Joy Fawcett facts for kids
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joy Lynn Fawcett | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | February 8, 1968 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Inglewood, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defender | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ajax America | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2003 | San Diego Spirit | 43 | (12) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1987–2004 | United States | 241 | (27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1992 | Long Beach City Vikings | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1993–1997 | UCLA Bruins | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Joy Lynn Fawcett (born February 8, 1968) is an American soccer coach and a former professional player. She is known for being a strong defender. Joy played in 241 games for the United States women's national soccer team. When she retired in 2004, she was the highest-scoring defender in the team's history.
Joy was one of the first players in the WUSA. This was a major women's soccer league. In 2009, she was chosen to join the National Soccer Hall of Fame. She even appeared as herself in the movie Soccer Mom.
Contents
Early Life and College Soccer
Joy Fawcett grew up in southern California. She went to Edison High School. Her high school team won four league championships. After high school, she went to the University of California, Berkeley. She played on the women's soccer team from 1987 to 1989.
Joy was an amazing college player. She was named an All-American three times. This means she was one of the best players in the country. In 1987, she set a school record. She scored 23 goals in just one season! Joy graduated from UC Berkeley in 1992. She studied Physical Education. In 1997, she was added to the school's Hall of Fame.
Playing for Clubs
Joy Fawcett played for the Manhattan Beach club team, Ajax. She played with fellow soccer star Carin Jennings. Their team, Ajax, won the U.S. women's amateur championship twice. They won in 1991 and 1993. In 1998, Joy played for Ajax again. This was in the first season of the Women's Premier Soccer League.
In 2001, Joy joined the San Diego Spirit. This team was part of the new WUSA league. She missed most of that season because she was pregnant. But she came back strong in 2002. She played in 19 games, leading her team in playing time. In 2003, she had an ankle injury. Even so, she played 18 games. She was named to the WUSA All-Star team that year.
Playing for the National Team
Joy Fawcett was a key player for the United States women's national soccer team. In 1991, she helped the U.S. team win the first ever Women's World Cup. This big event took place in China.
Joy was a very consistent player. She was the only U.S. player to play every minute of several major tournaments. These included the 1995, 1999, and 2003 Women's World Cups. She also played every minute of the 1996 and 2000 Olympics.
She scored important goals for her country. For example, she scored in the 1991 World Cup against Chinese Taipei. She also scored against Australia in the 1995 World Cup. When she retired in 2004, she was the highest-scoring defender for the U.S. team.
Joy was also featured in an HBO documentary. It was called Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team.
Coaching Career
After her playing career, Joy Fawcett became a coach. In 1992, she was the head coach for the Long Beach City Vikings women's soccer team. She then became the first coach for the UCLA Bruins women's team. She coached them from 1993 to 1997.
Personal Life
Joy Fawcett is married to Walter Fawcett. They have three daughters: Katelyn Rose (born 1994), Carli (born 1997), and Madilyn Rae (born 2001). Her oldest daughter, Katey, played soccer for the University of Washington. Joy's brother, Eric Biefeld, also played soccer for the United States men's national soccer team. Joy is currently an assistant coach for the United States women's national deaf soccer team.
Joy Fawcett is also part of the ownership group for Angel City FC. This is a professional women's soccer team in the National Women's Soccer League.
See also
In Spanish: Joy Fawcett para niños
