The first time Christie Pearce Rampone was invited to a United States Women's National Team camp, she went in thinking it was all other college seniors essentially trying out. When she realized it was much greater than that, Rampone thought there was no way she would get another call up but here she is set to be inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame class of 2022.
Rampone had an untraditional way of getting to the international stage, originally going to college on a full basketball scholarship with no intention to play soccer. From the start of her athletic career she was making strides, becoming the first female athlete in New Jersey to lead scoring in three different sports during high school. She scored 2,190 points during her high school hoops career and was sought after by many colleges before she decided to attend Monmouth on a basketball scholarship. Soccer was never where she thought her life was going to go, but after an incredible collegiate soccer season she earned her USWNT call up.
Being a collegiate athlete is tough in general, but for Rampone she was never not in season. As soon as basketball preseason would start she would stop going to soccer training but still play in games. She captained her basketball team as point guard while being a high scoring player for Monmouth, tallying 79 goals in her college career.
When former head coach of the USWNT Tony DiCicco brought Rampone into camp it was for a run at playing defender. After playing well in her first training camp in San Diego, she made the roster for a trip to Australia. From there her career skyrocketed. She appeared in 311 international matches and played 24,011 minutes in a U.S. uniform, second to only Kristine Lilly's world-record 346 games and stunning total of 28,874 minutes. Throughout her career Rapmone started 87% of her caps totaling 272 starts, also second only to Lilly in U.S. history.
Rampone captained the USWNT during two gold medal runs and one FIFA Women’s World Cup title. She played in 19 total Women’s World Cup matches, tied for sixth best all-time, and played in 22 Olympic matches, more than any U.S. player. Her list of accolades span wide, having won the World Cup in 1999 and again in 2015 as well as three Olympic gold medals to her name.
“So I'm very fortunate that I had two victories and one in the beginning, one in the end with so many amazing memories that made me who I am today.” said Rampone on her journey with the national team. “That's what I'm very grateful for, the honesty of the women's national team, the fact that I had earned my way, had six different head coaches that all challenged me in very different ways, three female, three male coaches. So I got a well balanced coaching staff, but I truly have embraced that journey.”
Rampone, who began her professional career in 2001, played in all three iterations of the U.S. professional leagues. She played for the New York Power in the Women’s United Soccer Association from 2001-03, played for Sky Blue FC and magicJack SC in Women’s Professional Soccer, and she then played for her home state Sky Blue FC in the National Women’s Soccer League from 2013-17.
Christie Pearce Rampone Induction
Christie Pearce Rampone will join several other US Soccer legends like Shannon Boxx in being inducted Saturday May 21, 2022. Siri Mullinix, a former USWNT goalkeeper, will be presenting the award to Rampone during the event which begins at 1:30 P.M. EST and can be watched live on NationalSoccerHOF.com
