long line of pioneers who have worn the crest. Thanks to her example, she surely won’t be the last, because what she and her teammates do has a ripple effect that extends far beyond the world of sports.
“Ever since I got to the pros and seeing how many amazing messages I get sent about how I inspire people, some who aren't even soccer players,” Pickett said, “just showed me that I can do so much more than just be a good soccer player, and that I could advocate for something much bigger than soccer.”
Advocating for something much bigger than soccer—that’s what makes her a perfect fit with the American team. On this Fourth of July weekend, perhaps the rest of the country can aspire to their example.
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