Linda Hamilton

“We are looking for knowledge and information- taking the data that we have so that we can make decisions that are in the best interest of the sport and in the safety of the players moving forward. I think, where we are right now, people are making guesses and we don’t want to keep making guesses. We have the opportunity to get concrete data about what this is showing and what this is doing. Hopefully, it allows us to make really informed decisions and a lot of good discussions, with the data to back up whatever decisions we are trying to make as the sport moves forward. Really, at the end of the day, the hope is about the safety of the players and the safety of the sport.”

Growing up, Linda participated in multiple sports including basketball, tennis, track, and soccer. However, during her collegiate career, Linda focused on soccer playing her first three seasons at North Carolina State University and her final season at University of North Carolina where she won a NCAA Championship. In college, she was a four-time All-American and a four-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection. Linda played for the U.S. Women’s National Team 1987-1995 and was on the team that won the first ever Women’s World Cup in 1991. In 1994, she began coaching and is currently the Women’s soccer coach at Southwestern University. Linda was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in May 2022.