Uniquely is a Modesto Bee series that covers the moments, landmarks and personalities that define what makes living in the Central Valley so special.
Before hundreds of thousands cheered for her on the world’s biggest soccer stage, before becoming the first person to win a Women’s World Cup, an Olympic gold medal, four NCAA Division I titles and a women’s professional league championship and before being named to the National Soccer Hall of Fame, midfielder Tisha Venturini-Hoch’s soccer career began in Modesto.
But not with the girls.
Because there weren’t girls’ teams in the area when Venturini-Hoch first started, she played on boys’ teams for two years with her older brother, Todd. She played U-12 for two years alongside her older brother, in a time when that wasn’t too common.
Growing up in Modesto, she participated in many sports, including gymnastics, ballet and tennis. She says, “Whatever season it was, I played.” When she got to high school, she trimmed it down to three: volleyball, soccer and softball, where she honed talents that translated to her professional soccer career in surprising ways.