Felicia Schroeder

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Felicia Schroeder

| birth_name = Felicia Marie Schroeder{{cite web | url=https://deaflympics.com/athletes/felicia-schroeder | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221006211318/https://deaflympics.com/athletes/felicia-schroeder | archive-date=October 6, 2022 | title=Felicia Marie WALDCOCK }}

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|12|3}}

| birth_place = Cincinnati, Ohio, U.S.

| height = {{cvt|1.70|m}}{{Cite web|url=https://purduesports.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/felicia-schroeder/2504|title=Felicia Schroeder – Soccer|website=Purdue Boilermakers|access-date=August 9, 2023|archive-date=August 10, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810042612/https://purduesports.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/felicia-schroeder/2504|url-status=live}}

| position = Forward

| youthclubs1 = Ohio Elite Soccer Academy

| youthclubs2 = Cardinals

| youthyears3 = –2005

| youthclubs3 = Oak Hills Highlanders

| college1 = South Carolina Gamecocks

| collegeyears1 = 2005–2006

| collegecaps1 = 37

| collegegoals1 = 8

| college2 = Purdue Boilermakers

| collegeyears2 = 2007–2008

| collegecaps2 = 47

| collegegoals2 = 13

| clubs1 = Åland United

| years1 = 2011

| caps1 = 27

| goals1 = 23

| years2 = 2012

| clubs2 = Kvarnsvedens IK

| caps2 = 11

| goals2 = 7

| nationalteam1 = U.S. Deaf National Team

| nationalyears1 = 2009–2013

| nationalcaps1 = 14

| nationalgoals1 = 19

}}

Felicia Waldock ({{nee|Schroeder}}; born December 3, 1986) is an American retired soccer player who played for Åland United. Born deaf, she also received gold medals at the 2009 and 2013 Deaflympics with the United States women's deaf national team.

Early life and education

Felicia Schroeder was born in Cincinnati on December 3, 1986, to Tom and Andrea Schroeder; she also has a sister.{{Cite web |title=Meet The New Kid: Felicia Schroeder |url=https://purduesports.com/news/2007/3/14/meet_the_new_kid_felicia_schroeder |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=Purdue Boilermakers |language=en |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810042611/https://purduesports.com/news/2007/3/14/meet_the_new_kid_felicia_schroeder |url-status=live }} Schroeder was born deaf.{{Cite web |last=Brummett |first=Melissa |date=February 18, 2008 |title=Junior hopes personal hardships will help others |url=https://www.purdueexponent.org/sports/womens/soccer/article_0025b539-f9e3-5f0c-981f-acfc14a65d2c.html |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=Purdue Exponent |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810043156/https://www.purdueexponent.org/sports/womens/soccer/article_0025b539-f9e3-5f0c-981f-acfc14a65d2c.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Jennings |first=Kirsten |date=December 3, 2012 |title=Schroeder Leaves Lasting Impact on Women's Soccer Team |url=https://godustdevils.com/news/2012/12/3/wsoc_1203122459.aspx |access-date=August 9, 2023 |website=Texas A&M International University Athletics |archive-date=March 5, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305222036/http://godustdevils.com/news/2012/12/3/wsoc_1203122459.aspx |url-status=live }} Due to a lack of appropriate accommodations, she attended nine different schools by the time she was in third grade.

While in school, Schroeder played soccer with the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy and the Cardinals. Between the two clubs, she won four state championships (1999, 2000, 2001, 2005), as well as a national championship.{{Cite web |date=May 3, 2005 |title=South Carolina Women's Soccer Announces Signing Class |url=https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2005/05/03/south-carolina-women-s-soccer-announces-signing-class/ |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=University of South Carolina Athletics |language=en-US |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810043112/https://gamecocksonline.com/news/2005/05/03/south-carolina-women-s-soccer-announces-signing-class/ |url-status=live }} As of July 2023, she continues to hold records at her high school for number of goals and assists.{{Cite web |title=Girls Soccer: Goals Scored Career (Since 1991) |url=https://www.oakhillssports.com/girls-soccer/records-%2B-history-3/goals-scored-3/ |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=Oak Hills Athletics |language=en |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810043614/https://www.oakhillssports.com/girls-soccer/records-%2B-history-3/goals-scored-3/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |title=Girls Soccer – Offensive Points Career – Goals (2) Assists (1) (Since 1991) |url=https://www.oakhillssports.com/girls-soccer/records-%2B-history-3/offensive-points-5/ |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=Oak Hills Athletics |language=en |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810043614/https://www.oakhillssports.com/girls-soccer/records-%2B-history-3/offensive-points-5/ |url-status=live }}{{Cite web |last=Dyer |first=Mike |date=January 16, 2019 |title=Felicia Waldock is a 'home run' hire for the Colerain girls' soccer program |url=https://www.wcpo.com/sports/high-school-sports/felicia-waldock-is-a-home-run-hire-for-the-colerain-girls-soccer-program |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=WCPO 9 Cincinnati |language=en |archive-date=May 30, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230530164716/https://www.wcpo.com/sports/high-school-sports/felicia-waldock-is-a-home-run-hire-for-the-colerain-girls-soccer-program |url-status=live }}

She graduated from Oak Hills High School in 2005 before attending the University of South Carolina, where she was the only deaf student on campus; because of this, the school did not have a sign-language interpreter and hired someone from Georgia to attend Schroeder's classes with her.{{Cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/journal-and-courier-just-one-thing-she-c/130546519/|date=October 4, 2007|pages=A1, [https://www.newspapers.com/article/journal-and-courier-she-can/130546498/ A8]|first=Mike|last=Carmin|title=Just one thing she can't do: And the soccer standout is OK with that|newspaper=Journal and Courier|via=Newspapers.com|access-date=August 24, 2023}} Due to difficulties with appropriate accommodations, she transferred to Purdue University, where she studied psychology "to become a psychologist and help deaf children [...] realize that it is a hearing world, but they can still accomplish so much".

Career

= Athletic career =

Schroeder played soccer at the University of South Carolina for two years before transferring to Purdue University.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=February 2, 2011 |title=Felicia Schroeder, Liz Ruberry, Janelle Cordia sign for Åland United |url=https://www.ourgamemag.com/2011/02/02/felicia-schroeder-liz-ruberry-janelle-cordia-sign-for-aland-united/ |access-date=August 9, 2023 |website=Our Game Magazine |archive-date=August 10, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230810043614/https://www.ourgamemag.com/2011/02/02/felicia-schroeder-liz-ruberry-janelle-cordia-sign-for-aland-united/ |url-status=live }} In 2007, while at Purdue, the team won a Big Ten Conference tournament.{{Cite web |last=Klemko |first=Robert |date=September 15, 2009 |title=Deaf athletes hurdle barriers, achieve goals in college sports |url=http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2009-09-15-deaf-athletes_N.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090923135724/http://www.usatoday.com/sports/college/2009-09-15-deaf-athletes_N.htm |archive-date=September 23, 2009 |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=USA Today}}

In 2009, she represented the United States as a member of the US Deaf National Team and was selected to play at the 2009 Deaflympics in Taipei. Upon learning she had secured the position, Schroeder learned that "because the U.S. Olympic Committee does not sponsor the games, each player had to raise $5,000 for the trip to Taiwan". Schroeder was able to secure the funding and ultimately received a gold medal.

In 2011, Schroeder made her debut playing for "Åland United of Naisten Liiga, the highest division of soccer in Finland."{{Cite web |last=Sjöblom |first=Dan |date=March 3, 2011 |title=Åland United och IFK möts i ÅM-final |url=https://www.nyan.ax/sport/aland-united-och-ifk-mots-i-am-final/ |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=Nya Åland |language=Swedish |archive-date=May 27, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220527071120/https://www.nyan.ax/sport/aland-united-och-ifk-mots-i-am-final/ |url-status=live }} She played for a Swedish team in 2012. The same year, she received a gold medal at the Deaf World Cup, where she played for the US national women's team, as well as the inaugural award for Player of the Year with a Disability.{{Cite web |title=CP Soccer Youth Players Voted 2020 U.S. Soccer Players of the Year with a Disability |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2020/12/cp-soccer-youth-players-voted-2020-us-soccer-players-of-the-year-with-a-disability |access-date=August 10, 2023 |website=US Soccer |language=en |archive-date=December 19, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211219221731/https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2020/12/cp-soccer-youth-players-voted-2020-us-soccer-players-of-the-year-with-a-disability |url-status=live }}

In 2013, she received another gold medal at the Deaflympics.

= Coaching =

In 2012, Schroeder took on the role of assistant coach for the women's soccer team at Texas A&M International University, where she helped the team increase their national ranking. She also coached at the University of Cincinnati, Benton Central High School, and the Ohio Elite Soccer Academy.

= Teaching =

As of 2019, Waldock taught American Sign Language at Colerain High School and was the coach for the school's girls' soccer team. Waldock now teaches ASL 1 and 2 at Lakota West High school and is the Head JV coach for wemons soccer