Women's Professional Soccer

Team:       FC Gold Pride
Position:   Defender

Recent Plays

Volunteer, Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative

Playing For:

Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BAWSI)

How She's in the Game

In hopes of inspiring the young female athletes of the Bay Area, Kristen donates two sets of season tickets for BAWSI to distribute to underprivileged girls and their families. However, simply donating the tickets was not enough for Kristen. In order to make the experience more transformative and memorable for the young girls, Kristen arranges one-on-one time to meet with each of them following the game. She stresses the importance of teaching young girls to set goals and to always give their best effort, whether they’re on the soccer field, or in their community.

About Kristen Graczyk

Graczyk played forward for the University of Connecticut from 2001 to 2004, where she earned numerous awards and accolades. She was selected Big East Offensive Player of the Year in 2003 and also a Big East Academic All Star. She also led the Huskies in goals and points during all four years. In 2009, she joined FC Gold Pride and has been a consistent contributor. Proving her tenacity, Graczyk was the only player to appear in all 20 games during the team's inaugural season (2009) where she helped to anchor the defense. In 2010, she helped the pride capture the 2010 WPS Championship. Her brother, Mike Graczyk, is also a professional soccer player, signed to the San Jose Earthquakes.