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 (5 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Team information | |||
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Current team
|
UNLV Rebels (head coach) | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2004 | UNLV Rebels | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012 | Bay Area Breeze | ||
| 2013 | Seattle Reign FC | 7 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2003–2016 | Mexico | 36 | (4) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2018 | CSUN Matadors (assistant) | ||
| 2019 | Oregon State Beavers (assistant) | ||
| 2020– | UNLV Rebels | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 August 2013 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 09:44, 18 June 2015 (UTC) |
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Jenny Ruiz-Williams (born August 9, 1983) is a talented soccer coach and former professional player. She was born in the United States but also played for the Mexican national team. Jenny played as a defender, which means her job was to stop the other team from scoring goals.
She is currently the head coach for the UNLV Rebels women's soccer team. As a player, Jenny played for teams like Seattle Reign FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL).
Contents
Early Life and High School Soccer
Jenny Ruiz-Williams grew up in Anaheim, California. She went to Corona High School in Corona, California. During her time there, she was a fantastic soccer player.
- She was chosen for the Mountain View All-League team.
- She was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times.
- In 1998, she made the Mountain View First Team.
Jenny also played for the Olympic Development Program. This program helps find and train young athletes who might play in the Olympics one day. In 2001, she was named Athlete of the Year for her school district.
Club Team Success
In 2000, Jenny played for a club team called the Southern California Blues U-16. She helped her team win a national championship! The next year, she helped the Southern California Blues U-17 team get second place at the National Championship.
College Soccer Career
Jenny went to the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She played for the women's soccer team from 2001 to 2004.
Freshman Year Highlights
In her first year, 2001, Jenny played in 20 games. She even scored two goals in one game against Kansas. She also scored an important goal against BYU in the Mountain West Conference championship game.
Defensive Strength
In 2003, Jenny was a key part of her team's defense. They only allowed 27 goals all season, which was a school record! She was recognized for her skills and named to the All-MWC Second Team. She also made the MWC All-Tournament Team.
In 2004, Jenny started almost every game. She led a defense that was even better, only letting in 15 goals all season. Because of her great play, she was named to several important teams:
- Soccer Buzz Team All-Region
- First Team All Mountain West Conference
- First Team Mountain West Conference Tournament
Professional Club Career
After college, Jenny continued her soccer journey by playing for 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. She was the captain of the team in 2012. She scored four goals and played in all 10 games that season.
Jenny also led her team on a tour in the UK, where they won all four games. She even scored a goal and helped with another in a 2-0 win against Liverpool L.F.C.. In 2011, she helped the Breeze win the WPSL Pacific North Division Championship.
Time with Seattle Reign FC
In 2013, Jenny joined Seattle Reign FC in the NWSL. This was the first season for the NWSL, a top professional women's soccer league in the United States. She played in seven games for the team, helping out on the defensive side.
International Soccer Career
Jenny Ruiz-Williams also played for the Mexico women's national football team. This means she represented Mexico in games against other countries.
Early International Appearances
She started training with the Mexican national team in 2003. She played in the 2003 Australia Cup. She also played in seven international games for the team that qualified for the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
Return to the National Team
After a break from soccer, Jenny returned to the Mexican national team in 2011. She scored a very important goal against Colombia in the Pan American Games. This goal helped her team win the bronze medal! It was Mexico's second bronze medal in women's soccer at these games.
In January 2012, Jenny played for Mexico in the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifiers. She scored two goals and helped set up another goal during these games.
Coaching Career
After her playing career, Jenny became a soccer coach.
In June 2012, she was a guest coach at the Julie Foudy Leadership Academy. She also coached for the Palo Alto Soccer Club.
Jenny became the head coach at her old college, UNLV, in December 2019. Before that, she worked as 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 before returning to soccer, Jenny worked as a teacher. She taught for two years in Los Angeles, California, with a program called Teach for America. Later, she moved to Brazil with her husband and worked as Christian missionaries. Her second child was born while they were living in Brazil.
See also
- List of Mexican Fútbol (soccer) athletes
- List of 2011 Pan American Games medal winners
- List of University of Nevada, Las Vegas alumni
