Danielle Slaton facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Danielle Slaton

Slaton at the Cerro Porteño stadium in Asunción, Paraguay, wearing the jersey of the Paraguay national football team.
Personal information
Full name	Danielle Victoria Slaton
Date of birth	(1980-06-10) June 10, 1980 (age 45)
Place of birth	San Jose, California, U.S.
Height	5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
	Central Valley Mercury
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2002–2003	Carolina Courage
2005	Lyon
National team
1999–2003	United States	43	(1)
Honours Women's soccer Representing  United States Olympic Games Silver 2000 Sydney Team competition
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

Danielle Victoria Slaton, born on June 10, 1980, is a former professional soccer player from the United States. After her playing career, she became a soccer expert on TV. You can hear her talking about soccer on channels like MLS Season Pass, Fox Sports, and the Pac-12 Network.

Danielle played for the United States women's national soccer team for five years, from 2000 to 2005. She also played for the Carolina Courage in a league called the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA). There, she was named the best defender! Later, she played for a French team, Olympique Lyonnais, as a key defender. In 2017, she was honored by being added to the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame.

Early Life and High School Soccer

Danielle Slaton was born in San Jose, California. She went to Presentation High School in San Jose. She was a star player on her high school soccer team. She helped her team reach the championship games three times.

Danielle was chosen as a top player in her league every year. She also won awards as the best freshman and sophomore player. She was a very good student and even received a scholarship.

Danielle also played club soccer for the Central Valley Mercury team. She helped her club team win three national championships in a row, from 1996 to 1998.

College Soccer at Santa Clara University

Danielle played college soccer for Santa Clara University. She was a starter for all four years, from 1998 to 2001. She was named one of the best defenders in the country three times. She was also the team captain.

In her last year, Danielle helped her team win the 2001 NCAA Championship. She was named the best defensive player of the tournament. She also won awards for being the best freshman and best defender in her conference. Danielle played in 79 games for Santa Clara. She scored 8 goals and made 34 assists. She was also a great student in college.

Playing Career

Professional Club Career

In 2002, Danielle Slaton was the very first player chosen in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) draft. She joined the Carolina Courage team. She helped her team win the WUSA Championship. She was also named the best defender in the league that year.

In 2005, Danielle played soccer in France for Olympique Lyonnais. She was a starting defender for this top French team. Her team also made it to the French Cup Tournament final.

Playing for the United States

Danielle was part of the U.S. National Team for five years, from 2000 to 2005. She won a silver medal with the team at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. She was also on the team that finished third in the 2003 World Cup.

Her first game for the United States women's national soccer team was on February 24, 1999, against Finland. She scored her first goal on January 13, 2000, against Australia. Danielle was the youngest player on the 2000 Olympic Team.

Coaching Career

After her playing career, Danielle also spent some time coaching. In 2005, she was an assistant coach at Evergreen Valley High School in San Jose, California. She helped the team win their first county tournament game ever. She also coached for a club soccer team in North Carolina. In 2006, Danielle joined the coaching staff at Northwestern University as an assistant coach.

Broadcasting Career

In 2010, Danielle started working as a soccer expert for the Big Ten Network. She would talk about games and players.

In 2014, she became a sports analyst for Fox Soccer. She covered the 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship and the 2015 Algarve Cup. She also worked for ESPN Chicago and Comcast SportsNet Chicago, talking about the Chicago Fire soccer team.

In 2016, Danielle became an analyst for the San Jose Earthquakes home games. You could watch her on regional sports channels like NBC Sports California. She also worked as a soccer analyst for the Pac-12 Network. Danielle was a match analyst for Fox Sports during the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup in France.

Other Work

In 2010, Danielle traveled to Paraguay as a SportsUnited Sports Envoy. This means she was a sports ambassador for the United States. She held seven soccer clinics in three days. She coached about 300 girls, aged 9 to 16, and also the Paraguay Women's National Team.

Danielle has also been a member of the Athlete Council for U.S. Soccer. In 2012, she helped choose the new head coach for the United States women's national soccer team.

Today, Danielle is on the board for the Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA). She helps teach coaches, parents, and young athletes about positive sportsmanship. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BAWSI).

Personal Life

Danielle Slaton lives in the Bay Area of California.