Q&A with Dania Cabello
Dania Cabello
Hometown: Oakland, CA
Current Professions: Sports Liberation Educator & Oakland Streetstyler
Education: Master’s in Cultural Study of Sport and Education from UC Berkeley
Former Teams: Cal Women’s Soccer, Santos FC (Brazil), Bay Area Breeze
Passions & Hobbies: Recycled Leather Crafting & Freestyle Juggling
“Be love!”
On 5/11/20, Oakland Genesis teamed up with America Scores Bay Area to host another Live Q&A session! This time Leah sat down with Oakland native and ex-professional soccer player, Dania Cabello.
Below you can find some of Dania’s Oakland favorites, thoughts on the positive social power of sports, incredible life stories, and more! If you missed the live session you can check out the full unedited version below.
Enjoy!
Full Q&A
Dania’s Town Favorites
Marshawn Lynch
“[Lynch is] dedicated to Oakland, dedicated to his professional career, and also completely unwavering in his politics.”
Zachary’s Pizza
“Deep dish, thick crust, artichoke hearts, pineapples, black olives, and mushroom”
5801 College Ave. Oakland, CA
Oakland History Section
On the 2nd Floor of the Oakland Public Library is a section that will take you back in time. Look for Dorothy!
Dania’s Soccer Journey
Dania’s all time favorite player as a young footballer, and still to this day, is the Brazilian legend, Edson Arantes do Nascimento, aka Pelé. It only makes sense, then, that a soccer journey that started here in Oakland and progressed to D1 Soccer at Cal, eventually found a way down to Brazil. It was in Brazil, where Dania was able to live the dream of playing for one of the most famous clubs in the world, Pelé’s former club, Santos FC. After a stint in Brazil, Dania returned home to Oakland where she pursued an academic career and also played semi-pro for the Bay Area Breeze.
Pelé
Santos FC
For all us who are passionate about the game, soccer isn’t a single destination. It’s a story that starts before, and continues after, any rec, club, college, or pro career. But, Dania reminds us, none of this is possible without the support of our guardians, elders, parents, siblings, and mentors who drive us to practice, buy us cleats and equipment, and cheer us on in the stands. Thank you to everyone who continues to make sacrifices to allow our youth to aspire!
Sports Liberation Education
Sports liberation education bridges the divide between brilliant physical movement and the ability to express that movement in other ways, such as speech and writing.
“I believe that there is a way to teach sports that also cultivates critical thinking so that we can think about our freedom more deeply...I think athletes are brilliant. I just think that athletes aren’t taught the language to express what our bodies are already doing.”
Check out the trailer below to see a glimpse of the impact Dania has had in her community with the sports liberation education philosophy. The documentary film, featuring Dania, called "Futbolistas 4 Life”, sheds light on the stress experienced nationwide by immigrant youth living in communities with high rates of poverty and violence, and the healing power of soccer to alleviate that stress. As one young player said: “Soccer is a haven for us. It is a way to cope with things we don’t know how to cope with.” With this understanding, Dania embarked on a mission to give one community in Oakland that haven: a place to play.
Oakland Street Stylers
A community, lifestyle and passion best described by the sights, sounds, and vibes of the video below!
“Look us up! Join us! Become one of us with your own style and flavor!”
Thoughts and Reflections from Oakland Genesis
First off, we’d like to give a huge shout out to Dania and Leah for devoting themselves to this thought-provoking conversation. The experiences shared and the compassion and empathy expressed will stick with us for a long time.
One of the themes that really stood out to us in this conversation is identity. In sports, it is common to think of the team as one unit. The unit teaches us about collective goal-setting and sacrifice, or ‘putting the team first.’ The team identity often supersedes an individual’s identity. But, as Dania warns, this can cause a dominant culture to subsume the culture of others. Instead, Dania encourages a different perspective. She says: “We are all different and that’s what makes us beautiful and powerful and interesting.”
This celebration of diversity resonates deeply with us at OGSC and is a big part of our culture. It is certainly true that a team of individuals disciplined at following instruction can be a powerful force. At OGSC, however, while we strive to create a dominant culture of openness and respect, we believe that each team’s individuals will play a part in the creation of that team’s culture. It is our belief that only when individuals feel comfortable being themselves and thinking for themselves, deciding on their own to act selflessly, that a team can be great.
We will leave it to our next guests to help us define what being great means!
In Community,
Oakland Genesis Soccer Club
