Former Pro Soccer Player Tells Of International Abuse
By Julian Hayda, Jerome McDonnellFormer Pro Soccer Player Tells Of International Abuse
By Julian Hayda, Jerome McDonnellWhen Danielle Foxhoven graduated from University of Portland in 2011, she was excited to launch her pro soccer career with the Philadelphia Independence. Just weeks before she was scheduled to move out east, though, the Women’s Professional Soccer organization in America ceased to exist. She and dozens of other professional athletes scrambled to find work.
Dani, as she’s known, scored a contract with FC Energy Voronezh in Russia. While she thought it was her golden opportunity to play abroad, she found herself working for a mob boss. She could rarely leave the team compound, much less rest. Coaches forced her to take “natural vitamins.” When she returned home to the U.S., Foxhoven tested positive for steroids. Her story was detailed in the November issue of Sports Illustrated.
Foxhoven joins Worldview to share her harrowing tale in Russia and the issue with international professional athletic contracts.