Cat Whitehill facts for kids
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Whitehill before a match in 2013.
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Catherine Reddick Whitehill | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | February 10, 1982 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Richmond, Virginia, United States | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–2000 | Briarwood Christian School | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Briarwood Soccer Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| – | Vestavia Hills Soccer Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005 | New Jersey Wildcats | 9 | (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009–2010 | Washington Freedom | 42 | (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Atlanta Beat | 17 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2012 | Boston Breakers (WPSL) | 14 | (0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–2015 | Boston Breakers (NWSL) | 46 | (1) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2010 | United States | 134 | (11) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | Boston Breakers (player-coach, a.i.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2016 | Boston Breakers (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Needham Soccer Club | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Wellesley Raiders | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2019– | Emory Eagles (assistant) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Catherine "Cat" Reddick Whitehill (born February 10, 1982) is a retired American professional soccer player. She was a strong defender who played for many teams. Cat also worked as an assistant coach for the Boston Breakers in the NWSL. She was a key player for the United States women's national soccer team from 2000 to 2010. During this time, she won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.
Contents
Early Life and High School Soccer
Cat Whitehill was born in Richmond, Virginia, and grew up in Birmingham, Alabama. She went to Briarwood Christian School. In high school, she was an amazing soccer player. She scored 211 goals during her high school career! She also led her school's soccer team to win four state championships.
Cat was recognized as a top player early on. She was named a Parade All-America selection in both 1999 and 2000. She also received the Gatorade Soccer Player of the Year award for Alabama twice. Besides soccer, she played basketball and helped her team reach the state Final Four twice.
Playing for the University of North Carolina
Cat played college soccer for the University of North Carolina from 2000 to 2003. Even as a freshman, she made a big impact. She helped the Tar Heels win the national title in 2000 and was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player of the NCAA Final Four.
During her college years, Cat often had to balance playing for her university team and the national team. Despite missing some games due to national team duties, she still scored many goals and helped her team win. In her junior year, she scored a goal just 20 seconds after coming into a game! She also scored another goal from 40 yards away, helping North Carolina win the ACC title.
As a senior, Cat was a huge leader for her team. She won the 2003 M.A.C. Hermann Trophy, which is the top award in college soccer. She helped North Carolina finish their season with a perfect 27–0–0 record and win another NCAA Championship. She was named Defensive MVP of the Final Four again, showing how important she was to her team's defense.
Professional Club Career
After college, Cat Whitehill played for several professional soccer clubs.
The WPS Years: 2009–2011
In 2009, Cat joined the Washington Freedom in the WPS league. She was a regular starter and scored a few goals as a defender. The next season, she continued to play many games for the Freedom.
In 2011, she moved to the Atlanta Beat, where she also started most of their games.
WPSL Elite and NWSL: 2012–2015
When the WPS league stopped in 2012, Cat signed with the Boston Breakers. They were playing in the WPSL at the time, which was the top women's league.
In 2013, the NWSL started, and Cat continued to play for the Boston Breakers. Towards the end of that season, she even became a player-coach for a short time. This meant she was both playing and helping to lead the team as a coach!
On May 28, 2015, Cat Whitehill announced she was retiring from playing professional soccer. She mentioned an injury and her plans to work as a commentator during the World Cup as reasons for her decision.
International Career with Team USA
Cat Whitehill played for the United States women's national soccer team for ten years, from 2000 to 2010. She played in 134 games for her country and scored 11 goals, which is a lot for a defender!
One of her biggest achievements was winning a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. She also helped the team win bronze medals at two FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments, in 2003 and 2007.
In 2008, Cat injured her knee, which meant she missed the 2008 Beijing Olympics. But she worked hard to recover and returned to play for the national team in 2009. Her last game for Team USA was in March 2010.
Memorable Goals
Cat Whitehill is known for scoring some impressive goals, especially for a defender. On July 15, 2006, she scored a goal from a free kick that was 70 yards away! This is the longest shot ever to score a goal for the US Women's National Team.
Broadcasting Career
After her playing career, Cat Whitehill became a soccer commentator. She worked for ESPN during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. She also worked on the sidelines for Fox Soccer Channel and covered college soccer games.
She continued her broadcasting work, commenting on the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 and NWSL games.
Coaching Career
Cat Whitehill also has experience as a coach. In 2016, she became an Assistant Coach and Club Ambassador for the Boston Breakers. She also coached for Needham Soccer Club and became the head coach for the girls' soccer team at Wellesley High School in 2017.
Since 2019, she has been an assistant coach for the Emory Eagles college team.
Advocacy for Women in Sports
Cat Whitehill is a strong supporter of women having equal chances to play sports. In 2006, she spoke to the United States Senate to support Title IX. This is a civil rights law that helps make sure girls and women have the same opportunities in school sports as boys and men. She shared her own story of having to play on boys' soccer teams when she was young because there were no organized girls' teams in her area at the time.
Personal Life
Cat Whitehill married Dr. Robert Whitehill on New Year's Eve, 2005. He is a doctor who specializes in heart problems in children.
Images for kids
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Whitehill defending against Abby Wambach of the Western New York Flash on June 5, 2013.
See also
In Spanish: Cat Whitehill para niños
