Robin Confer
{{Short description|American former soccer player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2019}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Robin Confer
| image =
| caption =
| height = {{Height|ft=5|in=8}}
| full_name = Robin Janelle Confer{{cite web |url=https://unc_ftp.sidearmsports.com/custompages/old_site/mediaguides/w-soccer/01history.pdf |title=2001 North Carolina women's soccer media guide |publisher=North Carolina Tar Heels |page=63 |year=2001 |access-date=August 4, 2022 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220804004657/https://unc_ftp.sidearmsports.com/custompages/old_site/mediaguides/w-soccer/01history.pdf |archive-date=August 4, 2022}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1976|2|21}}
| birth_place = Clearwater, Florida, U.S.
| position = Forward
| youthyears1 = {{0|0000}}–1994
| youthclubs1 = Clearwater Central Marauders
| collegeyears1 = 1994–1997
| college1 = North Carolina Tar Heels
| collegecaps1 = 107
| collegegoals1 = 77
| years1 = 1998
| clubs1 = Raleigh Wings{{cite web |url=http://www.raleighwings.com/w98stats.html |title=1998 Wings Player Stats |publisher=Raleigh Wings|access-date=2023-06-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990224102731/http://www.raleighwings.com/w98stats.html |archive-date=1999-02-24}}
| caps1 = 11
| goals1 = 9
| years2 =
| clubs2 = New Jersey Lady Stallions
| caps2 =
| goals2 =
| years3 = 2001
| clubs3 = Boston Breakers
| caps3 = 1
| goals3 = 0
| nationalyears1 =
| nationalteam1 = United States U21
| nationalcaps1 =
| nationalgoals1 =
| nationalyears2 = 1996–1998
| nationalteam2 = United States
| nationalcaps2 = 8
| nationalgoals2 = 1
| manageryears1 = 1998
| managerclubs1 = North Carolina Tar Heels (assistant)
| manageryears2 =
| managerclubs2 = Texas A&M Aggies (assistant)
| manageryears3 = 2002
| managerclubs3 = Mississippi State Bulldogs (assistant)
| manageryears4 = 2003–2004
| managerclubs4 = Florida State Seminoles (assistant)
| manageryears5 = 2005–2013
| managerclubs5 = Georgia Bulldogs (assistant)
| manageryears6 = 2014–2018
| managerclubs6 = North Florida Ospreys
}}
Robin Janelle Confer (born February 21, 1976) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward, making eight appearances for the United States women's national team.
Career
Confer played for the Clearwater Central Marauders in high school, where she scored 277 goals and was named a Parade High-School All-American. In college, she played for the North Carolina Tar Heels, helping the team to win the NCAA championship in 1994, 1996, and 1997. She was a Soccer America First-Team and NSCAA Third-Team All-American in 1997, and was chosen as a Freshman All-American in 1994 by Soccer America. The same year she was chosen by Soccer Buzz and Soccer News as the National Player of the Year, and was a finalist for the Hermann Trophy. She was included in the NCAA All-Tournament team in all four seasons, including 1997 when she was chosen as the tournament's offensive MVP. In total, she scored 77 goals and recorded 55 assists in 107 appearances for the Tar Heels. She ranks fourth in career points (goals and assists) at Carolina with 209, fifth in goals, and sixth in assists. She also holds the joint-NCAA record for most games played, along with Kristi Eveland, having never missed a game in her collegiate career.{{cite web |url=https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/unc.sidearmsports.com/documents/2019/8/16/2019MediaGuide.pdf |title=2019 North Carolina Women's Soccer Media Guide |website=North Carolina Tar Heels |date=August 16, 2019 |access-date=August 17, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817050919/https://s3.amazonaws.com/sidearm.sites/unc.sidearmsports.com/documents/2019/8/16/2019MediaGuide.pdf |archive-date=August 17, 2019}}
Confer began her national career with the U.S. under-21 team, where she was a captain.{{cite news |location=Tallahassee, Florida |url=https://seminoles.com/former-north-carolina-star-robin-confer-joins-fsu-soccer-coaching-staff/ |title=Former North Carolina Star Robin Confer Joins FSU Soccer Coaching Staff |website=Florida State Seminoles |date=June 4, 2003 |access-date=August 20, 2019 }} She made her international debut for the United States on January 18, 1996 in a friendly match against Ukraine. In total, she made eight appearances for the U.S. and scored one goal, earning her final cap on December 16, 1998 in another friendly match against Ukraine.{{cite web |url=https://d1dhn91mufybwl.cloudfront.net/downloads/pdfs/fdxnf1dwi/fdxnf1dwi_print.pdf |title=2019 U.S. Women's National Team Media Guide |website=United States Soccer Federation |year=2019 |access-date=August 18, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190808074101/https://d1dhn91mufybwl.cloudfront.net/downloads/pdfs/fdxnf1dwi/fdxnf1dwi_print.pdf |archive-date=August 8, 2019}}
In club soccer, Confer played for the Raleigh Wings in 1998, as well as the New Jersey Lady Stallions.{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/144063951/ |title=Lady Stallions' Streak reaches nine |newspaper=Asbury Park Press |via=Newspapers.com |page=43 |date=June 28, 1999 |access-date=August 20, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820031239/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/144063951/ |archive-date=August 20, 2019}} She was selected by the Boston Breakers in the 2000 WUSA Draft, where she made one appearance during the 2001 season.{{cite web |url=https://www.statscrew.com/womenssoccer/stats/p-conferob001 |title=Robin Confer |website=Stats Crew |access-date=August 20, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820031335/https://www.statscrew.com/womenssoccer/stats/p-conferob001 |archive-date=August 20, 2019}} However, a back injury cut her playing career short.
Confer was included in the Atlantic Coast Conference Top 50 Honorees. She later began coaching, working as the assistant for the North Carolina Tar Heels (as a volunteer), Mississippi State Bulldogs, Texas A&M Aggies, Florida State Seminoles, and Georgia Bulldogs.{{cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Sammy |url=https://www.redandblack.com/sports/robin-confer-uses-experience-as-a-top-college-striker-as/article_5544ab4a-3c2c-11e3-9e41-0019bb30f31a.html |title=Robin Confer uses experience as a top college striker as Georgia assistant coach |website=The Red & Black |date=October 24, 2013 |access-date=August 20, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820031528/https://www.redandblack.com/sports/robin-confer-uses-experience-as-a-top-college-striker-as/article_5544ab4a-3c2c-11e3-9e41-0019bb30f31a.html |archive-date=August 20, 2019}} In 2014, she was appointed as the head coach of the North Florida Ospreys women's soccer team, where she remained until her resignation in 2018 in order to pursue opportunities outside coaching.{{cite news |location=Jacksonville, Florida |url=http://asunsports.org/sports/wsoc/2018-19/releases/20181126onlmf9 |title=Eric Faulconer Promoted to Head Coach of North Florida Women's Soccer |website=ASUN Conference |date=November 26, 2018 |access-date=August 20, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820031717/http://asunsports.org/sports/wsoc/2018-19/releases/20181126onlmf9 |archive-date=August 20, 2019}} She also has coached as part of the U.S. Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program.{{cite news |url=https://www.soccerwire.com/news/us-youth-soccer-south-region-odp-coaching-staff-announced/ |title=US Youth Soccer South Region ODP coaching staff announced |website=SoccerWire |date=June 5, 2019 |access-date=August 20, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820031934/https://www.soccerwire.com/news/us-youth-soccer-south-region-odp-coaching-staff-announced/ |archive-date=August 20, 2019}} In 2019, Confer worked as the director of softball operations for the Georgia Bulldogs.{{cite web |url=https://georgiadogs.com/coaches.aspx?path=softball&roster=1079 |title=2019 Softball Coaching Staff |website=Georgia Bulldogs |year=2019 |access-date=August 20, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820034442/https://georgiadogs.com/coaches.aspx?path=softball&roster=1079 |archive-date=August 20, 2019}}
Personal life
Confer is a native of Clearwater, Florida.{{cite news |location=Jacksonville, Florida |url=https://www.ncaa.com/news/soccer-women/article/2013-12-23/north-florida-names-new-head-coach-georgia-assistant-robin |title=Confer hired as North Florida head coach |website=National Collegiate Athletic Association |date=December 23, 2013 |access-date=August 20, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820032109/https://www.ncaa.com/news/soccer-women/article/2013-12-23/north-florida-names-new-head-coach-georgia-assistant-robin |archive-date=August 20, 2019}} She earned a bachelor's degree in exercise and sports science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1998.{{cite web |url=http://www.nmnathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8800&ATCLID=324013 |title=Robin Confer |publisher=Georgia Bulldogs |date=June 30, 2006 |access-date=August 20, 2019 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820032529/http://www.nmnathletics.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=8800&ATCLID=324013 |archive-date=August 20, 2019}}
Career statistics
=International=
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" | ||
| colspan=3|United States | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 1996 | 1 | 0 |
| 1997 | 4 | 1 |
| 1998 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 8 | 1 |
=International goals=
{{hatnote|Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first.{{cite web |url=https://www.fff.fr/equipes-de-france/2/feminine-a/matchs/364/1997-04-24/etats-unis-france |title=Match: Etats-Unis – France (24 avril 1997) |trans-title=Match: United States – France (24 April 1997) |website=FFF.fr |publisher=French Football Federation |access-date=August 20, 2019 |language=French |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820032605/https://www.fff.fr/equipes-de-france/2/feminine-a/matchs/364/1997-04-24/etats-unis-france |archive-date=August 20, 2019}}}}
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" | ||||||
| No. | Date | Location | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align="center"|1 | April 24, 1997 | Greensboro, North Carolina, United States | {{fbw|FRA}} | align="center"|1–0 | align="center"|4–2 | Friendly |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/19980131164042/http://tarheels.unc.edu/teams/wsoccer/bio07.html North Carolina player profile]
- [https://goheels.com/news/2002/10/1/205490074.aspx?path=wsoc North Carolina career summary]
- [https://unfospreys.com/coaches.aspx?rc=838 North Florida Ospreys coaching summary]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Confer, Robin}}
Category:Soccer players from Clearwater, Florida
Category:Soccer players from Florida
Category:American women's soccer players
Category:American women's soccer coaches
Category:United States women's international soccer players
Category:Women's association football forwards
Category:North Carolina Tar Heels women's soccer players
Category:Boston Breakers (WUSA) players
Category:USL W-League (1995–2015) players
Category:Women's United Soccer Association players
Category:North Florida Ospreys women's soccer coaches
Category:Raleigh Wings players
Category:United States women's youth international soccer players