Get to know UTSA soccer student-athlete Sasjah Dade in this Q&A.
Q: Why did you choose UTSA?
Sasjah Dade: "Going through my recruiting process, the main factors that were important to my family and I was scholarship money, a family atmosphere, and a team that would be able to compete at a high level and force me to develop my game. After talking with [UTSA head coach] Derek [Pittman] and coming on my official visit, I realized it was a perfect fit. He introduced me to the team's core values: grit, family, and integrity. They lined up perfectly with what I believe to be a good foundation for a team to connect with and truly be able to work together towards the common goal.The chance to compete has not only helped me to grow as a player on the field, but as a person off the field. All of these factors led me to fully commit to UTSA and have spent all five years of my eligibility, happily, here as a Roadrunner."
Q: What do you like most about being a student-athlete at UTSA?
Sasjah Dade: "There are many benefits to being a student-athlete, but the main benefit for me is how it is great preparation to take on the world after college. Having to juggle both class and athletic schedules proves to be difficult, but I know that it will set me up for success in the future. This aspect of being a student-athlete has shown me that commitment is necessary to achieve the goals I have set for myself. I’ve realized that I will not reap the benefits if I do not do the work. The preparation for the future not only includes excelling at whatever career I choose, but also living a healthy life, and even being a great mother and wife to my future family."
Q: How did you first get involved playing soccer?
Sasjah Dade: "When I was younger, my parents had my siblings and I in multiple sports until we were around the age of 12. I played soccer, basketball, and volleyball. They did this so we could experience the sports and decide for ourselves which one we wanted to pursue. I started playing community soccer around age 5. I fell in love instantly. It was something that came natural to me and was easy for me to understand. This was a big difference from the other sports, which is why I decided to pick soccer."
Q: What are you majoring in and what do you hope to do following your athletic career?
Sasjah Dade: "Way before I graduated high schoo,l I always had a set plan for my future career. I wanted to get my degree to be an English teacher and continue on to law school. That was always my plan. I am currently an English major with a concentration in education. The plan was the same until we won our first conference tournament. This changed everything for me. This opened the door for me to play for the Samoan Womens National team. After this experience I decided I wanted to pursue playing soccer professionally. Although this is part of my new plan, I still want to go to law school. I am very passionate about making change in the world today, especially as a black women. I feel strongly about equal pay and better opportunities for women in general. Being an English major will help me be successful in law school. Being a women in sports today gave me the fire to fight for future women athletes."
Q: What is an interesting fact about you that most people might not know?
Sasjah Dade: "I think the most interesting fact that most people don’t know is that I come from a big Samoan family. I grew up literally with a village. My mom has nine siblings that all live within 15 minutes from us. I have 39 cousins that I was raised with and a whole lot more spread out throughout the the states, Samoa, and New Zealand."
Q: Who has been the most influential person in your life?
Sasjah Dade: "The most influential person in my life would have to be my dad. He was a college basketball player and went on to play professionally overseas. He went on to do social work, became a counselor, teacher, vice principal, principal, and now is head of HR for a school district. He has taught me so much and has shown me what hard work is. He truly relies on God and never fails to give all the glory to him."
Q: Who is your sports role model?
Sasjah Dade: "I would say my role model in sports is Kendall Kloza. We had a rocky start when I first got to UTSA and she never gave up on me and helped me to become a better player and person. She is the definition of grit and passion for the game."
To make a contribution that supports UTSA's nearly 400 student-athletes, donate to the Roadrunner Athletic Fund today.