Kristine Lilly (@KristineLilly) is a PCA National Advisory Board Member and former U.S. National Women’s Soccer Team Captain, who retired from international play with a record 352 caps. Kristine was a four-time NCAA Champion at the University of North Carolina and went on to play in five World Cups, helping the U.S. to championships in 1991 and 1999. She is currently an Assistant Coach for the University of Texas.

Here, Kristine addresses the controversy around some high school-aged players feeling forced to choose between committing to a club at the exclusion of playing for their high school teams. She prefers that players experience representing their high school and enjoying all the camaraderie with fellow students that entails. Also, as a parent, Kristine just philosophically disagrees with families feeling forced to make such a choice.