Christie Renee Welsh (born February 27, 1981) is an American former

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player who played as a forward. She previously played for the

New York Power The New York Power was an American professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA), the first professional soccer league for women in the United States. The team played at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale ...

Women's United Soccer Association The Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) was the world's first women's soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals. Founded in February 2000, the league began its first season in April 2001 with eight teams in the Uni ...

(WUSA) as well as the

Los Angeles Sol The Los Angeles Sol was an American professional association football, soccer club that was based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, that participated in Women's Professional Soccer. The team was co-owned and operated by Anschutz E ...

Saint Louis Athletica Saint Louis Athletica was an American professional soccer club that was based in the St. Louis suburb of Fenton, Missouri that participated in Women's Professional Soccer. Athletica started the 2009 season playing its home games at Ralph Korte ...

, and

Washington Freedom Washington Freedom may refer to: * Washington Freedom (cricket) * Washington Freedom (soccer) {{dab ...

Women's Professional Soccer Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) was the top-level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded six teams for the 2011 ...

(WPS). She is also a former member of the

United States women's national soccer team The United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) represents the United States in international women's soccer. The team is governed by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF (the Confederation of North, Central Ameri ...

Early life

Born in Massapequa Park,

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

, Welsh attended Massapequa High School on Long Island in

Massapequa, New York Massapequa (, ) is a Hamlet (New York), hamlet and census-designated place (CDP) in the Oyster Bay (town), New York, Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York, Nassau County, on the South Shore (Long Island), South Shore of Long Island, in Ne ...

. She was a two-time Parade All-American and a 1999 NSCAA All-American. Welsh was the 1998 Gatorade Circle of Champions National High School Girls' Soccer Player of the Year. She led Massapequa to the 1997 New York State Championship. Welsh played club soccer with the Northport Cow Harbor Piranha where she won two national titles.

Penn State University

Welsh attended Penn State University and ended her collegiate career as one of the most decorated athletes in the school's history. In her freshman campaign, Welsh piloted the Lions to their first ever Final Four, led the team and was tied nationally for goals scored (27), and earned Penn State's first College Cup all-tournament honor. Her junior year, Welsh's received the

Hermann Trophy The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top men's and women's college soccer players. History In 1967, Bob Hermann, the president of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and th ...

, the sport's most prestigious award given to the nation's top player. She was also honored with the 2001

Missouri Athletic Club The Missouri Athletic Club (often referred to as the MAC), founded in 1903, is a private city and athletic club with two locations. The Downtown Clubhouse is in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri, USA and the West Clubhouse is located in the St. Lou ...

Player of the Year award. She finished her career amassing four NSCAA All-America honors, three consecutive Soccer America Collegiate MVP's, and three Big Ten Player of the Year honors. She is still the Big Ten's leading scorer and was part of four Big Ten title teams and two College Cup squads during her time at Penn State. Her 2002 season at Penn State yielded a Final Four appearance in the Division I NCAA Championship and were Big Ten Champions. Welsh ended her collegiate career at Penn State with 82 goals and 52 assists plus 27 game-winning goals which are all Big 10 records.

Playing career

New York Power

Welsh was drafted second overall by the New York Power of the now-defunct WUSA professional league. She scored six goals in 12 games during her rookie season.

Los Angeles Sol & Saint Louis Athletica

In 2009, Welsh was selected with the 5th pick of the second round (12th overall) by the Los Angeles Sol in the WPS General Player Draft. She appeared in three games for Los Angeles before being traded to the Saint Louis Athletica on May 9, 2009. She finished the 2009 season with three goals in 11 games for St. Louis.

Washington Freedom

Welsh was acquired by the Washington Freedom before the start of the 2010 season.

D.C. United

After the Freedom was moved to Florida under new ownership for the 2011 season, Welsh joined D.C. United Women originally as an assistant coach, but has attained a second role as a substitute forward.

International

Amidst top U.S. players out for wage boycotts after their 1999 World Cup the national team called up the Nittany Lion striker for the

Australian Cup The Australian Cup is a Victoria Racing Club Group races, Group 1 Thoroughbred horse race for horses three years old and older, held under Weight for Age conditions, over a distance of 2000 metres, at Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, Australi ...

. In January 2000 Welsh made her National Team debut scoring against the Czech Republic in a 8-1 rout in Melbourne, Australia. Welsh took a leave of absence from school and college soccer to establish a residency with the United States Women's National Team in Florida to train. Welsh scored 11 goals in 15 games for the United States in her first significant season with the full national team. She scored 10 goals faster than any other player in American soccer history. In 2004, Welsh was a member of the U.S. Olympic Residency Training Camp. In 2005, Welsh won the Golden Boot Award as top scorer in the prestigious

Algarve Cup The Algarve Cup is an invitational tournament for national teams in women's association football hosted by the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). Held annually in the Algarve region of Portugal since 1994, it is one of the most prestigious and ...

tournament with five goals, including the game-winning goal in the championship match against Germany.

Coaching career

Welsh is currently an assistant coach at

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a Public university, public research university in Eugene, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1876, the university is organized into nine colleges and schools and offers 420 undergraduate and gra ...

. She previously served as a volunteer assistant coach for Penn State from 2004 to 2006 and Wisconsin in 2011. She is also head coach and director of the U16 FC Bucks Revolution club team.

References

External links

*
US Soccer player profile

Washington Freedom player profile

{{DEFAULTSORT:Welsh, Christie Washington Freedom (soccer) players Los Angeles Sol players Saint Louis Athletica players Parade High School All-Americans (girls' soccer) Penn State Nittany Lions women's soccer players 1981 births Living people Expatriate women's footballers in France Olympique Lyonnais Féminin players Expatriate women's footballers in Sweden USL W-League (1995–2015) players D.C. United Women players New York Power players Sportspeople from Massapequa, New York Soccer players from Nassau County, New York People from Massapequa Park, New York Damallsvenskan players KIF Örebro DFF players American expatriate sportspeople in Sweden American expatriates in France New Jersey Wildcats players Première Ligue players Women's association football forwards American women's soccer players 21st-century American sportswomen Hermann Trophy women's winners Massapequa High School alumni United States women's international soccer players Big Ten Athlete of the Year winners Hampton Roads Piranhas players Women's Professional Soccer players Long Island Rough Riders (USL W League) players Penn State Nittany Lions women's soccer coaches Wisconsin Badgers women's soccer coaches Saint Joseph's Hawks coaches Saint Joseph's Hawks soccer Oregon Ducks women's soccer coaches High school soccer coaches in the United States Women's United Soccer Association players