‘Dreams into reality’: Wichita’s Sydney Andrews named USWNT Deaf Player of the Year
Wichita native Sydney Andrews added yet another prestigious honor to her career as one of the most decorated United States women’s national team players in history.
Andrews, a 12-year veteran on the U.S. women’s deaf national team, was honored as the Female Deaf Player of the Year by U.S. Soccer on Wednesday. The 31-year-old center back is the second recipient in the award’s brief history and earned 59% of the weighted vote.
The 2012 Wichita Northwest graduate started playing for the national team when she was in high school and has been a mainstay on the back line for more than a decade. She is a 5-time world champion with the U.S., including three gold medals won at the World Deaf Football Championships (2012, 2016, 2023) and two gold medals won at the Deaflympics (2013, 2022), and the team has never lost a game in its history.
Andrews was one of just two players on the Deaf WNT that played all 270 minutes for the USA during the 2024 cycle, which featured three wins by a combined score of 24-1. She also ranks second all-time in caps for the Deaf WNT with a total of 31 appearances for the USA.
“I am deeply honored to receive this award and I’m filled with immense gratitude for the opportunities that this beautiful game has given to me,” Andrews said in a statement. “It has been the joy of my life to play alongside some of the most courageous, empowering, impactful individuals I’ve ever met. Together we continue to push for inclusivity and accessibility so that all may play. Thank you to everyone who has helped turn my dreams into reality.”
After a standout high school career at Northwest, Andrews continued her success at Missouri Western, where she played from 2012-15 and graduated as a full-time starter and all-conference performer as a midfielder.
Since her college days, Andrews has become an advocate for deaf players all over the country. She continues to make an impact on the soccer community for players with disabilities and serves as an active board member for the USA Deaf Soccer Association and the Bay Area Women’s Sports Initiative.
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