Top Cat: Cat Whitehill

This time around, Cat is the newest member of the 100-cap club. Only four active players have more international appearances. She is married, an established and respected team veteran and should be a shoe-in for a starting spot on the World Cup roster.
Here she talks with Fair Game about then and now.

How is residency going?

It’s going really well. We’re starting to gel. It helps that we’ve finally found out who were playing in the World Cup. You can start imagining, like when we’re playing a boys team, ‘Okay, we’re playing North Korea today. Let’s focus on that.” It’s nice to be able to focus on getting out of our group and how we’re going to do it. You can tell that people are much more focused. It’s exciting. It’s still a little bit away and we’re still getting there, but it’s fun.

Speaking of the group, what are you thoughts on the draw?

It’s kind of ironic that it’s the exact same group that we played in 2003. It’s hard to believe that that happened again. You know, we played Sweden this year and they’re awesome. They’re going to be tough competition. We haven’t played North Korea or Nigeria since the last World Cup, so who knows what they’re going to be like, but we know they’re going to be hard, especially North Korea. They’re top five in the world and Nigeria is always a tough team to beat, especially with their aggressiveness and their physicality. We have to be mentally and physically prepared for all three teams. If you allow yourself to look ahead, there’s not one easy team out there. We just have to know to focus on these three games and don’t look ahead and just make sure we get out of our group and play the best that we can.

You’re coming up on your 2nd World Cup. How has this cycle been different than the last one?

I have a different role on this team. In 2003, I was the only college player. I was inexperienced. It was my first ever world championship of any kind. I never even got to experience a youth world championship because they didn’t have them when I was playing on the youth teams. Pressure situations, I like to be in them, but you just don’t know what its like to be in a World Cup especially when you’re 21 years old. Now, I can kind of pass along what I know to the college kids out here right now trying to make the roster. I can help them out and tell them how to stay consistent for these next few months. The hardest part is keeping your head on straight. You go through the ups and downs of the game, but if you keep your head on and stay consistent as a person and as a player, that’s the key to a successful team and a successful World Cup. Its fun to see their eyes get big because they’ve never been through such a big championship. I don’t think any of us really understand except for maybe Lil (Kristine Lilly) and Bri (Briana Scurry) and Pearcie (Christie Rampone) and Sobs (Kate Markgraf), who played in the ’99 World Cup, what a great experience it’s going to be going over to China and the billions of people that are there.

Compare yourself as a player in 2003 to now.
I think in 2003 I was a raw talent and now I’m kind of growing and realizing that the details are important. I’m starting to realize the aspects of being a great defensive player. Its not just one thing but it’s ‘this thing along with that.’ I think Bret Hall, the assistant coach of our team, is really teaching all of us defenders the details. He focuses on those because at this level you already have the raw talent and you just need to focus on how to make what you have that much better. I’ve been trying to do that these last few years and hopefully I have gotten better.

Compare the two teams. Is this team better than the 2003 team?

The teams are different. One thing that you had in 2003 was a lot of experience. If you take out Lil’s 300 caps and combine the rest, there’s not a lot and even less world championship experience. I think it was huge to have the Mia’s and the Julie’s and the Brandi’s and the Joy’s, but this year we have youth. I think that is exciting for all of us, and it’s just as strong, but in a different way. It’s a different style of play. We all know the American way. We expect to win and we’re going to do whatever it takes, whether we’re on that day or not. We’re going to make sure we win. I think both teams had that mentality. I think the main difference is experience and youth.

Hopefully, there will be less injury and tired legs to deal with since this team is younger.

Exactly. Not as many people just hanging out in the training room.

You’ve gotten your first year of marriage under your belt. Between residency, travel and medical school, how has that been working out for you?

My husband just got into UNC med school so we’ll be moving back to North Carolina. We’ve been living in LA together, which has been really nice. He took a year off to be with me. It’s been fun. We’ve been living in a new city. He’s been working with our team doctor, Dr. Powell. He will move back in August for med school then and that’s going to be interesting. If I make the World Cup team, I don’t know if he’s going to be able to go. We were just talking about how during one of the biggest parts of my life, he’s not going to be there and during one of the biggest parts of his life, I’m not going to be there. That will be really interesting and we’ll definitely need to communicate a lot and be surrounded by people that we love. My parents, my sister and my best friend will all be over there so that will help.

Maybe he can sneak over for a week or so.

I keep hoping that, but I’m trying to put it out of my mind so I won’t be too disappointed.

You missed a couple games last year with a plantar fascia injury? Are you fully recovered?

Yeah, you have the occasional aches and pains, but I get it worked on with our trainer and I’m back to normal. It hurts every now and then but not enough to keep me out. I blessed that it was able to heal quickly and heal properly.

At the Four Nations Tournament in China, in the draw against Germany, you and Kate Markgraf cracked heads. We haven’t seen much of Kate since. She obviously took the worst of it. What happened?

We crashed heads. Her forehead hit my nose. It was interesting. We went up and never saw each other. She got, I think four stitches above her eye and I just had a really fat lip and I thought I broke my nose but it turned out that I didn’t. She’s actually just been nursing some injuries from being pregnant and everything but she’s back in and doing really well. She’s beginning to get back on track. It wasn’t really me that put her out. Not me. She’s back on track, which we’re really excited about.

You’ve been doing this a while (100+ caps). Do you still get a charge out of putting on the uniform or is it old hat by now?

It’s hard to not get a charge out of putting on the US uniform. We play so irregularly it’s exciting. One, it’s a game and two; you’re representing your country. That’s always exciting. It doesn’t matter how many games I played at North Carolina, I always got excited to put the uniform on and it’s the same thing with the US jersey. Whether I’ve played 100 or so games with them, you’re representing your country, you’re representing women and girls everywhere. That’s a lot of responsibility, but it’s an honor.

You just barely missed out on the first incarnation of the WUSA. You were projected to be a first round pick after you graduated from the University of North Carolina and then the league folded. What was that like?

I watched, all three years, it was on. I wanted to play in that league so bad. I thought about how cool it was to have it. We watch the NFL. We watch baseball. We watch the MLS and I’m jealous. I’m jealous that they have a league. I’m excited that there’s this huge possibility that it’s coming back. I still haven’t completely grabbed hold of it because I’ve never experienced it. I hope with my whole heart that it comes back and that it comes back and does really well. I would love to play soccer on a professional league level for as long as I can. It’s such a cool thing. I was devastated when it folded, but I’m really excited that it’s rejuvenated and I can’t wait to see what happens.

Any particular city you’re hoping to get allocated to.

Not really. I think that all of the choices are awesome. I actually have some kind of connection in every city. Either way, I’m not going to be with Robert. One way or another, I’ll be in a new city and I’ll be playing soccer. It doesn’t really matter. Now if there were a team in North Carolina, I would definitely want to be there since Robert’s going to be there but since there’s no Carolina, I’m up for whatever.

Outside of soccer, what do you do for fun?

I’m the kind of girl who likes quality time with people. If it’s just spending time with Robert, drinking a nice glass of wine and hanging out with our dog, I’m happy. That’s what I like to do. My best friend lives near me and I love it when we can visit each other. She lives in San Diego and I live in LA. I love visiting family. I love visiting friends. I’m a real laid back type of person so whenever I get the chance; I like to sit back and not really do much. I’m a chiller. I don’t like to shop.

This or That's

Plain or Peanut - Peanut
Mc Donalds or Burger King - Mc Donalds
Snake or Spider - Snake
Window or Aisle - Window
Shower or Tub - Shower
PC or Mac - Mac
Lost or Alias - Alias
Gators or Bulldogs - You can't do that to me. I can't do it.
So, if the Gators and the Bulldogs were playing each other for the National Championship who would you cheer for?
I would have a nervous breakdown. Just because of how tense I know my dad would be and I just love them both.