Avery Look played on the UNC Women’s Club Soccer team as an undergrad. When the 2024-25 season started, she was starting her graduate studies in sports administration. The Carolina Women’s Soccer team was facing a shortage of players, and she received a life-changing call to help. Read about the experience that saw one Tar Heel go from a top club player to an NCAA national champion. 

A few days before my second semester of senior year started, I was on the way to grab some groceries and received a phone call with a 919 area code – I assumed it was spam, but I always pick up in case it’s something important.

“Hey, Avery! This is Anson Dorrance.”

He explained that the team had a lot of turnover from the previous year, losing 21 of their squad, and only one starter remained. In order to have their spring season, they needed some help from me and two of my other club soccer teammates at the time. Anson had never seen me play, let alone ever even met me, but he asked my club coach for player recommendations. The conversation was left at me getting back to him after I thought it over, but I hung up the phone and immediately called my dad. I was absolutely so giddy. Soon after, I got a call from my brother, who was on the Track & Field team at the time. He is my role model. He is a stellar athlete, but beyond that, he is everything you could want in a friend and a person. He was probably the most excited for me, and he was gushing about all the perks.

Joining the team felt like Hannah Montana a little bit. Literally the best of both worlds. I got to have a well-rounded college experience during undergrad. I got to focus on school, to work jobs, leave for summer internships, make friends from every corner of campus, and have free time to develop hobbies. After joining the team, I got to see the world from a whole other perspective. I always had respect for student-athletes and all they have on their plates, but this opened my eyes even more. I had just waltzed into a group of 26 new best friends and felt like I was on top of the world.

This team was extremely special. When I try to explain it to people, it all just boils down to the team chemistry we built. The trust. Everyone had their roles and played them perfectly. I felt like I had an impact on the team outside of on-field performance which helped make every practice worth it. We just had so much fun together. All of the away trips, the hotel meals, the random room assignments – I can’t believe that I was a part of a team where I never thought twice about the room assignments because I would genuinely be happy rooming with any of the girls on that roster. Damon did a phenomenal job of keeping everyone motivated throughout the season and even the practices in Cary leading up to the championship had more laughs than anything else.

I learned that pushing yourself past where you’re comfortable and bringing your best attitude and effort every day will always pay off. From where I started, I grew astronomically as a player and was awarded most improved for the fall 2024 season. Anson had told us to live on a never-ending ascension and that has certainly stuck with me. I think about all the ways that I can make myself better as a person, not just on the field, but also as a friend, teammate, sister, and daughter.

Being a part of this team was the most amazing experience. Everyone was extremely intentional with everything that we did. Damon has had a huge impact on my life and continuously motivated all of us to keep performing at our best. Getting to be able to play on Dorrance Field with my name on the back of a Carolina Jersey is something that will stay with me forever.