Playing Experience: I’ve been playing soccer for as long as I can remember. I started with the Eden Prairie Soccer Club in suburban Minneapolis growing up, and I was usually among the first group of girls to field a team at an age level. After playing high school varsity soccer for four years, I was a four-year starter for DePauw University, a Division III team in Greencastle, Indiana. I’ve continued to play recreationally ever since, from the amateur New York Metropolitan Women’s Soccer League to coed rec leagues at Breakaway and Keva here in the Madison area. I learned the most about the game the summer when my high school team travelled to play in Denmark and Norway and that summer I joined a team that played total football.

Coaching Experience: I coached for the Eden Prairie Soccer Club during my college years, including as an assistant to professional coaches like Hope Powell (who later was England’s national team coach), who trained the teams in our club, as well as a coach for U16 girls’ teams and various soccer camps. Since my kids have joined the Waunakee Area Soccer Club, I’ve coached their academy teams and led academy training sessions for U6-U8 boys and girls for three seasons. Coaching Qualifications: I have US Soccer E and 9v9 licenses and will complete the 11v11 license this summer.
Personal Details: My coaching philosophy is that playing any sport should be fun and invigorating, and every player should be given opportunities to succeed and contribute. My kids play for the Waunakee Area Soccer Club, and my husband, Colin, and I sometimes get to play soccer together. On weekend mornings, we’re watching the Premier League. I also love to run, read and play hockey. In my day job, I teach journalism and strategic communication in the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Favorite Team: The U.S. women’s national team — and my family is a lot happier when Liverpool wins

Favorite Players to Watch: Rose Lavelle, Mo Salah, Alan Shearer and Marta