Sports Envoy
Sports Envoy Program

Year: 2022

Christina Murillo

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Montenegro
  • 2023  –  Colombia

Christina Murillo Sanchez is currently a Director for Chicago Fire FC and oversees 13u-15U age groups as well as being an Olympic Development Coach. She supports the Chicago community in her role through fundraising and outreach efforts that support with creating more opportunities. She previously was signed to Chicago Red Stars back in 2018 and in 2017 competed in Champions League with Gintra Universitetas getting to the round of 16. She represented the Mexican National Soccer Team from 2009-2018 and participated in the World Cup at the U17, U20, and Senior Level receiving 46 caps with the senior national team . Murillo was one of the first women to be part of the FIFA video game back in 2015. At University of Michigan, she competed with the team from 2011 to 2015 while taking off the 2014 season to train and compete at the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She was captain of the University of Michigan and made the all-Big Ten Tournament team her senior year. Murillo currently holds the record for most assists in a game at her university and was the first student athlete from Michigan to participate in a FIFA World Cup at the senior level.

Melissa Ausilio

Boxing

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Tajikistan

Melissa Ausilio is co-founder of Revolheart, women’s boxing advocate, community mental health leader and former athlete representative for USA Boxing Women’s Commission. Melissa’s organization Revolheart worked to develop a boxing glove designed specifically for female athletes, understanding not having properly fitting gear can be a barrier for girls and women to participate in sport.

Melissa has served her community through direct service and leadership in nonprofit, business, and government sectors. She currently serves as Executive Director for the National Alliance on Mental Illness in Solano County, California. Her passion for community and athlete wellbeing is fueled by her lived experience and work within marginalized communities.

Alysha Clark

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Tanzania

Alysha Angelica Clark is an American-Israeli professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women’s National Basketball Association. She was drafted in the second round of the 2010 WNBA draft by the San Antonio Silver Stars.

Bonnie Young

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Trinidad and Tobago
  • 2023  –  Saudi Arabia

Bonnie currently coaches in USYS ODP program with the Midwest and West regions, the Colorado Select program, and Real Colorado soccer club.

Young had been the director of the FC Boulder girls academy since January, 2018 and has previous experience playing professional soccer. Young has more than 17 years of experience in coaching and club leadership across all levels, from recreational soccer through women’s professional soccer with the Chicago Red Stars and the Washington Spirit

Azurá Stevens

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Mexico

Azurá Breeona Stevens is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA). Stevens played collegiately for the Duke Blue Devils
and the Connecticut Huskies. She was drafted with the 6th overall pick in the 2018 WNBA draft by the Dallas Wings.

Monique Billings

Basketball

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Mexico

Fashion-forward, athletic, cultured, and full of personality. all of these traits describe WNBA player Monique Billings. Born May 2nd, Billings was drafted into the 2018 WNBA draft class. Being afforded the opportunity to do what she loves in playing basketball, traveling the world, Broadcasting, and inspiring others, Billings takes advantage of every opportunity that is presented to her. always looking to inspire and empower others, Monique Billings aims to be a voice and light For women and girls trying to figure out life just like she is.

Phaidra Knight

Rugby

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  New Zealand

Phaidra Knight is an athlete, sports media talent, motivational speaker, and business entrepreneur. For nearly 18 years, she traveled the globe as a professional rugby player, establishing herself as one of the premier players in the sport. She made three appearances in the Rugby World Cup and was selected as the top player in the world in her position in 2002 and 2006. In 2010, she was named the US Rugby Player of the Decade. She became the first and only black American inducted into both the World Rugby and USA Rugby Halls of Fame in 2017 and 2021 respectively. The former attorney is on the Board of Directors for USA Rugby Board and the Board of Trustees for the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF). She served as the WSF President in 2021.

Phaidra founded PeaK Unleashed in 2019, a non-profit organization dedicated to the personal and physical development of marginalized youth through educational support, rugby and yoga, particularly those of incarcerated and exploited populations. She is a keynote speaker and has an expansive television dimension to her dynamic career. Her on-air sports broadcast experience includes sideline reporting, in-booth commentating and studio analysis. Phaidra has worked with ESPN, NBC Sports, CBS Sports, World Rugby, Flo Sports, and USA Rugby TV. She travels around the world delivering rugby commentary. Phaidra was on the NBC Universal 2020 Tokyo Olympics broadcasting team and covered women’s sevens rugby games. She was featured in a pivotal fighting scene with Oscar Award winning Halle Berry during her directorial debut “Bruised” (2021). Currently training as a mixed martial artist at the Renzo Gracie Academy in New York, New York, Phaidra is grooming to become a professional fighter. In 2021, she made her debuts in Muay Thai Kickboxing and MMA. Her current record is MMA (4-0) and Muay Thai (1-0).

She launched her clothing line, the PSK Collective, in August of 2020. The PSK Collective is a group of female athletes coming together to have a positive impact on girls and women alike. The PSK Collective has created a fusion of active and streetwear, designed to marry fashion, sports, and togetherness for greater causes. These causes include the empowerment of the athlete in us all, shifting attitudes surrounding fashion and expression, giving back to the organizations that help girls and women along their journey, and bringing athletes together – as part of a Collective – to help promote the line and important causes that advance women’s equity. One of the most popular products featured in the line is the Equal Pay rugby jersey. The PSK Collective is available at Walmart, Kohls, and JCPenney.

Jennifer Grubb

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Greece

Jennifer is the owner and primary therapist at Cairn Consulting, LLC. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor who is passionate about helping two groups in particular: athletes who are facing the next level in the sport, addressing injury, or transitioning away from sport; and members of the LGBTQIA+ community who want to live into their authentic selves.

Additionally, Jennifer is a former professional soccer player who has represented her sport on both a national and international level during her nearly 20-year competitive career. Some of Jennifer’s notable accomplishments are:
● Representing the US Women’s National Team between 1995 and 1999
● Earning the title of “Iron Woman” for having played every minute of every game in a 3 year professional career
● Earning All-Star team selections in 2001, 2002, 2003 (WUSA)
● Becoming the first defensive 4-time All-American at the University of Notre Dame
● Big East Defensive Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999
● 4-Time Big East Champion and 4-Time Big East All-Tournament Team

After retiring from her playing career, Jennifer pledged to continue sharing her love of sports by supporting athletes as they address the unique demands that athletes face, especially as they pursue goals and overcome barriers related to reaching the next level in their performance.

Off the field, Jennifer’s leadership experience includes starting a violence prevention program utilized in elementary and middle schools, previously sitting on the Board of Directors for an organization that provides direct programming for grieving children and their families, being trained as an instructor for Teen Mental Health First Aid, and being a spokesperson for a campaign that provides free community education in grit and resilience. She currently holds a position on the ARC ND (Alumni Rainbow Community of Notre Dame) board of directors, a group that is committed to inclusion of and equity for the LGBTQIA+ community at the University of Notre Dame.

Debra Belkin Rademacher

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Israel

Debbie Belkin Rademacher, was the head coach of the women’s soccer team at the University of Michigan from 1994-2007. From 1986-1991 she was a mainstay on the US women’s National Team, and was a key member of the 1991 U.S. team that won the inaugural FIFA Women’s World Championship. In August 2001, the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame awarded the 1991 U.S. Women’s World Cup champions, the prestigious National Soccer Medal of Honor.

In 2000, Soccer America named her to the Women’s College Soccer Team of the Century. She is a member of the Massachusetts State Hall of Fame, a member of the University of Massachusetts Athletic Hall of Fame, and a member of the National Jewish Hall of Fame.

An outstanding defender from 1984-1988, Rademacher was a three-time All-American at the University of Massachusetts, and led the team to four consecutive Final Four appearances. Named All-New England from 1985-1987, Rademacher helped the Minutewomen achieve a No. 1 ranking during the 1986 season and led them to the NCAA championship game in 1987. Named the Defensive MVP of the 1987 Final Four, Rademacher also received honors from Soccer America, who named her to its MVP teams in 1986 and 1987, and to the All-Decade team (1980s).

Over Rademacher’s four-year career at UMass, the Minutewomen had an overall record of 65-9-4. It was in 1986, during her junior season at Massachusetts, Rademacher joined the U.S. National Team.

In 1992, Rademacher became the head coach at Fairfield University after serving as an assistant at Tufts (1988), and New Hampshire (1989-91). After an record of 6-8-1 in her first season, Rademacher led Fairfield to a 12-4-3 record and the MAAC (Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference) regular season and tournament championship in 1992 as she was named MAAC Coach of the Year. The following year, Rademacher became the head coach at the University of Michigan in the school’s inaugural season of NCAA women’s soccer.

Rademacher led Michigan to a second place regular season finish in 1997. They then won the conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the next nine years. Rademacher was named Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year that year. Michigan won the Big Ten tournament for a second time in 1999, and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2002. In 2003, the Wolverines advanced to the third round of the NCAA tournament. They finished the season ranked No. 16 in the country. Through her final season, in 2007, Rademacher amassed a career coaching record of 178-120-41.

Tara Koleski

Soccer

Served as envoy

  • 2022  –  Greece

Tara Koleski is the current UWS FC Arizona Head Coach and FC Arizona Girls Director of Coaching.Koleski was the former Head Coach at Dominican University of California and former head coach for two seasons at NCAA DI UMBC and 3 seasons NCAA DII West Chester University.Tara was named the 2005 National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Northeast Region Coach of the Year, the Southeast Pennsylvania Coaches Association (SEPCA) Women’s College Coach of the Year, and Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) East Coach of the Year. Tara was the head coach of the semi-professional Rochester Reign of the Women’s Premier Soccer League (WPSL) and an assistant coach at Villanova University (2002).

As a player, Koleski competed at the NCAA DI level for University of Portland attending 2 final four tournaments awarded with honors for All-American, Offensive player of the year for WCC conference and team MVP. Koleski competed with the US U-21 National Team, and attended several US National Team pool camps. Koleski spent 2 season in the German Bundesliga for 1. FC Saarbrucken and was drafted in the 11th round to the first Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA) professional league in the USA (2000-2003) playing for the San Diego Spirit and Philadelphia Charge.

Tara holds a USSF B license and NSCAA premier diploma.Tara has a Masters degree in Strategic Non-Profit Management from Harvard University, Certification in Entrepreneurship Essentials from Harvard University and a Masters Degree in Administrative Leadership from Northern Arizona University also with a Bachelors Degree in Sociology from University of Portland.