Tobin Heath facts for kids
![]() Heath with the United States women's national soccer team in September 2021
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Full name | Tobin Powell Heath | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Date of birth | May 29, 1988 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Morristown, New Jersey, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 5 ft 6 in (1.68 m) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Winger / Forward | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College career | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2006–2009 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 93 | (19) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International career‡ | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2008–2021 | United States | 181 | (36) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of July 17, 2022 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of October 26, 2021 |
Tobin Powell Heath (born May 29, 1988) is a famous American former professional soccer player. She was known for playing as a forward and midfielder. Tobin Heath played for the U.S. National Team.
She won many big awards, including gold medals at the 2008 Beijing and 2012 London Summer Olympics. She also helped her team win the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup. 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.
Tobin Heath won two NWSL Championships with the Portland Thorns team. She also played for big clubs like Manchester United and Arsenal in England. In 2019, she started a lifestyle brand called RE—INC with other soccer players. She also co-hosts a podcast called The RE—CAP Show. Tobin Heath announced her retirement from soccer in July 2025.
Contents
Early Life and Soccer Start
Tobin Heath was born in Morristown, New Jersey. She grew up in Basking Ridge, New Jersey. Her parents are Jeff and Cindy Heath. She has a younger brother, Jeffrey, and two older sisters, Perry and Katie.
Tobin started playing soccer when she was only four years old. She played at a YMCA. She has said that her Christian faith is very important to her. She is also very close to her family.
High School Soccer Career
Heath went to Ridge High School in Basking Ridge. She played soccer there for three years. She was also part of the PDA Wildcats club team that won a national championship in 2003.
Experts ranked her as the second-best new player in the country in 2006. She was also named to the Parade Magazine All-America team in 2005.
Playing for North Carolina Tar Heels
Tobin Heath decided to go to the University of North Carolina (UNC). She joined the team in 2006. In her first year, she helped the Tar Heels win the national championship. She played in 23 games, scoring four goals and helping with nine others.
In her second year, she scored two goals and had five assists. She was named to important All-American and All-ACC teams. As a junior, she scored eight goals and had eight assists. This helped UNC win another NCAA title.
In her final year at UNC, she was involved in fifteen goals. She scored five and assisted ten. The team won the NCAA semi-final and championship games by 1–0. She was a top player and was almost named the best college soccer player.
Overall, Heath helped UNC win three NCAA titles (2006, 2008, 2009). Her coach, Anson Dorrance, noted that she loved to trick opposing players by kicking the ball through their legs.
Professional Club Career
Tobin Heath played for several professional soccer clubs. She played in the U.S., France, and England.
Early Years in USL W-League
From 2004 to 2006, Heath played for the New Jersey Wildcats. She helped them win the USL W-League Championship in 2005. They also won their division several times.
In 2007, she played for the Hudson Valley Quickstrike Lady Blues. In 2009, she joined the Pali Blues in California. Her team won the W-League Championship that year.
Women's Professional Soccer (2010–2011)
In 2010, Tobin Heath was the very first player chosen in the 2010 WPS Draft. She was picked by the Atlanta Beat. She got injured early in the season and missed most of it.
Later, she was traded to Sky Blue FC. She played twelve games for them.
Playing for Paris Saint-Germain (2013–2014)
In 2013, Heath signed a contract with Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) in France. She scored five goals in 12 games for the club. She returned to PSG for a second time from September 2013 to June 2014.
Time with Portland Thorns FC (2013–2020)
In 2013, Heath joined the Portland Thorns FC in the new NWSL. She helped the Thorns win the 2013 NWSL Championship. She scored the winning goal from a free kick. She was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the championship game.
In 2016, Heath had a great season. She made five assists in her first five games. She broke the NWSL record for assists in a regular season with 10. She was also named the team's captain when Christine Sinclair was injured.
Heath missed most of the 2017 season due to a back injury. She returned at the end of the season and helped her team win the NWSL Championship again.
In 2018, she had ankle surgery. She returned to play and scored 7 goals and had 7 assists. She was nominated for NWSL Most Valuable Player.
In 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Heath chose not to play in the NWSL Challenge Cup. In November 2020, her rights were traded to Racing Louisville FC.
Playing in England: Manchester United and Arsenal
On September 9, 2020, Heath signed a one-year contract with Manchester United in England. She made her debut in October and scored her first goal soon after. In November 2020, she was named the WSL Player of the Month.
She was also named to the FIFA FIFPro Women's World11 in December 2020. Heath's season ended early in April 2021 due to a knee injury. She left Manchester United in June 2021.
On September 3, 2021, Heath signed with Arsenal. She played her first game for them later that month. In April 2022, she left Arsenal early due to a hamstring injury.
Final Club: OL Reign (2022)
On June 16, 2022, Heath returned to the NWSL and signed with OL Reign. She played a few matches but had knee surgery in September. Her contract was not renewed at the end of the season.
International Career
Tobin Heath played for the U.S. national teams at different age levels.
Youth National Teams
She played for the U-16 and U-17 teams. She was a key player at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship in Russia. She played 24 games for the U-20 team in 2006, scoring five goals. She also won a silver medal with the USA U-20 team at the 2007 Pan American Games.
Senior National Team Debut (2008)
Heath first played for the senior national team (USWNT) in January 2008. She was only 20 years old when she was chosen for the 2008 Summer Olympics. She played three games and helped the U.S. win the gold medal. She scored her first international goal against China in 2008.
2011 FIFA Women's World Cup
Heath played in her first FIFA Women's World Cup in 2011 in Germany. She played in four games. In the final, the game ended in a 2–2 tie and went to penalty kicks. Heath took a penalty, but it was saved, and the U.S. team lost.
2012 London Olympics Gold
Heath was part of the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. She played in all six matches and had three assists. She helped the U.S. win another gold medal.
2015 FIFA Women's World Cup Victory
Heath was a regular starter for the U.S. team at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada. In the final, she scored a goal in the 54th minute. The U.S. won the World Cup by defeating Japan 5–2.

2016 Rio Olympics and Player of the Year
Heath helped the U.S. team qualify for the 2016 Summer Olympics. She played in three games and had two assists. The U.S. team was knocked out in the quarter-finals.
In 2016, Heath played 20 games for the U.S., scoring 6 goals and making 8 assists. She was named the 2016 U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year.
Later International Career
After injuries in 2017, Heath returned to the national team in 2018. She scored the winning goal against China. She also scored 4 goals at the 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship, helping the U.S. qualify for the 2019 World Cup. She was named to the Best XI for that championship.
In May 2019, Heath was chosen for the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup squad. She started in six of the seven matches. The United States successfully defended their title, winning the World Cup again.
Honors and Awards
Tobin Heath has won many awards and championships throughout her career:
University of North Carolina
- NCAA Women's Soccer Champions: 2006, 2008, 2009
Portland Thorns
- NWSL Championship: 2013, 2017
- NWSL Shield: 2016
OL Reign
- NWSL Shield: 2022
- The Women's Cup: 2022
United States National Team
- FIFA Women's World Cup: 2015, 2019 (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
Personal Life and Other Ventures
Tobin Heath's first name, Tobin, comes from her great-grandmother's last name. Besides soccer, she enjoys playing other sports like tennis and surfing. She also loves being outdoors.
Tobin Heath is married to fellow soccer player Christen Press. They were teammates on the U.S. National Team and at Manchester United.
In 2019, Heath co-founded a company called RE–INC. She started it with Christen Press, Megan Rapinoe, and Meghan Klingenberg. During the 2023 World Cup, Tobin Heath and Christen Press hosted their own show called the RE-CAP Show.
Heath and Press are also Global Ambassadors for Grassroot Soccer. This organization uses soccer to teach young people about health. Heath has visited their programs in South Africa and Zambia.
See also
In Spanish: Tobin Heath para niños
- 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