Grounded by the Game: Gina Franco
(FIFA Master 25th edition)

Since birth, Gina Franco’s life has been in constant motion, never living in one place for more than four years. Born in Bogotá, Colombia, Gina’s journey has taken her across Florida, North Carolina, back to Colombia, and out to Germany before finally returning to North Carolina. Now, she’s part of the 25th edition of the FIFA Master’s programme, where she’ll add England, Italy, and Switzerland to places she’ll have called home – at least for a little while.

But none of this is particularly foreign to Gina. From an early age, she understood the value of travelling, embracing new perspectives and cultures. In her family, Christmas wasn’t about gifts but experiences. “Instead of gifting presents, we’d spend time together in different countries,” she recalls. “I think it has influenced who we are and how well we understand the world,” she says of her and her two younger sisters. It wasn’t until Gina was nine years old that she started using English as her first language. “Growing up, we spoke what you can consider some English, but with a little more Spanish than English,” she explains, highlighting the complexities of navigating a bicultural identity.

With no permanent home—she didn’t become a U.S. citizen until 2012—Gina found her anchor in football. Whether in Colombia, Florida, North Carolina, or Germany, the game became her universal language. “One ball, one field, two goals, and some lines—that doesn’t change no matter where you go. It’s how I communicated when I didn’t speak the language,” she says. Through football, Gina built connections, friendships, and a sense of belonging in each new place.

Another constant in Gina’s life has been her family. With frequent moves, her relationships with her younger sisters, Isa and Sofi, became a source of strength. “When you move around so much, the only consistency you have is your siblings, so they become your best friends,” she reflects. The sisters’ bond grew deeper through their mutual love of football, sharing training sessions and cheering one another on. “We spent so much time together on the field,” Gina says. “It was something we all loved, and it brought us closer.” Even now, Gina and her sisters share a tradition of soccer tennis tournaments in their yard, a playful yet meaningful reminder of their shared passion.

Support from her parents was pivotal, though Gina’s path to football wasn’t direct. As a child, she tried ballet, competitive cheerleading, swimming, and gymnastics. While football eventually became her true calling, her parents instilled a work ethic and resilience that remain with her today. “My parents valued being outside and committing yourself to something,” Gina says. “They wanted us to follow through with whatever we chose, no matter how hard it was. Now, in the professional environment, I think that comes naturally. We don’t have to be the best players, but we do have to be the best versions of ourselves.”

Gina’s commitment to personal growth came to life during her collegiate career. She began as a Division I athlete at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina. However, her journey wasn’t without challenges. After transferring to Salem College during the COVID-19 pandemic, she was unable to play her first season. Yet, despite being a newcomer, Gina’s leadership qualities stood out, and by the spring, she was given the captain’s armband for her sophomore year. For Gina, this moment was transformative: “It wasn’t about proving myself anymore—it was about helping my team be better.”

This passion for supporting others led Gina into coaching after college, a path she hadn’t initially considered. “At first, I didn’t have an interest in coaching. But once I started, I realized how much I enjoyed it,” she says. Her experiences mentoring her younger sister, Isa, now a member of the U17 Colombia national team, shaped her approach. “I try not to live through my sister’s career but to lead alongside her,” she explains. “I want my players to have that same support.”

Gina’s coaching philosophy is guided by a Spanish proverb her sister’s national team coach once shared: “Cada minuto en la selección vale oro”—every minute in the national team is worth gold. She passes this wisdom to her players: “Every minute you get to play on the field, every minute you get to travel or practice with your team, those seconds are worth gold. Don’t take them for granted.”

Another mantra that drives Gina is to “trust the process.” It’s a lesson she learned through her own setbacks, including transferring schools, facing injuries, and applying for the FIFA Master’s programme. “I kept telling myself to trust the process, that it would work out,” she says. And it did.

“I used to joke in college that I wanted to get a degree in soccer, to major in soccer. And it almost feels like I’m doing that right now!”

By Geneva Decker

FIFA Master 25th edition student

FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport, ranked Europe's No.1 course a record 12 times by SportBusiness.

Organised by CIES in partnership with De Montfort University (UK), SDA Bocconi School of Management (Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland).