Christie Rampone
Encyclopedia
Christie Patricia Rampone (née Pearce born 24 June 1975) is an American
soccer defender
currently playing for magicJack
of Women's Professional Soccer
. She is a member and current Captain of the United States women's national soccer team
.
, Florida
, Christie Rampone grew up in Point Pleasant
, New Jersey
. During her high school years, she was a four-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, track, and field hockey
. While attending Point Pleasant Boro High School
, she scored 2,190 career high school basketball points, and was the first female athlete in New Jersey history to lead her conference in scoring in three different sports. This accomplishment led her to all-state honors in all three sports. Rampone was heralded as the best athlete Ocean County
, New Jersey
had ever produced.
, located in West Long Branch
, New Jersey
, after being highly recruited by nearly every major college in the country. At Monmouth, she excelled as a three-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse
. During her senior year, she opted to ease away from her starting point guard
basketball position to train and travel with the United States women's national soccer team
. On the Monmouth soccer field, Rampone was a two-time Northeast Conference
Player of the Year selection and First Team All Mid-Atlantic Region selection, posting ten multiple-goal games in her senior year. She finished her collegiate soccer career with a start in all 80 games, led her team with 79 career goals and 54 assists, and was Monmouth's record holder for goals, assists, and points in a season.
When not on the field, Rampone studied towards a degree in Special Education
, which she completed in 1996. She also worked as a volunteer basketball and soccer coach when completing her student teaching with Monmouth. As a tribute to her achievements and for the worldwide fame she brought to her alma mater
, the university awarded her with an honorary degree
in Public Service in 2005. Furthermore, the university inducted her into the Monmouth University Hall of Fame in 2007 and honored her 2008 Olympic accomplishments by declaring 5 October 2008 as Christie Rampone Day.
, in 1997 and 1998 respectively, of the W-League
.
In 2001, she was selected as a member of New York Power
, a professional soccer team in Women's United Soccer Association
. In the first year, Christie played every minute of the first 18 games until tearing her anterior cruciate ligament
, sidelining her for the rest of the season. In 2002, Christie bounced back to play in 1699 minutes over 19 games, and another 18 games in 2003 in addition to her national team duties. Shortly after concluding its third season, the WUSA suspended all operations. In anticipation of an eventual relaunch, WUSA preserved its rights in the team names, logos and similar properties.
The next attempt at women's professional soccer in the United States kicked off in 2008 under the name of Women's Professional Soccer
. On 16 September 2008, the initial WPS player allocation was conducted and Rampone was chosen as captain for New Jersey's Sky Blue FC
with fellow US Women's National Team players Heather O'Reilly
and Natasha Kai
.
In its inaugural season, Rampone and Sky Blue FC struggled, including the suspension of their first head coach Ian Sawyers
and the resignation of his successor, Kelly Lindsey. In July 2009, the Sky Blue organization announced that Rampone would serve as the caretaker coach, in addition to her playing duties, for the remainder of the WPS season. After taking on the position as head coach, the third in one season for Sky Blue FC, Rampone took her team on to win the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer Playoffs
. It was later revealed she was almost three months pregnant with her second child at the time of the match. One week later, Rampone was named WPS Sportswoman of the Year.
She remained with Sky Blue in a playing role for 2010 before switching to magicJack
ahead of the 2011 Women's Professional Soccer season
.
finals, and at the 2000
, 2004
, and 2008
Summer Olympics
.
After training with the United States women's national soccer team
during her senior year at Monmouth, Rampone switched to playing as a defender
. Rampone's first game was 28 February 1997 versus Australia
. She tallied her first national team goal on 2 May 1997, in a match versus South Korea
. Rampone started 16/18 games in her first season and finished with two goals and three assists. The following year, Rampone helped her team to its first undefeated season and led the United States to gold in the 1998 Goodwill Games
by starting in both matches.
Rampone played 2540 minutes with the national team in 2000, including five games at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney
. The team finished with the Silver medal. In 2001, Rampone tore her anterior cruciate ligament
and missed a majority of the limited national team season. Rampone was back with the team for two training camps in 2002, but focused on recovering from her surgery. In 2003, she started in 15/17 national team games and all four World Cup matches to lead her team to the Bronze medal.
In the next Summer Olympics, she helped the United States win gold after defeating Brazil
in what would be the final Olympic Games for a few of her teammates, including Mia Hamm
. It was in this same year that Rampone would become the fifth most capped defender in United States history.
Rampone returned to the team in 2006, after taking off the 2005 season to have her first child. In 2006, Christie returned to the team just 112 days after giving birth for China's Four Nations Tournament. 2007 brought Rampone's busiest year to date, starting in all 20 games in which she played and she became the most capped defender and second-most capped played on the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup team. She started in all six matches of the World Cup.
In 2008, Rampone was named captain of the Women's National Team and led the United States to the Gold medal once again, earning her 200th National Team cap at the 2008 Summer Olympics
. With the retirement of teammate Kristine Lilly
, Rampone is currently the most capped
active player in the world, and is fourth on the all-time cap list with 240, behind Lilly, Hamm, and Julie Foudy.
, New Jersey
. They currently have two daughters, Rylie Cate, born on September 29, 2005, and Reece Elizabeth, born on March 6, 2010.
In July 2011, Rampone revealed she had Lyme disease.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
currently playing for magicJack
MagicJack (WPS)
MagicJack was an American professional soccer club based in Boca Raton, Florida. The team competed in Women's Professional Soccer. MagicJack was originally founded in 2001 as the Washington Freedom of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association. In 2011, the team relocated to Boca Raton, Florida...
of Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
. She is a member and current Captain of the United States women's national soccer team
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
.
High school
Born in Fort LauderdaleFort Lauderdale, Florida
Fort Lauderdale is a city in the U.S. state of Florida, on the Atlantic coast. It is the county seat of Broward County. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 165,521. It is a principal city of the South Florida metropolitan area, which was home to 5,564,635 people at the 2010...
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, Christie Rampone grew up in Point Pleasant
Point Pleasant, New Jersey
Point Pleasant is a Borough in Ocean County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 18,392...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. During her high school years, she was a four-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, track, and field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
. While attending Point Pleasant Boro High School
Point Pleasant Boro High School
Point Pleasant Borough High School is a four-year comprehensive public high school located on Laura Herbert Drive in Point Pleasant, New Jersey, United States, that serves students in grades nine through twelve. It is a part of the Point Pleasant School District...
, she scored 2,190 career high school basketball points, and was the first female athlete in New Jersey history to lead her conference in scoring in three different sports. This accomplishment led her to all-state honors in all three sports. Rampone was heralded as the best athlete Ocean County
Ocean County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 510,916 people, 200,402 households, and 137,876 families residing in the county. The population density was 803 people per square mile . There were 248,711 housing units at an average density of 151/km²...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
had ever produced.
University
Rampone attended Monmouth UniversityMonmouth University
Monmouth University is a private university located in West Long Branch, New Jersey, United States.Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956, and later Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its charter....
, located in West Long Branch
West Long Branch, New Jersey
West Long Branch is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 8,097. It is the home of Monmouth University....
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
, after being highly recruited by nearly every major college in the country. At Monmouth, she excelled as a three-sport athlete in soccer, basketball, and lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
. During her senior year, she opted to ease away from her starting point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
basketball position to train and travel with the United States women's national soccer team
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
. On the Monmouth soccer field, Rampone was a two-time Northeast Conference
Northeast Conference
The Northeast Conference is a college athletic conference whose schools are members of the NCAA. The NCAA designates the Northeast Conference to the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision for Division I Men's Football and to Division I Sports for all other sports.Founded in 1981 as the ECAC-Metro...
Player of the Year selection and First Team All Mid-Atlantic Region selection, posting ten multiple-goal games in her senior year. She finished her collegiate soccer career with a start in all 80 games, led her team with 79 career goals and 54 assists, and was Monmouth's record holder for goals, assists, and points in a season.
When not on the field, Rampone studied towards a degree in Special Education
Special education
Special education is the education of students with special needs in a way that addresses the students' individual differences and needs. Ideally, this process involves the individually planned and systematically monitored arrangement of teaching procedures, adapted equipment and materials,...
, which she completed in 1996. She also worked as a volunteer basketball and soccer coach when completing her student teaching with Monmouth. As a tribute to her achievements and for the worldwide fame she brought to her alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, the university awarded her with an honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
in Public Service in 2005. Furthermore, the university inducted her into the Monmouth University Hall of Fame in 2007 and honored her 2008 Olympic accomplishments by declaring 5 October 2008 as Christie Rampone Day.
Club career
After college, Rampone played for Central Jersey Splash and New Jersey Lady StallionsNew Jersey Lady Stallions
New Jersey Lady Stallions were a W-League club based in Wayne, New Jersey, associated with the former Men's USL team, the New Jersey Stallions. The team folded after the 2004 season.-Year-by-year:...
, in 1997 and 1998 respectively, of the W-League
W-League
The USL W-League is a national women's soccer league in the United States on the 2nd level of women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, alongside the Women's Premier Soccer League and below Women's Professional Soccer....
.
In 2001, she was selected as a member of New York Power
New York Power
The New York Power was a professional soccer team that played in the Women's United Soccer Association. The team played at Mitchel Athletic Complex in Uniondale, New York. The team began play in 2001...
, a professional soccer team in Women's United Soccer Association
Women's United Soccer Association
The Women's United Soccer Association, often abbreviated to the WUSA, was the world's first women's soccer league in which all the players were paid as professionals. Founded in February 2000, the league began its first season in April 2001 with eight teams in the United States...
. In the first year, Christie played every minute of the first 18 games until tearing her anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
, sidelining her for the rest of the season. In 2002, Christie bounced back to play in 1699 minutes over 19 games, and another 18 games in 2003 in addition to her national team duties. Shortly after concluding its third season, the WUSA suspended all operations. In anticipation of an eventual relaunch, WUSA preserved its rights in the team names, logos and similar properties.
The next attempt at women's professional soccer in the United States kicked off in 2008 under the name of Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer
Women's Professional Soccer is the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States. It began play on March 29, 2009. The league was composed of seven teams for its first two seasons and fielded 6 teams for the 2011 season, with continued plans for future expansion...
. On 16 September 2008, the initial WPS player allocation was conducted and Rampone was chosen as captain for New Jersey's Sky Blue FC
Sky Blue FC
Sky Blue FC is an American professional soccer club based in Piscataway Township, New Jersey which participates in Women's Professional Soccer....
with fellow US Women's National Team players Heather O'Reilly
Heather O'Reilly
Heather Ann O'Reilly , also known by her initials HAO, is a member of the United States women's national soccer team and a two-time Olympic Gold medalist...
and Natasha Kai
Natasha Kai
Natasha Kanani Janine Kai is an American soccer forward currently playing for Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer.-University of Hawaiʻi:Kai played for the University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Wahine from 2002-2005...
.
In its inaugural season, Rampone and Sky Blue FC struggled, including the suspension of their first head coach Ian Sawyers
Ian Sawyers
Ian Sawyers is an American soccer coach.Sawyers attended Carnegie College, a division of Leeds Metropolitan University in Leeds, England. He played professional soccer for the Rotherham United club...
and the resignation of his successor, Kelly Lindsey. In July 2009, the Sky Blue organization announced that Rampone would serve as the caretaker coach, in addition to her playing duties, for the remainder of the WPS season. After taking on the position as head coach, the third in one season for Sky Blue FC, Rampone took her team on to win the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer Playoffs
2009 Women's Professional Soccer Playoffs
The 2009 WPS Playoffs were the postseason to Women's Professional Soccer's 2009 Season, that started on August 15 and culminated on August 22 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Format:...
. It was later revealed she was almost three months pregnant with her second child at the time of the match. One week later, Rampone was named WPS Sportswoman of the Year.
She remained with Sky Blue in a playing role for 2010 before switching to magicJack
MagicJack (WPS)
MagicJack was an American professional soccer club based in Boca Raton, Florida. The team competed in Women's Professional Soccer. MagicJack was originally founded in 2001 as the Washington Freedom of the defunct Women's United Soccer Association. In 2011, the team relocated to Boca Raton, Florida...
ahead of the 2011 Women's Professional Soccer season
2011 Women's Professional Soccer season
The 2011 Women's Professional Soccer season is the third season for the WPS, the top level professional women's soccer league in the United States...
.
International career
Christie Rampone has represented the United States at the 1999, 2003, 2007 and 2011 FIFA Women's World CupFIFA Women's World Cup
The FIFA Women's World Cup is an international association football competition contested by the senior women's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded every four years since the...
finals, and at the 2000
Football at the 2000 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2000 Summer Olympics was the 20th official Olympic football tournament. A women's tournament was held for the second time.-Medal winners:-Venues:*Olympic Stadium, Sydney*Sydney Football Stadium, Sydney*Bruce Stadium, Canberra...
, 2004
Football at the 2004 Summer Olympics
The football tournament at the 2004 Summer Olympics started on 11 August, , and ended on 28 August.The men's tournament is played by U-23 national teams, with up to three over age players allowed per squad...
, and 2008
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and several other cities in the People's Republic of China from 6 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23 teams to participate...
Summer Olympics
Summer Olympic Games
The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an international multi-sport event, occurring every four years, organized by the International Olympic Committee. Medals are awarded in each event, with gold medals for first place, silver for second and bronze for third, a tradition that...
.
After training with the United States women's national soccer team
United States women's national soccer team
The United States women's national soccer team represents the United States in international soccer competition and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. The U.S. team won the first ever Women's World Cup in 1991, and has since been a superpower in women's soccer. It is currently ranked first in the world...
during her senior year at Monmouth, Rampone switched to playing as a defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. Rampone's first game was 28 February 1997 versus Australia
Australia women's national association football team
The Australia women's national association football team, nicknamed the Matildas , represents Australia in international women's association football and is governed by Football Federation Australia . The team has regularly qualified for both the Women's World Cup and the Olympics although has won...
. She tallied her first national team goal on 2 May 1997, in a match versus South Korea
Korea Republic women's national football team
The South Korea national women's football team represents South Korea in international Women's football competitions. The team is recognised as Korea Republic by FIFA...
. Rampone started 16/18 games in her first season and finished with two goals and three assists. The following year, Rampone helped her team to its first undefeated season and led the United States to gold in the 1998 Goodwill Games
1998 Goodwill Games
The 1998 Goodwill Games was the fourth edition of the international sports competition, created by Ted Turner in reaction to the political troubles surrounding the Olympic Games of the 1980s. The competition was held in New York, United States from July 19 to August 2, 1998.-Medal table:-References:*...
by starting in both matches.
Rampone played 2540 minutes with the national team in 2000, including five games at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. The team finished with the Silver medal. In 2001, Rampone tore her anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
and missed a majority of the limited national team season. Rampone was back with the team for two training camps in 2002, but focused on recovering from her surgery. In 2003, she started in 15/17 national team games and all four World Cup matches to lead her team to the Bronze medal.
In the next Summer Olympics, she helped the United States win gold after defeating Brazil
Brazil women's national football team
The Brazil women's national football team represents Brazil in international women's association football. Brazil played their first game on July 22, 1986 against the United States....
in what would be the final Olympic Games for a few of her teammates, including Mia Hamm
Mia Hamm
Mariel Margaret "Mia" Hamm is a retired American soccer player. Hamm played many years as a forward for the United States women's national soccer team and was a founding member of the Washington Freedom. Hamm has scored more international goals in her career than any other player, male or female,...
. It was in this same year that Rampone would become the fifth most capped defender in United States history.
Rampone returned to the team in 2006, after taking off the 2005 season to have her first child. In 2006, Christie returned to the team just 112 days after giving birth for China's Four Nations Tournament. 2007 brought Rampone's busiest year to date, starting in all 20 games in which she played and she became the most capped defender and second-most capped played on the 2007 FIFA Women's World Cup team. She started in all six matches of the World Cup.
In 2008, Rampone was named captain of the Women's National Team and led the United States to the Gold medal once again, earning her 200th National Team cap at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
. With the retirement of teammate Kristine Lilly
Kristine Lilly
Kristine Marie Lilly Heavey is a retired American soccer player who last played for Boston Breakers of Women's Professional Soccer and was a member of the United States women's national soccer team for 24 years...
, Rampone is currently the most capped
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
active player in the world, and is fourth on the all-time cap list with 240, behind Lilly, Hamm, and Julie Foudy.
Personal life
Rampone married Chris Rampone on 9 November 2001 in Jersey CityJersey City, New Jersey
Jersey City is the seat of Hudson County, New Jersey, United States.Part of the New York metropolitan area, Jersey City lies between the Hudson River and Upper New York Bay across from Lower Manhattan and the Hackensack River and Newark Bay...
, New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. They currently have two daughters, Rylie Cate, born on September 29, 2005, and Reece Elizabeth, born on March 6, 2010.
In July 2011, Rampone revealed she had Lyme disease.