A former Pine Creek soccer player is now starring with the Denver Summit FC
Rob Namnoum
“Because like, since I was younger, I knew I wanted to be a professional soccer player. I knew I wanted to do this forever,” says Ally Brazier.
It started on fields like the Pride Complex in Falcon, Colorado, “This is where their grassroots is. It’s where they start,” says Colorado Pride founder, Candi Brooks.
Brazier adds, “Back then it was just seriously just bad. It was just two fields. I remember when the third one got built and we had like that really small turf one in the far right, but it just shows like how much that club alone has expanded.And that’s really nice to see considering like I’m like a homegrown Colorado Pride soccer, ”
And now, Ally Brazier is back home, playing on fields like this, “Thought that I’d be able to see her play in Colorado again. And that was I was kind of teary eyed when when I found out,” says Ally’s mother, Ann Watt.
The first player on the new Denver Summit FC NWSL team, “I want a local homegrown soccer Colorado girl to fill those shoes because, like, nothing beats representing your state”
Before she was Ally Brazier, she was Ally Watt, “That face sums it up right there,” says Ally’s brother, John Watt.
A kid energized by competition running track and field at Pine Creek High School and playing soccer at a high level all over the state, “It was we need to beat as many people as possible and get as many blue ribbons. And yeah, I translated into playing soccer, too. We were always competitive and always wanted to to one up each other or do better than each other at whatever we were working on,” says John Watt.
“Busy. But we made it, you know, we made it work. You had two kids. They were they both loved soccer,” says Ann Watt.
Moments in time that defined her rise to being a professional soccer player, “They’ve been there since the beginning with little ally running around. So I think it’s just really nice to be like the people who have been there from the beginning. It’s like a full circle moment of like coming back home, like, here’s my I won’t say goodbye, but like, here’s like my last end of my career. Like I’m getting older,” says Brazier.
Candi Brooks was one of her club coaches, the pioneer of the Pride soccer club, now she has a front row seat to the full circle career. “It was just we were just in awe. It was like, oh my goodness, someone from Colorado Springs is getting to achieve this and would be a part of, you know, history,” says Brooks.
It’s emotional to think about Ally Brazier’s journey, “Playing for Denver was not in the cards because they didn’t have a team. But it’s a dream come true for her to.”
The 63,000 strong that showed up to the Summit’s first NWSL game was a testament to what the state is: a soccer state, “you think of all the youth soccer programs, Colorado is a soccer state”
Now living up north on the I-25 corridor, Brazier is winding down her career. With family and support now closer than ever, “I’m like, I’m at a different part of my career now. So I think it’s just like, this was the next step. I wanted to take. And like having the people from the beginning that were there when I was like, but five to see me now at 29 doing this, I’m like, you guys, the reason why I’m here,” says Brazier.