Montgomery County’s own Sydney Mednik has been recognized with the prestigious Billie Jean King Youth Leadership Award by ESPN. Sydney hails from Potomac, Maryland, and is set to begin her junior year at Winston Churchill High School this fall. A competitive soccer player, she has been a vital part of the Churchill Varsity Soccer Team since her freshman year and actively participates in club soccer.
This accolade, part of the ESPY’s Sports Humanitarian Awards, celebrates young individuals who harness the power of sport to drive societal change. Sydney stands out as one of 20 young people across the nation selected as a regional recipient of this honor.
In addition to the award, Sydney will receive a $2,500 grant for her co-founded non-profit organization, Pass with Purpose, and a year-long leadership training program. Founded in 2022 with her younger sister, Ashley, Pass with Purpose is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to collecting and donating soccer uniforms from U.S. club soccer teams to children in need both locally and globally. The initiative was sparked by the sisters’ curiosity about the fate of old club soccer uniforms, leading to the donation of thousands of uniforms to children in regions as distant as Africa and Central America.
Her philanthropic spirit and leadership skills have garnered further recognition. She was one of 18 high school student-athletes in the DMV selected for the inaugural Athletes For Hope High School Leadership Academy, a program offering workshops and community service activities. Upon completing the program, Sydney was chosen as one of five high school student-athletes nationwide by DICK’S Sporting Goods and its Game Changer App to be a “GameChanger Stay & Play Champion.” In this role, she promotes player persistence and equity, organizing free soccer clinics and providing free soccer gear to children in her community.
