Kate Scheele Meyen: From the NWSL to the Secret Service

Former Houston Dash keeper Kate Scheele Meyen has gone from defending the goal to defending heads of state and the First Lady herself. Yup, you read that right. A former NWSL player is now an agent for the United States Secret Service.

Collegiate and Professional Soccer

During her professional soccer career in 2016, Scheele Meyen played for Houston Dash domestically and the Swedish club team Kungsbacka. She played collegiate ball at the University of Colorado before coming to Houston for a season. After she hung up her cleats, Scheele Meyen went on to pursue her Master’s from the University of Washington.

Career Path

She tried out a few different career paths before realizing she missed the strategy and teamwork elements of professional soccer. And for Scheele Meyen, the next best thing to the NWSL was the Secret Service. This journey began for her in 2020. That’s right, while the rest of us were trying to master sourdough bread and viral Tik Tok dances, Scheele Meyen was going through the process of applying, being vetted, and training to join the Secret Service.

Now, two years later, Scheele Meyen is protecting traveling diplomats, helping organize security for summits and conferences, and serving on the cyber intel unit. The skills Scheele earned on the pitch loaned themselves perfectly to this new career in state security.

And honestly, if you were to expect one position in soccer to become the world’s most important bodyguard, we’d all put our money on a keeper. Secret Service agents must be able to see the whole picture, make quick decisions, and have an air of authority. Sound familiar?

Scheele Meyen is glorious proof that women and girls can be anything they want to be. It’s never too late to start over or something completely new. Kate Scheele Meyen is living the life of every ambitious elementary school kid who says something like, “I want to be a racecar driver and a scientist” when they grow up. Remember, Socceristas, if you have the drive, you can do anything in the world.

Featured image via @houstondash on Twitter

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