American Idol star Grace Leer says her soccer journey helped prepare her for the national stage

Here is a story of how soccer helped boost the career of a professional singer.

Grace Leer played high school soccer at Sam Ramon Valley and club soccer for Mustang ECNL before attending the University of California-Berkley where she had a memorable senior season with the Cal Bears.

She scored the game winning goal against Santa Clara, the game tying goal in an eventual win over USC named the national Goal of the Week by Top Drawer Soccer. Plus, there was a timely finish in an NCAA Tournament win over San Diego State.

During those years of competing in soccer she developed into an accomplished musician that has placed her on the national stage. 

Grace is vying for a Top 10 spot in American Idol on Sunday at 8pm EST on ABC.

The 28-year old and the other 19 remaining contestants performed from their homes last Sunday due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Nashville-based country artist is in isolation with her mom in her native Danville, California.

I connected with Grace the day after performing Faith Hill’s “Cry” live on an iPhone before millions of viewers. 

So, here you go Idol fans! The backyard performance followed by my interview with Grace from SiriusXM FC’s “The Coaching Academy.”

Glenn Crooks: How did you evaluate your performance last Sunday? 

Grace Leer: It’s so funny how much being a soccer player and an athlete has transitioned into me as a singer and a performer, especially now doing it from home. I think about my performance I was really happy with it was really proud of it. It's definitely a game mindset, too. It's like the minute my music starts is the kickoff and I have to give it everything. I only have you know about two minutes to sing and perform for America and to get their votes especially being the only country artist on the show right now. I just wanted to walk away with no regrets and feel really good about it the same way I would have soccer game - leave it all on the field.

GC: You are the only country performer AND the only NCAA Division 1 soccer player.

GL: Yes, I guess that’s also true (chuckling)

GC: It must be odd doing the performance at home without the atmosphere and inspiration of the studio audience. Like in sports, we know now once games start up it's going to be played without fans in empty stadiums.

GL: Yeah, it's definitely different performing from home without a huge audience. We went from Hawaii with thousands of people on the beach in an absolute paradise to now with only four of my family members there. But it's the same way with soccer. I would play the same way in a practice scrimmage with no fans there at all fighting to be at a starting position at Cal or against Stanford with thousands of people. You have to play it the same way every single time and you have to give everything and I'm the same way with performing and with music. Whether I'm sitting in my living room just me and my guitar or I'm up on a stage in Hawaii with thousands of people and Luke (Bryan) and Katy (Perry) and Lionel (Richie), I would be performing and singing the same way because it's what I love. I’m here in my backyard and there's millions of people watching so I want to give my best performance. 

GC: What was the exact setup at home for your routine?

GL: American Idol sent all of us three iPhones and those iPhone cameras acted like the big cameras on the live stage. The producers help us with the different angles and we're on virtual meetings with them all the time. American Idol has gone above and beyond to make sure that the show that we're bringing is still the same. American Idol is a reality show and the reality is we're all home right now and so why not perform from our own backyard.

GC: What are some of the ways soccer has helped you along the way as a performer?

GL: There's a lot that helped me I think as an athlete. You have to really take care of yourself both physically and mentally and I do the same thing with music. I'm still very active. I exercise a lot and I still play soccer in Nashville on a rec team there. This is the way that I take care of my body and it helps my voice so I am like very regimented. My vocal cords are the muscles so I train that muscle the same way I was training my muscles back in college and getting ready for that game in the same way I get ready for the performance.  Mentally, I visualize myself up on stage, the same way I would visualize me on the field as a soccer player - giving myself positive affirmations so that I have a positive mindset going into the game. That’s helped me as a singer - no doubt.

GC: You’ve been singing since you were five years old – do you think your singing performances helped your soccer?

GL: Yeah, it's so funny you say that. I remember this specific game in a tournament with Mustang [Soccer Club] I think I was probably only 13 years old. It was halftime and we weren't playing well and one of the coaches said to me, you know, he says he said we looked nervous like we were like scared of the opponent. He said, ‘Grace come on, you’ve sung [the National Anthem] at [San Francisco] Giants games in front of thousands of people and now you can't play the soccer game with just like your friends and family on the sidelines?’ It was like, ‘oh yeah wait - if I can do that then I can play this game.’ So, it definitely goes hand in hand.

GC: It seems the biggest difference in soccer is you have a team but when you are singing it’s just you on stage.

GL: As a singer it always felt like a solo thing to me - it was just me. I'm the one in control and in soccer you have 10 other players on the field that are affecting the game and everybody plays a part and has a role. But this time going through American Idol I don't feel alone and that's why I created this #TeamGrace. I have people that are loving me and that I want to bring along this journey the same way I would you be with my team all the way up to the championship. I want everybody to be up there with me, whenever my time at Idol comes to an end. 

GC: What kind of player were you. I heard you were very difficult to contain up front.

GL: I was always fast. That was my thing to beat defenders at a really young age. I just love to run - I'd love to get those breakaways and take the [goal]keeper one on one. I was definitely a team player and being a leader was really important to me. I was captain for my club team, my high school team and my college team and then I coached after college. So, being a leader and a role model is really important to me. When I was a senior at Cal with these freshmen coming in I wanted to lead by example - that was really important. But as an athlete I was very scrappy and tenacious and I just would do anything to score goals and I love to put a lot of pressure on the defense that was my favorite thing to do. Press to the left or press to the right - I used to love being able to win the ball so close to the goal and then try and get a shot off – I really miss it. 

GC: You have to tell me about that national Goal of the Week your senior year. It was against USC so that's memorable against a conference rival. Can you describe it?

GL: That was a crazy day, it was so hot at USC – we were away and we were down 1-0. Neil McGuire (Head Coach) had been doing this throw in play with us all season, starting in preseason. You show to the person throwing in and then you make this curving run and then the throw was supposed to lead you in. This one thankfully was just in the right place at the right time and I just ran onto it, took one touch, picked my head up and just went for it. And thankfully it went top right corner. It was just crazy – just a ding in the corner of the goal. I remember 10 minutes after that they took me off and my assistant coach at the time Chris Lemay goes, ‘Do you think you can get it in the corner more next time that'd be great.’

GC: And soccer runs in the family. Your brother Chris [Leer] is an assistant to Tim Lenahan at Northwestern.

GL: Chris is a big role model for me. Growing up I looked up to him. He played at UC Davis and then coached at UC Davis and now is at Northwestern. He's someone I've looked up to so much as a player, as a person and as a coach. I was always calling him at Cal after every game and sending him videos so he could tell me what to work on.

GC: You've sung the national anthem at San Francisco giant games. You must have sung the national anthem at home matches every now and then. 

GL: Yes, the big games I would sing – against Stanford and on senior day. Which was funny going from singing in my uniform and then run out onto the soccer field to start the game.

GC: Did you perform on the bus rides?

GL: Yeah, I definitely was singing on the bus. The girls and Neil would always get me to do it no matter how many times I said no. I was singing every day. I mean, we were always blasting whatever was popular back then. One song that's important to the Cal women's soccer family has always been “Be My Baby” by Mariah Carey. I actually did a take-over on the Cal Instagram the other day and played that live and they really loved it. That was really fun – it’s a Cal tradition.

GC: On American Idol it’s always fun seeing the parents before, during and after the performances. Case in point would be your father, Buzz. He really gets excited.

GL: Yes, my dad is an actor and a model in Chicago right now. And one of my biggest supporters along with my mom they both have just been so supportive my whole life between soccer and singing and school they've just always been very encouraging for me to do what I love and if singing is what I love, then go for it.

GC: And you have that little signal with your dad. What is that?

GL: It’s the “hi” sign. My family does that – we used to do that to my brother when he played at Davis every time you ran on the field we always gave them the “hi” sign.

GC: You've got a big moment coming up on Sunday. Do you get any indication as to what's going on with the voting?

GL: No, and the voting closed on Monday morning. I'm crossing my fingers. To be in the Top 10 would be a dream come true. 

GC: It's been nice to speak to you and good luck on Sunday.

GL: Thank you. It's fun to relive my soccer glory days – man, I miss it.