From Sacto to the 'Gong: Kwoka's "Life Changing" Footy Journey

With her flowing red locks, her long strides, and booming kicks, Lauré Kwoka is easily recognizable on the footy field.  She has become a fixture in the midfield for the Sacramento Lady Suns, and her enthusiasm for the game has helped her become a better player in just three seasons of play.

She stands out equally off the field too; gregarious, passionate, and with an almost permanent smile on her face.  It’s what has made her a fantastic teammate, and an ambassador for the game at home and abroad.

Kwoka, whose first name is pronounced “law-RAY”, will make her debut for the USA Freedom on August 1st against Canada in the 49th Parallel Cup.  Her promotion to the Freedom comes after impressing coaches while playing for the USA Liberty development program at last year’s International Cup in Melbourne, a performance that included Best on Ground honors against Fiji.

But for the Northern California native, football has been more than just a sporting outlet.  It’s become a path in life, one that started while she was still a teenager.

“I was first introduced to footy when I did a small exchange program in high school and spent a month traveling and living with a family in Muswellbrook, New South Wales,” the 26-year-old explained.  “My family here in Northern California are huge rugby fans, so I didn't think much of AFL and was more interested in rugby union and league.  But I became a Swans supporter because of my Australian family.”

Upon returning home, she joined the rugby team at Cal State-Sacramento, and while Kwoka enjoyed playing, there was something missing.  “I loved rugby but I wasn't passionate about it,” she said.

It was a rugby jersey, of all things, that introduced her to the Suns, and to footy.  One of the Suns players spotted Kwoka wearing the jersey and struck up a conversation about the AFL.  She came out for a scrimmage soon after and the rest, as they say, is history.

“I've never felt truly passionate about something until I started playing footy. I love the freedom of the sport and the instant decision making. I don't know how else to describe it but I just knew that this was the sport for me.”

After graduating college in December, 2013, Kwoka had a decision to make on her future.  Simply beginning her “real life” career after school wasn’t going to cut it.  “I needed something else,” she stated.

“I always knew that I wanted to live in Australia but didn't know how to make it happen. Tryouts for the International Cup were in February so I told myself if I made the team, I will go to Australia in August, get my work and holiday visa and stay for 6-12 months. If I didn't make the team, I would get my visa and take the next flight out to Oz.”

She made the team, one of four Suns on the Liberty development roster.

​Lauré Kwoka followed her heart back to Australia, just months before the International Cup began.  She reached out on Facebook to several teams in the Sydney area but didn’t get a guarantees that there would be a place for her.   So, she travelled the country for two months, a trip that included training sessions with a club Melbourne and with the Caboolture Lions in Queensland, not far from the hometown of Suns co-founder Amy Bishop.  In the end, she settled in Wollongong, on the eastern coast in New South Wales, which was where her ex-boyfriend was from.

“He always told me I would love that town. He insisted I go down and check it out so I did. I fell in love. It was right on the beach, it wasn't a crazy small surfing town but it wasn't a huge metropolitan area like Sydney and you can hear the ocean from the footy pitch.”

Again, Kwoka enlisted the help of Facebook to find a team and happened upon the Wollongong Saints.  She would go on to play 9-a-side footy for the Saints and Dapto Stallions men’s team.  The experience opened her eyes to how different the style of play was versus that in the US.  It was a humbling experience at times, but was helpful in getting her ready to play for the Liberty in Melbourne.

“Football in Australia is way more intense than over here. It's frustrating when the little 15 year old you're manning up against is kicking your ass but her dad is a legend so she should be. They read the field so well and their timing is perfect almost every time. If they do mess up, they're the first ones to try and fix it. It's very fast paced.

“Even though I looked horrible next to them, I feel like I took a lot away. That little 15 year old was really good so I just watched her movement and watched her timing. She won the ball from me every time but I always try to remember her and all the directions people gave me to help me become a better player.”

While the gameplay seemed different than what she was used to in Sacramento, the camaraderie of the clubs she played with was exactly as she had experienced back home. 

“We're a very tight knit group and we do everything together. I can't speak for every team in the USAFL but the people I hang out with the most are my Sacramento Suns and I wouldn't have it any other way. We go out to the pub after every game whether we won or lost just like they do in Oz. The Wollongong girls plan hiking trips and other events together and so do my Lady Suns.

“Once you commit yourself to the team, you become a part of this great family who would do anything for each other. I still keep in touch with the Saints and Lions girls and they know they're all welcome to come and visit me.”

Armed with that experience, Kwoka joined the American women in Melbourne.  Though she and the Liberty fell in all four pool matches, it didn’t put a damper on her experience.  The best on ground nod in the Fiji match didn’t hurt, either.

“Playing in the International Cup was the greatest experience I've had in my life thus far. Representing your country on the highest stage is something a select few will experience in their lifetime. I learned so much from playing those games and have made so many friends from all over the world. I played so hard in every game by the end of the tournament, I thought my legs were going to fall off.  The intensity of those games was insane.

“I bonded with all the girls on both US teams and get excited to see them at every USAFL tournament. I hope to get at least one more IC in before my body gives out or life gets in the way.”

For now, Kwoka’s time with the Freedom is very much real, and will commence on the lush oval in South Florida against the Northern Lights next weekend.  She'll be sporting pinkish-blonde for the Canada match, but it will still be easy to pick her out through her play.  And no matter what happens going forward, though, footy has become an integral part of her being, and for that she is thankful.

“[Australian football] has changed my life in a way I could have never imagined. It has opened so many doors and opportunities for me. I can't wait to see where it takes me next.”

To apply to be a part of the USAFL Australian Exchange Program, email Women’s Football Coordinator Drea Casillas by clicking here.