Emily Pickering began playing soccer on Long Island in the early 1970’s. She started out playing in-house or intramural soccer with the Massapequa Soccer Club, and was coached by Vera Bradley (wife of Gordon Bradley) and Lisa Gozley (mother of Lisa Gozley), famous families in the soccer world. Emily also played on the Massapequa Thunderbirds for Jack Bauman, the father of women’s soccer. Later she play for Peter Till and Jerry Wagstaff, also well known soccer pioneers. There was no National Championship until Emily’s senior year in high school, so the best she could achieve was winning four consecutive Eastern Regional Championships from 1977-1980. In her senior year, A. G. Berner High School formed a girls’ soccer team and won the New York State Championship. Prior to that, there were no opportunities for women in high school to play varsity soccer.

Emily accepted a scholarship from Anson Dorrance to play at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She and long-time teammate Mary Varas were the first to actually win scholarships to attend college for women’s soccer. Mary went on to play at the University of Central Florida. These scholarships that they received were a direct result of the passing of title IX in 1972. The rest, as they say, is history. Below is Emily’s impressive list of accomplishments:

* 1986 National Soccer Hall of Fame “Honoree” as member of US National Team that earned the program’s first ever victory.
* Assisted Michelle Akers on the first goal ever scored by the United States Women’s National Soccer Team.
* Scored the second goal ever recorded by the United States Women’s National Soccer Team off of a Michelle Akers assist.
* Captain of the 1986 and 1987 United States Women’s National Soccer Team.
* Member of the 1985, 1986, 1987 and 1992 United States Women’s National Soccer Team. (1984 “paper team” member)
* First female (and possibly male) American to play professional soccer in Italy. (Juventus Feminile 1986-1987)
* Selected to Soccer America’s NCAA D-I 1980’s “Team of the Decade”
* Captain of South Regional Team that won the Gold Medal at the first National Sports Festival that included soccer in 1985.
* Three-Year All-America Selection at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.
* Four National Championships at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
* Captain senior year at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
* Four Open Club level National Championships - Chapel Hill Kixx (1), Annandale Boys and Girls Club (3).
* Four Over - 30 National Championships with the Annandale Boys and Girls Club
* One USWISL National Championship with Maryland Pride
* 1980 McDonalds High School All-America selection
* LILCO High School Female Athlete of the Year.
* United States Soccer Federation National A Coaches License
* Empire State Games Gold Medalist, Scholastic Division.


Emily Pickering is clearly one of the first great women’s players from New York. As you can see, her list of achievements are both impressive and numerous, and there is no questioning her direct impact on women’s soccer nationally and internationally.

Emily Pickering-Harner, a pioneer of women’s soccer in the United States, currently lives in Gaithersburg, Maryland with her husband and two children.