Sam Mewis facts for kids
Mewis in 2019
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Samantha June Mewis | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | October 9, 1992 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Weymouth, Massachusetts, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | Scorpions SC | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–2010 | Whitman Hanson Regional | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014 | Boston Breakers Academy | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011–2014 | UCLA Bruins | 87 | (31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Pali Blues | 10 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–2016 | Western New York Flash | 34 | (9) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–2020 | North Carolina Courage | 53 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020–2021 | Manchester City | 17 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | North Carolina Courage | 5 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022–2023 | Kansas City Current | 0 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 119 | (29) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008 | United States U-17 | 13 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010–2012 | United States U-20 | 33 | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | United States U-23 | 6 | (2) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2021 | United States | 83 | (24) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Samantha "Sam" June Mewis (born October 9, 1992) is an American former professional soccer player. She played as a midfielder for various clubs and the United States national team. Sam is also the editor-in-chief and podcast host for The Women's Game. This show is part of Men in Blazers.
Sam grew up in Hanson, Massachusetts. She played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins. In 2013, her team won an NCAA championship. She was a top pick in the 2015 NWSL College Draft. Sam won her first NWSL Championship with the Western New York Flash in 2016.
Later, the club became the North Carolina Courage. With them, she won three NWSL Shields and two championships. In 2020, Sam joined FA Women's Super League club Manchester City. She won the FA Cup there. Sam played for the Kansas City Current before retiring in 2024. This was due to a long-term knee injury.
Sam played a lot for youth national teams. She joined the United States senior national team in 2014. She played 86 games for her country. Sam won the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She also earned a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. In 2020, she was named the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.
Contents
Early Life and High School Soccer
Sam Mewis was born in Weymouth, Massachusetts. Her parents are Robert and Melissa Mewis. She grew up in Hanson, Massachusetts. Sam went to Whitman-Hanson Regional High School. She was a star player on the school's soccer team. During high school, she scored 77 goals and made 34 assists.
Sam played soccer with her older sister, Kristie. They played for youth teams like Scorpions SC. They also played for the U-17 and U-20 United States national teams. Sam was named a Parade All-American twice. In 2010, she was the National Soccer Coaches Association of America national player of the year. She won Gatorade Massachusetts Girls Soccer Player of the Year twice. This was in 2009–10 and 2011. In 2011, she was also named ESPN RISE All-American. She scored 30 goals and had 8 assists in her senior year.
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College Career at UCLA
In her first year at UCLA, Sam was a top scorer. She had six goals and seven assists. She was named to the Pac-12 All-Freshman Team. In her second year, she missed some games. This was because of her national team duties. She still scored three goals and had three assists.
In her junior year, Sam helped UCLA win the Pac-12 championship. They then won their first NCAA championship. In 2014, she won the 2015 Honda Award for soccer. This award honors top college athletes.
Professional Club Career
Pali Blues
In 2013, Sam Mewis joined the Pali Blues. This team was in the W-League. Her team won the Western Conference title. They also won the national championship in July 2013.
Western New York Flash (2015–2016)
The Western New York Flash picked Sam fourth in the 2015 National Women's Soccer League draft. She started all 20 regular-season games. She scored 4 goals and made 4 assists. This made her one of the team's top scorers. Sam was a finalist for the NWSL Rookie of the Year award in 2015.
In 2016, Sam missed some games. She was training with the U.S. national team. They were getting ready for the 2016 Summer Olympics. The Western New York Flash finished fourth in the league. They made it to the play-offs. In the semi-final, Sam scored a goal. This helped her team beat the top-ranked Portland Thorns. Sam scored again in the NWSL Championship game. The game went to penalty kicks. Sam missed her shot, but the Flash won the championship 3–2.
North Carolina Courage (2017–2020)
In 2017, the Western New York Flash moved to North Carolina. The team was renamed the North Carolina Courage. Sam had a great 2017 season. She played in every game. She scored 6 goals and had 3 assists. She was named to the NWSL Best XI team. She was also a finalist for the NWSL Most Valuable Player Award.
Sam missed the start of the 2018 season. She was recovering from a knee injury. She played in 17 regular season games. The Courage won their second NWSL Shield in a row. In the play-offs, Sam started the semi-final. She scored a goal against the Chicago Red Stars. North Carolina won 2–0 and reached the championship. She played all 90 minutes in the NWSL Championship game. The Courage beat the Portland Thorns 3–0. Sam had now won three NWSL Championships.
In 2019, Sam played in only 12 regular season games. This was because she was playing in the 2019 World Cup. North Carolina won the NWSL Shield for the third year in a row. They beat Reign FC in the semi-final. Sam scored a goal in the championship game. North Carolina defeated the Chicago Red Stars 4–0. They won their second NWSL Championship in a row.
The 2020 season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Sam played in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. She made five appearances and scored one goal. North Carolina finished first in the early rounds. However, they were knocked out in the first play-off round.
Manchester City (2020–2021)
On August 10, 2020, Sam Mewis signed with Manchester City. This team plays in England's FA WSL. She played her first game on August 29. It was a 2–0 loss to Chelsea.
Sam played 32 games and scored 16 goals. She scored the winning goal against Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final. She also scored in the final. Manchester City beat Everton 3–1 in extra time. They defended their title. City finished second in the league that season. Sam was named to the FA WSL PFA Team of the Year.
Return to North Carolina Courage (2021)
On May 17, 2021, Sam Mewis rejoined the North Carolina Courage.
Kansas City Current (2022–2023)
On November 30, 2021, Sam was traded to the Kansas City Current. This trade involved Kiki Pickett and a draft pick. After the 2021 Olympics, Sam had knee surgery. She played in two Challenge Cup games in March 2022. However, she did not play for the rest of the season.
She had a second knee surgery in January 2023. This surgery involved cartilage grafts. Because of this, she missed the entire 2023 NWSL season. After the 2023 season, Sam announced her retirement. Her long-term knee injury made it impossible to continue playing professionally.
International Career for the United States
Sam Mewis was part of the United States U-17 team. They were runners-up at the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in New Zealand. Her sister Kristie was also on the team. They were the first sisters to play for the U.S. at a Women's World Cup. They also played together at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. In 2012, Sam helped the U-20 team win the championship. They beat Germany 1–0 in the final.
On January 24, 2014, Sam was called up to the senior national team. She made her debut at the 2014 Algarve Cup. This was during a 1–0 loss to Sweden.
After a break, Sam returned to the senior team. This was after their win at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played regularly. She scored four goals in 2016. This included the winning goal against Germany in the 2016 SheBelieves Cup. This win helped the U.S. team win the trophy. Sam was an alternate for the U.S. team at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
In 2017, Sam was one of three players to play in every game for the U.S. team. She played 1,242 minutes, the second-highest on the team. She scored three goals. She was a finalist for the 2017 U.S. Female Player of the Year.
Sam had a knee cartilage injury in November 2017. This kept her off the field for six months. She missed the 2018 SheBelieves Cup. Sam returned to play for the U.S. in June 2018. This was in a friendly game against China. In September 2018, she was named to the roster for the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship.
In May 2019, Sam was chosen for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup team. She played in 6 out of 7 matches, including the final. She scored two goals in a 13–0 win against Thailand. The United States won the 2019 World Cup. They defeated the Netherlands 2–0.
In 2020, Sam played in 8 of 9 matches for the U.S. She started 6 games and scored 4 goals. In December 2020, Sam was named the 2020 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year. She was the 17th player to win this award.
On January 18, 2021, Sam scored her first hat-trick. This was in a 4–0 friendly win against Colombia. Her sister Kristie scored the other goal. Sam was on the U.S. team at the 2020 Olympic Games in August 2021. She scored one goal in their quarterfinal win against the Netherlands. She and her team won the bronze medal. They beat Australia 4–3.
Sam had knee cartilage surgeries in 2021 and 2023. This meant she was away from the national team for a long time. On January 19, 2024, Sam announced her retirement from professional soccer. This was due to her long-term knee injury.
New Roles: Coaching and Media
Coaching
On June 7, 2024, it was announced that Sam Mewis would lead Vermont Green's first women's team. This was for an exhibition game on June 22. She will stay with Vermont as an advisor after the match.
Media Career
Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams hosted a podcast called Snacks. It was about women's soccer. The podcast ran from April 2021 to November 2023. After retiring in January 2024, Sam joined the Men in Blazers Media Network. She became The Women's Game Editor-in-Chief. Her role includes hosting The Women's Game podcast. This podcast has "Friendlies," where she interviews soccer stars. It also has "Good Vibes FC" with Lynn Williams and Becky Sauerbrunn.
Personal Life
Sam Mewis's older sister, Kristie, also plays soccer. She plays for the United States women's national soccer team. She also plays professionally for West Ham United. In December 2018, Sam married her longtime boyfriend, Pat Johnson. The wedding was in Boston, Massachusetts.
After the United States won the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, Sam and her teammates were honored. They had a ticker tape parade in New York City. Each player received a key to the city from Mayor Bill de Blasio. Sam shared that when she was young, her father, Bob Mewis, worked extra jobs. He did this to pay for her and her sister's soccer expenses.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | League cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Western New York Flash | 2015 | NWSL | 20 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 20 | 4 | ||||
| 2016 | 14 | 5 | — | 2 | 2 | — | — | 16 | 7 | |||||
| Total | 34 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 11 | ||
| North Carolina Courage | 2017 | NWSL | 24 | 6 | — | 2 | 0 | — | — | 26 | 6 | |||
| 2018 | 17 | 3 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 19 | 4 | |||||
| 2019 | 12 | 2 | — | 2 | 1 | — | — | 14 | 3 | |||||
| 2020 | — | 5 | 1 | — | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||||||
| Total | 53 | 11 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 64 | 14 | ||
| Manchester City | 2019–20 | FA WSL | — | 3 | 2 | — | — | — | 3 | 2 | ||||
| 2020–21 | 17 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 14 | ||
| Total | 17 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 32 | 16 | ||
| North Carolina Courage | 2021 | NWSL | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1 | ||
| Kansas City Current | 2022 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Career total | 109 | 28 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 137 | 42 | ||
International Goals
- Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Mewis goal.
| No. | Cap | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | February 15, 2016 | Toyota Stadium, Frisco, United States |  Puerto Rico |
10–0 | 10–0 | 2016 Olympic qualifying |
| 2 | 8 | March 9, 2016 | FAU Stadium, Boca Raton, United States |  Germany |
2–1 | 2–1 | 2016 SheBelieves Cup |
| 3 | 15 | October 19, 2016 | Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, United States | .svg){kind=small} Switzerland |
4–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 4 | 18 | November 13, 2016 | StubHub Center, Carson, United States |  Romania |
5–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 5 | 27 | July 30, 2017 | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, United States |  Brazil |
1–1 | 4–3 | 2017 Tournament of Nations |
| 6 | 32 | October 22, 2017 | WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, United States |  South Korea |
1–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
| 7 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 8 | 39 | October 7, 2018 | WakeMed Soccer Park, Cary, United States |  Panama |
1–0 | 5–0 | 2018 CONCACAF Championship |
| 9 | 47 | April 7, 2019 | Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles, United States | .svg){kind=small} Belgium |
4–0 | 6–0 | Friendly |
| 10 | 48 | May 12, 2019 | Levi's Stadium, Santa Clara, United States |  South Africa |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 11 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 12 | 49 | May 16, 2019 | Busch Stadium, St. Louis, United States |  New Zealand |
5–0 | 5–0 | Friendly |
| 13 | 51 | June 11, 2019 | Stade Auguste-Delaune, Reims, France |  Thailand |
4–0 | 13–0 | 2019 FIFA World Cup |
| 14 | 6–0 | ||||||
| 15 | 62 | February 4, 2020 | BBVA Stadium, Houston, United States |  Costa Rica |
4–0 | 6–0 | 2020 Olympic qualifying |
| 16 | 6–0 | ||||||
| 17 | 63 | February 7, 2020 | Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, United States |  Mexico |
2–0 | 4–0 | 2020 Olympic qualifying |
| 18 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 19 | 69 | January 18, 2021 | Exploria Stadium, Orlando, United States |  Colombia |
1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 20 | 2–0 | ||||||
| 21 | 3–0 | ||||||
| 22 | 73 | June 10, 2021 | BBVA Stadium, Houston, United States |  Portugal |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 23 | 76 | July 1, 2021 | Rentschler Field, East Hartford, United States | Mexico |
2–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 24 | 81 | July 30, 2021 | Nissan Stadium, Yokohama, Japan |  Netherlands |
1–1 | 2–2 (aet) (4–2 p) |
2020 Summer Olympics |
Honors and Awards
UCLA
- NCAA Women's Soccer Championship: 2013
Western New York Flash
- NWSL Champions: 2016
North Carolina Courage
- NWSL Champions: 2018, 2019
- NWSL Shield: 2017, 2018, 2019
Manchester City
- Women's FA Cup: 2019–20
United States U20
- FIFA U20 Women's World Cup: 2012
- CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship: 2012
United States
- FIFA Women's World Cup: 2019
- CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2018
- CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2016; 2020
- SheBelieves Cup: 2016; 2020
- Tournament of Nations: 2018
- Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
Individual
- U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year: 2020
- NWSL Best XI: 2017
- ESPN FC Women's Rank: #1 on the 2021 list of 50 best women's soccer players
- FA WSL PFA Team of the Year: 2020–21
- Honda Sports Award 2015
See also
In Spanish: Samantha Mewis para niños
- List of UCLA Bruins
- 2012 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship squads
- 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup squads
