Felicia Schroeder

Felicia Waldock (née Schroeder; born December 3, 1986) is an American retired soccer player who played for Åland United. Born deaf, she also received gold medals at the 2009 and 2013 Deaflympics.

Felicia Schroeder
Personal information
Date of birth (1986-12-03) December 3, 1986
Place of birth Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Ohio Elite Soccer Academy
Cardinals
–2005 Oak Hills Highlanders
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2006 South Carolina Gamecocks 37 (8)
2007–2008 Purdue Boilermakers 47 (13)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011 Åland United 27 (23)
2012 Kvarnsvedens IK 11 (7)
International career
2011–2012 U.S. Deaf National Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Early life and education

Felicia Schroeder was born in Cincinnati on December 3, 1986, to Tom and Andrea Schroeder; she also has a sister.[2] Schroeder was born deaf.[3][4] Due to a lack of appropriate accommodations, she attended nine different schools by the time she was in third grade.[3]

While in school, Schroeder played soccer with the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy and the Cardinals. Between the two clubs, she won four state championships (1999, 2000, 2001, 2005),[2] as well as a national championship.[5] As of July 2023, she continues to hold records at her high school for number of goals and assists.[6][7][8]

She graduated from Oak Hills High School in 2005 before attending the University of South Carolina, where she was the only deaf student on campus;[3] because of this, the school did not have a sign-language interpreter and hired someone from Georgia to attend Schroeder's classes with her.[9][3] Due to difficulties with appropriate accommodations, she transferred to Purdue University, where she studied psychology "to become a psychologist and help deaf children [...] realize that it is a hearing world, but they can still accomplish so much".[3]

Career

Athletic career

Schroeder played soccer at the University of South Carolina for two years before transferring to Purdue University.[10] In 2007, while at Purdue, the team won a Big Ten Conference tournament.[4][11]

In 2009, she represented the United States as a member of the US Deaf National Team and was selected to play at the 2009 Deaflympics in Taipei. Upon learning she had secured the position, Schroeder learned that "because the U.S. Olympic Committee does not sponsor the games, each player had to raise $5,000 for the trip to Taiwan".[11] Schroeder was able to secure the funding and ultimately received a gold medal.[4][11]

In 2011, Schroeder made her debut playing for "Åland United of Naisten Liiga, the highest division of soccer in Finland."[10][12] She played for a Swedish team in 2012.[4][8] The same year, she received a gold medal at the Deaf World Cup, where she played for the US national women's team, as well as the inaugural award for Player of the Year with a Disability.[4][13]

In 2013, she received another gold medal at the Deaflympics.[11]

Coaching

In 2012, Schroeder took on the role of assistant coach for the women's soccer team at Texas A&M International University, where she helped the team increase their national ranking.[4] She also coached at the University of Cincinnati, Benton Central High School, and the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy.[8]

Teaching

As of 2019, Waldock taught American Sign Language at Colerain High School and was the coach for the school's girl's soccer team. Waldock now teaches ASL 1 and 2 at Lakota West High school and is the Head JV coach for wemons soccer

Personal life

Schroeder married Adam Waldock in 2014.[4] As of 2019, they lived in Liberty Township, Ohio, and Felicia has two kids.

References
  1. "Felicia Schroeder – Soccer". Purdue Boilermakers. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  2. "Meet The New Kid: Felicia Schroeder". Purdue Boilermakers. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  3. Brummett, Melissa (February 18, 2008). "Junior hopes personal hardships will help others". Purdue Exponent. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  4. Jennings, Kirsten (December 3, 2012). "Schroeder Leaves Lasting Impact on Women's Soccer Team". Texas A&M International University Athletics. Archived from the original on March 5, 2016. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  5. "South Carolina Women's Soccer Announces Signing Class". University of South Carolina Athletics. May 3, 2005. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  6. "Girls Soccer: Goals Scored Career (Since 1991)". Oak Hills Athletics. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  7. "Girls Soccer – Offensive Points Career – Goals (2) Assists (1) (Since 1991)". Oak Hills Athletics. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  8. Dyer, Mike (January 16, 2019). "Felicia Waldock is a 'home run' hire for the Colerain girls' soccer program". WCPO 9 Cincinnati. Archived from the original on May 30, 2023. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  9. Carmin, Mike (October 4, 2007). "Just one thing she can't do: And the soccer standout is OK with that". Journal and Courier. pp. A1, A8. Retrieved August 24, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. "Felicia Schroeder, Liz Ruberry, Janelle Cordia sign for Åland United". Our Game Magazine. February 2, 2011. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  11. Klemko, Robert (September 15, 2009). "Deaf athletes hurdle barriers, achieve goals in college sports". USA Today. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  12. Sjöblom, Dan (March 3, 2011). "Åland United och IFK möts i ÅM-final". Nya Åland (in Swedish). Archived from the original on May 27, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  13. "CP Soccer Youth Players Voted 2020 U.S. Soccer Players of the Year with a Disability". US Soccer. Archived from the original on December 19, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2023.
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