Before making her international debut with the United States National Soccer Team (USWNT) in 2018, becoming a household name for soccer fans across the country, professional athlete Tierna Davidson grew up as a multi-sport athlete. When the shin guards came off, she was on the basketball court practicing her defensive stance or on a Little League Baseball® diamond, finetuning her swing. As a younger sister who wanted to be like her older sibling, when Davidson’s brother, Rory, signed up to play Tee Ball with Alpine/West Menlo (Calif.) Little League, it was a no-brainer for her to follow in his footsteps. It was in these early years of being the only girl on her teams that she learned the value of teamwork.
“I was the pitcher for the game, and one of my good friends at the time was the catcher. I wasn’t doing that well, and he came up to the mound and talked to me to just calm me down a little bit. After that conversation, I pitched what I would say was a decent game,” said Davidson. “To have that moment with a teammate, with a friend, it was a very memorable interaction. That trust, as we spoke, and the belief we had in each other, I still carry that with me today. If you see somebody struggling on the field, you know, have a moment with them, calm them down, give them a bit of confidence.”
In high school, Davidson’s post-degree dreams led her down two different paths – a professional career on the soccer field or exploring space as an astronaut. Once she committed to continuing her journey at Stanford University, her future became clearer. After three seasons of collegiate play, Davidson declared for the 2019 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) College Draft and was selected first overall by the Chicago Red Stars.
Since then, Davidson’s soccer resume has grown with impressive accomplishments – winning the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup as the youngest member of the USWNT, competing in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Japan, winning Gold at the 2024 Summer Olympics in France, and signing a three-year contract with Gotham FC in 2024. Off the field, Davidson works with youth soccer organizations to give back to the next generation of female athletes.
“It’s so important to give back because youth sports give you so much as a young person. It’s not about, ‘oh, we need to give these opportunities to everyone so that we can identify the elite talent and bring them to the next level so they can become professionals.’ Yes, that happens, but that is such a small percentage,” said Davidson. “It’s really about the larger percentage that just needs a social community to interact with, that needs a place to move their body and feel confident and feel connected and a sense of belonging. That’s what sports does for so many kids – the intangibles that you get from sports, whether it’s teamwork, the ability to lead and follow, the ability to follow direction, the ability to forge a new path to solve problems.”
Ahead of the 2025 NWSL playoffs, Little League® sat down with Davidson for a “Six Innings Conversation” to learn more about her journey from the baseball diamond to the biggest stage in women’s soccer and advice for the next generation.
First Inning: What lessons did you learn from your two seasons playing Little League or your years playing youth soccer that you have carried into your professional career?
I think it’s twofold. One is enjoying the sport. That’s a lot of what you learn from youth sports, and sometimes you don’t really realize that you’ve learned it until you look back on it and you’re like, ‘this is how my love for sports was developed. This is where I really had fun with the sport before it became an intense, pressure-filled environment.’ So first and foremost, having fun, enjoying the time with teammates, and doing a sport that you enjoy doing.
But then also, the notion of coachability and the ability to constantly be learning. As a youth, there’s so much to learn because you’re new to the sport. To take that into the professional environment is so important to understand that even if you’re not learning a ton about the sport because it’s not brand new to you anymore and you’re a professional in it, being able to find the small things to learn and get better at, to continue to push your level of excellence, is something that I have really tried to do over my years as a professional.
Second Inning: Teamwork is a core value at Little League. What does it mean to you to be a good teammate, and how has it helped you with your career both in the NWSL and as a member of the USWNT?
It is something that is so important to me. Something that I really cherish about my job and about sports in general is the time you spend with your teammates. I think it’s even more important to have the respect and trust of your teammates over your coaches or anyone else on your staff, because ultimately, you know, the people that have your back on the field are going to be the players around you. To build those relationships and be able to trust them and fall back on them in times when you’re struggling, and to be able to support others in times when they’re struggling, is what sports are all about.
Third Inning: From youth soccer to your collegiate career at Stanford to your professional career in the NWSL, you have had multiple coaches. What impact have these coaches had on you as a player and person, and what advice would you give coaches in youth sports today?
My coaches have had big impacts and different impacts – coming in at different parts of my career, and what I’ve been able to learn from them. But, I think, especially in my youth career, you know, developing me technically and pushing that side of the game. Then going later into college and professional is developing leadership and maybe some things that are maybe a little bit less tactical, but incredibly important to the game and to me as an individual.
For youth coaches, creating a space that is trusting and caring, and compassionate is so important because the stronger that type of relationship is, the more that you can push your athletes. Then that athlete knows that the pushing is coming from a place of, ‘I know that you can be great, so that’s why I am pushing you.’ When you have that level of trust and care, and the players feel like you care about them as a person, that is where you can really achieve a lot of greatness.
Fourth Inning: The NWSL has seen growth in popularity and viewership over the years and has really been a part of the “women’s sports are in a movement, not a moment.” What has it meant to you to be a part of that growth and see women’s sports – from soccer to softball – start to have the recognition it deserves?
It really is amazing to see that every time a woman’s sport is given the opportunity, we knock it out of the park. Every time we’re given the platform of primetime television or more coverage or more attention, we show up, and our fans show up. We absolutely exceed expectations. Jerseys get sold out, fans sell out stadiums, and we break records of viewership numbers. So, it is really cool to see that what has been holding us back is not lack of interest, but it’s exposure. There’s no problem with the sport, there’s no problem with the fan base; it’s just about getting our name out there, it’s getting more time in front of people to continue to grow the sport. It has been so cool to be a part of this intense period of growth.
Fifth Inning: As we think of representation in sports and the growth of women’s sports, how does the phrase ‘If you can see her, you can be her,’ make you feel?
I think it’s an important phrase because, you know, speaking about my Little League experience, I was the only girl on my team. Every single year. There’s not a single year that I played with another girl. There were a few times I played against a team with a girl, which was always so fun to see, because it’s like ‘oh, there’s somebody like me.’ So, I think it’s important that, you know, there are fantastic women role models that girls can look up to. People always ask who my soccer icon was when I was younger. I wish I could say a woman, but it wasn’t. So, it is cool that now there’s easy access for girls to see a role model who is a woman who looks like them. It’s so cool to see that sense of familiarity and connection, and recognize that one day they could be at that level playing, they could be doing that.
Sixth Inning: What advice would you give a young female who is stepping onto a softball diamond or soccer field for the first time?
Enjoy it. Time moves quickly. I feel very old when I think about my time in youth sports and how it’s continuously just getting farther and farther away. So, enjoy the time and remember that sports are meant to be a place to have fun, to grow, and to be challenged. It’s not meant to be, you know, terribly heartbreaking and pressure-filled. Your time playing in youth sports comes and goes, so enjoy it. Second, believe in yourself and in your abilities. That doesn’t mean just believe in all your talents as an athlete and your ability to play the sport, but also believe in your ability to make a mistake and come back from it. Believe in your ability to learn from somebody else. Believe in your ability that even if you might not be able to do something right now, you could do it in a few months.
To learn more about Little League’s notable alumni, visit LittleLeague.org/Alumni. If you know of a notable Little League graduate who is not listed on our website, please fill out our Little League Alumni Submission Form.