Zakiya Bywaters facts for kids
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Bywaters with the Chicago Red Stars in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zakiya Abeni Bywaters | ||
| Date of birth | July 24, 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Las Vegas, Nevada, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 1 in (1.55 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker, Midfielder | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2009–2012 | UCLA Bruins | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013–2015 | Chicago Red Stars | 25 | (4) |
| International career | |||
| 2008–2009 | United States U17 | 5 | (1) |
| 2009–2010 | United States U20 | 19 | (17) |
| 2010–2013 | United States U23 | 3 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Zakiya Abeni Bywaters, born on July 24, 1991, is a former American soccer player. She played as a forward and midfielder for the Chicago Red Stars. This team is part of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Zakiya also played for the United States national under-23 women's soccer team. She was a star player for the UCLA Bruins. In 2013, Zakiya was the very first player chosen in the NWSL draft.
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Early Life and Youth Soccer
Zakiya grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada. Her parents are Thomas and Beverly Bywaters. She went to Rancho High School. Zakiya also played club soccer for teams like Southern California Blues and Slammers FC.
In 2007 and 2008, she was named an All-American youth player. This means she was one of the best young players in the country. In 2009, she was listed as a top recruit by Top Drawer Soccer and ESPN RISE. She was also named a Parade All-American.
As a young player, Bywaters won four state championships with her club team, Neusport. She also helped her team reach a regional final when she was 14 years old.
Playing for the UCLA Bruins (2009–2012)
Bywaters attended UCLA and played for the Bruins soccer team for four years.
- Freshman Year (2009): She was the only first-year student to play in all 25 matches. She started 23 games. Zakiya scored three goals and had seven assists. She was named to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team.
- Sophomore Year (2010): She was the only field player to start all 23 matches. She scored three goals and had four assists. She received an Honorable Mention All-Pac-10 award.
- Junior Year (2011): Zakiya was one of five players to start all 21 matches. She finished with three goals and six assists. Her assists were the second highest on the team. She was named a First-Team All-Pac-12 player. She also made the All-Pacific Region First-Team.
During her senior year, Bywaters was a top player in the Pac-12 Conference. She led the conference in goals with 15. She also led in total points with 34. She scored six game-winning goals. Zakiya was added to UCLA's top 10 list for career assists. She also made the list for career games with multiple goals.
She scored two goals in five different games. These games were against Princeton, Pepperdine, Arizona, Oregon State, and San Diego State. She scored game-winning goals against Illinois, Pepperdine, Arizona, Arizona State, California, and San Diego State.
Zakiya was named a first-team NSCAA All-American. She was also a MAC Hermann Trophy semi-finalist. This award goes to the best college soccer player. Bywaters was named the Pac-12 Player of the Week twice. She was also the Soccer America National Player of the Week in September 2012. This was after she scored four goals and had one assist in two games. She was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Season first team. She was also a First-Team All-Pac-12 selection. Zakiya earned the Pac-12 Player of the Year award.
Professional Club Career
Playing for the Chicago Red Stars (2013–2015)
Zakiya Bywaters was the very first player chosen in the 2013 NWSL College Draft. This was the first draft for the new NWSL league. The Chicago Red Stars picked her.
The Red Stars head coach, Rory Dames, spoke about her selection. He said Zakiya had a great mix of skill and speed. He also said she could play many different positions. He believed she would work hard to join the national team in the future.
During the 2013 season, Bywaters played in six games. She scored two goals. She missed part of the season because of injuries. The Chicago Red Stars finished sixth in the league that year.
In the 2014 season, Bywaters played in 19 games. She scored her first goal of the season against the Boston Breakers on May 19. This goal helped the Red Stars win 4–1. In June, she scored her second goal of the season against Sky Blue FC. The Chicago Red Stars finished in fifth place that season.
Bywaters missed the 2015 season. She was recovering from hip surgery. After that, the Red Stars released her from the team before the 2016 season.
International Soccer Career
Zakiya Bywaters played for the United States national teams at different age levels. These included the U-16, U-17, U-20, and U-23 teams.
She played for the United States women's national under-17 soccer team in 2008. She played in five matches for this team and scored one goal. In 2010, she played with the United States under-20 women's national soccer team. They competed in the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Germany. She also won a gold medal at the 2010 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in Guatemala.
In January 2013, after being drafted by the Chicago Red Stars, she was invited to a training camp. This camp was for the U.S. senior national team. The head coach, Tom Sermanni, called her to join.
See also
- List of University of California, Los Angeles people
- 2010 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup squads
- Athlete Ally
