From Soccer Cleats to Army Boots: The Journey of Julia Allison

On Veterans Day, the nation honors those who have served the United States over the years. Among them is a former Triton who was part of the fight for freedom which still endures today. 

Julia Allison, formerly known as Julia Cuder, was a Triton on the UC San Diego women’s soccer team who served in the U.S. Army in the intelligence field following the attacks of September 11th, 2001. 

Before serving in the Army, Allison was the team captain and led the Tritons to many victories, including three NCAA National Championships from 1999-2001. Allison thinks the team’s strong bond was instrumental to their success. 

“I truly believe that friendship between all of us is what propelled us to three national championships,” Allison said. “Janine Harispe, Christy Abizaid, Cindy Duynstee, Jen Hetland, Kara Morris, Erika Alfredson - they are only a few of the amazing players and people we had on the team in 1999. And we just kept getting better!”

She played under Brian McManus, whom Allison says defined and shaped her college soccer career. Allison also played alongside Kristin Jones - the current coach of the UC San Diego women’s soccer team.

Allison fondly remembers her time playing soccer at UC San Diego -  “The frigid ice-baths to save our legs ... the really cheap practice uniforms that saved the team some money… I cherish these memories because of the roles my teammates played in them. They are a cast of characters that helped me through college and continue to help me today.”

Allison went on to be the first-ever Triton to be named California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Player of the Year. She was selected to the All-American First Team twice in her career, and was inducted into the UC San Diego Hall of Fame in 2014.

Allison served in the intelligence field of the Army from 2002-09. She was deployed to Baghdad, Iraq in 2005 where she conducted liaison with Iraqi counterparts through an interpreter.

One of her most unforgettable memories from her time in the Army occurred while she was in Iraq. She was on her daily mission to identify people of interest, traveling across miles and miles of land that had been leveled by coalition bombing. 

“At one of these houses, a young boy propelled himself over to me with his arms only, as he had been born without legs, and his family did not own a wheelchair,” remembered Allison.  “He was probably 10 or 11 years old, and what struck me was how happy he was in the face of such adversity. In that brief snapshot of time I shared with him, it appeared as if he did not let his disability define him, and that his optimism about life was genuine. I was really struck by that.”

While serving the United States, Allison was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play soccer prior to heading to Yongsang, South Korea

“In between Iraq and Korea, I was invited to play on the All-Army soccer team, where for three months I practiced and played with graduates of the West Point soccer program,” recalled Allison.

The team played against other branches of the military, and Allison was extremely grateful for the unique experience to do so. 

That wasn’t the only time soccer played a role in Allison’s military service, however. 

Looking back on her time as a soccer player at UC San Diego, Allison is grateful for the life lessons it taught her - lessons which she applied to her service in the Army. 

“My time at UC San Diego helped to develop strength of character and how to lead in different capacities,” Allison reflected. “It taught me to always work hard, and to never give up on myself.” 

Memories of running fitness tests with the team stuck with her through her service. The mental strength it took to get through fitness training and practices carried her through the same types of adversaries in the Army. Allison remains passionate about fitness today, which is largely due to her time on the UC San Diego soccer team. 

Her role as team captain taught her about leadership as well. 

“For me, what worked best was to lead by example,” Allison shared. “I carried that leadership style into the military, and I try to do that today, while raising my two children.”

Looking back, Allison feels incredibly grateful and proud to have served her country for those seven years. 

“I truly enjoyed my time in the military, as it opened up numerous avenues of adventure that I would never have known existed,” she said.

Today, Allison lives in Maryland, where she works as a defense contractor. She is happily married to her husband, Bryan, and they have two boys, Nathan and Jon. 

While the country remembers and honors those who so courageously served the United States, the UC San Diego community recognizes the Tritons like Allison who so bravely fought for freedom. Allison and many others will always be respected, never be forgotten, and will be a Triton for life.

About UC San Diego Athletics
After two decades as one of the most successful programs in NCAA Division II, the UC San Diego intercollegiate athletics program begins a new era in 2020 as a member of the Big West Conference in NCAA Division I. The 23-sport Tritons earned 30 team and nearly 150 individual national championships during its time in Divisions II and III and helped guide 1,400 scholar-athletes to All-America honors. A total of 83 Tritons have earned Academic All-America honors, while 37 have garnered prestigious NCAA Post Graduate Scholarships. UC San Diego scholar-athletes exemplify the academic ideals of one of the world's preeminent institutions, graduating at an average rate of 91 percent, one of the highest rates among institutions at all divisions. For more information on the Tritons, visit UCSDtritons.com or follow UC San Diego Athletics on social media @UCSDtritons.