Meet your 2025 Soccer Sheet Team
Talented photographers, writers, polyglots, content creators, contributors who speak a combined six languages ... and Sam. Meet the Soccer Sheet team - and our dogs!
Today, we’re launching a GoFundMe to support our work to build the soccer community in the Carolinas. You can chip in here or read more below.
Additionally, for sponsorship options, or to syndicate our work, email sam@soccersheet.com.
Soccer Sheet by Y’all Weekly is the Carolinas’ leading source of original soccer content.
Already this season, we’ve produced long-form journalism about nine of the women’s and men’s teams in North & South Carolina, and we’re the only local publication to cover stories like Patrick Agyemang’s United States Men’s National Team debut in person.
This past week, we had a presence at every U.S. Open Cup match featuring a Carolinas team - even the Charlotte Independence’s trip to Long Island.
We don’t make any money from Soccer Sheet (yet - maybe in the future). We syndicate our stories free to publications without soccer coverage because we want to grow the game and the community - our work has appeared in both English and Spanish language newspapers, and on websites from Charlotte and the Triad, to New England and Ghana.
Sometimes teams will use our content when they don’t have photographers available. We love what we do, we have fun doing it, and all of us want to see soccer grow in the United States.
So before we get too deep into the season, we want to introduce you to our team.
The 2025 Soccer Sheet Team
Yara Al Bayyari - Social Media
Bio: I’m Yara Al Bayyari, literally just a Palestinian girl that loves soccer. I also take photos, record post match interviews with players and coaches for social media platforms (editing them occasionally).
Here for the halftime soft serve in the press box and soccer vibes!
Supporter of: FC Barcelona
Favorite Footballer: Lionel Messi
Seasons with Soccer Sheet: 2
Matt Cramer - Fan in the Stands
Bio: I’m a local middle school history teacher and the only person who refuses to do anything “official” for Soccer Sheet, but I’m here for vibes - as well as any away matches that our team can’t be at. I also (unofficially, of course) write some of the tweets, and officially write the “Matt at the Movies” column for Y’all Weekly.
Supporter of: Bayern Munich (member), Charlotte FC
Favorite Footballer: Thomas Müller
Years with Y’all Weekly/Soccer Sheet: All 4
Dog(s): Quincy
Adrian Singerman - French & Spanish Translator
Bio: I was born in France and am a native French and English speaker with a master’s in Spanish. I teach French and Spanish at a local high school, serve as Soccer Sheet’s resident translator, and occasionally translate for Charlotte FC at press conferences.
Supporter of: Charlotte FC
Favorite Athlete: Roger Federer
Years with Y’all Weekly/Soccer Sheet: 4
Jake Sokol - Photographer/Writer
Bio: I’m Jake Sokol. I’m a photographer and writer who has loved soccer my whole life. I enjoy being around all things Charlotte FC whenever I can. When I’m not watching soccer I’m spending time with my lovely wife, Nora, our new son, Ace, and our two corgis.
Supporter of: Newcastle United FC
Favorite Footballer: Michael Owen
Seasons with Soccer Sheet: First Year
Dog(s): Toby & Otto (Corgis)
Sam Spencer - Editor & Publisher
Bio: I founded Soccer Sheet because there were so many more local soccer stories than I could tell writing a semi-weekly column for Queen City Nerve. Like Charlotte FC head coach Dean Smith I played a lot of chess as a kid; unlike Deano I never made it past rec soccer.
I live in West Charlotte with Rebekah and our dogs.
Supporter of: 1. FC Union Berlin (member) & AFC Wimbledon (owner)
Favorite Footballer: Christopher Trimmel or Megan Rapinoe
Seasons with Soccer Sheet: All 4
Dog(s): Willow (Rottweiler) & Sonny (Corgi mix)
Jorge Torres - Photographer
Bio: I’m the new photographer of the group. Proud Colombian, Blue Furia SG member, and die hard Tar Heel fan. Usually one behind the lens, but when I’m in front of it I usually have my golden boy Cooper as my trusty companion.
Supporter of: Colombian National Team
Favorite Footballer: James Rodríguez
Seasons with Soccer Sheet: First Year, with contributions in 2024
Dog(s): Cooper (Golden Retriever)
Rebekah Whilden - Managing Editor/Photographer
Bio: I’ve spent fifteen years as a leader in the environmental justice space. I take photos of soccer players in my spare time and make sure the boys behave. I only attend CLTFC games for the press box soft serve at halftime. I know a lot more about soccer than I admit, but it’s fun to watch men try and mansplain it to me.
I’m also Sam’s better half and try to tell him to stop writing or editing when a piece is good enough (he doesn’t listen).
Supporter of: U.S. Women’s National Team
Favorite Footballer: Mia Hamm (Does Sir Minty count?)
Years with Y’all Weekly/Soccer Sheet: All 4
Dog(s): Willow (Rottweiler) & Sonny (Corgi mix)
Contributors
Our contributors have included Alyssa Harper, Calvin Hernandez, Jesse Boykin Kimmel, and Luke Beadle (catch some of our interviews on his podcast, Queen City Soccer Show). We’re adding a couple more soon so watch this space!
We Need Your Help
We’re not going to lie - we have a lot of fun covering soccer in the Carolinas, and you can imagine how cool it is to be on the pitch at Bank of America Stadium for big moments.
The rest of it - hours of writing, editing photos, driving to smaller stadiums (so that we can introduce our readers to new players and teams) isn’t as glamorous, and it costs money - especially when we hire contributors to get to matches we can’t reach, or when a major airline loses our luggage on the the way to a USMNT match.
None of us make money from the hundreds of hours we put into this, so we need your help to grow our coverage this year (and we’re happy to return the favor with cool merchandise from the Soccer Sheet vault if you ask nicely).
Your gift will help us pay our volunteer photographers and writers, improve the quality of our equipment, and help us cover more games and more stories as we gear up to cover the 2026 World Cup next year - and tell the stories of the local players who will be participating.
$50 pays for a professional camera lens rental, or a train to a Carolina Core match.
$75 pays for an out-of-state reporter to take photos and conduct exclusive interviews.
$500 pays for a used lens or camera body for photographers like Jorge Torres, Rebekah Whilden, and Jake Sokol.
You get the idea. Our current goal of just under $6,000 would help us plan and pay for all of our desired coverage this year (David Tepper, if you’re reading, we’d love for you to join Soccer Sheet at the $5,000 sponsorship level).
But you don’t have to be a soccer team owner to help. Even $25 makes a big difference.
Or, you can help sustain our work by subscribing:
Thank you for reading all the way down here - and to all of our paid subscribers, our readers, and our friends for being part of our community.
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