Kelly Lindsey


Kelly Ann Lindsey is an American soccer coach and former defender who played for the United States women's national soccer team and the San Jose CyberRays of Women's United Soccer Association. She is currently the manager for the Afghanistan Women's National Football Team and CONIFA Director of Women’s Football.

Playing career

College

Lindsey attended and played college soccer for the University of Notre Dame. A tough defender with the Fighting Irish, Lindsey backstopped the team to a runners-up finish in the 1999 NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship.

Club

From 2001–2003, Lindsey played for the San Jose CyberRays of the professional Women's United Soccer Association. In 2001 the CyberRays won the championship game, beating Atlanta Beat on a penalty shootout. Soccer America magazine named Lindsey the 2001 Rookie of the Year.
After the 2003 season Lindsey reluctantly retired from professional soccer at the age of 23, due to persistent knee injuries.

International

Lindsey's first appearance on the United States women's national soccer team was on January 7, 2000, in an 8–1 win over Czech Republic in Melbourne, Australia. She collected a total of four caps over the following two years, but was not included in the US squads for the 2000 Sydney Olympics, or the 2003 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Managing career

In 2003, Lindsey coached the University of Colorado to their first ever NCAA tournament selection. Then she trained the University of Texas and Saint Mary’s. In 2009, she took the lead of Sky Blue FC, part of the newly formed Women’s Professional Soccer League, winning the Championship.
Lindsey has also coached the USA U21 women’s team as well as on the USA U14 national development programme.
In 2016 took the role of Head Coach for the Afghanistan National Women’s Football Team, a position she, as February 2020, currently held.
In February 2019, she is appointed as CONIFA’s First Ever Director of Women’s Football.

Personal life

Lindsey was nicknamed Boof by players and supporters, owing to her hairstyle.