Nandi Pryce facts for kids
Nandi Tyi Pryce (born May 30, 1982) is an American former soccer player. She was a strong defender who played eight games for the U.S. women's national team.
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | May 30, 1982 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Jersey City, New Jersey, U.S. | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defender | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| Team | ||||||||||||||||
| Team Boca | ||||||||||||||||
| Klein Challenge SC | ||||||||||||||||
| –2000 | Lake Howell Silver Hawks | |||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1999 | United States U16 | |||||||||||||||
| 1999 | United States U18 | |||||||||||||||
| 1999 | United States U21 | |||||||||||||||
| 2000 | United States | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||
| 2004 | UCLA Bruins (assistant) | |||||||||||||||
|
Honours
|
||||||||||||||||
| † Appearances (Goals). | ||||||||||||||||
Contents
Becoming a Soccer Star
Nandi Pryce was a fantastic soccer player from a young age. She played for her high school team, the Lake Howell Silver Hawks, in Florida. She was so good that she was named an All-American twice. In her senior year, she was even called the "National Defender of the Year."
High School and Club Teams
Besides playing for her school, Nandi also played for club soccer teams like Team Boca and Klein Challenge Soccer Club. She was a very active athlete. In her first two years of high school, she even competed in track and field!
College Success at UCLA
After high school, Nandi went to college at UCLA. She played for the UCLA Bruins from 2000 to 2003. She was a standout player there too. In 2002 and 2003, she was recognized as an All-American. She was also named the "Player of the Year" for her region and conference in her senior year.
Nandi helped her team a lot. She was part of the NCAA All-Tournament Team in 2003. She played in 66 games for the Bruins, scoring 1 goal and helping with 7 assists.
Playing for the United States
Nandi Pryce also played for different levels of the U.S. national soccer teams. She played for the under-16, under-18, and under-21 teams.
Pan American Games Gold
One of her big achievements was helping the under-18 team win a gold medal. This happened at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, Canada. She also won the Nordic Cup twice with the under-21 team.
Nandi made her first appearance for the main U.S. women's national team on January 7, 2000. This was during a tournament called the Australia Cup. She played a total of eight games for the U.S. national team. Her last game was a friendly match against Italy on July 7, 2000.
Life Beyond the Field
Unfortunately, Nandi's playing career was cut short. In 2004, she suffered a broken leg. This injury stopped her from playing soccer professionally.
A New Chapter
Even after her injury, Nandi stayed involved in soccer. Later in 2004, she became an assistant coach for the UCLA Bruins. Her amazing career was honored in 2013 when she was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame. This means she's recognized as one of the best athletes to ever play for UCLA.
Family Connections
Nandi Pryce was born in Jersey City, New Jersey. She grew up in different places, including Irvington, New Jersey, and Casselberry, Florida. Her brother, Trevor Pryce, is also a well-known athlete. He played American football for many years in the NFL.
