88. Sophia Woodland | Leaving the Program Better Than You Found It

Sophia Woodland is a former Division I soccer player from Boston University, where she competed for four years while studying business and minoring in psychology, graduating in 2023. In this episode, Sophia reflects on the reality behind her collegiate career — from feeling voiceless in a difficult team environment her first two years to beginning therapy and learning to separate her self-worth from her performance on the field.She shares how adopting a new mindset her junior year helped her reclaim some joy, and how a coaching change her senior year allowed her to enjoy the game again. For Sophia, the hardest part of leaving collegiate soccer was leaving the daily access to her teammates and built in community. Sophia speaks candidly about the importance of coaching culture, power dynamics, and the silence many athletes feel pressured into. After the release of a documentary by Alex Cooper highlighting experiences under former coaches Nancy Feldman and Casey Brown, Sophia found herself revisiting her own experience. She discusses the fear of retaliation, the risks athletes face in speaking up, and the lasting impact of negative language — particularly around body image — during formative years.Now based in Denver, Sophia serves as Head of Ratings at 2aDays, a platform designed to bring transparency to college athletics through coach and program reviews. Inspired by the belief that athletes have a responsibility to “leave the program better than you found it,” she is helping create space for honest feedback and systemic change. This conversation explores identity, accountability, the NCAA’s gaps in supporting athlete transitions, and the courage it takes to use your voice after years of being taught not to.