Player: Anne Stuller

When we sat down with Anne Stuller recently, she had just finished her career as a 4-year player at the University of Colorado – Boulder and was in talks with SC Freiburg to play professional soccer in Germany. In her career with CU, Anne was a leading scorer and MVP offensive player. Off the field, she has showed off her skills in The18.com’s training videos (which you can find here). Below, she shares her thoughts on the game and what it takes to be a great player.

1. Where are you from? Boulder, Colorado

2. When’s your birthday? November 15, 1991

3. What team do you play with today? I just graduated from the University of Colorado, but played there for four years. Now I’m trying to find a team that’s good for me in the pros, hopefully in Germany.

4. How did you start playing? My brother played when I was really little, so I just copied him at whatever he did.

5. What’s your signature move? Definitely my shot from distance. 

6. What’s one skill you think any player needs to cultivate? I think any player just needs to be really good at one thing. Whether it’s dribbling, whether it’s tackling, whether it’s heading. If you’re really good at one thing – and I mean, really good – then you’ll succeed.

7. Who are your soccer heroes? I really liked Didier Drogba growing up. I idolized him and just thought he was so good.

8. Who’s your team in the World Cup 2014? The United States, of course.

9. What’s your greatest moment on the pitch? Beating DU in the first round of the NCAA tournament this year.

10. What’s your worst moment on the pitch? It would have to be losing 8-0 to UCLA, a year after we had just beat them. We beat them my freshman year and then lost to them my sophomore year at CU.

11. How did you get past your worst moment? You just have to keep playing and keep moving. That’s all you can really do.  It’s still kind of embarrassing to think about. It’s almost laughable at this point in my life. Every game we play with them now is close. It was just a bad, bad game.

12. What’s the “ultimate soccer experience” you’d like to have? I would love to go to an English Premier League game. Probably a Manchester United game at Old Trafford.

13. What music do you listen to before a big game? My favorite song to play before a big game – and my teammates always make fun of me – is “Jai Ho,” from Slumdog Millionaire. I listen to that song before every game.

14. What soccer talent would you most like to have? Lightning speed.

15. What do you most value in your teammates? Just a good supportive teammate. Someone that brings something to the table. It’s so cliché to say, but someone that just gives it their all, invests their heart and their soul in the game, and you know it by watching. They’re supporting their teammates. If someone gets fouled by another player, they are coming in and tackling that player. 

16. What advice would you give to someone new to soccer? If you love it keep playing. And practice, practice, practice.

17. What sports and activities do you enjoy off the pitch? Hanging with my friends, hiking, shopping. And happy hour. I’m just a normal 22-year-old girl. 

18. Where will we see you in 5 years? I want to have lots of life experiences in the next 5 years. Traveling and trying new things and getting outside my comfort zone.