On top of Sabrina D’Angelo giving us a good 40 minutes of her time for an interview over in Sweden, she’s also the first of what hopes to be many Starting XI Questions.
Starting XI Questions: Sabrina D’Angelo
We’ll be asking the NWSL NC Courage players this set of questions throughout the year. Enjoy their responses, and get a little bit of insight into the players’ mindset, and their personalities.
1. What’s a pre-game ritual you’ll never change?
D’Angelo: I’m not a very superstitious person. But, I always touch my post, and say, “thank you” before starting a game. I always forget about that, but I do always do that.
2. What’s your best suggestion to youth soccer players to up their game?
D’Angelo: Do the extra work — whether it’s fitness, whether it’s on the field, anything, just do the extra because somebody else is doing the extra too and you need to keep up with them. You want to be the best.
3. What’s something people don’t understand about you?
D’Angelo: I think people think I’m intimidating sometimes. But I’m really just a very friendly, happy person. Once you get to know me, you see that.
4. What’s the best praise someone could give to you on our off the field?
D’Angelo: I think hearing that someone is proud of you, that’s something that hits home. When you don’t hear it from somebody often, it means a lot.
5. What’s the first thing you do when you get home from a match?
D’Angelo: Sit on the couch, cause I’m probably really tired. Lay in bed.
6. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
D’Angelo: Probably from one of my youth coaches — it was to just take responsibility for my decisions and whatever choice I had in life.
7. What person outside your family has done the most for your soccer career?
D’Angelo: That’s tough. A lot of people have done a lot for my soccer career. Probably my best friend, Taylor. I’m going to get emotional talking about this — because she’s been there for me through the good and bad. She knows everything about me and what makes me happy so to just kind of keep me true to me, she’s been that person.
8. Of all the teams you’ve played with, wherever you go, what’s the one thing that always stays the same?
D’Angelo: I think for me, I’ve been lucky, but it’s the connections. At the end of the day, you’re going to remember the games you won, but you’re not going to necessarily remember who was on the field. I think you remember the connection and the feeling. I think back to the [Western New York] Flash, and I remember that feeling of winning, hugging everybody and cheering. Then fast-forwarding to last year with the Courage, I don’t want to say it, but kind of spanking Portland in their house. You remember those moments and it’s because of those connections with the people.
Even the same thing with Rio (2016 Olympics) — I can’t even remember who was the starting XI, but I just remember the whistle blowing and the moment where we got to walk around the field — we were bronze medalists. I remember that moment because of the people you were doing it with. The connections with people never change.
9. Who’s the last soccer player you texted?
D’Angelo: I think my boyfriend — Kareem. It’d probably be him.
10. What’s your best guilty pleasure?
D’Angelo: I love chocolate. So just a plain milk-chocolate bar — a Hershey’s bar, a Dairy Milk bar, any kind of chocolate, that’s my go-to — that and Netflix. Chocolate and Netflix are my guilty pleasures together.
11. What brings you joy off the pitch?
D’Angelo: My family and friends for sure. Obviously with the distance now, it’s getting to talk to them and knocking things off them, hearing how their days went, and how they’re doing. That brings me joy since I don’t have them here physically.
Bonus #12. Give me a question for the next player doing Starting XI Questions. Hoping to have the next one setup. It’s looking like it’ll be Jess McDonald. Got a question for her?
D’Angelo: Like any sort of question? I’ll go fun. Ask her if she could meet one person, dead or alive, who would it be? Anybody. I’d be interested to hear her answer.
More from D’Angelo
If you haven’t seen it already, make sure to check out our full-length interview with Sabrina D’Angelo from last month. Look for more Starting XI Interviews, and interviews in general soon.
