Tiffeny Milbrett will be giving a field demonstration at the NSCAA Convention in January in Philly. On Tuesday, November 10, 2009, I met up with the FC Gold Pride forward in San Carlos, California, to help her plan for the event.
We talked about how the Convention is set up, and what to expect when delivering a session in front of a room full of information-hungry coaches. I listened to her coaching philosophy, we brainstormed a ton of different ideas, and I think we really worked out a solid topic – in broad strokes: Team attacking for youth players. More specifics/details will follow after Tiffeny has had some time to write out her session.
After going through the 101s, we sat outside the restaurant – iPhone in hand – and Tiffeny let me ask her a couple questions. I asked her about her playing history, coaching experience, and what advice she would give fellow collegiate and professional players who are interested in coaching. You can watch the six minute slide show here, or read the transcript below. Enjoy!
More about Tiffeny
I’ve searched for a bit more info and stories about Tiffeny and thought I’d share them with you. I think they really do help tell her interesting story.
Sports Illustrated, “Mighty Mite”:
Her name is Tiffeny Milbrett, and her fame, like her 5′2″ frame, is remarkably undersized. How many people know that Milbrett led the U.S. in goals (three) at last year’s World Cup, or that she scored the gold medal winner against China at the 1996 Olympics, or that, at age 27, her 80 career goals rank her No. 7 (with a bullet) on the alltime international list? A shifty, skittering dynamo, Milbrett was far and away the Americans’ most dangerous player last week Against Norway she scored the first goal and slammed shots off the right post, the left post and the crossbar—a rare shooter’s cycle. Then on Sunday, Milbrett’s unexpected 35-yard blast won the corner kick mat led to the lone U.S. goal against China, a header by co-captain Julie Foudy. The 1-1 tie left the U.S. needing only a draw against winless Nigeria on Wednesday to reach Sunday’s semifinals.
Sports Illustrated, Q+a [tiffeny Milbrett]
The 30-year-old national team striker is the U.S.’s third-leading career scorer and the star of the WUSA’s New York Power.
SI: Is there any feeling better than hitting the back of the net?
Milbrett: Yeah, but we want this to be G-rated.
Video – Soccer clinic coaches wow players (Tiffeny appears at 2:15):
About 450 youth soccer players took part in the River City Soccer Clinic held this week at Plantes Ferry Park in the Spokane Valley. The clinic featured instruction from four veteran U.S. National players including Brandi Chastain, Tiffeny Milbrett, Danielle Fotopoulos, and Jenni Branam. Chastain, who kicked the now famous match winning penalty kick against China in the 1999 Woman’s World Cup Final, was a clinic favorite.
Sports Illustrated, Kicking Butt
Yet Milbrett might not be starting for the U.S. were it not for her tour in the Japanese L-League from 1995 through ‘97. Unable to earn a living playing in her own country, the Portland graduate signed a $33,000-a-year contract with Shiroki Serena, a club owned by a solar-panel manufacturer in Toyokawa, a farm town five hours south of Tokyo. “My dream was to keep playing soccer and make money doing it,” Milbrett says. “If that meant going overseas, that’s what it meant.”
She attended Hillsboro High School in Hillsboro, Oregon from 1987 to 1990, where she graduated holding Oregon’s state record for goals in a season with 54; and in a career with 131. She was a three-time Oregonian 4A Player of The Year and a two-time Parade All-American. She also was a talented basketball player and Track and Field participant, and she was offered college scholarships at those two sports too.
U.S. Soccer, Remembering ‘99: Tiffeny Milbrett
Seems that everyone has a story about where they were on the day of the final. One person said they were on a family camping trip and stopped into a bar in the “middle of nowhere” to watch. Another said that they were with their team huddled around the TV. Others have said that they were the luckiest people alive because they were in that Rose Bowl stadium. For me, and my teammates, it was just another day at the office. You know, driving to the stadium through throngs of people. Warming up in the tunnel in running shoes because the 3rd place game was going on. Getting ready to play in front of 90,000 people. Having military jets fly by during while Hanson (singing group) sang the anthem, and then, simply winning a soccer game.
My Interview Transcript
For all you folks who don’t have the patience to sit through a 6-minute interview (consider it a podcast?), here’s the transcript for your reading pleasure. I do recommend viewing the video if you have the time, though, I dug up some pretty cool pics for this.
Amanda: Amanda Vandervort here from the NSCAA Women’s Committee. I’m happy to be here with Tiffeny Milbrett of the WPS FC Gold Pride. Tiffeny, thank you for joining me.
Tiffeny: Thank you so much, great to be here.
Amanda: Tiffeny, I’ve got a couple questions for you. You’re going to be an NSCAA Women’s Committee Featured Presenter at the Convention, we’re thrilled to have you. You’ve had a tremendous career as a player… Can you give us synopsis of your experience?
Tiffeny: Yeah, I think it’s been phenomenal. I think the biggest thing for me is that I always grew up wanting to be a professional athlete, wanting to be an Olympian, and I had the chance to do that through the National Team, playing at the highest level. And I have just felt very fortunate to be able to live out my dreams.
Amanda: And tell us a little bit about your college career, and then where you went after that.
Tiffeny: I played at the University of Portland, and then right at that time Women’s World Cup ’95 for National Team took over, so I went straight into residency training. Then the Olympics in ’96, World Cup in ’99, Sydney Olympics 2000, World Cup 2003, and just many, many, many games in between all those major tournaments. So it’s just been a long career, but exciting.
Amanda: Tell us about your experience with the FC Gold Pride this year.
Tiffeny: You know, what a challenging season for us. I think you know, we came in last, but toward the end of that season, the last quarter of that season, I think we were one of the most impressive teams in the whole league. So I think, you know, a little too late that we gelled as a team, came together, coach making some great decisions. So the last 5 games we have to be proud of ourselves because we really came on strong and played so well.
Amanda: And so in the off-season you’re doing a lot of coaching. Can you tell me about your experiences coaching girls and women’s soccer?
Tiffeny: Yeah, you know, because I do both. I coach a U-9 team that I have been coaching for almost 7 months, and also I do women’s clinics. I’ve been doing women’s clinics for years. So I truly enjoy coaching. I think even as a player in my younger youth, I would say, that I always dreamt of being a coach, so I think that it’s phenomenal. As I get older, the torch is being passed from my playing career into coaching. And as a young coach, I’m building my foundations. I think that’s why I’m very excited to have played for FC Gold Pride in WPS, because in this off-season it has allowed me the chance to still be a player – because, you know, preseason is around the corner – but also allowed me to continue to build a foundation of becoming a coach after I am done playing.
Amanda: So as I mentioned earlier, you’re going to be the NSCAA Women’s Committee Featured Presenter at the Convention, which we’re super excited about. What influenced you to present at the Convention this year?
Tiffeny: Just exactly what I’ve been saying, that I take coaching very seriously. It’s the next career that I’m going to move into. What an opportunity. Sometimes they say opportunities sometimes just fall into your lap, and I think this one just did. But it makes sense. I would never so something like this if I wasn’t planning to be a coach. I have already taken my “B” license, so I’ve done a bit of education on that side of things. But, again, what a great opportunity to get in front of people and continue to hone my craft as a coach.
Amanda: Well, we’re thrilled to have you.
Tiffeny: Thank you.
Amanda: Have there been any special coaches who have had an impact in your life, Tiffeny?
Tiffeny: Absolutely. I mean I think there’s been a few, but obviously the biggest name here that I’m just going to throw out is Clive Charles. He passed away just over 6 years ago, and I watched him when he was a Portland Timber in the NSL, and was able to be under his influence since probably about age 8. I played for him on a women’s team from age 15, then the youth teams, and then went to college for him.
But for me, again you talk about why people are influential to you, is just that you just click. You speak the same language. I think for me, not only was he the greatest mentor for me on the soccer side of things, but it just seemed like he understood me as a person and that was even more important than anything.
Amanda: What advice would you give other college and professional players who want to continue coaching as a profession?
Tiffeny: I would say that I think we need more true players that have played the game at the highest levels – the highest levels of college, highest levels of professional soccer – to move into the ranks. I think we truly are missing out on that demographic in coaching. And I think it just takes its time, it’s going to catch up with itself. And I think more will move into that.
But I think you can’t stop being a part of the game. And it’s a great way for you to continue to give back to the game. Give back to the generations and continue to influence the game. Just because you’re not on the field, you can greatly influence players and move the game forward, and that’s what we need.
Amanda: Tiffeny, we’re looking forward to having you help us learn how to influence players and coach. Having been such an experienced player and with all your tremendous background, bringing that to the NSCAA Convention this coming January. We’re thrilled to have you and thank you so much for taking the time.
Tiffeny: Thank you so much, I don’t feel any pressure at all.
Amanda: Haha, thank you.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }