Yael Averbuch may be
the most decorated member of the US Women’s National Team you’ve never heard
of. Her list of accomplishments and accolades is longer than most players with
twice the experience:
1. M.A.C. Hermann Trophy Watch List
2. Soccer Buzz Elite 18
3. Soccer Buzz Preseason Player of the Year
4. Soccer America Preseason All-America
5. NSCAA Preseason All-America
Academic & Leadership Accolades:
1. ESPN The Magazine First-Team Academic All- District
III Team
2. ESPN The Magazine Second-Team Academic
All-America
3. ACC Women's Soccer Scholar Athlete of the Year
4. All-ACC Academic Team
5. ACC Academic Honor Roll
6. Fall 2007 & Spring 2008 Dean's List
7. Carolina Leadership Academy Three-Dimensional
Leader
Regular Season Accolades
1. Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week--Week 9
Postseason Accolades
1. First-Team All-ACC
2. All-ACC Tournament
3. Soccer Buzz Player of the Year Finalist
4. Missouri Athletic Club Hermann Trophy Semifinalist
5. Umbro/Soccer News Net Player of the Year Award
finalist
6. NSCAA First-Team All-America
7. First-Team Soccer America MVP
8. Soccer Buzz First-Team All-America
9. Soccer Buzz First-Team All-Southeast Region
10. NSCAA First-Team All-Southeast Region
11. Jewish Sports Review All-America
12. Top Drawer Soccer First-Team College Team of the
Season
That list is longer
than most people’s arm, and that’s only a single season. Her résumé consists of
University of North Carolina, US U16 Team, US U17 Team, US U19 Team, US U20
Team, US U21 Team, US U23 Team, US Women’s National Team, Sky Blue FC, Western
New York Flash, WFC Rossiyanka, and currently playing with Kopparbergs/Göteborg
FC in Sweden. She’s donned the jersey of 12 elite clubs making each club that much better.
Averbuch is a
consummate professional. She is constantly honing her craft, and she challenges
her fans to play along with her videos. She posts them on Twitter and YouTube.
Her desire to play the game is shared with the globe, and girls from all over
are trying to emulate Yael. She is a tremendous role model because of her work
ethic for the game.
Ladies and gentlemen,
I’m honored to have the privilege of interviewing US Women’s National Team and
Göteborg midfielder, Yael Averbuch:
1. I was going to
start off with a probing question about football, but the first question that
pops into my head is, "what exactly is a tar heel?" Inquiring minds
want to know.
“Good question! I’m
actually not quite sure but I think I’ve heard that the North Carolina nickname
dates back to the days of the Civil War.”
2. You scored the fastest goal in US soccer
history as a Tar Heel. I checked the records, your 4 second goal tops NCAA
men's and women's soccer, MLS, NWSL, WPS, all of them. How did the idea to take
a shot from the kickoff come about? Do you think your record will ever be
broken?
“Actually, in the previous game my coach had
been yelling at me before the kickoff, ‘Shoot! Shoot!’ I thought he meant to
take a lot of shots during the game so I nodded and just started the play.
After the game he explained that the goalkeeper was way off her line and I
should look in the future to try to shoot from the kickoff if it’s possible. In
the game against Yale, I saw the goalkeeper was off her line so I figured, ‘why
not give it a try.’ I honestly never thought it would actually go in! It’s
definitely possible for the record to be broken...but someone will have to
either run faster in his or her approach to the ball or drive it harder so it
goes in before mine did!”
3. UNC has retired your jersey number; what's it
like to have such an honor at such a young age?
“…It was an incredibly special moment. The
actual ceremony took place before the UNC-Duke basketball game and my family
got to be there. I have the framed jersey hanging in my room at home and feel
so proud and honored to have my name among some of the all-time greats I have
always admired so much.”
 |
| Averbuch's Jersey Retirement Ceremony |
4. You've won numerous awards for your soccer
accomplishments. Which one means the most to you?
“That’s a tough question, because every time
I’ve been honored I feel incredibly fortunate for the opportunities I’ve been
given. Having my UNC jersey retired was probably my most special recognition.
It had been my dream since I was 9 years old to go to UNC, but never could I have
imagined that my name could be part of the program’s unbelievable legacy.”
5. You are constantly honing your craft; your
YouTube video challenges have girls all over the globe trying to emulate your
moves. How important are your video responses to you? (For the record, I've
tried a few of your challenges, and I can't do any of them!)
“I absolutely love filming the challenges! Those
are the things I do on my own all the time and I would have LOVED to have
challenges to try as a young player. I watch every single video that is sent my
way and am always impressed by the effort and skill of the players who try out
what I’ve done. Also, a big secret...none of my videos were done on the first
take! It takes me a while to perfect the skills, too.” :)
6. How important is it to you to be identified
as a Jewish Athlete?
“The more I play and travel around the world,
the more I appreciate my identity as a Jewish athlete. I don’t meet many other
Jewish soccer players, so any time I do, it is very special to me. Actually, my
teammate at my current club (Kopparbergs/Goteborg FC), Camille Levin, is also
Jewish and we have made many friends here in the Jewish community.”
7. Your favorite TV show is?
“Law and Order”
8. There's only one flavor of ice cream, it is: “mint
chocolate chip.”
9. The 2015 World Cup is rapidly approaching.
Most of the fields in Canada are turf fields instead of natural grass. How does
turf change the game, and do you feel like many other American team members
that the fields should be grass?
“I play on turf all the time. But I think that a
major international tournament should always be played on grass. Grass is a lot
more forgiving on the body and is the traditional surface on which the game is
played. I much prefer grass and was very disappointed to hear that the
tournament will be on turf.”
10. Who is the biggest prankster on the US
Women's Squad?
“It was Heather Mitts, but now that she’s
retired I’d probably say Pinoe.”
11. Some of the greatest reporters of our time
have worked for the New York Times. What's it like to be a New York Times
reporter/blogger?
"I really enjoy writing and sharing my thoughts
and experiences. The New York Times blog has given me a wonderful platform from
which to express myself. It’s funny because I honestly feel that I learn just
as much about myself every time I write as my readers do. Blogging has been
very insightful to me and helps me to organize my thoughts and record a lot of
wonderful memories. The fact that people can share in and relate to my writing
is just a bonus!"
12. Are you a dog or cat person?
“Dog for sure!”
13. Playing for Göteborg in Sweden has to have
you longing for some home cooking. What is the food you miss the most from home
that you can't find in Sweden?
“Chipotle! They don’t really have Mexican food
here and definitely nothing quick and easy like a burrito to go.”
14. After reading your blogs in the Times, it
seems like you are way too hard on yourself as a professional footballer. Do
you think your self-criticism is a help or a hinder to your game?
“I try to think that I maintain a decent balance
of being critical of myself and also forgiving and optimistic about my career.
But I definitely think that my self-criticism is a hugely beneficial part of my
thought processes. Over the years I’ve tried to perfect the balance of
searching for ways in which I can become better as well as fostering what makes
me special and unique. A lot of what drives me and inspires me, though, is the
idea that I can always be better and always want to strive to improve myself on
and off the field.”
15. Long flights, long practices, grueling
games: how do you unwind?
“I love to sit at a coffee shop and just talk
and laugh with friends.”
16. What's on your iPod right now?
“I listen to a combination of everything, from
Lil Wayne to Fall Out Boy to P!NK to Rascal Flatts to Matchbox 20s and
especially some cheesy 90s techno.”
17. You're quite active on Twitter; you even do
give always of signed boots through Twitter. How did the idea of giving away
your cleats come up?
“Once I’ve worn through a pair of cleats I used
to just leave them in a hotel somewhere or throw them out. Then I realized that
someone might really appreciate my garbage. It’s really cool to see how happy
fans get to receive something that is no longer useful to me. I plan to give
away all my worn out cleats from now on!”
18. Speaking of cleats, Nike, Adidas, Puma? What
do you kick your balls with?
“NIKE! Always!”
19. You've been on championship teams with Sky
Blue FC, Western New York, U23 Nordic Cup. Does one title mean more than
another to you?
“Winning a championship is always a special
accomplishment and all of them have been wonderful for different reasons. The
2009 WPS Championship with Sky Blue FC has to be my favorite, though. Our team
had been through so much that season, including four different coaches, and
calling us underdogs was an understatement! We were the last team to get into
the playoffs and ended up beating the three teams we didn’t beat all season to
win the championship. You can’t even make up a story as cool as our road to victory!”
20. Wow, number 20 came up quickly! If you could
meet one person, living or dead, and pick their brain, who would it be, and
why?
“Iniesta. He is one of my favorite players and
from everything I’ve heard about him, I respect him a lot as a person. I’d love
to hear how he approaches his profession and his thoughts on what makes him
special. He is fascinating to me and so humble!”
I had a lot more questions for Averbuch, but
this segment is titled 20 Questions not 20+ questions. It was a pleasure to
communicate with such a talented individual. I look forward to continuing this
interview in the future.
Keep checking back with Following Football for
more 20 Questions segments every Thursday. Upcoming interviews include Seattle
Reign and Canadian National Team defender Kaylyn Kyle, Chicago Red Stars Taryn Hemmings,
Adriana Leon, and Julianne Sitch. Also interviews with a few friends that are
involved in the game: Aldo Zambrana and Bobby Bagley.
[all sic as needed]
[1]
Taken from UNC Player Website: http://www.goheels.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=3350&ATCLID=205672346
For the record, there's no such thing as cheesy 90's techno.
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