Allison Leigh Whitworth (born December 11, 1985) is an American former professional soccer player and coach who played as a goalkeeper. Whitworth most recently served as assistant coach for the Mississippi State Bulldogs women's soccer team.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Allison Leigh Whitworth[1] | ||
| Date of birth | December 11, 1985[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Birmingham, Alabama, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004-2008 | Auburn Tigers | 73 | |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008 | Atlanta Silverbacks | 8 | (0) |
| 2009 | FC Gold Pride | 4 | (0) |
| 2010 | Atlanta Beat | 3 | (0) |
| 2010 | Chicago Red Stars | 1 | (0) |
| 2011 | Atlanta Beat | 11 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2011-2012 | Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders (assistant) | ||
| 2013-2015 | Ohio Bobcats (goalkeeping) | ||
| 2016-2018 | Spring Hill Badgers | ||
| 2019 | Mississippi State Bulldogs (goalkeeping) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Playing career
editCollege career
editShe capped her Tiger career by setting a school record with 356 saves, including an Southeastern Conference-high of 132 during her senior campaign which still remains an Auburn record.[3] The 356 saves place her third in the SEC league record book.[4] She registered 22 career shutouts, including eight during each of her junior and senior years, tied for eighth in SEC history. She received First Team All-SEC honors thanks in part to her 1.02 goals-against average. This was her second league accolade after picking up a Second Team award the previous season. Whitworth was chosen as a SEC Defensive Player of the Week at least once in each of her last three seasons, culminating with winning the award three times as a senior.[5] She saw action in 73 career matches, posting a 1.13 career goals-against average.[6] After graduating, she became the first Auburn alumni to be drafted into a professional soccer league.[7]
Club career
editWhitworth's first season of club soccer came in 2008 at the amateur level with the Atlanta Silverbacks in the USL W-League. She amassed a perfect 8-0-0 record with Atlanta during the 2008 USL W-League season, helping propel them to a perfect 13-0-0 record and a playoff berth.
Whitworth was drafted FC Gold Pride after being drafted in the 8th round of the 2009 Women's Professional Soccer Draft ahead of the league and team's inaugural season.[8][3] She served as backup to United States Women's National Team player Nicole Barnhart during the 2009 WPS season. Her first start came on May 24 in a loss to LA Sol.[9] Whitworth saw an improved result when she faced LA Sol next, earning shutout on July 23.[10] Whitworth earned the first win of her professional career against the Washington Freedom on August 1.[11] Over the season she appeared in four matches, allowing five goals and keeping one clean sheet.[10]
Following the 2009 season she was traded on October 29, 2009, sent along with the 23rd pick in the 2010 WPS Draft to the Atlanta Beat for the 10th and 12th picks in the same draft.[12] This trade saw Whitworth return to play soccer in Atlanta just a couple years after featuring for the W-League's Silverbacks.
In 2010 she started three games for the Atlanta Beat, making 22 saves on 29 shots (76% save percentage).[13] On June 18, 2010, Whitworth was traded to the Chicago Red Stars after Chicago's Kelsey Davis suffered a season-ending injury.[14][10] She started one game for Chicago, on July 10, making two saves to earn a shut out for the Red Stars against the defending WPS champions Sky Blue FC.[15]
In 2011 Witworth returned to the Atlanta Beat by the Red Stars,[16][17][18] and started eleven matches for the Beat in what was ultimately the final WPS season as well as the final for the Beat as a club.[19] She was nominated for goalkeeper of the year following the conclusion of the regular season.[20]
Coaching career
editWhitworth began her coaching career at Middle Tennessee State University where she was an assistant for two seasons in 2011 and 2012.[5] The Blue Raiders went 24-14-1 and recorded 14 shutouts along with claiming a 2012 Sun Belt Conference regular-season championship.[21] Whitworth spent the next 3 years as the goalkeeper coach and recruit coordinator at Ohio University for the Bobcats women's soccer program.[7] Her only experience as a Head Coach came at Spring Hill College spanning the 2016, 2017, and 2018 seasons.[4] She amassed a record of 2 wins, 46 losses and 4 draws.[22] After leaving Spring Hill, Whitworth volunteered to train the goalkeepers at Mississippi State University in 2019.[23]
Career statistics
editCoaching Statistics
edit| Team | Season | Regular Season | Conference Play | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wins | Losses | Draws | Goals For | Goals Against | Wins | Losses | Draws | Goals For | Goals Against | ||
| Spring Hill College | 2016 | 0 | 15 | 3 | 11 | 61 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 4 | 40 |
| Spring Hill College | 2017 | 1 | 17 | 0 | 8 | 69 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 48 |
| Spring Hill College | 2018 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 10 | 61 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 43 |
| Total | 2 | 46 | 4 | 29 | 191 | 1 | 35 | 4 | 17 | 131 | |
Club statistics
edit| Team | Season | League | Domestic League |
Domestic Playoffs |
Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Starts | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Apps | Starts | Minutes | Goals | Assists | Apps | Starts | Minutes | Goals | Assists | |||
| Atlanta Silverbacks | 2008 | W-League | 8 | 8 | 720 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 720 | 0 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 8 | 8 | 720 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 | 720 | 0 | 0 | |||||||
| FC Gold Pride | 2009 | WPS | 4 | 4 | 360 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | 4 | 360 | 0 | 0 |
| Atlanta Beat | 2010 | ||||||||||||||||
| Total | 4 | 4 | 360 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | 4 | 4 | 360 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Career Total | - | 12 | 12 | 1080 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 12 | 1080 | 0 | 0 | |
References
edit- ^ "2009 FC Gold Pride Media Guide" (PDF). FC Gold Pride. 2009. p. 37. Archived (PDF) from the original on November 15, 2021. Retrieved November 15, 2021.
- ^ Allison Whitworth at Soccerway
- ^ a b "Auburn's Whitworth drafted by FC Gold Pride | College Soccer". TopDrawerSoccer.com. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ a b Athletics, Spring Hill College (2015-12-17). "Spring Hill names Whitworth new women's soccer coach". al. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ a b "Professional goalkeeper Whitworth joins soccer staff". Middle Tennessee State University Athletics. 2011-08-17. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Allison Whitworth - Soccer Coach". Mississippi State. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
- ^ a b admin (2013-02-15). "Soccer: Ohio Hires Former Goalkeeper As Assistant Coach". WOUB Public Media. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
- ^ WPS (16 January 2009). "2009 WPS Draft Results". Women'sProSoccer.com. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009.
- ^ "WPS Weekly May 26, 2009 : It's What's Happening in Women's Pro Soccer". Bleacher Report. 26 May 2009. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
- ^ a b c "Chicago Red Stars Acquire Atlanta GK Whitworth in Trade". OurSports Central. 2010-06-18. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
- ^ "WPS Weekly, August 4th: It's What's Happening in the WPS". Bleacher Report. 4 August 2009. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
- ^ Kassouf, Jeff (2010-01-20). "Revisiting off-season trades thus far – Equalizer Soccer". equalizersoccer.com. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "2010 (WPS) Atlanta Beat Statistics | Data". socceralmanac.com. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
- ^ "Red Stars trade for Atlanta keeper Whitworth". ESPN.com. 2010-06-18. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Boxscore". WomensProSoccer.com. Archived from the original on 6 August 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2011.
- ^ Kassouf, Jeff (2011-02-24). "Atlanta Beat goalkeeper situation finally takes shape – Equalizer Soccer". equalizersoccer.com. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Former Auburn soccer player on Atlanta Beat". WSFA. 2011-04-02. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Atlanta Beat Adds 3 Goalkeepers". OurSports Central. 2011-02-24. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "2011 Atlanta Beat Stats". Archived from the original on 1 September 2011. Retrieved 1 September 2011.
- ^ Kassouf, Jeff (2011-08-09). "WPS announces year-end awards – Equalizer Soccer". equalizersoccer.com. Retrieved 2024-08-30.
- ^ "Allison Whitworth - Women's Soccer Coach". Spring Hill College Athletics. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Women's Soccer All-Time Records - Spring Hill College". Spring Hill College Athletics. Retrieved 2024-08-29.
- ^ "Mississippi State women's soccer adds Allison Whitworth to staff". SoccerWire. Retrieved 2024-08-28.
