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Kristine's Corner
How did you balance academics and soccer in high school and
college?
Balancing schoolwork in high school and college was difficult, but very important. Whenever I traveled for soccer, I would always bring my work and do it on the road. At the 1991 World Cup, when Julie Foudy and I were in school (me at the University of North Carolina, she at Stanford), we would set time aside to study together, and the rest of the team would tease us, saying "Don't you kids need to study?" But I made sure I held to my schedule because if I put it off -- going shopping or just going out -- I would get behind and, as anybody knows, getting behind just makes everything more difficult. Stick to a schedule, get help from your teachers or tutors, and stay caught up. I knew the only way I could continue playing soccer was to make sure I did my work. I'm a junior in high school and my dream has always been to play soccer for a
Division I college. How can I get college coaches to notice
me?
College coaches find players all over the country. They usually attend big tournaments, state team events and regional events as well. I've learned that playing for your club teams and traveling to some of the bigger tournaments helps attract coaches' attention. There's also the Olympic Development Program, which provides young players with opportunities to develop into Olympic-level athletes (check out www.olympic-usa.org/inside). Finally, let coaches know you're out there by sending them info about yourself, such as a tape of you playing, a list of your accomplishments on the field and off and anything else you think might help your cause. If you could have been a world-class athlete in any sport other than soccer,
would you choose a team sport?
Why?
I definitely would stay with team sports because they've added so much to my life. I'd probably choose softball or basketball -- I'm a huge fan of the WNBA, especially Teresa Weatherspoon on the New York Liberty. I used to play basketball in high school (I was better on defense). Teamwork is something we can all use in life. I've learned more from my teammates than anyone else. They encourage me to work harder and to keep my head up. If I had to choose an individual sport, it would be golf. I just took it up in the past three years, and even though it's amazingly difficult, it's relaxing. Besides winning the World Cup, what was the most memorable moment during
those weeks last
summer?
The most memorable moments for me were when we would come out of the tunnel before games and when we'd do our victory laps after games. At the beginning of a game, the two teams would line up, the international soccer federation's anthem would start and we would walk onto the field. All you saw was a sea of people in red, white and blue clapping and yelling. The feeling I'd get was so overwhelming, I had to fight back tears. Then after the game we would do a lap around the field, waving to our fans to thank them for being so supportive. But after the last game I was so tired, I turned to Carla Overbeck and said "I can't run anymore," then I just kind of jogged. What profession do you want to pursue when your soccer career
ends?
First, I'll be very sad! But then I hope to stay involved in sports and with kids. I run a soccer camp in my hometown, Wilton, Conn., that I'll continue. I've thought about teaching, too, maybe grade-school kids. I also love taking pictures, and would love to learn more about photography. I have tons of photo albums full of memories from the national team.
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