LaKeysia Beene facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | LaKeysia Rene Beene | ||
| Date of birth | March 9, 1978 | ||
| Place of birth | Sumter, South Carolina, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
| Playing position | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| California Storm | |||
| 2001–2003 | San Jose CyberRays | 59 | (0) |
| California Storm | |||
| National team | |||
| 2000–2003 | United States | 18 | (0) |
|
|||
LaKeysia Rene Beene (born March 9, 1978) is an American former professional soccer goalkeeper. She played for the United States women's national soccer team. She also played for the San Jose CyberRays in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA).
Contents
LaKeysia Beene's Soccer Journey
College Soccer Career
LaKeysia Beene played college soccer at the University of Notre Dame. She was a goalkeeper for their team, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. She was named an All-American twice, which means she was recognized as one of the best players in the country.
In 1999, LaKeysia helped her team reach the championship game. They finished as runners-up in the NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship. She studied environmental geoscience and graduated in 1999.
Playing for Professional Clubs
In 2000, LaKeysia Beene became one of the first 24 players in the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA). This was the first professional women's soccer league in the United States.
From 2001 to 2003, she played for the San Jose CyberRays. In 2001, LaKeysia was named the WUSA Goalkeeper of the Year. That same year, her team, the CyberRays, won the league championship. They won the 2001 WUSA Founders Cup by beating the Atlanta Beat in a penalty shootout. A penalty shootout happens when a game is tied, and players take turns shooting penalties to decide the winner.
Before joining WUSA, LaKeysia played for the California Storm. This team was part of the Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL), which is a league for both professional and amateur players. When the WUSA league ended after the 2003 season, LaKeysia returned to play for the California Storm.
Playing for the National Team
LaKeysia Beene first played for the United States women's national soccer team on January 7, 2000. This was a game against the Czech Republic in Australia, which the U.S. won 8–1.
She played a total of 18 games for the national team over three years. Each game a player plays for their country is called a "cap." Even though she played many games, she was not chosen for the U.S. teams that went to the 2000 Sydney Olympics or the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.
International Game Statistics
 United States |
||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Games Played | Goals Allowed |
| 2000 | 3 | 0 |
| 2001 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 | 9 | 0 |
| 2003 | 5 | 0 |
| Total | 18 | 0 |
Life After Soccer
LaKeysia Beene was a champion in Tang Soo Do (a Korean martial art) when she was a teenager. She earned her Bachelor of Science degree in environmental geosciences from the University of Notre Dame in 2005.
After her soccer career, she became a lawyer. In 2009, she was allowed to practice law in California. Today, she works as an environmental lawyer in Sacramento, California.
