Brenda Villa

Nickname

B. (Athlete, 08 Mar 2007)

Hobbies

Reading, shopping, listening to music, going out with friends. (Athlete, 08 Mar 2007)

Occupation

Athlete, Coach

Education

Political Science - Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

Language(s) spoken

English

Club name

Orizzonte [ITA] / Commerce [USA]

Coach

Adam Krikorian (USA) from 2009 (ahearmenianchronicles.blogspot.com, 04 Apr 2010, 3wiresports.com, 28 Feb 2012)

Position and style

Attacking, Driver

Handedness

Right (Athlete, 08 Mar 2007)

Debut

1996 for United States (Athlete, 08 Mar 2007)

Additional information

Start of sporting career
She switched from swimming to water polo at the age of eight. (Go Stanford, 10 Jul 2003)

Reason for taking up this sport
She followed her brother into the sport and found she really enjoyed it. She plays for fun and her passion for the game and says that when that stops, it will be time for her to move on. (USOC, 13 Mar 2003; US Water Polo, 19 Jul 2005)

Ambitions
She hopes to help Team USA bring home the Olympic gold in London in 2012. After that she plans to retire. "I feel like I need to do other stuff, give back, be married, have kids." (teamusa.org, 04 Aug 2010)

Most memorable sporting achievement
Scoring the winning goal against Hungary in the deciding qualifier that sent USA through to the 2000 Sydney Olympics. (FINA World Aquatics Magazine, Feb 2010)

Hero
Her mother Ines. (Athlete, 08 Mar 2007)

Most influential person in career
Her early swimming coach. "She was a mentor and a role model growing up. She gave me guidance with school, sports and life." (Athlete, 08 Mar 2007)

Superstitions / Rituals
She likes to chew gum before she plays, because it helps her deal with nervous energy. (Athlete, 08 Mar 2007)

Sporting philosophy / motto
"Believe in yourself, in your own convictions, don't let anyone influence you, don't let anyone disrespect you." (Go Stanford, 29 Jun 2002)

Awards
She was named FINA magazine's female water polo player of the decade in 2010. (usawaterpolo.org, 17 Jul 2011)

She was named the Female Hope for Tomorrow by World Water Polo magazine. (arluckpromotions.com, 17 Jul 2011)

She was a three-time All-American at Stanford University. (USA Today, 23 Jun 2004; Go Stanford, 28 Feb 2007)

In 2002 she won the Peter J. Cutino Most Valuable American Collegiate Player award. (US Water Polo, 28 Feb 2007; arluckpromotions.com, 17 Jul 2011)

She was selected as a finalist for the International Women's Sport Foundation's female athlete of the year award for 2002. (USOC, 12 Mar 2003)

She was named National Collegiate Athletic Association [NCAA] player of the year, and female athlete of the year by the Stanford Athletic Board for 2001. (Palo Alto Weekly, 30 Jan 2003; USOC, 13 Mar 2003; Go Stanford, 10 Jul 2003)

General
COACH
She coaches at Cerritos College in California. (arluckpromotions.com, 17 Jul 2011)

TATTOO
She has a tattoo on her ankle of the Olympic rings to remind her to stay focused on her sporting aspirations. (Stanford Magazine, 01 Jul 2003)

INSPIRATION
She has committed herself to promoting the sport, particularly in the Hispanic community. The daughter of Mexican immigrants, Villa broke down barriers in her participation in the 2000 Sydney Olympics. An inspiration to many, she has been featured in Latina Magazine, profiled in a book, "Latinos at Work: Career Role Models for Young Adults" and featured in numerous Spanish speaking broadcasts. (arluckpromotions.com, 17 Jul 2011)

EARLY DAYS
As a teenager she had to play with the boys and got pushed around a bit. She says it did not hurt though because she was one of the best players in the water. "They figured out that nothing was going to get in my way," she said. "I was too strong and talented." (USOC, 13 Mar 2003; Go Stanford, 13 Mar 2003)

Previous Olympics

Beijing 2008, Athens 2004, Sydney 2000