Who is the greatest all-time Gatorade Player of the Year?
For 25 years, Gatorade has recognized America’s elite high school students for their athletic achievement, academic excellence and exemplary character with the Gatorade Player of the Year award. Throughout the year, Gatorade will host 10 polls to determine the greatest all-time Gatorade Player of the Year in boys football, girls volleyball, boys and girls soccer, boys and girls basketball, boys baseball, girls softball, and boys and girls track & field.
You can cast your vote for your favorite athlete of all-time once per sport, per day at http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
Former notable Gatorade Players of the Year include:
• Kerri Walsh, Olympic gold medal winning beach volleyball player
• Lisa Leslie, WNBA all-time leading scorer and rebounder
• Lauren Cheney, Olympic gold medal soccer player
• Cat Osterman, Softball Olympic gold medalist
In addition, make sure to enter the Gatorade Player of the Year sweepstakes where you could win a trip to the 2010 Gatorade High School Athlete of the Year Awards ceremony and the ESPY Awards.
For more information about The Gatorade Player of the Year program and its 25th anniversary celebration, please visit http://playeroftheyear.gatorade.com.
Marta named World Player of Year
Brazil’s Marta captured soccer’s World Player of the Year award for the fourth year in a row. The 23-year-old playmaker beat teammate Cristiane, Kelly Smith of England, and Germans Birgit Prinz and Inka Grings.
“I’m really surprised,” Marta said of winning the award again. Tearful but happy she described the accolade as “a landmark in my career and in my life”.
She was honored at the FIFA World Player Gala, during which former and current soccer stars and celebrities made appearances and Italian pop star Laura Pausini performed.
When asked how it felt to hear her name called once again, the 23-year-old replied, “It’s incredible. You can never prepare what you’re going to say and I just came out with the first words that came into my head.”
The prestigious FIFA award is voted for by the coaches and captains of each national side. With this year’s win, Marta becomes the record winner of the honor awarded by football’s world ruling body.
The dynamic striker, widely regarded as the best female to play the game, was a favorite last season in the revamped U.S Women’s Professional Soccer League, where she won the Golden Boot and was elected league MVP with the Los Angeles Sol.
American Mia Hamm won the inaugural women’s award in 2001, winning again in 2002.
Germany’s Birgit Prinz then picked up the award three years in a row from 2003-2005.
The men’s award when to Lionel Messi who added FIFA’s World Player of the Year award to his growing list of accolades, completing a nearly perfect campaign in which his club won an unprecedented trio of Spanish and European titles.
Wambach nominated for FIFA Award
October 30, 2009 by amo
Filed under Awards, Int'l Soccer, Soccer
Fresh off her 101st career goal and a U.S. 1-0 win against Germany yesterday, it was announced that Women’s National Team and Washington Freedom forward Abby Wambach is the only American nominated for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year Award.
Freedom teammate and French National player Sonia Bompastor is also on the list of ten nominees. There are 23 nominees on the Men’s side, with both lists reduced to five in early December. The winners will be announced at the FIFA World Player Gala on December 21st.
WOMEN NOMINEES: Nadine Angerer (Germany), Sonia Bompastor (France), Cristiane (Brazil), Inka Grings (Germany), Mana Iwabuchi (Japan), Simone Laudehr (Germany), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Kelly Smith (England) and Abby Wambach (USA).
Go Abby!
Marta named FIFA Player of the Year
January 12, 2009 - A star-studded gala in Zurich featured allowed the world’s top soccer players to dress up in their finest. The highlight of the spectacular evening came with the announcement of the winners of the FIFA World Player and FIFA Women’s World Player 2008 .
Drumroll please…Brazil’s Marta Viera de Silva took the FIFA Player of the Year award for the third consecutive time. At just 22-years-old, it is an amazing accomplishment.
Marta, who led Brazil to a silver medal in Beijing, received 1,002 points to beat Germany’s Birgit Prinz (328) and Brazil teammate Cristiane (275). The other finalists were Germany goalkeeper Nadine Angerer and England striker Kelly Smith.
Now Marta takes on other challenge, as the newest player in Women’s Profressional Soccer. As expected, Marta officially announced she will sign a three-year contract to play for the WPS’s Los Angeles team. Since 2004, the native of the Brazilian state of Alagoas, has been playing for fabled Swedish women’s club side Umea IK.
“I am extremely excited to be joining the Los Angeles Sol,” Marta said. “Knowing that WPS is going to be the most competitive league in the world made my decision easy. I am going to Los Angeles to win as many titles as possible and achieve all the remaining goals in my professional life.”
Marta has yet to visit Los Angeles or meet David Beckham – hope she likes it here. Her Brazilian teammate Cristiane confirmed at the gala that she’ll play for the Chicago Red Stars. No word on whether she’s ever been to the Windy City.
In other FIFA news, Cristiano Ronaldo won the Male Player of the Year. FIFA also gave a special award to the Palestine Football Association for opening the Al-Husseini Stadium and staging the first international game on the West Bank.
The Presidential Award went to women’s soccer, with a special dedication to the U.S. team that won the Olympic gold medal.
“For so many years women played and no one noticed,” said U.S. player Heather O’Reilly, who accepted the award. “That has changed today. The women’s game is improving day by day.”
Congrats to all.
Carolina’s Nogueira named Soccer America Women’s Player of the Year
December 16, 2008 by jane
Filed under College Athletics, College Soccer, News Bytes, Pro Soccer, Soccer
December 16, 2008 – Junior forward Casey Nogueira of Raleigh, N.C., put a signature achievement on her remarkable third season for the Tar Heels as she was named the National Player of the Year by Soccer America Magazine Tuesday. Nogueira, whose two goals in the national championship game lifted the Tar Heels to a 2-1 victory, led the nation this year in total goals with 25 and in total points with 58.This is the 12th time since Soccer America instituted the award in 1985 that a North Carolina player has been so honored.
Nogueira was also one of 11 players nationwide nation to the Soccer America MVP (All-America) first team while junior midfielder Tobin Heath and senior midfielder Yael Averbuch were both named Soccer America second-team MVPs. While NCAA runnerup Notre Dame and NCAA semifinalist UCLA both had two first-team choices, UNC led all schools with total selections to the first and second teams with three.
Nogueira, who wanted so badly to play for North Carolina that she moved from her home in Cedarburg, Wis., to Raleigh to be near the Tar Heels in high school, has backed up her commitment with superb performances in two Women’s College Cup finals in three years at UNC. (via press release)
Last week, Nogueira was named one of three finalists for the Hermann Trophy. Christina DiMartino from UCLA and Kerri Hanks of Notre Dame are also in the running for the the highest individual honor in intercollegiate soccer. The Hermann will be awarded at a banquet in January.
Casey Nogueira
Position: Forward
Class: Junior
Age: 19
Hometown: Raleigh, N.C.
High School: Needham Broughton
Youth Club: CASL Spartan Elite
International: U.S. national team (1 cap)
Major: Interpersonal Communications
It won’t be long before Nogueria is drafted by the WPS who today announced the home openers for the inaugural Season. Headlining the list of games is the “WPS Inaugural Match” featuring the Los Angeles Sol against the Washington Freedom at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. on Sunday, March 29, 2009.
Soccer: 2008 FIFA Player of the Year
October 30, 2008 by jane
Filed under Int'l Soccer, News Bytes, Soccer
October 30, 2008 – A 10-name shortlist for the FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year award has been published, including Arsenal’s Kelly Smith and Brazil’s Marta, who is aiming to win the award for the third year running.
Other female nominees include Canadian Christine Sinclair, Birgit Prinz of Germany and Americans Hope Solo and Shannon Boxx.
On the men’s side 23 players are in the running for the accolade including front-runner Cristiano Ronaldo.
Three finalists for each award will be named in December, before the winners are announced at a gala event Jan. 12 at the Zurich Opera House. Voting is done by head coaches and captains of men’s and women’s national teams.
Full Women’s List: Nadine Angerer (Germany), Shannon Boxx (United States), Cristiane (Brazil), Daniela (Brazil), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Christine Sinclair (Burnaby, B.C.), Kelly Smith (England), Hope Solo (U.S.), Ingvild Stensland (Norway).
