Athlete profile: Ali Forbush

For Ali Forbush, a Berkeley High School senior, playing soccer has been a constant throughout her life. “Initially, it was just a sport that my parents put me in, and I fell in love with it,” Forbush explained. Although she has also tried lacrosse and flag football at BHS, the competitiveness and strong sense of community of soccer set it apart. Now in her fourth year on varsity, Forbush is one of the team captains. During her time at BHS, she faced a major obstacle after tearing her posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) and undergoing knee surgery, preventing her from playing for over a year and a half. “I still wanted to show up to practice every single day, and I would go to every game, so that I could continue to be part of the team,” Forbush said. This dedicated mindset is deeply reflected in how she leads on her BHS team and outside. Beyond BHS, she helped start a girls soccer team in Akropong, Ghana, in 2024 and has spent many months coaching and working with the local community, sharing the sport she loves and the joy of playing with others.