Denise Bender facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Denise Elizabeth Bender | ||
| Date of birth | July 29, 1959 | ||
| Place of birth | Seattle, Washington, U.S. | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1977 | Washington State Cougars | ||
| 1980–1983 | Washington Huskies | ||
| International career | |||
| 1985 | United States | 4 | (0) |
Denise Elizabeth Bender (born July 29, 1959) is an American former soccer player. She played as a defender, which means her job was to stop the other team from scoring goals.
Denise was a very important part of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team (USWNT) in 1985. She was actually the very first captain of the USWNT! She led the team in their first-ever international game, which took place in Italy in August 1985. Before playing for the national team, she played college soccer for both Washington State and Washington universities.
About Denise Bender
Denise Bender was born to Karen and Dean Bender. She has an identical twin sister named Laurie Bender, who also loved playing soccer.
Denise is very smart! She studied at the University of Washington. She earned a special degree called a Bachelor of Science in chemistry. She also got a master's degree in something called industrial hygiene. This means she learned how to keep workplaces safe and healthy for everyone. Later, she worked as a director for environmental health and safety at a company called Amgen.
Playing for the USA
Denise Bender played a key role in the very first year of the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team. In 1985, she played in four international games for the United States. She started in all four of those games, showing how important she was to the team.
More Information
- Player interview
