On a search for life after soccer, a student heads to Africa

By Danielle Gariglio ’17

Sophomore soccer player Taylor Ross ’18 is many things. An ordinary student-athlete, she is not.

Ross wakes every day at 5 a.m. for workouts and practices. A marketing major, she has plenty of schoolwork, and like her peers, must balance sports, school, and social life. So far, so normal. What sets Ross apart from the rest is that, at just 19 years old, she is in the process of building a nonprofit.

As a senior in high school, the Mapleville, R.I., native created an athletic clothing brand, Eleven, that generated more than $1,000 in revenue through the sale of lacrosse pinnies. But Ross realized that there was more to life than making money, and began educating herself on nonprofit organizations during her freshman year. She was able to apply the skills she was learning in her marketing classes to her real-life cause.

“I liked the business side of it, but I wanted to do something that really mattered, something that had a purpose,” Ross said. “Of course as a soccer player, soccer has always been my biggest passion. But that will have to come to an end.”

Enter Cleats Count. The start-up nonprofit collects donated cleats for young soccer players in developing countries, many of whom have never owned or even worn them before. Ross connected with a larger nonprofit, Ordinary Hero, to learn the ropes; she joined the organization on a trip to Ethiopia this April.

“My mom had heard of them through her work, and I was searching for an outlet to take the trip because, you know, you can’t just jump on a plane to Ethiopia,” Ross says. “Then they contacted me and said ‘Hey Taylor, we heard about what you’re doing and we think it’s fate because we already have a trip to Ethiopia planned for the opening of a youth soccer field. We think you bringing the cleats you’ve collected would be perfect.’”

With Ordinary Hero, Ross traveled to Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia—Africa’s oldest independent country and one of the poorest nations in the world. She brought 78 pairs of cleats with her, including 40 donated by Lids Team Sports. “My coach helped me send out a big email to a ton of Division I schools,” she says, “so more and more came in.”

Now she’s back. She’s still collecting, hoping to go again next year. She has drop boxes at both Wide World of Indoor Sports facilities in Rhode Island—in North Kingstown and North Smithfield—as well as at her former high school, Burrillville High.

“I think that people forget what we’re capable of,” she reflects. “If you want to do something that helps people, then just do it. It really can be that simple. For me, because I’m so passionate about this—about helping people and about soccer—it’s not even something I need to make the time for.”

To pass on a pair of cleats or to donate toward Ross’s next trip, search for Cleats Count at gofundme.com, or contact Ross directly at nikeross09@yahoo.com.