Episode Description
There’s a version of Lisa Wrightsman that almost didn’t make it.
Division I athlete. Goal scorer. The kind of player who felt invincible on the field. And then, the day the structure stopped — no practice, no team, no room to belong to — it all unraveled fast. What pulled her back wasn’t a program. It was a field.
Lisa Wrightsman leads Street Soccer USA in Sacramento, helping individuals experiencing homelessness rediscover structure, dignity, and belonging through the game. She also brought the Homeless World Cup to the United States. This is the kind of influence that changes the trajectory of a life.
In this episode, Lisa and host Mary Daffin talk about what it means to be in the right room — and what it costs when you’re not. They talk about the rooms that define us, the rooms that close on us, and the rooms we have to build ourselves when no one else will.
The mission of Street Soccer USA is simple: soccer is the mechanism. Belonging is the point.
“We’re trying to build the place where somebody who has not a single relationship in their life could walk up to us, be part of something, and leave with friends.”
Key Takeaways
- Why belonging is the real mission
- What it takes to rebuild identity after losing the structure that defined you
- How a single room can change the trajectory of a life
Guest
Lisa Wrightsman is the Managing Director at Street Soccer USA in Sacramento, where she leads programs that use soccer as a tool for rebuilding structure, dignity, and community among individuals experiencing homelessness. Street Soccer USA runs after-school programs at 30 low-income schools across the region and operates Street Soccer Park on Broadway and 8th Street.
A former Division I soccer player at Sacramento State, Lisa has spent over a decade expanding Street Soccer USA’s reach and impact in the Sacramento region. In 2023, she brought the Homeless World Cup to the United States for the first time — hosted at Sacramento State. The character at the center of the 2024 film A Beautiful Game was based on her life.
Lisa also serves on the board of Street Soccer USA nationally.