Tobin Heath facts for kids

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Tobin Heath

Heath with the United States women's national soccer team in September 2021
Personal information
Full name	Tobin Powell Heath
Date of birth	(1988-05-29) May 29, 1988 (age 37)
Place of birth	Morristown, New Jersey, U.S.
Height	5ft 6in
Playing position	Winger / Forward
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2004–2006	New Jersey Wildcats	7	(1)
2007	Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues	5	(5)
2009	Pali Blues	6	(1)
2010	Atlanta Beat	3	(0)
2011	Sky Blue FC	12	(0)
2012	New York Fury	1	(0)
2013–2014	Paris Saint-Germain	15	(4)
2013–2020	Portland Thorns	70	(12)
2020–2021	Manchester United	8	(4)
2021–2022	Arsenal	9	(2)
2022	OL Reign	5	(1)
National team‡
2008–	United States	181	(36)
Honours Representing  United States FIFA Women's World Cup Winner 2015 Canada Winner 2019 France Runner-up 2011 Germany Olympics Gold 2008 Beijing Gold 2012 London Bronze 2020 Tokyo Pan American Games Silver 2007 Rio de Janeiro
Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of July 17, 2022. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of October 26, 2021

Tobin Powell Heath (born May 29, 1988) is an American professional soccer player. She is also an entrepreneur. She mostly plays as a forward or midfielder. Tobin Heath played for the United States national team. She won gold medals at the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and 2012 London Summer Olympics. She also won the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She earned a silver medal at the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup and a bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.

The United States Soccer Federation called her "perhaps the USA's most skillful player". She was named U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year in 2016. In 2009, she was the U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year. Heath won two NWSL Championships with her former team Portland Thorns. She last played for OL Reign in 2022. She also played for Manchester United and Arsenal in England. She played for Paris Saint-Germain in France.

In 2019, Heath helped start a lifestyle brand called re-inc. She created it with fellow athletes Christen Press, Megan Rapinoe, and Meghan Klingenberg. She also hosts a podcast, The RE—CAP Show, with Christen Press. In 2020, she was chosen for the FIFA FIFPro Women's World11.

Early Life and Soccer Beginnings

Tobin Heath was born in Morristown, New Jersey. Her parents are Jeff and Cindy Heath. She grew up in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Tobin has a younger brother, Jeffrey, and two older sisters, Perry and Katie. She started playing soccer at age 4. This was at the back of a YMCA. She is a follower of the Christian faith. She is also very close to her family.

Heath finished high school at Ridge High School in 2006. She played soccer there for three years. She also played for the PDA Wildcats club team. This team won the Club National Championship in 2003. Soccer Buzz magazine ranked her as the No. 2 recruit in the nation. This was for the Class of 2006. She was also named to the Parade Magazine All-America team in 2005.

College Soccer at North Carolina

Heath after the National Championship game at SAS Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, on December 3, 2006

Heath decided to go to the University of North Carolina (UNC). She committed to UNC when she was in high school. She did not play soccer in her final year of high school. Instead, she trained with boys. In her first year at UNC in 2006, she was part of the national championship team. She played in 23 games and started 22 of them. She scored four goals and made nine assists.

As a second-year student, she scored two goals and had five assists. She was named to the First-Team NSCAA All-American team. She also made the First-Team All-ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference). In her third year, she scored eight goals and had eight assists. She helped UNC achieve a 25–1–2 record. They also won the NCAA title.

In her final year at UNC, she was involved in fifteen goals. She scored five and assisted ten. The team had a record of 23–3–1. They won 1–0 in both the NCAA semi-final and championship game. She was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team. She was also a runner-up for the MAC Hermann Trophy. This award goes to the best college soccer player. Overall, Heath helped UNC win NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship titles in 2006, 2008, and 2009. They also won four straight Atlantic Coast Conference titles. UNC soccer coach Anson Dorrance said Heath liked to nutmeg (kick the ball through an opponent's legs) players. She preferred this over just dribbling around them.

Professional Club Career

Tobin Heath has played for many soccer clubs. She started in the USL W-League. Then she moved to Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). Later, she played in France and England. She also played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the U.S.

Early Club Teams (2004–2012)

From 2004 to 2006, Heath played for the New Jersey Wildcats. She helped them win the USL W-League Championship in 2005. They were also runners-up in 2004. The team won their division in 2004, 2005, and 2006. In 2007, she played for Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues. They finished second in their division. They reached the 2007 Conference Semifinal. In 2009, she played for Pali Blues in California. This team won the USL W-League Western Conference title. They also won the W-League Championship.

In 2010, Heath was the first player chosen in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) draft. She was picked by the Atlanta Beat. She got injured in her third game and missed the rest of the season. In December 2010, Heath moved to Sky Blue FC. She played twelve games for them. The team finished fifth in the league. In 2012, the WPS league stopped. Heath then joined New York Fury in the WPSL Elite League. She played one game for them after recovering from an ankle injury.

Playing in Europe (2013–2014, 2020–2022)

In 2013, Heath signed a six-month contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France. This is a top French league team. She scored five goals in twelve games for PSG. She returned to PSG in September 2013 for another season. During her second time with the club, she played seven games but did not score.

In September 2020, Manchester United in England signed Heath. She joined with her national teammate Christen Press. She played her first game on October 4. She helped set up a goal in a 3–0 win. She scored her first goal for the club on October 18. This was in a 4–2 win against West Ham United. On November 14, Heath scored in a 2–2 draw against Manchester City. She helped Manchester United come back from being 0–2 down. In December 2020, she was named WSL Player of the Month. She was also named to the FIFA FIFPro Women's World11. Heath had an ankle injury and then a knee injury. She returned to the U.S. to recover. She left Manchester United in June 2021.

On September 3, 2021, Heath signed with Arsenal. She played her first game on September 26. This was in Arsenal's 5–0 win against Manchester City. She got a hamstring injury in training. She and Arsenal agreed to end her contract early on April 28, 2022.

Return to the NWSL (2013–2020, 2022)

The new National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) started in 2013. Tobin Heath was one of the first players chosen for Portland Thorns FC. She joined the Thorns in July 2013. She helped them finish third in the NWSL. The Thorns won the 2013 NWSL Championship. They beat the Western New York Flash 2–0. Heath scored the winning goal from a direct free kick. She was named the MVP of the championship game.

Heath with the Thorns in 2016

In 2016, Heath had five assists in five games. She was named NWSL Player of the Month for April. She scored her first goal of 2016 against the Washington Spirit. Fans voted it the NWSL goal of the week. She also broke the NWSL record for assists in a season with 10. She became the team's captain when Christine Sinclair was injured.

Heath missed most of the 2017 NWSL season. She had a back injury. She returned in time for the end of the season. Her first NWSL game of the season was on September 23. She helped her team reach the final. They won the NWSL Championship by beating North Carolina Courage 1–0.

She had ankle surgery in early 2018. She missed the first four games of the 2018 NWSL season. Heath returned on April 28. She scored a goal 10 minutes after coming into the game. She scored 7 goals and had 7 assists that season. She was named to the NWSL Team of the Month for August. Heath scored in the semi-final against the Seattle Reign. Portland lost to the Courage in the final. Heath was nominated for NWSL Most Valuable Player. She was also named to the 2018 NWSL Best XI.

Heath won Goal of the Week and Player of the Week for the first week of the 2019 season. In 2020, the NWSL season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Heath chose not to play in the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup. In November 2020, Portland lost her NWSL rights to Racing Louisville FC.

On June 16, 2022, Heath returned to the NWSL. She signed with OL Reign. She played only a few matches due to injuries. She had knee surgery in September. Her contract was not renewed at the end of the season. She became a free agent.

Playing for the United States National Team

Heath (center) celebrating the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup win at the ticker-tape victory parade in New York City, July 2015

Youth National Teams

Heath played for several youth national teams. These included the U-16s and U-17s. She was a key player at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship in Russia. She made 24 appearances for the U.S. under-20s in 2006. She scored five goals. Heath won a silver medal with the USA U-20 team. This was at the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil.

Senior National Team Debut (2008)

Heath first played for the senior national team (USWNT) on January 18, 2008. This was against Finland in China. She was chosen for the 2008 Summer Olympics team at age 20. She played three games in the tournament. The U.S. won the gold medal. In 2008, Heath played 17 games and scored two goals. Her first international goal was against China. This was at the 2008 Algarve Cup.

World Cups and Olympics (2011–2019)

Heath played in her first FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011 in Germany. She was 23 years old. She played four games in the World Cup. In the final, she came in as a substitute. The game ended in a 2–2 tie and went to penalty kicks. Heath missed her penalty shot. The U.S. lost to Japan.

She was on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. She played in all six matches. She started four games and played the full 90 minutes. She had three assists during the tournament. Her assists helped the U.S. win games against France, Colombia, and New Zealand.

Heath was a regular starter for the USWNT at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. She started five of the seven games. In the World Cup Final, Heath scored a goal in the 54th minute. The U.S. won the World Cup, beating Japan 5–2.

She scored two goals during 2016 Olympic qualifying. This helped the U.S. team qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics. Heath played in her third Olympic Games in 2016. She played three games and had two assists. The U.S. team lost to Sweden in the quarter-finals. Heath was named 2016 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.

After an ankle surgery in January 2018, Heath returned on June 12. She scored the winning goal in a 2–1 victory against China. At the 2018 Tournament of Nations, Heath scored against Brazil. The U.S. won the tournament. Heath scored 4 goals at the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship. This included two goals against Jamaica. The U.S. won that game 6–0. This secured their spot in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She was named to the Best XI for the CONCACAF Women's Championship. Heath finished 2018 with 7 goals and 6 assists in 10 games.

In May 2019, Heath was named to the squad for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. She started six of the seven matches. The United States became the second nation to win the title twice in a row.

Career Statistics

Club Summary

International Goals

As of match played September 16, 2021. United States score listed first, score column indicates score after each Heath goal.

No.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1	March 5, 2008	Municipal Stadium, Albufeira, Portugal	China	2–0	4–0	2008 Algarve Cup
2	April 4, 2008	Estadio Olímpico Benito Juárez, Juárez, Mexico	Jamaica	6–0	6–0	2008 Olympic qualifying
3	November 19, 2011	University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States	Sweden	1–1	1–1	Friendly
4	January 20, 2012	BC Place, Vancouver, Canada	Dominican Republic	6–0	14–0	2012 Olympic qualifying
5	January 27, 2012		Costa Rica	1–0	3–0
6	June 16, 2012	Örjans Vall, Halmstad, Sweden	Sweden	3–1	3–1	2012 Sweden Invitational
7	October 23, 2012	Rentschler Field, East Hartford, United States	Germany	2–1	2–2	Friendly
8	April 9, 2013	Cars Jeans Stadion, The Hague, Netherlands	Netherlands	1–0	3–1
9	September 18, 2014	Sahlen's Stadium, Rochester, United States	Mexico	3–0	4–0
10	October 17, 2014	Toyota Park, Bridgeview, United States	Guatemala	1–0	5–0	2014 CONCACAF Championship
11				3–0
12	July 5, 2015	BC Place, Vancouver, Canada	Japan	5–2	5–2	2015 FIFA World Cup
13	February 19, 2016	BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States	Trinidad and Tobago	1–0	5–0	2016 Olympic Qualifying
14	February 21, 2016		Canada	2–0	2–0
15	April 6, 2016	Rentschler Field, East Hartford, United States	Colombia	5–0	7–0	Friendly
16	September 15, 2016	Mapfre Stadium, Columbus, United States	Thailand	4–0	9–0
17	October 19, 2016	Rio Tinto Stadium, Sandy, United States	Switzerland	2–0	4–0
18	November 10, 2016	Avaya Stadium, San Jose, United States	Romania	2–0	8–1
19	June 12, 2018	FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, United States	China	2–1	2–1
20	August 2, 2018	Toyota Park, Bridgeview, United States	Brazil	3–1	4–1	2018 Tournament of Nations
21	September 4, 2018	Avaya Stadium, San Jose, United States	Chile	2–0	4–0	Friendly
22	October 4, 2018	Sahlen's Stadium, Cary, United States	Mexico	4–0	6–0	2018 CONCACAF Championship
23	October 10, 2018		Trinidad and Tobago	7–0	7–0
24	October 14, 2018	Toyota Stadium, Frisco, United States	Jamaica	1–0	7–0
25				4–0
26	March 2, 2019	Nissan Stadium, Nashville, United States	England	2–2	2–2	2019 SheBelieves Cup
27	March 5, 2019	Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States	Brazil	1–0	1–0
28	April 4, 2019	Dick's Sporting Goods Park, Commerce City, United States	Australia	2–2	5–3	Friendly
29	May 16, 2019	Busch Stadium, St. Louis, United States	New Zealand	1–0	5–0
30	May 26, 2019	Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States	Mexico	1–0	3–0
31	August 3, 2019	Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States	Republic of Ireland	1–0	3–0
32	August 29, 2019	Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States	Portugal	1–0	4–0
33	January 31, 2020	BBVA Stadium, Houston, United States	Panama	7–0	8–0	2020 Olympic qualifying
34	July 1, 2021	Rentschler Field, East Hartford, United States	Mexico	3–0	4–0	Friendly
35	July 5, 2021			4–0	4–0
36	September 16, 2021	FirstEnergy Stadium, Cleveland, United States	Paraguay	9–0	9–0

Awards and Achievements

Tobin Heath has won many awards and championships throughout her career.

College Honors

• NCAA Women's Soccer Champions: 2006, 2008, 2009

Club Honors

• NWSL Championship: 2013, 2017 (with Portland Thorns)
• NWSL Shield: 2016 (with Portland Thorns), 2022 (with OL Reign)
• The Women's Cup: 2022 (with OL Reign)

International Honors (United States)

• FIFA Women's World Cup: 2015, 2019
• FIFA Women's World Cup Runner-up: 2011
• Olympic Gold Medal: 2008, 2012
• Olympic Bronze Medal: 2020
• CONCACAF Women's Championship: 2014, 2018
• CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament: 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020
• Algarve Cup: 2008, 2011, 2013, 2015
• Four Nations Tournament: 2008, 2011
• She Believes Cup: 2016, 2020
• Tournament of Nations: 2018

Individual Awards

• FIFA FIFPro Women's World11: 2020
• U.S. Soccer Female Athlete of the Year: 2016
• NWSL Best XI: 2016, 2018, 2019
• NWSL Championship Most Valuable Player: 2013
• FA Women's Super League Player of the Month: November 2020
• U.S. Soccer Young Female Athlete of the Year: 2009
• IFFHS CONCACAF Woman Team of the Decade: 2011–2020

More About Tobin Heath

Besides playing soccer, Heath enjoys other sports. She likes tennis and surfing. She also enjoys being outdoors when she has free time. Heath's first name comes from her great-grandmother's last name.

Heath is a co-owner of a clothing company called RE–INC. She started it with Christen Press, Megan Rapinoe, and Meghan Klingenberg. During the 2023 World Cup, Heath and Christen Press hosted a show. It was called the RE-CAP Show. This show was part of RE—INC.

Images for kids

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  Heath playing for PSG against FCF Juvisy on March 23, 2013

See also

• List of FIFA Women's World Cup winning players
• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists in one event
• List of Olympic medalists in football
• List of players who have won multiple FIFA Women's World Cups
• List of players who have appeared in multiple FIFA Women's World Cups
• List of Portland Thorns FC players
• List of foreign FA Women's Super League players
• List of University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni
• List of sportswomen