Darian Jenkins facts for kids

Darian Michelle Jenkins (born January 5, 1995) is an American former professional soccer player. She played as a forward, which means she was one of the main attacking players on the team, trying to score goals.

Darian played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins. She helped her team win the National Championship in 2013. Later, she was chosen as the seventh player overall in the 2017 NWSL College Draft, which is like a big selection event for new professional players. She played for several professional teams, including North Carolina Courage, OL Reign, and Kansas City Current in the NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) in the United States. She also played overseas for Melbourne Victory in Australia and Bordeaux in France. Darian also represented the United States on various youth national teams, from under-17 to under-23.

Early Life and High School Soccer

Darian Jenkins grew up in Riverton, Utah. She started playing soccer in a fun, casual league when she was 10 years old. By age 11, she joined a more competitive team and trained a lot. Her talent was noticed early by the U.S. Youth National Team program when she was just 14.

At Riverton High School, Darian was a top athlete. She earned honors for her soccer skills across her region and the entire state. Besides soccer, she was also a fast runner on the high school track and field team. For her club soccer team, Sparta United, she helped them win the Utah State Cup in 2012.

College Soccer Success

Darian went to the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) for college. There, she played college soccer for the UCLA Bruins. She was a starter for all four years she played, scoring 29 goals and making 12 assists in 76 games.

In her first year, 2013, Darian was one of the key players for UCLA. She scored 11 goals, leading her team. She helped the Bruins win their first Pac-12 Championship since 2008 without losing any conference games. Because of her amazing performance, she was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. She also helped her team win the 2013 National Championship title, which is a huge achievement in college soccer!

In 2016, her senior year, Darian was named a co-captain. In the very first game of that season, she scored three goals in one half against San Diego State. This is called a hat-trick, and it was the first time a UCLA player had done it since 2011. Sadly, her college career ended early when she broke her leg in a game in October 2016.

While in college, Darian also played for a team called SoCal FC in the Women's Premier Soccer League. In 2015, her team won their division and made it to the championship final.

Professional Club Career

Starting with North Carolina Courage (2017–2018)

On January 12, 2017, Darian was chosen by North Carolina Courage in the NWSL (National Women's Soccer League) draft. This meant she was officially becoming a professional player. She signed with the team in April but had to spend time recovering from her broken leg.

She finally made her debut for the Courage on March 24, 2018. She came into the game as a substitute. In 2018, she played in 14 games for the Courage, mostly coming off the bench. Even though she didn't score, she was part of the team that won the NWSL Championship final by beating Portland Thorns 3–0.

Moving to OL Reign (2019–2020)

In December 2018, Darian was traded to Reign FC. She started her first game for them on April 14, 2019. In that game, she scored her very first professional goal, helping Reign draw 1–1 with Houston Dash. She played in 18 games in 2019 and scored four goals, making her one of the top scorers on her team.

During the NWSL off-season, Darian went to Australia to play on loan for Melbourne Victory in the W-League. She played in all 12 games and scored five goals. Her team finished second in the regular season. She was even named to the Team of the Season for her great performance!

In 2020, the NWSL season was changed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Darian played in five games for OL Reign during the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. After that, she went on loan to a French team, Bordeaux, until February 2021.

Kansas City Current (2021) and Orlando Pride (2022)

On January 4, 2021, Darian was traded to the Kansas City NWSL team. She played in 23 games for them and scored three goals, tying for the most goals on her team that season.

Then, on January 11, 2022, Darian joined Orlando Pride. This move brought her back together with her former UCLA coach, Amanda Cromwell, who was now the head coach for Orlando Pride. Darian played in 17 games for Orlando, scoring 2 goals. On January 18, 2023, Darian announced that she was retiring from playing professional soccer.

Playing for the United States (International Career)

Darian Jenkins also played for different youth national teams for the United States.

• In May 2012, she played for the U.S. under-17 team in a big tournament. She played in two games and scored a goal in a 7–0 win against Panama. The U.S. team won the tournament and qualified for the 2012 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup in Azerbaijan. Darian played in all three group games at the World Cup and scored a goal against North Korea.
• In 2014, Darian was a starter for the U.S. under-18 team in a tournament.
• She was often called to training camps for the U.S. under-20 team for the 2014 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.
• In August 2018, Darian played for the U.S. under-23 team in the Nordic Tournament.

Career Statistics

College

Club

Honors and Awards

Darian Jenkins achieved many great things in her soccer career:

UCLA Bruins

• Pac-12 Conference regular season: 2013, 2014
• NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship: 2013

North Carolina Courage

• NWSL Championship: 2018
• NWSL Shield: 2017, 2018

International

• CONCACAF Women's U-17 Championship: 2012

Individual Awards

• Pac-12 Conference Freshman of the Year: 2013
• PFA W-League Team of the Season: 2019–20