And we must be willing to do all the little things in order to reap the bigger rewards. This was her program now. Ill be true, Soccer? Provo The way coach Jennifer Rockwood sees it, BYU's women's soccer team is back where it belongs in the NCAA tournament.. Having missed the tournament last year for just the fifth . As part of my job, I have the opportunity almost every week to tell young people, their coaches, and their parents what an amazing place this is: a university where students can reach their highest potential athletically, academically, socially, and spiritually and where everyone understands that they are not perfect but where they are committed to being their best. BYU women's soccer head coach Jennifer Rockwood reached her 400th win at BYU on March 6 against Loyola Marymount, putting her among the winningest coaches in the NCAA. In addition to playing soccer, she was a frequent participant in basketball, track, and softball. I think the seniors realize how much effort she's put into the program, the time to get us the right gear and everything else. Do good anyway. Jamie Shepherd has been fantastic. Having gained it, never lose it. Spurs snap 16-game losing streak by topping uninspired Jazz, Man arrested in connection with fatal shooting now accused of child rape, Bill mandating counties to provide homeless shelters, enforce camping laws passes Utah House, Troopers identify woman killed in crash near Nephi, Supreme Court seems ready to reject student loan forgiveness. I told them that maybe she just needed a little extra love and attention. Taking over the program in 1989, Rockwood is the only coach BYU has recognized since it made women's soccer an NCAA sanctioned sport in 1995. One save, and for the first time in their history, the BYU womens soccer team would be one shot away from a national championship. Structural Info Known for movies That major put me in positions where I was uncomfortable and forced me to do things beyond what I thought I could do, she recalls. Love them anyway. She decided to pursue a bachelors degree in business management with an emphasis in finance, in part because few women were in the program, and she wanted to see if she could rise to the challenge. It is so important that we find ways in which we can inspire others. Yes, life is hard and we are all challenged, and at certain times we are challenged more than at other times. As President Monson stated, we want to be a light even to total strangers.. Something most of you know and something I have come to learn over the years is that your mother and father are always your biggest fans. Information in the story may be outdated "The head coach has to lay down the law, but she still has the ability to give players confidence. However, she believed in me, and she believed that I had a future in education and coaching. We are aware that people are watching us, and you never know which lives can be touched, which doors can be opened, and what inspiration can be provided. After the initial shock of having a team, being tabbed as head coach of a new program, and having to ride the difficulty of her first two NCAA seasons, the training wheels were off. When I think about light and the many different meanings it has, Ireflect on an experience Ihad last June. 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. . Give the world the best you have and youll get kicked in the teeth. After one year at Rick's College on a basketball scholarship, she transferred to BYU where she became a four-year starter at center midfield on the Cougars' club soccer team and graduated in finance, business management. An alumna of BYU, she's led the program to six Sweet 16 appearances and the Elite Eight three times, including back in 2019. Soccer as a sport was fighting for prominence in the United Statesespecially womens soccer. Each team member runs three different routes, and the whole team runs a total of more than 180 miles. They will spend countless hours together at practices, in the weight room, and on the road throughout almost every weekend during the season and the summer. Rockwood says the key is in recognizing you cant control what other people say or how they act; you can only control how you react. As surely as there is God, there is Satan. Video unavailable Watch on YouTube Watch on Universe Live Sports One penalty kick. The event starts in Logan and winds through the Wasatch Back to finish in Park City. Those decisions can emotionally drain Rockwood as she sometimes sees her players begin to question their ability and confidence. Other members of the athletic department helped mentor the young coach, including legendary former coaches Elaine Michaelis, Lu Wallace and Anne Valentine. 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. I think she probably felt overwhelmed by what it all means.. If Santa Clara wins, the final will be played Sunday at 6 p.m. MT but moved to Monday at 6 p.m. MT if BYU wins because of the Cougars' no-Sunday play policy. We want the Spirit of [the] Lord to be with us in order for us to live our religion, fulfill our mission as [sisters and] elders inIsrael, and do the will of Godto fulfill this great, high calling in the building up of this kingdom. The Cougars scored 25 goals in the next five matches, sparking a six-match winning streak and 12 of their next 13. We didnt know a lot about soccer, it was just getting started in the high schools, it wasnt a big sport in the States.. Jennifer Rockwood net worth is$600,000 Jennifer Rockwood Wiki: Salary, Married, Wedding, Spouse, Family Jennifer Rockwood is the head coach for the BYU Cougars women's soccer team, a position she has held since 1989. As graduation approached, Rockwood found herself at a crossroads. Succeed anyway. But some persist, and one she faces on a continual basis is dealing with criticism. I loved it. While her accomplishments are remarkable, even more so is the path that positioned the 1989 Marriott School grad to achieve them. BYU regularly maintains a consistent Top 25 ranking. Legends: Season 2. [Be a Light to the World, BYU devotional address, 1November 2011], On our team, we often talk about the importance of representing ourselves at the highest levelabout how wearing the name Brigham Young University on our jerseys means much more than just being another college team. Any doubts or questions of her being able to lead the team into a new era were gone. overrideButtonText= That staff led by assistant coaches Brent Anderson and Steve Magleby, volunteer assistant Made Gates, and administrative assistant Rachel Jorgensen, has been instrumental in the Cougars' breakthrough year, and receiving West Regional Staff of the Year honors by the United Soccer Coaches this past week. All rights reserved. I have often thought about what simple and direct words of encouragement might come from our Heavenly Father to remind us how capable and amazing we are. We have more responsibilities, more pressures, more expectations, and more places to be, and we spend far too much time on our smartphones. Among the many achievements and awards she has received over her career, Rockwood has been honored with sevenconference Coach of the Year awards, one by the Western Athletic Conference in 1996, two by the Mountain West in 2000 and 2008, and fourfrom the WCC in 2012,2014, 2018 and 2019. What a blessing and unbelievable inspiration Jenavieve was to me, my staff, her teammates, and all those who knew her. This month, the longtime BYU head coach picked up her 400th win in college soccer. After finishing 12-4-1 on the season with a share of the West Coast Conference crown, they beat top-seeded Virginia in the third round and previous national champion Santa Clara in the semifinal. . Cultivate it in your lives and hold its very essence until you grow old and gray. They were two more in a long line of All-Americans Rockwood helped produce. Although we are not perfect, we try to represent BYU the best we can. After a short time she told me that she really wanted to come back and learn from all those around her. We are in a battle between the light and the darkness each and every day. This is one way wecan search for the light. Her parents thought maybe it would be good for her to be around some members of the Church who also loved soccer. Whether these are choices about who to recruit or about playing time, these decisions often cause issues with players, parents, and familieswho, needless to say, are not too happy with me. One penalty kick. However, it put me on an unfamiliar course. It goes to show you that we never know what God has in store for us in the present or in the future. One of the most rewarding and proud moments of my coaching career was to give Jenavieve Phillips a big hug on the field after her last game as a Cougar and congratulate her on an amazing journey. God has sent each of us here with a purpose, a plan, and a specific life to live. We know that the players we bring in will not only be spending a large amount of time with us but will also be a significant part of the lives of their teammates for the course of their college career. Not only can we choose to surround ourselves with good people, but we are also blessed to have a God who intentionally places certain individuals in our path to provide opportunities and open doors to the future. My headlamp was the only source of light through the two and a half miles of switchback trails. But not even the 400-plus career wins, 14 conference championships and seven conference coach of the year honors can adequately describe the impact Rockwood has had at BYU since foregoing a basketball scholarship to Ricks College in 1984 and transferring to the club soccer program in Provo. "It's all of those things and then, they've managed to stay mostly healthy.". But if Rockwoods pattern of success is any indication, bringing home a national championship trophy is only a matter of time. I hope I can bring [players] in to where they have an amazing experience whether they play a lot or not, she says. Jennifer Rockwood (born September 20, 1966) is an American soccer coach, and the head coach for the BYU Cougars women's soccer team, a position she has held since 1989. Having grown up in and around competitive soccer, which included teams with men on the field as well, Rockwood had overcome many obstacles to that point as a player and coach. [The BYU Experience, BYU devotional address, 4November 1997]. It is our responsibility. overridebuttonBgColor= I thought it was unusual, but I opened the package. Rockwood was offered a basketball scholarship at Ricks College, which she accepted in the fall of 1984, but her one true desire was soccer. If BYU womens soccer fans have learned anything from Rockwood, it is that success always follows this program. She was born in Provo and raised in Lake Oswego, Oregon, with four younger brothers. In that time she amassed an overall record of 128-25-9. As surely as there is light, there is darkness. To be able to be the assistant to her and to help her in those first few years, coaching players and developing the program, it was a great experience.. She lived her life to the fullest, fulfilled her mission on this earth, and was taken home to her Heavenly Father after a car accident in 2012. So many amazing people have crossed my path over the years, as I am sure many have crossed yours. I must admit that the first thing I thought when asked if I would be willing to speak was, Really? And again, they gave me a lot of freedom in doing what I did, cause I was learning a lot myself. Based in Miami, Jennifer Rockwood is a leadership advisor and search consultant who specializes in helping her clients navigate challenges rooted in business model disruption and digital transformation. We get scared of failure, we fear the unknown, and we are burdened with losses, sickness, and pain. Jennifer Rockwood has never had an unofficial visit like the one she had with Carla Swensen-Haslam. I was super excited that we could get to do this. I loved it, Bertoch said. There was BYU's head coach, seated across from a teenager who couldn't stop asking questions. Unlike basketball and football, soccer doesnt adhere to a recruiting calendar; Rockwood may be traveling any given weekend to watch prospective athletes. "In many ways, losing to Utah State may have saved their season," Smith said. Division regular season champion Olivia Wade is so good on the wing. Jennifer Rockwood stepped onto BYUs South Field and gazed numbly across the green turf. One of the loudest and most supportive was that of Bertoch. In 1995 BYU officially recognized women's soccer as an NCAA sport. We are so blessed to live at the base of majestic mountains. 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