Youth and College
As a junior and senior at Bishop Lynch High School in Dallas, Texas, Nick won the TAPPS state boys soccer championship, the first and second in their history. He was also all-district, all-state and all-tournament. Garcia won the 1996-97 Gatorade National Boys Soccer Player of the Year award, as well, while starring for powerhouse youth club, Dallas Texans. Garcia played college soccer at Indiana University, leading Indiana to consecutive national titles in 1998 and 1999. He was named National Freshman of the year and the Big 10 freshman of the year in 1997. Was a 1st team All-American in 1999.

Professional
Garcia signed a professional contract with Major League Soccer in 2000, and was drafted second overall in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft by the Kansas City Wizards.
Garcia subsequently played in – and started – almost 200 games for the Wizards between 2000 and 2007. He helped the Wizards win the MLS Cup in 2000, and the Lamar Hunt Open Cup in 2004.
He joined the San Jose Earthquakes as their captain upon their return to MLS in 2008. In early 2009 Garcia signed a multi-year contact with San Jose, but was traded to Toronto FC. He finished his 11 year career this past year up in Toronto, Canada; finishing with over 300 career games played.

International
Garcia played for the US Under-17 national team at the World Youth Championship in Ecuador in 1997 and captained the US Under-20 national team at the World Youth Championship in Nigeria in 1999. He earned his first cap for the full national team in 2003, against Canada. So far, he has amassed six caps for the United States.

Business life

Executive Director at Brookside Soccer Club in Kansas City Mo.

Owner/President at G3 INC., a dynamic and multifunctional company that develops, leverages and facilitates both profit and nonprofit ventures thru sports.

Director of soccer at NESA (North-East-Sports-Alliance) in Kansas City, Mo. NESA is a partnership of nonprofit organizations in Kansas City urban core that seek to provide a safe and fun learning environment where boys and girls of all ages learn to promote good sportsmanship, self esteem, self-discipline and life skills while enjoying the wonderful game of recreational soccer.

Personal life

Nick enjoys fishing, playing cards, cooking, reading books and going on vacation, lists Bora Bora as favourite destination…the Reality TV show he’d most like to appear on is “Iron Chef”…the best meal he cooks is Mexican…if he could be any action he’d be – Al Pacino…the player he’d most like to face in a game would be Lionel Messi…was a member of five consecutive championship teams, winning two high school state championships in 1996 and 1997, back-to-back NCAA titles with Indiana in 1998 and 1999.…was 1997 Gatorade National High School Player of the Year…has been involved with Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, CASA and Big Brothers/Big Sisters …can play the saxophone.

Championships:
Bishop Lynch HS
• TAAPS State Champ 1996
• TAAPS State Champ 1997
Indiana University
• NCAA Champ 1998
• NCAA Champ 1999
Kansas City Wizards
• MLS Champ 2000
• US Open Cup Champ 2004
Toronto FC
• Canadian Cup Champ 2009
• Canadian Cup Champ 2010

Christina “Tina” Ellertson is an American former professional soccer defender and member of the US women’s national soccer team. She attended University of Washington and competed in soccer, becoming one of UW’s most respected forwards. She was named Pacific-10 Conference co-player of the year in 2003 and in 2004, was named player of the year.

Ellertson was one of three players drafted for Saint Louis Athletica in September 2008. Ellertson was consistently present in the Athletica black line, playing 1748 minutes during the season, the most of anyone on the team. She made the All-Star team and was nominated for WPS’s Defender of the Year award.

In 2013, she was chosen in the first round of the National Women’s soccer league’s supplemental draft by Portland Thorns FC despite saying that she would no longer play in the league. She made five appearances for the Thorns before in 2014 announcing her retirement to focus on coaching and on her family.

Ellertson tried out for the women’s national soccer team and earned her first cap against Ukraine in 2005 before the new coach moved her to defender. She was named to the U.S. roster for the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup and competed against Nigeria and against Brazil.

Monica Gonzalez has not only captained Mexican national women’s team and founded Gonzo Soccer Peace Foundation, but she’s worked the sideline as a reporter for ESPN, is a commentator and analyst for FOX Deportes and sits on the Advisory Board for FIFPro, the World Players Union. As if this wasn’t enough, she’s joining us in a climb of a lifetime, up Mt. Kilimanjaro in June to break a soccer world record.

“I think I may be from the last great generation of street rats. It’s sad our world has become more dangerous over time and kids now don’t get to spend as much quality time together. My dad played soccer for the US Men’s national team in the 1972 Munich Olympics so he had a ball at my feet since before I can remember and even lied about my age to get me in the boys’ league when I was 4.

When I was 13, I learned that playing soccer could get me a college scholarship and from then on, it was my goal and soccer became my job. But now there is a mad race for college scholarships – women’s soccer in the United States is becoming much more exclusive and girls in underserved communities are missing out on the chance to play.”

Janine Marie Szpara (born January 11, 1967) is an American former soccer player and coach who played as a goalkeeper, making six appearances for the United States women’s national team.

In college, Szpara played for the Colorado College Tigers from 1985 to 1988, with the team’s best result in 1986 as NCAA runners-up. She was selected as an NSCAA First-Team All-American in all four seasons, and in 1988 was the ISAA Goalkeeper of the Year. She was also included in the Senior Recognition Team in 1988. In total, she made 78 appearances for the Tigers. She holds the record for the most shutouts at the school, with 46 during her career, along with the best save percentage and fewest average goals conceded.

Szpara made her international debut for the United States on July 20, 1986 in the Mundialito against China PR. In total, she made six appearances for the U.S., earning her final cap on July 11, 1987 in the 1987 North America Cup against Norway.

In club soccer, Szpara played for Shiroki FC Serena and Takarazuka Bunnys Ladies SC in Japan from 1995 to 1999, and was selected to the league’s All-Star Team in 1998. She also played in the WPSL for the Norcal Shockwaves in 1997 and Foothill FC in 2001. She played for the Bay Area CyberRays during the 2001 WUSA season, replacing the injured Jen Mead, with the team ultimately winning the WUSA championship. She made one appearance for the CyberRays during the season.

Szpara later began to work as a coach, holding a U.S. Soccer ‘A’ license and primarily focusing on goalkeeper training.