Relishing the responsibility of being an athlete and activist
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 15: Madison Hammond #99 of Angel City FC reacts after Angel City FC’s first goal in the first half of a game against the Portland Thorns at BMO Stadium on October 15, 2023, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Katharine Lotze/Getty Images)
“When you’re the first, you don’t have a blueprint of how you’re supposed to do it.”
Those are the words of football player Madison Hammond, who knows exactly what it means to be the first to do something.
When the 26-year-old made her league debut in 2020, she became the first Native American to play in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
Since then, she has become a role model for young girls across North America, growing into the responsibility that came with it.
“It was a lot being thrust into the spotlight,” she told Huffington Post in an interview.
“I wasn’t equipped with the ways to handle that. I didn’t know what it meant to be a role model, but I’ve always wanted to lead by example.”
In 2022, she realized what her presence at this level meant to fans, noting one particular experience with a young girl from the Navajo Nation—the same reservation her mother was born on—who traveled from Ohio to see her.
Madison was not selected to play in that game, but she knew from that moment what kind of legacy she would have.
“It all just puts it into perspective,” she said. “I could never step on a soccer field ever again, and the impact I have had and the inspiration I leave with people don’t feel real.”
Hammond doesn’t just want to stop there, though.
The Angel City defender has her sights set on leaving football in a better place than she came into it, making more history along the way.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – SEPTEMBER 05: Madison Hammond #99 of Angel City FC plays the ball from Kenti Robles of Mexico #2 during the first half in the Copa Angelina 2022 at Banc of California Stadium on September 05, 2022 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
Madison Hammond: I’m ready to evolve into the next thing
Hammond made history four years ago and wants to do it again.
“I’ve gotten to do many cool things because of who I am, and I would never want to change that,” she continued. “Now I’m ready to evolve into the next thing.
“I don’t just want to be the first Native American to play in the NWSL; I want to be the first Native American to make the NWSL’s Best XI First Team and get called to the national team.”
But her journey at the top has not been without its challenges.
After being a starting defender for OL Reign, she moved to Angel City in 2021, but her minutes with the Los Angeles outfit were limited. She found herself alternating between defense and midfield.
“I learned a lot about myself as an athlete [in that year] and as a person,” Hammond told the LA Times.
“It’s the first time in my life I experienced things like anxiety, especially related to sports performance.
“I was raised to rub dirt in it – you grind through it. I always thought going to therapy and talking about mental health made you weak.
“But then I found an excellent therapist, and I’ve truly changed in so many ways. I can give myself a lot more grace to make mistakes and to fail; it’s not going to be the end of the world.”
With a fresh mindset, the Phoenix-born defender is ready to overcome any barriers in her way, whether in football or beyond.
“Sport is something that [has] a time limit. There’s a clock on it.
“I can be fully committed to sports now, but career 2 or 3 could look completely different – and then I’ll just bust those doors down when I get there.”
Growing into the role of athlete and activist
When Hammond began her professional career in the NWSL, being in the spotlight was unnatural.
Fast forward to the start of the 2024 season, and this history-making footballer has adopted a new motto.
“It felt like all eyes were on me, and the word ‘responsibility’ had a negative connotation,” she told Medscape. “Since then, I have become an athlete and activist.
“My new motto is to live as authentically as possible, which comes back to how I carry myself with the values that have made me who I am.”
Part of that is about lending her voice to causes that not only mean something to her but also rely on allyship to be seen and heard in the U.S.
“Having people of color in front offices who influence decision-making is crucial for creating spaces where diversity is championed,” she adds.
“That’s how we will achieve teams that reflect those who want to play soccer. Soccer is a worldwide sport everyone plays—not just white people—and I would love for the league to reflect that.”
Hammond is not the first, and will not be the last, player who wants to help the sport reflect the times.
But one thing is for sure: she is ready to do the work to ensure everyone feels like there is a place for them in football, an experience she wasn’t always afforded while growing up playing the game.
“I want anyone who wants to play soccer to know there’s a place for them no matter what they look like, where they come from, or their background.
“I want to help create a sports world where Black girls, Native girls, and nonbinary and trans people are fervently advocated for. It’s a tall task in this climate, but I’m ready to do the work.”