When did you start playing soccer?
Age 5
What is your favorite thing about playing soccer?
Competing against the best female soccer players in the world.
What was your most memorable game experience?
2008 Olympic Final…USA 1 Brazil 0.
What is something you always have in your soccer bag?
The same shin guards for a decade…I am not giving them up.
What was your most interesting and fun soccer trip and why?
2006 Four Nations Tournament in Guangdong, China…It was my first trip as a Mom and my husband, Chris joined us. Rylie was just 3 months old. Playing as a Mom helped me get to the next level. Chris and Rylie slept for 36 hours when we arrived and both got sick.
What's your perfect day off?
Sitting on the beach watching Rylie play in the sand and swim in the ocean.
Name a sports team other than Sky Blue FC that you can’t live without?
I don’t follow or root for one team…I watch specific athletes so I can learn from them. I try to learn about leadership through body language and handling pressure situations.
What famous person most inspires you?
I have been more inspired by Dad and other non-famous people. People that work hard and give back. I guess I am talking about Michelle Akers! Someone that is passionate about everything they do.
If you could only eat one food item/meal for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Chicken or Bagels
What's on your workout/pre-game iPod playlist?
No Ipod…I like spending time with my teammates, dancing and playing with Rylie. There is usually a boom box in the locker room. That’s good enough for me.
Aside from soccer, I'm really good at…
Basketball, Lacrosse, Field Hockey, Track, Golf, Cooking
Not many people know that I can…
Sew just about anything…I could start my own business as a seamstress.
If my parents were describing me, they’d say that I…
Am an athletic, serious, quiet, shy, simple person and that I do not really show a whole lot of emotion. My Mom tells me that I am not very sensitive.
If I were stranded on a deserted island with one of my current Sky Blue FC teammates, I would want to be with…
Natasha Kai because she grew up on an island, who better?!
I want my experience in WPS to be…
Much better and more enjoyable than last year with another championship trophy.
QUICK HITS – List your three favorites:
TV Shows:
1. TLC
2. Grey's Anatomy
3. House
Places to Shop:
1. buybuy baby
2. Bed Bath & Beyond
3. Christmas Tree Shops
Restaurants:
1. Chipotle
2. Pizza
3. Hibachi
Professional Athletes:
1. Derek Jeter
2. Peyton Manning
3. Lebron James
What are the three things you can never be without while traveling?
Ziplock bags, hair straightener, snacks
If you could travel anywhere in the world where would you want to go and why?
Greece, again but no soccer, just my family. The islands are gorgeous and the food is the best in the world.
Did you have a childhood pet? What was its name?
We had a dog, but unsure of the breed so let’s call him a mutt…Sunny Pancake Pearce. Sunny stands for Florida where my grandmother lived and Pancake for every Sunday we had pancakes after church with my Grandparents.
What was your favorite TV show, movie, and music group?
Little House on the Prairie, Sound of Music and Michael Jackson
What was the first concert you ever attended?
Steve Miller Band
What was your dream profession as a child?
Nurse
What was your first job?
I was a cleaning lady at the White Sands in Pt. Pleasant, a cocktail waitress at Union Landing in Brielle, and I squeezed lemonade at Martels in Pt. Pleasant.
What celebrities have your friends told you that you look most like?
Lori Chalupny and Rachel Buehler…Around the USWNT we are known as the Ginger Girls!
If you had a dinner party, who are the four people you would invite (can be living or dead) and why?
Too many people…
Describe your impression of New Jersey in three words.
Competitive Spirit, Major Attitude, Toughness
Who would you most like to meet in New Jersey?
Bon Jovi & Bruce Spingsteen, again!
What’s your favorite restaurant in New Jersey?
Chipotle
Surely it took a lot of hard work to get to this level, what motivated you to keep working hard?
Myself! Competing at the highest level against the best soccer players in the world. I enjoy proving coaches, scouts and media people wrong over and over. The high pressure games are so much fun, playing against the best brings out the best in me. I live for those type games! Each game has a specific challenge and you need to find it. I never want anything to be easy.
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 tell young people that they should challenge themselves and try to “get out of their comfort zone”. Kids should try to overcome their fears. Everyone works hard at the elite level. It’s not just about working hard. As an athlete try to be well rounded and work on improving weaknesses, not just strengths. And put pressure on yourself to analyze your ability, performance and do it honestly…Do not let other people tell you how you did. Also, play a sport for the right reasons…Love, passion and desire. Don’t play for money or anything else and it will show. Finally, young people should not be afraid to make mistakes or lose. I never got mad or took coaches criticism personal. Learning from your failures is so important.
When going through school and playing soccer at the same time, how did you fit all the pieces together (soccer, school, social life)
School was harder than sports for me. Most of my energy was spent on school so I could enjoy playing sports. Sports were my outlet…Time on the field was how I expressed myself. I spent more time in the classroom and less time training. A lot of my social life involved my teammates. I sacrificed social life for school first, not sports. Playing three sports in high school and college allowed me to truly understand balance.
What advice would you give to a young girl who dreams of playing in WPS one day?
Tell your friends, family, teammates, classmates, teachers, neighbors and anyone who will listen to please support the WPS by coming to a game and watching on FSC. Don’t ever give up on your dream…Don’t worry about what people say and always believe in yourself.