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Heather Mitts

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American soccer player (born 1978)

Heather Mitts
Mitts in May 2010
Personal information
Full name Heather Mitts Feeley
Birth name Heather Blaine Mitts
Date of birth (1978-06-09) June 9, 1978 (age 46)
Place of birth Cincinnati, Ohio
Height 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m)
Position(s) Defender / Right back
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1999 Florida Gators
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000 Tampa Bay Extreme
2001–2003 Philadelphia Charge 51 (0)
2005 Central Florida Krush 4 (0)
2009 Boston Breakers 19 (0)
2010 Philadelphia Independence 17 (0)
2011 Atlanta Beat 8 (0)
2013 Boston Breakers 0 (0)
International career
1999–2012 United States 137 (2)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing the  United States
Olympic Games
Gold medal – first place 2004 Athens Team competition
Gold medal – first place 2008 Beijing Team competition
Gold medal – first place 2012 London Team competition
FIFA Women's World Cup
Silver medal – second place 2011 Germany Team competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Heather Mitts Feeley (born Heather Blaine Mitts; June 9, 1978) is an American former professional soccer defender. Mitts played college soccer for the University of Florida, and thereafter, she played professionally in the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league; for the Philadelphia Charge, Boston Breakers, Philadelphia Independence and Atlanta Beat. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist, and was a member of the U.S. women's national team. She played in four matches in the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup, where the U.S. national team finished second. Mitts announced her retirement from soccer via Twitter on March 13, 2013.

Early life

Mitts was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on June 9, 1978, and began playing soccer at the age of six. From 1993 to 1996, she attended St. Ursula Academy in Cincinnati, where she played high school soccer and helped the team tally a 70-5-1 record during her time with the team. During her freshman season, the team won the state title. During her junior and senior years, Mitts earned all-state honors.

University of Florida Gators

Mitts received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, and played for coach Becky Burleigh's Florida Gators women's soccer team in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) competition from 1996 to 1999. Mitts was part of the defensive line that helped the Gators win their first-ever NCAA Women's Soccer Championship in 1998. She was named a third-team All-American in 1998 and a first-team All-American in 1999, and became the Gators' all-time record holder in appearances (95), starts (94), and minutes played (7,547). She graduated from the University of Florida with a bachelor's degree in advertising in 2000. She was inducted into the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame as a "Gator Great" in 2013.

Club career

Tampa Bay Extreme, 2000

Mitts with the Independence in May 2010

Straight out of college, Mitts played for Tampa Bay Extreme of W-League in 2000 while waiting for the launch of the new Women's United Soccer Association league.

Philadelphia Charge, 2001-03

Upon the WUSA's launch and inaugural season in 2001, Mitts was drafted to the Philadelphia Charge. With the club, she appeared in twenty games (1,751 minutes) in the inaugural season and added two assists. Throughout her Charge career, Mitts appeared in fifty-one games (4,414 minutes) and recorded eight assists over three seasons. She was named as a WUSA All-Star in 2003. Unfortunately, after the 2003 season, the WUSA ceased operations.

Central Florida Krush, 2005

Mitts returned to the W-League in 2005, playing sparingly for Central Florida Krush while splitting her time between the United States Women's National Team. She appeared in four games (360 minutes).

WPS Years, 2009–11

Heather Mitts signing autographs for fans in 2011.

Upon the introduction of Women's Professional Soccer, Mitts and fellow USWNT players Angela Hucles and Kristine Lilly were allocated to the Boston Breakers on September 16, 2008. In the inaugural 2009 Women's Professional Soccer season, Mitts appeared in nineteen games (all starts, 1,631 minutes) and added an assist. After the season, the Boston Breakers declared Mitts a free agent.

On October 14, 2009, Mitts signed with 2010 WPS expansion team Philadelphia Independence, marking her return to play professional soccer in Philadelphia following the demise of the WUSA's Philadelphia Charge.

In January 2011, Mitts signed with the Atlanta Beat and played right defensive back during the 2011 season.

NWSL, 2013

In 2013, Mitts was allocated to the Boston Breakers in the new National Women's Soccer League; however, she retired before the start of the season.

International career

Mitts has represented the United States women's national soccer team in over 100 international matches. She is a three-time Olympic gold medalist (2004, 2008, and 2012).

On May 12, 2007, Mitts tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in an international friendly match with Canada. The injury put Mitts out of contention for the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup.

On May 9, 2011, Mitts was named to the U.S. roster for the 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup tournament in Germany. She was also named to the U.S. roster for the 2012 London Olympics, and played all 90 minutes of the match against Colombia in group stage.

On March 13, 2013, Mitts officially announced her retirement from the national team as well as the Breakers. She serves as a sideline reporter for Philadelphia Union games and has become a team ambassador.

Career statistics

International goals

Mitts scored 2 goals in international matches, which are both game winners.

Key (expand for notes on "international goals" and sorting)
Location Geographic location of the venue where the competition occurred
Sorted by country name first, then by city name
Lineup Start – played entire match
on minute (off player) – substituted on at the minute indicated, and player was substituted off at the same time

off minute (on player) – substituted off at the minute indicated, and player was substituted on at the same time
(c) – captain
Sorted by minutes played

Min The minute in the match the goal was scored. For list that include caps, blank indicates played in the match but did not score a goal.
Assist/pass The ball was passed by the player, which assisted in scoring the goal. This column depends on the availability and source of this information.
penalty or pk Goal scored on penalty-kick which was awarded due to foul by opponent. (Goals scored in penalty-shoot-out, at the end of a tied match after extra-time, are not included.)
Score The match score after the goal was scored.
Sorted by goal difference, then by goal scored by the player's team
Result The final score.

Sorted by goal difference in the match, then by goal difference in penalty-shoot-out if it is taken, followed by goal scored by the player's team in the match, then by goal scored in the penalty-shoot-out. For matches with identical final scores, match ending in extra-time without penalty-shoot-out is a tougher match, therefore precede matches that ended in regulation

aet The score at the end of extra-time; the match was tied at the end of 90' regulation
pso Penalty-shoot-out score shown in parentheses; the match was tied at the end of extra-time
Light-purple background color – exhibition or closed door international friendly match

NOTE: some keys may not apply for a particular football player

Date Location Opponent Lineup Min Assist/pass Score Result Competition
1 Jul 3, 2004 Nashville TN  Canada Start 73 Shannon Boxx 5150.01005

1–0

5150.01005

1–0

Friendly
2 Sep 25, 2004 Rochester NY  Iceland 45.

on 46' (off Reddick)

93+ Julie Foudy 5150.04005

4–3

5150.04005

4–3

Friendly

Personal life

Mitts has held a number of television commentary jobs. She has served as a studio soccer analyst for ABC, ESPN and ESPN2 during the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup and was a sideline reporter for several MLS broadcasts in 2005. In addition to broadcasting soccer, she also was a sideline reporter for American college football during fall 2005 for ESPN.

Mitts married NFL quarterback A. J. Feeley in February 2010. They have a son born in 2014, a daughter born in 2016, and a son born in 2018.

Mitts runs a soccer camp every year throughout the United States in which she teaches the basics of soccer including: dribbling, juggling, foot-skills, passing, receiving. These are one-day soccer camps that teach children to grasp the fundamentals of soccer and allow them to continue their growth and understanding of the sport.

Honors

See also

References

  1. "Heather Mitts". United States Soccer Federation. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
  2. ^ GatorZone.com, Soccer History, 1999 Roster, Heather Mitts Archived May 5, 2012, at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved May 3, 2011.
  3. "An Interview with All-Star Soccer Player Heather Mitts!". Grrl Athlete. Archived from the original on June 1, 2009. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
  4. Gordon, LeLand (June 28, 2011). "Where the U.S. Women's World Cup players went to high school". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 6, 2013.
  5. F Club, Hall of Fame, Gator Greats. Retrieved December 15, 2014.
  6. "9 UF Greats Join Hall Archived September 13, 2012, at the Wayback Machine," The Gainesville Sun (September 10, 2012). Retrieved September 11, 2012.
  7. "Catch up with the Gators in 2010 Women's Professional Soccer". University of Florida. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  8. "2003 Philadelphia Charge Roster". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 18, 2003. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  9. "Heather Mitts bio". Heather Mitts. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  10. "Welcome Back: Lilly, Hucles Return to Boston". Soccer New England. Archived from the original on June 10, 2009. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  11. ^ "Heather Mitts bio". US Soccer. Archived from the original on November 20, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  12. "Independence trade Heather Mitts to Atlanta". Philly.com. January 15, 2011. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  13. "U.S. Women's National Team Defender Heather Mitts Retires". U.S.Soccer. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013.
  14. "Defender Heather Mitts Tears ACL, Will Miss 2007 Women's World Cup". US Soccer. Archived from the original on November 16, 2012. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  15. "Hope Solo back for Women's World Cup," ESPN.com (May 9, 2011). Retrieved May 9, 2011.
  16. "USA Women's Olympic Soccer Team: Grading Every Member of the USWNT so Far". Bleacher Report. Retrieved November 15, 2012.
  17. "Heather Mitts retires from soccer, will join Philadelphia Union's TV broadcast team". March 13, 2013.
  18. "Mitts Goal Leads U.S. Women to 1–0 Victory Over Canada". U.S.Soccer. Archived from the original on August 23, 2012. Retrieved September 14, 2012.
  19. "Hometown Hero Wambach Scores Twice as U.S. Escapes Rochester with Dramatic 4–3 Win Over Iceland in". U.S.Soccer. Archived from the original on April 27, 2013.
  20. Marc Narducci, "Busy schedule pleases Indy's Mitts," Philadelphia Inquirer (March 13, 2010). Retrieved June 30, 2010.
  21. "Heather Mitts on Instagram: "I've always wanted to have a home birth. Third times a charm! We welcomed Ace Hudson 💙 8lbs 1ounce, 22 inches long. Connor is ecstatic. Blake is still feeling him out 😀 My husband is the real hero though for supporting me through the entire process. Love you so much @ajf14 #homebirth #naturalbirth #familyof5 #acehudson"".
  22. "Top 12 Hottest Female Soccer Players to Grace the Field". ysone.com. Retrieved March 3, 2015.

Further reading

  • Grainey, Timothy (2012), Beyond Bend It Like Beckham: The Global Phenomenon of Women's Soccer, University of Nebraska Press, ISBN 0803240368
  • Kassouf, Jeff (2011), Girls Play to Win Soccer, Norwood House Press, ISBN 1599534649
  • Lisi, Clemente A. (2010), The U.S. Women's Soccer Team: An American Success Story, Scarecrow Press, ISBN 0810874164
  • Longman, Jere (2009), The Girls of Summer: The U.S. Women's Soccer Team and How it Changed the World, HarperCollins, ISBN 0061877689
  • Stevens, Dakota (2011), A Look at the Women's Professional Soccer Including the Soccer Associations, Teams, Players, Awards, and More, BiblioBazaar, ISBN 1241047464

External links

United States squads
United States women's soccer squad – 2004 Summer Olympics – Gold medalists
United States
United States women's soccer squad – 2008 Summer Olympics – Gold medalists
United States
United States squad – 2011 FIFA Women's World Cup runners-up
United States
United States women's soccer squad – 2012 Summer Olympics – Gold medalists
United States
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