Leslie Gaston

Gaston began playing soccer at the age of four, and played on boys' club teams until 1994. In 1995, she played on the boys' varsity soccer team of Saint James School as a captain, and was an all-city selection. She tore her ACL in late 2005, but returned from injury to compete in track and field in early 1996. She was as a state finalist in the 4 × 100, and finished fifth in the 100 and 200 meters, earning her the 1996 Rehab Associates award for the comeback of the year. She again competed in boys' varsity soccer and track in early 1997. She finished third in the state in the long jump and sixth in the 100 meters for track, and was a 1997 Parade and NSCAA All-American. She was the captain of the girls' varsity soccer team in early 1998, earning her all-state honors.

Gaston was named on regional Olympic Development Program teams from 1993 to 1995, 1997 and 1998. She played for the Briarwood Lady Lightning club team from 1994 to early 1997, before joining Atlanta's Tophat Soccer Club in late 1997. With Tophat, she won the 1997 state championship in, the 1997 WAGS Premier Cup, the 1998 Junior Orange Bowl championship, and the 1998 Region 3 championship. She was also named to the U.S. under-17 national team pool in 1997, and made the under-18 team in 1998 before withdrawing due to injury.

Gaston joined the North Carolina Tar Heels on an athletic scholarship in 1998.{{cite news |last=Christa |first=Turner |location=Montgomery, Alabama |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118270774/st-james-gaston-to-play-soccer-for/ |title=St. James' Gaston to play soccer for North Carolina |newspaper=Montgomery Advertiser |agency=USA Today |page=3C |department=Sports |volume=171 |number=43 |date=February 12, 1998 |access-date=February 9, 2023}} However, she redshirted during the 1998 season due to an ACL injury. In her debut 1999 season, she played a reserve role, suffering a torn MCL in her only start of the season, resulting in her missing several games during the season. The team went on to win the 1999 national championship. She played a greater role during her second season as a defensive midfielder, scoring four goals and recording one assist in 24 appearances as the team went on to win the 2000 national championship. She started all 25 games of the 2001 season primarily as a left-back, scoring three goals and recording two assists. In her final season she made 26 appearances and scored one goal. She was an All-American in 2002, selected to the second team by the NSCAA and third team by Soccer Buzz, and was named as the most valuable player of the ACC tournament. For the same season, she was included in the All-ACC second team, and was included in the All-Southeast Region by the NSCAA and Soccer Buzz. During her college career, she made 92 appearances for the Tar Heels, scoring ten goals and recording four assists.{{cite web |url=https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/unc.sidearmsports.com/documents/2012/6/22/03wsoc-mg-pgs31-61.pdf |title=2003 UNC Women's Soccer Media Guide |publisher=North Carolina Tar Heels |year=2003 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209060755/https://s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/sidearm.nextgen.sites/unc.sidearmsports.com/documents/2012/6/22/03wsoc-mg-pgs31-61.pdf |archive-date=February 9, 2023}}

After finishing her college career, Gaston was selected as the second pick of the second round of the 2003 WUSA Draft (tenth overall) by the Atlanta Beat.{{cite web |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2003/02/02/wusa_draft/ |title=WUSA 2003 Draft |work=Sports Illustrated |date=February 2003 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030217223958/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/us/news/2003/02/02/wusa_draft/ |archive-date=February 17, 2003}} She made her debut for Atlanta on April 5, 2003, against the New York Power, assisting Kylie Bivens's opening goal of a 5–0 win.{{cite news |url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/7587/wusa-hamm-leads-freedom-past-courage-in-2003-open.html |title=WUSA: Hamm leads Freedom past Courage in 2003 opener |work=Soccer America |date=April 6, 2003 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209063817/https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/7587/wusa-hamm-leads-freedom-past-courage-in-2003-open.html |archive-date=February 9, 2023}} Gaston made 18 regular season appearances during the 2003 season, with the team finishing second and qualifying for the playoffs.{{cite web |url=http://www.wusa.com/players_coaches/players/leslie_gaston/ |title=Bio: 29 – Leslie Gaston |publisher=Women's United Soccer Association |access-date=February 9, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040103072113/http://www.wusa.com/players_coaches/players/leslie_gaston/ |archive-date=January 3, 2004}} In the semifinal against the San Diego Spirit, she assisted Charmaine Hooper's winning golden goal four minutes into extra time to advance to the 2003 WUSA Founders Cup.{{cite news |url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/4441/wusa-beat-snatches-founders-cup-berth-with-stoppa.html |title=WUSA: Beat snatches Founders Cup berth with stoppage-time, OT goals |work=Soccer America |date=August 18, 2003 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209065615/https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/4441/wusa-beat-snatches-founders-cup-berth-with-stoppa.html |archive-date=February 9, 2023}} She started in the Founders Cup against the Washington Freedom, earning a penalty at the end of the first half, which Charmaine Hooper converted to equalize the score at 1–1. Gaston was substituted out before the start of extra time, with Atlanta going on to lose six minutes later to a golden goal by Abby Wambach.{{cite news |url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/4739/wusa-wambach-leads-freedom-in-founders-cup-thrill.html |title=WUSA: Wambach leads Freedom in Founders Cup thriller |work=Soccer America |date=August 24, 2003 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210620042453/https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/4739/wusa-wambach-leads-freedom-in-founders-cup-thrill.html |archive-date=June 20, 2021}}

Gaston played for the Atlanta Silverbacks in the USL W-League from 2005 to 2006.{{cite news |last=Parker |first=Wendy |location=Atlanta |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118268039/silverbacks-women/ |title=Silverbacks women |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |page=D13 |department=Sports |volume=57 |number=121 |date=May 1, 2005 |access-date=February 9, 2023}}{{cite news |url=https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/4005/usl-transactions.html |title=USL: Transactions |work=Soccer America |date=February 10, 2006 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209045426/https://www.socceramerica.com/publications/article/4005/usl-transactions.html |archive-date=February 9, 2023}} She was named the defensive player of the year for the 2006 W-League season, and was included on the All W-League and All-Central Conference teams.{{cite news |last=Glier |first=Ray |location=Atlanta |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118268457/leslie-gaston-gets-her-kicks-on-defense/ |title=Leslie Gaston gets her kicks on defense |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |page=T5 |volume=59 |number=42 |date=February 11, 2007 |access-date=February 9, 2023}}

In July 2009, the newly founded Atlanta Beat in Women's Professional Soccer named Gaston as an assistant coach for the team's inaugural 2010 season.{{cite news |url=https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/wps-weekly/n-3863948 |title=WPS Weekly |website=OurSports Central |agency=Women's Professional Soccer |date=July 14, 2009 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230209050614/https://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/wps-weekly/n-3863948 |archive-date=February 9, 2023}} However, she ultimately did not serve on the team's coaching staff.{{cite web |url=http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/atlanta/players/coaching-staff |title=Coaching Staff |publisher=Women's Professional Soccer |year=2010 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315212000/http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/atlanta/players/coaching-staff |archive-date=March 15, 2010}}

Gaston was born to Eddie and Sally Gaston in Montgomery, Alabama, where she grew up and attended Saint James School, graduating in June 1998. She went on to graduate from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in December 2002 with a bachelor's degree in communications.{{cite news |last=Satter |first=Dan |url=http://www.wusa.com/players_coaches/players/leslie_gaston/337161.html |title=2003 draft preview: Surgeries Don't Touch Gaston's Spirit |publisher=Women's United Soccer Association |date=January 28, 2003 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030525183119/http://www.wusa.com/players_coaches/players/leslie_gaston/337161.html |archive-date=May 25, 2003}} After the Women's United Soccer Association folded in 2003, she began working as a marketing coordinator for arts and entertainment at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.{{cite news |last=Whitehead |first=Johnnie |location=Fort Collins, Colorado |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118268491/then-and-now-what-some-players-are/ |title=Then and now: What some players are doing |newspaper=Fort Collins Coloradoan |agency=USA Today |page=D7 |department=Sports |date=June 16, 2004 |access-date=February 9, 2023}} She married her husband David Marcus in April 2009, working at the time at a graphic design firm.{{cite magazine |url=https://issuu.com/bshoults/docs/columns |title=Alumni: Class of 1998 |magazine=Columns |publisher=Saint James School |page=21 |date=Summer 2010 |access-date=February 9, 2023}} They resided in Atlanta until 2014, when they relocated with their 2 children to Carbondale, Colorado.{{cite magazine |url=https://issuu.com/saintjameschool/docs/columns2014-web |title=Alumni notes: Class of 1998 |magazine=Columns |publisher=Saint James School |page=22 |date=Summer 2014 |access-date=February 9, 2023}}

Gaston dealt with numerous injuries during her career, primarily on her knee, requiring sixteen surgeries. Her first knee surgery occurred in high school, while the remaining ten were in college. This included five surgeries to replace her anterior cruciate ligament.{{cite news |last=Cooper |first=Jon |url=http://www.wusa.com/players_coaches/players/leslie_gaston/344705.html |title=Gaston won't be denied |publisher=Women's United Soccer Association |date=March 2003 |access-date=February 9, 2023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030525165833/http://www.wusa.com/players_coaches/players/leslie_gaston/344705.html |archive-date=May 25, 2003}} However, she continued to play soccer against the advice of doctors. Despite dealing with knee pain after finishing her career,{{cite news |last=Parker |first=Wendy |location=Atlanta |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118272984/rookie-marked-by-resolve-part-1/ |title=Rookie marked by resolve |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |page=G1 |department=Sports |volume=55 |number=234 |date=August 22, 2003 |access-date=February 9, 2023}}{{cite news |last=Parker |first=Wendy |location=Atlanta |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118272993/rookie-marked-by-resolve-part-2/ |title=Gaston: Player's resolve has marked her play, body |newspaper=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |page=G2 |department=Sports |volume=55 |number=234 |date=August 22, 2003 |access-date=February 9, 2023}} she would later state: "if I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change anything. I know that sounds strange. But all the injuries have shaped my character and life in a way that I never thought something as devastating as having five ACLs could. I know whatever obstacles I face, I can get through them."{{cite news |last=Berson |first=Caroline |location=Philadelphia |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/118273103/for-their-sports-women-play-hard-but/ |title=For their sports, women play hard but hurt harder |newspaper=The Philadelphia Inquirer |page=H11 |department=Arts & Entertainment |volume=180 |number=64 |edition=City & Suburbs |date=August 3, 2008 |access-date=February 9, 2023}} She also broke her right leg, broke her ankle twice, bruised her kidney, broke her collarbone, and had four concussions all before finishing high school.

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Category:1980 births

Category:Living people

Category:Sportspeople from Montgomery, Alabama

Category:Soccer players from Alabama

Category:American women's soccer players

Category:21st-century American sportswomen

Category:Women's association football defenders

Category:North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer players

Category:Atlanta Beat (WUSA) players

Category:Atlanta Silverbacks Women players

Category:Women's United Soccer Association players

Category:Parade High School All-Americans (girls' soccer)

Category:USL W-League (1995–2015) players