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Natasha is the first and only member of the U.S. Women's National Soccer team from Hawaii. Growing up in the small town of Kahuku, she didn’t have any formal soccer training and did not begin playing club soccer until she was in high school. Nevertheless, this former soccer standout from the University of Hawaii is arguably one of the most electrifying players in the world today. Her speed, explosiveness, and ball handling wizardry make her a threat to score everytime she touches the ball. 2008 was a breakout year for Kai. She proved herself to be one of the most electrifying and prolific goal-scorers in the game today and finished international play as the Women's National Team's top scorer. She further showed her poise under pressure on the world's biggest stage when she scored a crucial overtime goal against Canada to propel her team to the semifinals. Natasha and her teammates went on to win the 2008 Olympic gold medal in an exciting, hard-fought battle in Beijing against their longtime rivals, Brazil. In 2009, Natasha played for NY/NJ's Sky Blue FC in the inaugural season of the Women's Professional Soccer League. She was the team's leading scorer with six goals and an assist, and she helped lead the season-long underdogs to the first ever WPS championship. Off the field, Tash continues to have an iconic presence in the sports and entertainment world. She was featured in ESPN: The Magazine's 2009 Body Issue and appeared on Season 2 of the hit television show LA Ink with Kat Von D. Natasha started playing soccer when she was seven years old, but focused on many different sports in her youth. She showed expansive natural athletic abilities, earning twelve varsity letters from Kahuku High School in five different sports, including track, volleyball, basketball, cross country and soccer. In fact, she set the Hawaii state record for the 300 meter hurdles and still holds the record for high jump. She was also named Gatorade Player of the Year during her senior year. After taking a year off, Kai joined the University of Hawaii soccer team on a full scholarship to study sociology. There, she became the all time leading scorer for both the University of Hawaii and the Western Athletic Conference. In addition, she was named the Western All-Conference Player of the Year an unprecedented three times. After her sophomore year at Hawaii, Natasha was called to the Under-21 national team, where she became the team’s leading scorer and helped her team win the Nordic Cup in Iceland. Following some setbacks due to injury, Kai made the Women’s National Team for the 2006 Algarve Cup and helped her team reach the championship game and bring home second place. She scored in her first two games for the Women’s National Team, becoming just the fourth player to score in her first two caps. Natasha also scored a crucial goal in the championship game to help the U.S. win the 2007 Four Nations Tournament. She then helped the U.S. Women to a 3rd place finish in the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup and a 1st place finish in the 2008 Algarve Cup. Kai approaches every challenge with a deep passion and a commitment to do her best. She feels her greatest accomplishment is sticking with her goals and dreams, and she always tries to play with her heart. She embodies a Hawaiian friendliness and zest for life, and takes great pride in being able to represent her team, her country, and her state. One day, she hopes to be part of a nonprofit that works with wayward youth. Natasha is the daughter of Benny, a professional singer, and Sharon, a teacher. She has three younger brothers and two younger sisters, and is happy to serve as both a role model and a pathway for prospective Hawaiian players to gain exposure on the international scene. AWARDS & ACCOMPLISHMENTS |
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