When did you start playing soccer?
I started playing soccer when I was 3 or 4. Soccer has been part of my life ever since I was a little baby. I have three older brothers and was always taken to their games, probably in a stroller!
What is your favorite thing about playing soccer?
Even if it sounds corny, my favorite thing about playing soccer is the relationships that you make. Most of my soccer friends are my best friends in the world. I think it's because you share a similar passion, and you go through so many ups and downs together. I am thankful that I play a team sport, because there is something really cool about being able to lean on each other.
What was your most memorable game experience?
My most memorable game experience was scoring against New Zealand in this past Olympic Games. The goal was early- only 40 seconds into the game- and after I scored my teammates completely tackled me and I can still remember that feeling of complete happiness.
What is something you always have in your soccer bag?
Are we talking literally in my soccer bag?! I would say prewrap is a must. I can't have my hair in my face, it's gross.
What was your most interesting and fun soccer trip and why?
Our U19 national team went to Trinidad and Tobago for the World Cup Qualifiers in 2002. We were only 17 at the time and we had the time of our lives. We stayed in Tobago on the beach and went to barbeques, shopping markets, played soccer on the beach and all that fun stuff. Oh and we won the tournament too!
What's your perfect day off?
First, it includes a killer breakfast. I am a big breakfast person. So, the perfect day would include coffee and pancakes after sleeping in until about 10am. Then I would go get a massage. Like a nice feeling massage, not a sport massage! At night, I would get either steak or Mexican food and go to the movies. Maybe ice cream at night. All with good friends around me!
Name a sports team other than Sky Blue FC that you can’t live without?
UNC Women's Soccer (yes, I am a creepy alumni)
What famous person most inspires you?
Barack Obama
If you could only eat one food item/meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Cereal (any kind)
What's on your workout/pre-game iPod playlist?
I'm pretty weird when it comes to music. I don't need the normal pump up music. I like pretty mellow stuff. Maybe because I am already kind of a spaz on the field to begin with, I need chill music to calm me down. However, I have listened to the same song before games since I was like 15; it's called "Motorcycle Drive By" by Third Eye Blind. You should check it out.
Aside from soccer, I'm really good at…
Working with kids (teaching and coaching).
Not many people know that I can…
Show off a plaque that claims I am one of the 20 coolest girls in America! (YM Magazine) *
*Editors Note - That trophy currently resides on a shelf in the Sky Blue Soccer offices.
If my parents were describing me, they’d say that…
I am very scatterbrained and forgetful.
If I were stranded on a deserted island with one of my current Sky Blue FC teammates, I would want to be with…
Keeley [Dowling], because she would remain even-KEELED (get it?) and would be sort of unemotional and analytical in figuring out the solution. We would balance each other well and have fun doing it.
I want my experience in WPS to be…
One that improves me as a player with tough games every single weekend.
QUICK HITS – List your three favorites:
TV Shows:
1. The Office
2. Entourage
3. Law and Order SVU
Places to Shop:
1. Adidas
2. Lacoste
3. Jcrew
Restaurants:
1. Tao - New Tork
2. 411- Chapel Hill
3. Uncle Bills- Manhattan Beach, CA
Professional Athletes:
1. Steve Nash
2. Derek Jeter
3. Lionel Messi
What are the three things you can never be without while traveling?
Chocolate, book, crossword puzzle.
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you want to go and why?
Italy. Love the food and the culture.
Did you have a childhood pet? What was its name?
I used to have hamsters. One was named Peanut and we buried him in our backyard (RIP Peanut).
What was your favorite TV show, movie, and music group?
Saved by the Bell, The Lion King, N'Sync.
What was the first concert you ever attended?
Dave Matthews Band in high school.
What was your favorite Halloween costume that you wore?
Minnie Mouse
What was your dream profession as a child?
Professional soccer player or a teacher.
What was your first job?
Babysitter.
What celebrities have your friends told you that you look most like?
Some people have said I look like Jennifer Garner. She's got good dimples and is with Ben Affleck, so I'll take it.
If you had a dinner party, who are the four people you would invite (can be living or dead) and why?
Oh man. Toughy. I would say Mother Teresa, John F. Kennedy, and Nelson Mandela, and my boyfriend Dave... all impacted the world in a huge way and I could learn a ton from them. And Dave would be there to help me think of good questions for them!
Describe your impression of New Jersey in three words.
Real, Character, Home
Who would you most like to meet in New Jersey?
Bon Jovi
What’s your favorite restaurant in New Jersey?
All the great pizza joints on every corner. Too many to name!
Surely it took a lot of hard work to get to this level, what motivated you to keep working hard?
I had great coaches around me who kept reminding me that I had incredible potential, and as long as I emphasized my strengths and stayed focused on my goals, I could achieve my dreams.
When it got hard, or you didn’t make the cut what did you do? What advice could you give kids about working hard and overcoming moments like this?
I would say, control what YOU CAN control and do not waste time or energy worrying about things you cannot control. Make yourself a goal, whether is it getting super fit, taking 50 shots a day, or working on skill work every morning. And follow through! Staying specific in goal setting helps you feel like you are achieving YOUR personal best, and if you do that, everything else -like making teams or breaking into the starting lineup- will fall in place.
When going through school and playing soccer at the same time, how did you fit all the pieces together (soccer, school, social life)
It definitely took a lot of discipline to finish to my schoolwork. I remember many times doing my homework in the back seat with a flashlight on the way home from practice. In terms of social life, it is crucial to align yourself with people who want what it truly best for you.
What advice would you give to a young girl who dreams of playing in WPS one day?
Figure out what makes you special as a player and use that to separate yourself from your peers.