Inside was a beautiful hand-knitted blanket with the full BYU Cougar logo in the middle. The final two years she took her teams to the Western National Collegiate Club soccer Association (NCCSA) title and placed second in the NCCSA National Championships. I remember thinking we had such great success those first few years, that the expectation got pretty high, Rockwood said. He challenged me in every way toget better and always expected success. Are we doing everything we can to build the kingdom of God? After 23 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven Sweet 16 runs and four Elite Eight finishes, BYU women's soccer coach Jennifer Rockwood finally broke through with the program she helped build from scratch, culminating in the Cougars' first-ever NCAA College Cup semifinal appearance Friday at a sold-out Stevens Stadium in Santa Clara, California (7:30 p.m. MT, ESPNU). 1 seed in 2012, Advanced to the Sweet 16 sixtimes (1998, 2000, 2003, 2012,2016 and 2019), Advanced to the Elite 8 three times(2003,2012 and 2019), Led BYU to 13regular season and eighttournament conference championships and won conference championships in 16of her 25seasons, Led team to four-straight regular season conference titles twice, once in the MWC from 1999-2002 and in the WCC from 2012-2015, Finished with a winning record in 24of 26seasons, Reached highest national ranking of No. In fact, I first met several of the current players on our team at camp when they were only ten or eleven years old. In that time she amassed an overall record of 128-25-9. Do you have that light in your eyes? Recruiting takes a special toll on her because along with the pressure to nab students who will best fit the teams needs comes the knowledge that her decisions will leave many players and parentssome of whom shes known for a long timebitterly disappointed. Practice or not, it didnt matter to her or the team. The day I pledge I was super excited that we could get to do this. Its kind of weird, huh? Rockwood said, noting all of the accomplishments over her wall, But when you kinda think about it, we feel very blessed. With the Big 12 on the immediate horizon, dont be surprised if success happens rather quickly. Jen is a very competitive person to play on the club team was fun because shes very competitive like me, so we got along well, and at other times we didnt because wed be competing against each other., This competitiveness motivated each of them to greatness, and Smith-Bretzing appreciated that about her friend and coach. When I was younger, one of my first coaching jobs was for a high school boys soccer team. BYU women's soccer coach Jennifer Rockwood finally reached the top of the mountain BYU has made the College Cup, the Final Four in women's soccer, for the first time in school history and will meet Santa Clara on Friday in a national semifinal By Jay Drew Dec 2, 2021, 3:24pm PST SHARE Most of our players attended camps when they were younger, so they know how exciting it is for young campers to come and hang out with them for a week. In addition to launching the high school sports program at Meridian and coaching both the boys and girls soccer teams there, she became the athletic director for the junior high. Does your life seem too busy at times? Are you an example of the Savior in your words, thoughts, and actions? As members of the Church trying to build the kingdom, we can be assured that we are prime targets. In one of BYU's most successful seasons, 2012, the Cougars were ranked as high as No. In a world thats weak Our profession is out there for everybody to critique, she says. BYU Women's Soccer (@byusoccer_w) September 10, 2021 BYU is another prestigious women's soccer program that longtime head coach Jennifer Rockwood leads. Under Rockwood's tutelage, the team finished in the Top 10 in 1998, 2000, 2003, 2012, 2016, 2019 and 2021 and have finished in the Top 25 13times in 25years. Rockwood has guided the Cougars to 13regular season conference championships and eight conference tournament championships during her tenure. This was such a kind gift and note that touched our team and reminded us that we are capable of reaching individuals who we would never have thought of. She's not just a coach, but the mom of our team, making sure everyone is good. overrideTextAlignment= . the BYU Women's Soccer Head Coach I get most excited about coaching when. Rockwood has an impressive 407-118-45overall record for her career. Having gained it, never lose it. Before long, she was made a middle school supervisor for curriculum, discipline, and activities, and she gained greater influence in the schools athletics program. Succeed anyway. We must choose our friends and those we associate with very carefully. As the only head coach in program history, Jennifer Rockwood has taken the BYU women's soccer team to national prominence and established herself as one of the premier coaches in Division I soccer today. She was rated as the No. Standing for Him In 2019, Rockwood and her staff were recognized as the United Soccer Coaches Regional Staff of the Year. In their winningest season in program history, the Cougars steadily climbed to no. Several years ago President Gordon B. Hinckley said at a BYU devotional: You came because you wanted the BYU experience, although perhaps you could not define it. Nothing gets fans ready for college sports quite like a good tailgate. This poem has had a profound impact on my life, and I refer to it often. We have done everything that most coaches could ever want, she says. Cultivate it in your lives and hold its very essence until you grow old and gray. Do good anyway. BYU Cougars women's soccer [@byusoccer_w], "Moabite's granddaughter soccer coach at B.Y.U. God has sent each of us here with a purpose, a plan, and a specific life to live. Are we being a light to others? She graduated with a degree in Communications and began her career working in broadcasting, including working for CNN and KBYU-TV. "Jen does a really great job of making every play feel cared for, that they matter, and that it's about them," said Colette Jepson Smith, the former Davis High standout who played three seasons at BYU and is now the head coach at Rowland Hall and Wasatch Soccer Club. Wemust always seek for the light, and we must light the way for otherstoday more than ever. [Stand Ye in Holy Places: Selected Sermons and Writings of President HaroldB. Lee (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1974), 115]. After my first run of nearly six miles, I was okay, but it had been really hard and I had gone pretty slow. I wore a headlamp and a blinking red reflector. - Sat 2/25 8:00 pm. [BYU] came to me because I had kind of been the boss, in a sense, of the team before that, she says. All of these emotions leave us vulnerable, questioning, and sometimes searching for easy fixes. And again, they gave me a lot of freedom in doing what I did, cause I was learning a lot myself. Aggression is the key in soccer, but so is patience, calmness on the ball, and tactical awareness in a game that can resemble both a chess match and a track meet and sometimes in the same 45-minute half. My headlamp was the only source of light through the two and a half miles of switchback trails. When I think about light and the many different meanings it has, Ireflect on an experience Ihad last June. I love to share it at every possible opportunity. We then let those negative voices speak loudly in our headswith phrases such as Im not good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, or skinny enough. Soon after, a couple of runners came in behind me and thanked me for leading them to the end. Are you sure? While it seems risky to turn down a great job offer or leave graduate school early, Brian Hill's journey led him to start his own company that helps give others a second chance. And thats led the way for younger players to come through and wanna reach the success.. There was BYU's head coach, seated across from a teenager who couldn't stop asking questions. 2 and received a No. Dream big dreams and find your passionitis never too late. But they werent soccer people, they didnt know much about soccer. At the close of the season, the Cougars were ranked fifth nationally. Jennifer Rockwood delivered a BYU devotional address titled Drawn to the Light on 15 March 2016. PROVO, Utah BYU women's soccer will welcome national-champion UCLA transfer Ellie Walbruch to the Cougars for the 2023 season. ", "BYU women's soccer: Coach Rockwood learns to loosen up", "Reaching 300, one win at a time for BYU's Rockwood", UNC womens soccer upsets BYU to advance to Final Four, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jennifer_Rockwood&oldid=1138996076, High school soccer coaches in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Women's association footballers not categorized by position, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, *Club domestic league appearances and goals, This page was last edited on 12 February 2023, at 20:38. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. One of my favorite songs is titled I Will and is written and performed by Hilary Weeks. She knew the sport of soccer. The three-time West Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Year has plenty of help, though, including ace scorer Cameron Tucker, who's 16 goals and five game-winning goals on the year led to her own first-team All-America nod; and sophomore midfielder Jamie Shepherd, the two-time All-West Regional honoree. Her mom went on to explain that her daughter loved soccer but was from an area where there werent any members who played, and she was slowly losing interest in attending her Young Women group, seminary, and even church on Sunday. For several years I have had the opportunity to participate in a team race that takes runners through some of the most beautiful scenery in the state. She will likely be joined by Tucker, her teammate and close friend. PROVO The numbers speak for themselves, but as is often the case, they don't tell the whole story. Provo, Utah 84602. . I pray that I will be able to share a few thoughts and stories today that might inspire you to realize your significance and importance here on earth. BYU, in part due to Title IX legislation, began its search to field another competitive womens team to add to its growing collection that already featured the likes of basketball, volleyball and gymnastics. Some of our competitions were hours away. [I Will, Every Step (Shadow Mountain Records: 2011)]. A national championship was within their grasp. I am sure that we all have worked extremely hard and sacrificed much to be a part of this BYU community. She won her 300th game over San Francisco 2-0 on Oct. 10, 2013. I have had the opportunity to coach amazing athletes over the years and we really have had some fantastic teams, some teams who have been really close, and we haven't quite been there. Everything we can to build the kingdom of God close friend `` Moabite 's granddaughter soccer coach at B.Y.U ]... 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