Impact Of A Scholarship: Yewande Balogun

Yewande Balogun, a standout goalkeeper and student-athlete for the University of Maryland, finished her senior year in 2011. When graduation came the following spring, Balogun had to face the tough reality that many college athletes face when they graduate---the end of her playing career.

“It was always the goal to play beyond that, and at the highest levels possible,” Balogun said. “Unfortunately, that wasn't in the cards for me directly after college.”

Dealing with injuries at the end of her time as a Terp, and seeing no real options to continue playing, she thought it was over.

“I had a couple of knee surgeries during my playing time, and the last one was pretty invasive. I thought my career was done after that,” she said.

Having earned a business degree during her time as a student-athlete, Balogun began to work in finance and worked in the industry for over three years. She never gave much thought to returning to soccer.

“I didn't talk about soccer, I didn't play, I didn't think about it, I would meet new people, and they didn't even know that was ever a part of my life,” Balogun said. “I had to figure out who I am without this sport.”

“I felt almost betrayed. I did all this, I gave so much to this game, and now what?”

About three years into being in finance, Balogun began to work on her MBA while working full-time with a mortgage company. She had received calls about possible coaching opportunities but had turned them down while trying to focus on building her working career.

“This was not really what I signed up for in this life,” Balogun said.

That is when she received another call from Anabel Jimenez, the head coach of American University’s women's soccer team.

Knowing that soccer was what drove her, Balogun took Jimenez up on the offer, becoming an assistant on her staff in 2015.

American gave Balogun her coaching start and helped her gain experience. It also allowed her to re-kindle connections with Maryland. In early 2016, those connections came through, and Balogun was hired as an assistant coach with the Terps.

“It was incredible for me to be back to my alma mater and be a part of that program in a different capacity, but still loving being a Terp as always,” Balogun said.

Balogun spent four seasons in College Park before joining the coaching staff at UC Davis in 2019.

“I was there when COVID hit and after COVID, things started to go back to normal and we started trying to get games in,” Balogun said. “We decided we were going to play semi-pro teams in the area because our conference wouldn’t allow us to play any matches, so we could only play against semi-pro teams.”

One of those semi-pro teams was the California Storm. While UC Davis was getting ready to play the Storm, the sides realized the Storm did not have a goalkeeper.

Head coach of UC Davis Tracy Hamm told Balogun that she had to play again.

Balogun faced UC Davis and other teams that day while filling in for the Storm. Balogun impressed enough that day for the Storm head coach Jamie Levoy to offer her a spot on the team for the summer.

“This is 10 years after I played competitive soccer at Maryland but you know what, we're gonna do it,” Balogun said. “So, I decided I'd play that summer with them, and then from there it kind of all just snowballed.”

About a month after playing with the Storm, the Nigerian women's national team came to the United States for a series of matchups in 2021.

The team had issues with getting players into the country because of COVID-19, which led head coach Randy Waldrum to look for players to fill in, including a goalkeeper.

“I got the call right before I was going on a recruiting trip to Southern California,” Balogun said.

“I was like, ‘Yes. Yes. Yes.’ I was just wondering if any of this is real, because how is this happening?”

Balogun went to training camp with the team. Talking to Waldrum, they agreed they would give it a try. Balogun agreed to come back for the next training camp so the team could get a better look.

“I just kind of kept getting called into camps after that,” Balogun said.

Balogun knew she needed to go all-in with training if she were to go back to playing. She quit coaching to do so.

In the summer of 2022, Balogun signed with her current club, AS Saint Étienne. She was also continually called to train with the Nigerian national team.

The whole time, Balogun was well aware that the 2023 Women's World Cup was on the horizon.

Balogun got her first national appearance early in 2023 and knew that representing Nigeria in the World Cup was a real possibility.

“The list comes out, and my name is on it,” Balogun said. “I’m still in shock, like, this is actually happening.”

Playing internationally, playing professionally---those were always the dreams for Balogun, but she never expected them to come true 10 years after her career looked like it was over.

“Not playing competitively for 10 years, that in itself was just an incredible feeling,” she said.

“My parents moved here from Nigeria, they ingrained so much of Nigerian culture into me,” Balogun said. “That's something I always wanted to be a part of.”

Nigeria did well in the group stage, getting through without a loss. 

“The first time walking onto the field, it was like that moment of, wow, this is everything that I've dreamed about, everything that I've worked for,” Balogun said. “And at first it was like, I couldn't believe it, then it was like no, believe it, we did it, own it.”

In the knockout stage, Nigeria battled it out with England in a very close matchup that would go to penalties. Unfortunately, England won, ending Nigeria’s run.

“It’s heartbreaking that we didn't do more, but I think coming out of the group stage, not having lost a game against all top-25 teams, you know, that's incredible.”

“I think that sets the tone for what Nigeria is able to do in the future,” Balogun said. “Being a part of that team and a part of that group is amazing.”

Reflecting on her experiences and the improbable path she has gone through, Balogun is thankful for it.

“It wasn't just for me, it was for the whole country of Nigeria, for my family, for every person that has believed in me, pushed me, and helped me along the way,” she said.

Balogun said, “It was definitely more than just about me and definitely bigger than just myself.”

Balogun also was encouraged by the amount of attention the tournament garnered around the world for the growth of women's soccer.

“You saw the numbers, you saw the packed stadiums, it speaks for itself,” Balogun said. “I hope that leads to continued investment, not just at the national level but from the grassroots. It has to start there and provide more opportunities for women to play and I'm really excited to see what's going to happen.”

Back with Saint Étienne, Balogun is excited to keep playing the game she loves.

“Honestly, for me, I just want to play for as long as possible,” she said.

Looking back at her experience as a player and the scholarship that enabled her to play, Balogun feels it still helps her today.

“My experience as a student-athlete at UMD was pivotal in my growth as a player, but more importantly a person,” Balogun said. “It shaped so much of who I am today and instilled in me many of the ethics and standards by which I choose to live my life.”

“Without receiving a scholarship, that experience would not have been possible,” Balogun said. “I couldn’t be more grateful to those who create these opportunities for people like me. Not only did I get an incredible education, I got a community for life.”

Balogun still looks back to her decision to play with the California Storm after filling in as goalkeeper for a day after not playing competitively for nearly a decade.

She said, “They say one decision changes your life and that decision definitely did.”