Jenny Ruiz-Williams facts for kids
Ruiz-Williams playing for Seattle Reign FC in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jennifer Marie Ruiz Brown | ||
| Date of birth | 9 August 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Anaheim, California, United States | ||
| Height | 1.67 m | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | UNLV Rebels (head coach) | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2012 | Bay Area Breeze | ||
| 2013 | Seattle Reign FC | 7 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2003–2016 | Mexico | 36 | (4) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2018 | CSUN Matadors (assistant) | ||
| 2019 | Oregon State Beavers (assistant) | ||
| 2020– | UNLV Rebels | ||
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Jenny Ruiz-Williams, born Jennifer Marie Ruiz Brown on August 9, 1983, is a talented football coach and former professional player. She was born in the United States but played for the Mexican national team. Jenny played as a defender and is now the head coach for the UNLV Rebels women's soccer team. As a player, she played for Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
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Early Life and Youth Football
Jenny Ruiz-Williams grew up in Anaheim, California. She went to Corona High School in Corona, California. During her time there, she was chosen for the Mountain View All-League team. She also won the MVP award three times.
In 1998, Jenny was picked for the Mountain View First Team. She also played for the Olympic Development Program's district and state teams in 1998 and 1999. In 2001, she was named Athlete of the Year for both Citrus Belt and Corona-NorCo District.
Winning a National Title
In 2000, Jenny played for the Southern California Blues U-16 team. She helped her team win a national championship. The next year, she helped the Southern California Blues U-17 team finish second at the National Championship.
College Football Career
Jenny Ruiz-Williams attended the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She played for the UNLV Rebels women's soccer team from 2001 to 2004.
Freshman Year Success
In 2001, her first year, she played in 20 games. She started one game against Kansas and scored two goals. Jenny also scored a goal in the last minute against BYU in the Mountain West Conference championship game.
Strong Defense in 2003
In 2003, Jenny was a key part of the team's defense. They only allowed 27 goals all season, which tied a school record. She was named to the All-MWC Second Team. She also made the MWC All-Tournament Team.
Leading the Defense in 2004
In 2004, Jenny started 18 out of 18 games. She missed one game because of a red card. She led a defense that only allowed 15 goals all season. This was an average of 0.76 goals per game. For her great play, she was named to the Soccer Buzz Team All-Region. She also made the First Team All Mountain West Conference.
Professional Club Career
After college, Jenny continued her football career with professional clubs.
Playing for Bay Area Breeze
From 2011 to 2012, Jenny played for the Bay Area Breeze. This team was part of the Women's Premier Soccer League. In 2012, she was the team captain. She scored four goals and started all 10 games in the WPSL season. She also played all 4 games during their tour in the UK. Jenny led the offense, helping the team win all four games on the UK tour. She scored a goal and had an assist in a 2–0 win against Liverpool L.F.C..
In the 2011 season, Jenny joined the Breeze for their last game and playoffs. She helped the team win the WPSL Pacific North Division Championship.
Joining Seattle Reign FC
In 2013, Jenny joined Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). This was the league's first season. She played in seven games for the club. She spent 386 minutes playing on the defensive line.
International Career with Mexico
Jenny Ruiz-Williams also played for the Mexico women's national football team. As of December 2012, she had played in 22 games for Mexico and scored three goals.
Early International Appearances
She started training with the Mexican national team in 2003. She played in the 2003 Australia Cup. She earned seven full international caps. She was part of the team that qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Return and Medal Win
In 2011, after not playing soccer for seven years, Jenny returned to the national team. She scored the winning goal against Colombia in the Pan American Games. This goal helped the team win the bronze medal. It was Mexico's second bronze medal in women's soccer at the Pan American Games.
In January 2012, Jenny represented Mexico at the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers. She scored two goals and had one assist in this tournament.
Coaching Career
Jenny Ruiz-Williams has also shared her knowledge as a coach. In June 2012, she was a guest coach at the Julie Foudy Leadership Academy. She also coached for the Palo Alto Soccer Club before moving to Tennessee.
In December 2019, Jenny became the head coach at her old university, UNLV. Before that, she worked as an assistant coach. She was an assistant coach at Oregon State Beavers and CSUN Matadors.
Personal Life
Jenny Ruiz-Williams is married to Kevin Williams. They have two children together.
After graduating from UNLV and taking a break from soccer, Jenny taught for two years. She worked in inner-city Los Angeles, California, with Teach for America (AmeriCorps). Later, she moved to Brazil with her husband. Her second child was born there. They worked as Christian missionaries in the country.
See also
- List of Mexican Fútbol (soccer) athletes
- List of 2011 Pan American Games medal winners
- List of University of Nevada, Las Vegas alumni
