Soccer Star Sophia Smith In Workout Gear Enjoys “My Favorite Coffee Date”

Portland Thorns FC player Sophia Smith is taking a break from her busy training schedule to get a caffeine boost with her favorite person. Smith, 23, shared a picture of herself wearing a black tracksuit and white sneakers, relaxing with her NFL star boyfriend Michael Wilson. “My favorite coffee date 🫶🏽,” she captioned the sweet post. Smith is a force to be reckoned with at a very young age, and she’s only getting better every day. Here’s what this athlete’s health and wellness regimen looks like.

1. She’s a Goal Scorer

Smith knows where her strengths lie in training. “In training, when we do small-side and stuff, I'm always trying new things and trying to be a little crafty and creative and figure out ways to, I don't know, put on a show,” she told Grant Wahl. “But I think it mostly just comes to me in games, and I envision it, and then I just do it. I've always considered myself a goal scorer. That's what I feel like I do best. That's what I feel like I can contribute to the teams that I'm on.”

2. Game Day Routine

Smith’s daily routine is focused on getting as much rest as possible. “[I] sleep in as late as possible, make my latte at home and drink it on my couch while I read my book for a while,” she told Portland Timbers. “Then I go to or make breakfast at home [depending if I have family in town or not] and go on a little walk [sometimes the walk just happens to be in Target] and then just relax until the game!”

3. Confident With Her Team

Smith genuinely loves playing with the Thorns. “Our coaching staff and the Thorns as a program allows people to be special and to be themselves, and figuring out a way to be able to do that, as well as helping my team in any way that I can,” she told Grant Wahl. “I think it's just gone really well. I think that's allowed me to be more confident, regardless of my age, regardless of how many years I've had in the league. I feel like I've found my place. And I'm just having fun. I think that's the biggest thing.”

4. Representing Women of Color

Smith is proud to represent women of color on the pitch. “Not everyone has the same opportunities [that I did],” she told ELLE. “I hope that can change, because there’s so much undiscovered talent we don’t see. I was honestly one of two, maybe three people of color on all of my club teams. Most girls had long, straight hair. I always felt like my hair was too crazy or too wild… You don’t have to have your hair a certain way. It doesn’t mean anything about who you are or how you’ll play.”

5. Family Support

Smith relies on her parents to keep her grounded. “If I look too far forward, it will just cause me anxiety,” she told ELLE. “The best thing for my mental health is to be in the moment right now, and to take each day as it is. I feel ready… [My dad will] remind me to just be myself. He’ll say that I don’t have to do anything I’ve never done before—that I just need to go do what I do, and be Soph.”

English professional soccer player Rachel Daly doesn’t take a break from her training, even over holidays and vacations. Daly, 32, shared a picture of herself wearing a black workout pants, shorts, and shirt, lifting heavy weights over her head at the gym. “You’re so tough,” a fan commented. Daly works incredibly hard to be a part of the UK national team as well as the Aston Villa team—here’s how the Lioness stays fit and at the top of her game.

1. Running and Strength Workouts

Daly incorporates different types of workouts into her exercise and training regimen. “If you play sport like football, you should use different fitness strategies to support and improve your performance,” she told Women’s Health. “I do several types. Running and strength are the biggest components of football, so we spend a lot of time in the gym doing weightlifting and strength training, and different kinds of cardio, too. Yoga is also a great tool we use for recovery and staying flexible.”

2. Athlete’s Diet

Daly and her teammates are on the same page when it comes to nutrition and optimum performance. “We often have nutrition meetings to learn about performance and recovery through food, and what I eat changes according to whether or not I’m training on that day,” she told Women’s Health. “A standard day might look like this: Breakfast: poached eggs and avocado on sourdough toast. Lunch: poke bowl. Dinner: this changes almost every day, depending on what I feel like and what day it is! I always make sure I get at least five varieties of fruit and vegetables a day to cover all the vitamins and minerals needed to stay fit and strong.”

3. Girls In Sports

Daly wants there to be more encouragement for young women to play sports both for fun and on a professional level. "There needs to be more access routes for girls,” she told Marie Claire. “Whether it's grassroots clubs, professional teams, or academies, it's about highlighting that it's fun to play football and fun to be a sports person."

4. Rest and Recovery

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Daly drinks a glass of milk and some cherry juice after every match to encourage recovery. “I use lots of different rest and recovery strategies and, admittedly, these include things like ice baths, massages, hot and cold water therapy and leg compression boots,” she told Women’s Health. “But I also find that simply going for a walk with my dog is a great way for my body and mind to relax.”

5. Follow your Dreams

Daly has advice for anyone who wants to pursue a career in soccer. "Follow your dream," she told Marie Claire. "If you've got a dream and you work at it every single day, good things will happen. It's a tough place to be, and there are going to be ups and downs - in any career, you're going to face challenges and setbacks. But having that passion to want to achieve something and be a part of something big is important. Just go do everything you can to make it happen."

Professional soccer player Christen Press missed out on the 2023 World Cup due to an ACL injury—but fans will be glad to know the athlete is clearly on the mend. Press, 35, shared a video of herself wearing shorts and a jacket, doing exercises out on the pitch. “Look out world she’s on the move!” she captioned the post. “I will cry when you get back on the pitch bc I know how hard you worked to get there. Can't wait, We are rooting for you ❤️,” commented a fan. Here’s what Press’ diet, exercise, and wellness routine looks like.

1. Yoga for Soccer

Press uses her yoga practice to support her soccer skills. “The most important poses in my practice for training purposes are hip openers, shoulder openers, and hamstring lengtheners,” she told Yoga Journal. “These poses help me release some of the tension in my back. I enjoy balancing sequences with Tree Pose, Warrior III, and Half Moon Pose. And Rabbit Pose is a new addition that really helps release my neck.”

2. Vedic Meditation

Press does Vedic meditation twice a day. “Practicing yoga makes me a happier soccer player,” she told Yoga Journal. “Sometimes, thoughts freeze you. When I’m able to play thought-free, I am more dynamic and natural. This thoughtlessness is something that yoga and meditation instilled in me. There is also a core group of the national team that regularly practices yoga together during camp.”

3. Protein and More Protein

Press focuses on protein for a healthy, balanced diet. “The most essential nutritional need is just finding the right balance,” she told Healthy Living. “I, personally, have a hard time getting enough protein, so I focus on that. I take quite a few supplements, especially during high intensity periods of my life. And I try to find as many nutrients in whole foods and in my daily diet as possible.”

4. Fitness Tips

Press says fitness should be fun—so find an activity you actually enjoy doing. “Find something active that you love,” she told Healthy Living. “It doesn’t have to be a struggle. Join a team! Kickbox! Being active feels awesome. The more you do it, the more you’ll love it. Respect and give love to your body. It carries you around all day; it deserves to be cherished. Who better to do that than you? In my life, there is a balance between being so disciplined (with diet, free time) that you become deprived. I like to recognize how feeding my soul with healthy but fun things actually helps me be my best!”

5. Inclusivity In Soccer

Press is passionate about making soccer accessible to more women of color. "I feel really, really lucky for the trajectory that I've been on in all of the amazing skills and tools that soccer has given me," she told Popsugar. “When I think about my identity and my personality, soccer has cultivated so many of the skills and assets that I am so grateful to have now as a business leader, as a professional player, as someone who's fought for equality on behalf of a lot of different marginalized groups. So much of that strength has come from what I've learned on the field, and I think that that's what makes it so important to continue to ensure that there is inclusivity, so that more people can have that type of experience."

Professional soccer player Lucy Bronze is on the move—she recently announced her transfer from Barcelona to Chelsea FC, where she will stay for at least two years. Bronze, 32, shared some highlights of life recently, including a sweet picture of herself wearing shorts and a white sports bra, holding a pan of shrimp paella. “Some favs recently 😍 🥘 🐶 👦🏼 ✈️,” she captioned the post. Here’s how the athlete and Lioness trains, eats, and stays full of energy.

1. Mediterranean Diet

Bronze’s father is Portuguese, so she grew up eating a Mediterranean diet. “I’ve always been brought up with a Mediterranean diet with lots of fish, oils, and I’ve always enjoyed healthy salads from a young age,” she told The Telegraph. “Even from a young age, I’ve been very aware of eating the right things and taking the right supplements.”

2. Training Routine

Bronze gets Mondays and Thursday off. “On Tuesdays, I have to be at the training ground for 8:30am, we have breakfast with the team, see the physio, foam roll, stretch etc, then preactivation session for 15 minutes before we go out for training,” she told Strength and Conditioning Education. “I train for 1-2hours, then back in for lunch, then a weights session in the afternoon. Wednesday we do the same but finish at lunch, no weights session. Thursday is the same as Tuesday, Friday is the same at Wednesday. Saturday in for 10:30, train for an hour, lunch and home. Sunday is game day.”

3. Typical Lunch

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Bronze loves seafood for a healthy protein. "The team eats lunch at the academy where we train, so we eat well,” she told BBC Good Food. “I normally eat Thai fishcakes then fill my plate up with salad - lettuce, beetroot, sweet corn, cucumber, tomatoes, red onions, basically anything you can think of that is in the salad bowl. If it’s been a hard session, I'll eat a few roast potatoes. I tend to snack on pineapple, watermelon and grapes.”

4. Travel Dreams

Bronze wants to travel the world. “When it comes to my free time, I want to explore the world times over,” she told Soccer Bible. “I love finding and seeing new places, trying different foods – I eat everything. I love the sunshine, the snow, I love it all and I have since I was younger. Being brought up in a multilingual family with my mum and dad being from such different cultures, they’ve always encouraged us to try new things and I’ve always enjoyed that process.”

5. Tracksuits Forever

Bronze is happiest wearing a nice tracksuit. “I remember having a conversation with one of my best friends, Demi Stokes, who plays as well,” she told Women’s Health. “We always used to wear tracksuits, just because it was easy. We used to be like, ‘What are we going to do when we're in our 30s and we’re mums, we can't still be wearing tracksuits!’ But she's a mum and we’re both in our 30s and we’re still wearing tracksuits.”

Lauren Hemp is one of the UK’s soccer, or football, stars. She plays for the Lionesses. Hemp recently enjoyed a spar trip while on break from football. She shared a photo on Instagram of herself in an outdoor pool. Hemp captioned the post, “Catching some sun before the international break.” How does she stay so fit? Read on to see 5 ways Lauren Hemp stays in shape and the photos that prove they work.

1. She Plays Soccer

Playing soccer, naturally, is Hemp’s main way of staying fit. Soccer is a great way to stay in shape. Better Health states, “Soccer is a good sport for maintaining health, fitness, strength and endurance. The health benefits include that it: Increases aerobic capacity and cardiovascular health. Lowers body fat and improves muscle tone. Builds strength, flexibility and endurance. Increases muscle and bone strength. Improves health due to shifts between walking, running and sprinting.”

2. She Handles Pressure Well

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Hemp opened up about how she handles pressure to The Guardian. She says that being proud of herself and her accomplishments have helped her from putting too much pressure on herself. “For me, I’m my biggest critic. I put so much pressure on myself that I don’t really feel it from the outside. But I sometimes look back and realise how far I’ve come and that I’m still so young and think I should not put as much pressure on myself as I do. It’s finding that balance in making sure I do perform at my best but that I do enjoy the journey as well because I think when I enjoy it you get the best out of me.”

3. She Learns From Her Coach

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In her The Guardian interview, Hemp sung the praises of coach Sarina Wiegman, and shared what she’s learned from her. “For me, she’s always told me to have freedom, express myself, and I think that’s what I’ve needed. You’ve seen from the results that we are playing very well under Sarina. Hopefully that will continue into the Euros. She’s been on the winning side, so we’ve got so much trust and confidence in her. She’s telling us what we need to know to ensure that, come the Euros, we’re the best.”

4. She Pushes Herself

In her interview with The Guardian, Hemp shared what aspects of her game she wants to improve. “One of the main things is my decision-making,” she says. “Whether cutting on the inside, going on the outside, shooting, crossing, things like that – driving at a player. When you get the ball and everyone comes towards you it’s all about that split-second decision and what you’re going to do on the ball. With the decision-making then comes becoming more consistent with goals and assists. That’ll show in my stats. But also, my right foot, at the moment I think I just use that to stand on, so that’s another one of the many things I’d like to improve.”

5. She Loves Omelettes

In another interview with The Guardian, Hemp shared some of her favorite foods. “I like an omelette but I’m not great at making them, so when I was away with England I’d always ask the chef. He said it’s all in the pan, so I now have a specific pan that doesn’t get used for anything else.”