Meet Stephanie McCaffrey of Hidden Gems

By: Samantha Johnson , Black Rose

Stephanie McCaffrey grew up in Boston, Massachusetts and was an elite athlete growing up. Soccer became the love of her life from a very young age, through which she fostered lifelong friendships that have provided her with memories she will cherish forever. Soccer was something Stephanie always had growing up. After graduating from Boston College, Stephanie was drafted into the National Women’s Soccer League in the first round, as the fifth overall pick to the Chicago Red Stars. She was then was traded to the Boston Breakers shortly after. This was the result of those blood sweat and tears you often hear athletes refer to.

Stephanie has dedicated many hours to her craft of soccer and was once one of the best in her position in the world. She earned six caps for the United States Women’s Soccer Team. On July 22nd, 2016, Stephanie was traded to the Chicago Red Stars. She began to grow in love with the city and its community. A heart for the game of soccer paired with her intellectual ways sparked the idea to create a non-profit that would bridge the gap between underserved communities and the access to professional athletes in the National Women’s Soccer League. Stephanie strongly felt there was a need in the community, and she figured out a way to give back. 

Stephanie found her why in the community by realizing she was a benefactor of the youth soccer system in America. After becoming a professional soccer player in the National Women’s Soccer League, she realized the youth soccer system has catered and given advantages to predominantly white and upper middle-class families. Even though Stephanie benefited from the access to good training, professional athletes and motivational speeches she realized she wanted to positively implement change in which underserved communities gain access to these same benefits she once had. 

In America, youth soccer is a big business as it costs a few thousand dollars for one child to play soccer for one club season. Because of this, many kids do not get the opportunity to play. With that said, limited access to the beautiful game has created boundaries for a lot of our youth who have a passion for the game. Stephanie recognized there was a gap in the access to the benefits the sport offered in the youth and decided soccer was a way to bridge those gaps between underserved demographics in Chicago. From there, Hidden Gems was born. The goal of Hidden Gems is to aid youth and non-profit girls’ soccer programs in both low-income and urban areas to increase socio-economic diversity in the sport. They prioritize empowering girls through sports and truly inspire them to be ambitious and chase their dreams. 

 “Use soccer as a vehicle to help them realize their self-worth” – Stephanie McCaffrey

Stephanie retired from professional soccer in 2018 due to some sudden health setbacks. She not only started Hidden Gems, she also applied for graduate school and is now attending the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. She will be getting her MBA and look to bridge more gaps in the finance industry for women. Her personal goals after receiving her degree are to work as an investor in the field of finance and help more women be introduced and develop a voice in an industry that is dominated by men. Her passion for the youth also carries into her future profession. Women are transcending into more powerful roles in society. We can and will impact male dominant industries going forward. It is because of people like Stephanie that we are all inspired to continue to push boundaries and bridge gaps in male dominant industries. This message stems from the community work Hidden Gems has done and continues to do for your future females of society. 

“Give them the ambition to go after what they want.”- Stephanie McCaffrey