Kate Markgraf facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Kate Markgraf

Markgraf in Ethiopia in July 2012
Personal information
Full name	Kathryn Michele Markgraf
Birth name	Kathryn Michele Sobrero
Date of birth	(1976-08-23) August 23, 1976 (age 48)
Place of birth	Pontiac, Michigan, U.S.
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	United States (general manager)
Youth career
1991–1994	Detroit Country Day School
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1994–1997	Notre Dame Fighting Irish	97	(7)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2001–2003	Boston Breakers	51	(0)
2005	KIF Örebro DFF	8	(1)
2006–2009	Michigan Hawks	27	(1)
2010	Chicago Red Stars	6	(0)
International career
1998–2010	United States	201	(1)
Managerial career
2009	Marquette Golden Eagles (assistant)
Medal record Women's football (soccer) Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Team competition Gold 2008 Beijing Team competition Silver 2000 Sydney Team competition FIFA Women's World Cup Gold 1999 USA Team competition Bronze 2003 USA Team competition Bronze 2007 China Team competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Kate Markgraf (born August 23, 1976) is a famous American soccer player. She used to be the General Manager for the United States women's national soccer team. Kate was a strong defender who played for teams like the Chicago Red Stars and the Boston Breakers. She also played a lot for the U.S. national team.

Kate won many big awards during her career. She earned two gold medals and one silver medal at the Olympic Games. She also won a gold medal at the FIFA Women's World Cup in 1999. She played in 201 games for the U.S. team over 12 years. In 2023, Kate was honored by being added to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Early Life and School Soccer

Kate Markgraf grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. She went to Detroit Country Day School. There, she helped her school's soccer team win the state championship in 1991. She scored 16 goals and made 26 assists that year. Kate was also a good volleyball player. She was chosen for the All-League team three times. In soccer, she was named an NSCAA All-American once. She also made the All-State team for all three seasons she played.

Playing for Notre Dame University

After high school, Kate went to the University of Notre Dame. She studied Science-Business there. At Notre Dame, she was a top player for their soccer team. She was named an NSCAA All-American three times. She was also chosen for the All-Big East team three times. In 1997, she was named the Big East defensive player of the year.

In 1995, her team won the NCAA women's soccer championship. Kate was named the best defensive player of the NCAA Final Four that year. She was also a co-captain of her team in her final year.

Professional Soccer Career

Playing for Clubs (2001–2010)

Kate Markgraf played for the Boston Breakers for three seasons. This was in the WUSA league. In 2001, she was named the best defender for the Breakers. In 2005, she played in Sweden for a team called KIF Örebro DFF. She played alongside her U.S. teammate Kristine Lilly there.

Kate was supposed to play for the Chicago Red Stars in 2009. This was a new league called Women's Professional Soccer. However, she did not play that season because she was expecting her second child. Ten months after having twins, she returned to the Red Stars in 2010. She played almost every minute of the season and was chosen for the All-Star team. The 2010 season was her last as a professional player.

Playing for the U.S. National Team (1998–2010)

In 1998, Kate played her first international game for the United States women's national soccer team. This was against Argentina. She was one of the youngest players on the team that won the 1999 World Cup. The LA Times even picked her for their All-World top 11 team.

Kate played in three Olympic Games. She played in Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004, and Beijing in 2008. She won a silver medal in 2000. She then won gold medals in 2004 and 2008. She was even a co-captain for the team in 2008.

She also played in three FIFA Women's World Cup tournaments. She won the World Cup title in 1999 when the U.S. hosted it. She was also part of the teams that finished third in the 2003 World Cup (also hosted by the U.S.) and the 2007 World Cup in China.

In July 2010, Kate played her 200th international game. This was a friendly match against Sweden. She became only the 10th woman in FIFA history to reach 200 games. No male player has reached this many games. After this, she announced she was retiring from soccer. She ended her career having played 201 times for her country.

International Goals

Kate scored one goal for the U.S. national team.

Goal	Date	Location	Opponent	Lineup	Min	Assist/pass	Score	Result	Competition
1	2008-09-20	Bridgeview, IL	Ireland	Start	31	penalty	2–0	2–0	Friendly

Working in Broadcasting

After retiring from playing, Kate Markgraf became a soccer commentator. She worked for ESPN during the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup. She also worked for NBC during the 2012 London Olympics and 2016 Rio Olympics.

She has also commented on many U.S. women's national team games for Fox Soccer and ESPN. She even covered college soccer games for the Big Ten Network. During the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, she was a studio analyst for ESPN FC. She often appeared on SportsCenter during that tournament. In 2016, she worked as a commentator for men's soccer during the UEFA Euro 2016.

Soccer Ambassador Work

Kate Markgraf running with a girls group during the Soccer Clinic Program in Dire Dawa, Ethiopia from July 11–12, 2012.

In 2012, Kate Markgraf traveled to Ethiopia. She went with Tony Sanneh to help young Somalian people in the city of Dire Dawa. This trip was on behalf of the United States Department of State and US Soccer. In 2013, she visited Chile, and in 2014, she went to Peru. She did this work to help promote soccer and good relationships between countries.

Coaching and Personal Life

In 2009, Kate was a volunteer assistant coach for the Marquette Golden Eagles soccer team. Now, she coaches her own children's soccer team.

Kate is a mother of three children. She has a son named Keegan, born in 2006. She also has twins, a girl named Carson and a boy named Xavier, born in 2009. Kate has also helped with different charities. She has worked with the Juvenile Law Center Board and the Notre Dame Monogram Club Board. She also helped start a fundraiser for students in Milwaukee. She creates life-skills programs and runs soccer clinics for different charities. In 2015, she earned a Masters degree in Kinesiology.

See also

In Spanish: Kate Markgraf para niños

• List of women soccer players with many international games
• List of Olympic medal winners in soccer