Kerri Hanks
Encyclopedia
Kerri Michel Hanks is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 soccer forward who last played for 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....

 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 currently an assistant coach for the Texas Christian University
TCU Horned Frogs
The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University, consisting of 18 varsity teams. The "horned frog" nickname and mascot refer to the Texas horned lizard, as known as the "horned frog". The women's athletics teams are often referred to often as the Lady Frogs...

 women's soccer team.

Hanks was a forward for the University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's soccer
The Notre Dame Fighting Irish women's soccer team represent the University of Notre Dame in the Big East Conference of NCAA Division I soccer. The team has won 3 of the 29 NCAA national championships...

 women's soccer team from 2005 to 2008, and is one of the most highly decorated players in the history of women's college soccer. She is the fourth player in women's college soccer to win the Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...

 twice, joining 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,...

, Cindy Parlow, and Christine Sinclair
Christine Sinclair
Christine Margaret Sinclair is a Canadian soccer forward who plays professional soccer for the Western New York Flash and is the captain of the Canadian national team. Sinclair has spent ten years with the Canadian national team participating in two World Cups in 2007 and 2003 and the 2008 Summer...

 in sharing that honor.

Collegiate career

Hanks' first year playing for the Irish was in 2005; she held off enrolling at Notre Dame
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame du Lac is a Catholic research university located in Notre Dame, an unincorporated community north of the city of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana, United States...

 in order to participate in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship
2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship
-Group B:---------------------Group C:--------------------- Knockout Map :-Quarterfinals:-------------Semifinals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-All star team:-Goalscorers:...

 in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

. Hanks scored 28 goals as a freshman, becoming the third-highest scorer in women's college soccer for that year. Hanks is just one of 23 players ever in Division I women’s soccer history to earn All-America accolades all four season and the youngest recipient by class year of the Hermann Trophy, which is presented to the top female and male soccer player in NCAA Division I soccer. Much of Hanks' success came under the mentorship of Notre Dame teammate and Canadian international Katie Thorlakson
Katie Thorlakson
Katie Thorlakson is a female football forward, who twice won a medal with the Canadian women's national soccer team at the Pan American Games, she currently plays with the Melbourne Victory.-References:*...

, with whom Hanks shares the NCAA record in career assists.

2006

In Hanks' second season with the Irish she led the nation in goals and assists. Hanks became the youngest recipient, male or female, of the prestigious Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...

 in 2006, selected ahead of the other two finalists, North Carolina's 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 Yael Averbuch
Yael Averbuch
Yael Friedman Averbuch is an American soccer midfielder currently playing for Western New York Flash of Women's Professional Soccer, and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team....

.

2007

2007 was a relatively quiet year for Hanks, despite scoring 14 goals and posting 21 assists for the Irish and making it to the semifinals of the 2007 College Cup
NCAA Women's Soccer Championship
NCAA Women's Soccer Championships are divided into three divisions. This article lists NCAA Women's soccer championships.-Division I:The NCAA began conducting a Women's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1982 with a 12-team tournament...

, in which Hanks assisted on Carrie Dew
Carrie Dew
Caroline Frances Dew is an American soccer defender currently signed by Sky Blue FC of Women's Professional Soccer.-Personal:...

's goal in the first half. However, the Irish were defeated, 2-3, by Florida State
Florida State Seminoles
The Florida State Seminoles are the men's and women's sports teams of Florida State University in Tallahassee, Florida. Florida State participates in the NCAA's Division I . FSU joined the Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991, and competes in the Atlantic Division in any sports split into a...

, who would then go on to lose 0-2 in the final to USC
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...

, the eventual NCAA champion.

2008

Having finished her bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...

 in sociology
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...

 the spring before her NCAA eligibility ended, Hanks debated over whether to continue playing for the Irish, or end her college career. Hanks decided to take one last chance at an NCAA championship title in 2008, scoring 20 goals and receiving the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
The Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award is an annual college athletic award in the NCAA Division I. Qualified competitors must be seniors who have remained within their NCAA Division I college for a four-year commitment and achieved excellence in one of nine sports.....

. Notre Dame was the top-ranked team in 2008 heading into the 2008 College Cup
NCAA Women's Soccer Championship
NCAA Women's Soccer Championships are divided into three divisions. This article lists NCAA Women's soccer championships.-Division I:The NCAA began conducting a Women's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1982 with a 12-team tournament...

, defeating Stanford
Stanford Cardinal
The Stanford Cardinal is the nickname of the athletic teams at Stanford University.-Nickname and mascot history:Following its win over Cal in the first-ever Big Game in 1892, the color cardinal was picked as the primary color of Stanford's athletic teams...

 in the semifinal, 1-0, on a goal by Courtney Barg. During the championship game, Hanks scored the fastest goal in the history of the College Cup Final, 16 seconds after the game had started. Winning the championship, however, was not to be; North Carolina responded to Hanks' goal with two goals from Casey Nogueira
Casey Nogueira
Casey Nicole Nogueira is a U.S. soccer midfielder who currently plays for the professional Sky Blue FC. She has earned one cap with the United States women's national soccer team in 2007 and was a member of the U.S. U-20 women's team at the 2006 FIFA U-20 Women's World Championship and the 2007...

, and the Irish fell to the Tar Heels, 1-2.

Despite that loss, Hanks would receive the Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...

 for the second time, over Nogueira and UCLA
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...

's Christina DiMartino
Christina DiMartino
Christina DiMartino , is an American soccer midfielder currently playing for Philadelphia Independence of Women's Professional Soccer and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team...

. Hanks ended her career at Notre Dame with 84 goals and 73 assists, joining 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,...

 and Jenny Streiffer as only the third person to reach 70 goals and 70 assists in her college career.

National Team career

Hanks was a member of the United States U-19 national soccer team
United States U-20 women's national soccer team
The United States U-20 women's national soccer team is a youth soccer team operated under the auspices of U.S. Soccer. Its primary role is the development of players in preparation for the full Women's National Team. The team's most recent major tournament was the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World...

 that participated in the 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship
2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship
The 2002 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship was held from August 17 to September 1. It was the first sanctioned youth tournament for women put together by FIFA. The tournament was hosted by Canada. FIFA granted the tournament to Canada in March 2001. Three cities hosted the tournament,...

 in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

; she was one of the youngest players on that squad, which won the inaugural championship title. She would return to the U-19s to play in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship
2004 FIFA U-19 Women's World Championship
-Group B:---------------------Group C:--------------------- Knockout Map :-Quarterfinals:-------------Semifinals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-All star team:-Goalscorers:...

 in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...

, where the United States finished third. Hanks is currently ranked second behind Ashlyn Harris
Ashlyn Harris
Ashlyn Michelle Harris is an American soccer goalkeeper for the Western New York Flash of Women's Professional Soccer. During her collegiate career, she served as the starting goalkeeper for the University of North Carolina women's soccer team...

 in all-time appearances (30) for the U-20 national team
United States U-20 women's national soccer team
The United States U-20 women's national soccer team is a youth soccer team operated under the auspices of U.S. Soccer. Its primary role is the development of players in preparation for the full Women's National Team. The team's most recent major tournament was the 2008 FIFA U-20 Women's World...

, as well as third all-time in goals scored (22) for the U-20s, behind Kelly Wilson and current national 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...

 star Lindsay Tarpley
Lindsay Tarpley
Lindsay Ann Tarpley Snow is an American soccer forward currently playing for magicJack of Women's Professional Soccer and is a member of the United States women's national soccer team. She went to Portage Central High School.-High school:Tarpley grew up in Portage, Michigan, and attended Portage...

.

Hanks competed for the United States U-23 women's national soccer team in 2008, playing in the 2008 Nordic Cup and appearing in all four matches of the tournament.

Professional career

Hanks was selected sixth overall in the 2009 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...

 draft, going to the Saint Louis Athletica in the first round. Halfway through the 2009 season, on June 26, 2009, Hanks was traded to 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....

.

During the 2010 WPS preseason, Sky Blue FC waived Hanks on March 10, 2010; that same day, she was picked up by the Philadelphia Independence. Six days later, on March 16, Hanks left the Independence and joined the Atlanta Beat preseason camp. Atlanta released Hanks on March 26, choosing to keep an extra defender instead.

In early April, Hanks resurfaced at tryouts for Icelandic club Stjarnan F.C.
Stjarnan
Stjarnan F.C. is an Icelandic sports club specialising in football, located in Garðabær, which currently plays in the Úrvalsdeild league in the Icelandic football division system, having won promotion from the 1...

 in Portugal.

Hanks is currently taking time off from professional soccer.

Coaching

In August 2010, Hanks joined the Texas Christian University
TCU Horned Frogs
The TCU Horned Frogs are the athletic teams that represent Texas Christian University, consisting of 18 varsity teams. The "horned frog" nickname and mascot refer to the Texas horned lizard, as known as the "horned frog". The women's athletics teams are often referred to often as the Lady Frogs...

 women's soccer coaching staff.
In addition to her TCU duties, Hanks also coaches the Sting West Silver team of Fort Worth.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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