When DC Power Football Club defender Claire Constant was named the first team captain in club history, she burst into tears. Constant was touched that she being given the opportunity to lead Power FC, a professional women’s soccer club in her own backyard, during its inaugural season in the USL Super League.
From a young age, Constant knew she wanted to try her hand at performing at the professional level. Playing 30 minutes away from her childhood home, for a brand-new team with infinite opportunities to make a lasting impact, that was far beyond anything she envisioned in her career.
“It’s such an honor,” Constant said. “I feel incredibly lucky every day to work with and lead this group of girls.”
Prior to signing with Power FC, Constant suffered a torn ACL in May 2023 while playing for S.C.U Torreense, her first professional club in Portugal, putting a temporary hold on her playing career. While undergoing her year-long recovery period, Constant was uncertain what the future of her sporting career would hold.
When Power FC came into the picture, the defender knew that she was meant to resume playing professionally, to make a lasting impact in the DMV area and across the sport.
“I always knew that this was what I was meant to do, but didn’t know what the path to get there would look like,” Constant said. “There were some bumps in the road, but did I ever think I would be playing professional soccer in the DMV, playing for a club in D.C.? Never. It’s better than I could have ever imagined.”
Prior to her professional tenure with S.C.U Torreense and now DC Power Football Club, Constant played for five seasons at the University of Virginia of the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association). The defender scored eight goals in 102 fixtures for the Cavaliers.
Her standout collegiate career at UVA led to recognition at the national level as Constant received her first call-up to the Haiti Women’s Senior Team to suit up for Concacaf in 2022. The center back quickly became an integral piece of the Haitian National Team roster, honored as a top defensive player in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers as the Haiti Women’s National Team punched its World Cup ticket for the first time in program history.
Constant recalls her first appearance with the organization, feeling honored to represent her country and excited to immerse herself in a new and unfamiliar group. The defender values her national level experience, noting that it has made her a more resilient and versatile player.
“Walking out for the first time and hearing the Haitian national anthem was one of the most incredible experiences in my entire life,” Constant said. “It was truly an honor.”
Ahead of DC Power Football Club’s first match of the second half of the 2024/25 season, Constant received a camp call up to compete against Morocco. Although Constant was satisfied with her national team’s performance in Morocco, she’s hungry to flip the script and apply her grit at the national level to her game with Power FC.
“Of course, we want to win games but it’s so much more than that,” Constant said. “I want to play good soccer as a team and put on a performance that the community here wants to come watch and support. For us, that means doing a lot of behind the scenes work and becoming a unit that’s a force to be reckoned with that will then translate into winning.”
Since her Power FC debut, Constant has started in all 13 appearances, recorded 47 clearances, seven blocks and 23 interceptions for the club. Constant was named Agile Defensive Player of the Game in back-to-back fixtures at Spokane on Saturday, Mar. 15 and against Brooklyn FC at Audi Field on Sunday, Mar. 23.
With four matches behind them, Constant is determined to do whatever she can for Power FC, as the club has its sights set on its first championship title.
The team captain imagines that the next time she breaks into tears with her team, it will be with a trophy in hand.
“I’m excited for us to show what we can do,” Constant said. “We’ve been working together for a long time now and we’ve learned a lot and come a long way as a group. I’m hoping we can show that throughout rest of the season.”