Meet Beverly Yanez, Professional Soccer Player

About me: I’m an American professional soccer player. I play for Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). I love soccer and am passionate about pushing the women’s game forward and showing young girls that there is an opportunity for them to chase their dreams.

Follow me @bevyanez

Igniting my passion for soccer

When I was 11 years old, my mom took me to the 1999 Women’s World Cup in Pasadena, California. The final game was the US vs China, and the US won. I was in the crowd with 80 thousand fans, and I remember thinking that I wanted to be one of the players. This is where my passion for soccer first ignited.

Being the best version of yourself

What we do is very mentally and physically draining. It’s all about being the best version of yourself and this can be very overwhelming. I focus on finding the good and the positive in every situation. If you don’t win a game, it’s easy to overanalyze and see what you did wrong, but it’s more important to learn from your mistakes and do better next time.

I get stressed and get very worked up about how I could be better, so I have to find ways to calm down. I love aromatherapy; I have a diffuser with lemon and lavender.Meditation is another great tool. It’s important to have the chance to relax. Having small moments to unwind make a real difference, for example just having a nap or a pedicure!

Being the best teammate I can be

I’m always focused on being a good teammate. I remember feeling very uncomfortable as a younger player. I want people to see me and think “that’s the best teammate I’ve had.” Ultimately, I want to be a good person first and foremost. Being a good player takes you so far; being a good teammate takes you further.

My goals are to continue to push the women’s game, to watch the women’s game, put money into the women’s game, show young girls that there is an opportunity for them to chase their dreams. I’ve been involved in professional soccer for 9 years and hope to be involved for many more. It’s great to see women’s soccer being pushed to the forefront now. I think of the future and young people today and how much better things are, but also how we can continue to push things in a positive direction.

Giving back to the community

I’m very involved in my local community; I love meeting people and showing support. I work with the Austin Everett Foundation, which takes kids who are suffering from cancer and their family, and lets them be a captain of a sports team for a day. It’s amazing to meet the families. They are inspiring to me. Working with these kids has had a huge impact on me and it’s so rewarding to see them smile like they do.

I’m also a major pitbull advocate. I have a blue nosed pitbull called Avocado and a pit mix named Maverick. I have a separate IG (@avopitgram) just to advocate for the breed and often go to humane societies and post photos of dogs that need adoption. These animals get seen on social media which is awesome.

Dealing with breakouts as an athlete

Not a lot of people know this, but I have extremely sensitive skin. In college, I had terrible breakouts. I think it was a combination of factors and it was overwhelming. I was playing and going to school at the same time, and I needed to keep my grades high. My skin got so bad I was embarrassed to go to class and show my face.

FRÉ for sweaty sensitive skin

When I found FRÉ, it was the first time I felt I had skincare that was tailored to my life as an athlete. FRÉ understands that I sweat and train hard, and I still want to protect my skin. I finally have sunscreen without feeling that it is oily or dripping into my eyes. My skin looks so great right now!

I still have really sensitive skin and things still rub my skin the wrong way, but I use the whole FRÉ line and it feels great. I’m always on the go and I never leave home without my FRÉ toiletries bag.