Life in the USL Super League with Marley Canales of Spokane Zephyr FC

We’re always so inspired by the women who make up the #IDAWAVE.They’re multidimensional athletes with stories and passions that weave in and out of the world of soccer and beyond. 

Today we caught up with IDA athlete and Rise Elite wearer, Marley Canales of USL Super League team Spokane Zephyr FC!

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10. Where did you grow up and how did you first get involved in the game?

I grew up in San Diego,CA. My grandpa on my dad’s side grew up playing professionally in Mexico. My dad also played his whole life. From there, my older sister started to play and I was just around the sport at such a young age and instantly fell in love with the game. I started playing when I was about 3-4 years old.

9. Where did you play college soccer and what did you love about that experience?

I played 4 years at UCLA. Attending UCLA was the best decision I’ve ever made! I was surrounded by so many like-minded people and UCLA gave us every opportunity to succeed in any and every area of life. The soccer level was very high, with gold medalist and world cup players, and the academics were second to none. Not to mention the absolutely beautiful campus. I was able to get 2 degrees from UCLA, a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Transformative Coaching and Leaderships.

8. Did you always aspire to play professionally? When did that become a goal and a reality for you?

I always dreamed of playing professional soccer from a very young age. It was my first love and I trained so hard to make that dream a reality. I credit my dad for helping me get to this position in my career. He was my lifelong coach and worked countless hours with me to help me develop and be the player I am. Even after I tore my ACL my junior year of college, I knew I wasn't done and I was still going to make my dreams of playing professionally a reality. In December of 2021 I was drafted to the Seattle Reign which is where my professional career started.

7. What’s something people would be surprised to know about life as a pro soccer player?

I am also currently doing a second Masters! You typically have a lot of free time after film training, lifting and meetings, so I started a second masters through the University of Florida in sports management. I am very excited and am pursuing this masters to help educate me on the business side of sports, which is what I want to pursue after my professional career.

6. What does an average day look like for a pro player?

Before I went back to school, I had a lot more free time. I would wake up, go to the training facility. We would have film and then time to prep for training. Then train for about an hour and a half to an hour and 45 minutes. Then typically shower and ice bath, or if we have lift then I would go to lift and then come back and ice bath. Then we pretty much had the rest of the day to ourselves. A lot of teammates picked up hobbies or even coached on the side. I now go back to the apartment and start on my homework for a few hours. Then my boyfriend and I will explore Spokane or I also love to volunteer in the community!

5. How did you decide to join Spokane? What do you like about the coach, the team, or the club most?

Spokane reached out to me pretty early in their recruitment process. At the time I was training with the San Diego Wave at home. But after further discussion with my family, boyfriend, and agent, we all agreed this fresh start would be a great situation for me. Being a first year club and league brought so many opportunities that I was excited to endure. I love the city of Spokane. It’s not a huge city like I’m used to in LA or San Diego, but there is still plenty going on. And seeing how much the city loves their soccer teams has been one of my favorite parts. Our head coach Jo Johnson is also a first year pro head coach. I’ve enjoyed playing and learning from her, and I like how much she wants to learn and evolve in her new role as well. The team is pretty young overall, but a lot of the girls went to college in the US but then were overseas playing professionally. I’ve loved to see the girls' families be able to come watch them play in the states now.

4. What excites you about the USL Super League?

I feel like this is a league of people that want to prove themselves. As women’s soccer is growing, and now having two professional women's leagues in the US, I love that we are able to show that there is an overflow of talent in the states. And being able to keep the talent in the states is the best part.

3. Which players have you been surprised by, impressed by, or enjoyed playing with the most?

I would say the most memorable one would have to be Megan Rapinoe when I was at the Seattle Reign. I had looked up to her for so long growing up, and now being able to say that we were teammates is one of the coolest things of my career. I admire her strength, authenticity, and leadership.

2. What advice would you give to a younger you?

I think I was very shy when I was growing up. I didn’t want to step on anyone's toes or say or do the wrong thing. I would tell myself to be more fearless and step out of my comfort zone as much as possible. As I am older now, I am able to do that and I have seen a lot of growth in myself.  

1. Best piece of advice you’ve been given from a coach?

The harder I work, the luckier I get.

Ok one more…. What’s your go-to pump up pregame tune? 

Rap always!

 

The USL Super League runs from August through May and you can tune in weekly in the US on Peacock! Be sure to follow Marley and Spokane Zephyr FC on Instagram! 

Boot up like Marley and shop the IDA Rise Elite!