Rose Lavelle
Rose Lavelle is a professional soccer player from Cincinnati, Ohio, born on May 14, 1995. She started playing soccer at the age of five and quickly established herself as a talented and strategic player, despite often being one of the smallest on the field. Lavelle attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she had a standout college career, earning accolades such as First-Team All-America honors and graduating with a degree in sociology in 2017.
She was the first overall pick in the 2018 National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) Draft but had a career marked by injuries and challenges across various teams, including the Washington Spirit, Manchester City, and OL Reign. Lavelle made her debut with the US Women's National Team (USWNT) in 2017 and gained international recognition for her performance in the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup, where she scored in the final match.
Beyond her playing career, Lavelle has engaged in sponsorships with brands like New Balance and Chipotle and has expressed interest in a future in sales. Despite facing setbacks, she is regarded as one of the most dynamic midfielders of her generation, known for her creativity and impact on the field.
Rose Lavelle
Athlete
- Born: May 14, 1995
- Place of Birth: Cincinnati, Ohio
Background
Rose Lavelle was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, on May 14, 1995, to Marty and Janet Lavelle. She had one brother, John, and two sisters, Nora and Mary.
Lavelle began playing soccer at age five as part of Cincinnati’s YMCA coed youth leagues. A determined, cool-headed player from the start, she went on to play for several clubs in her city, including the Cincinnati United Premier Soccer Club. During her youth soccer days, Lavelle was often one of the smallest players on the field; consequently, she mastered her skills earlier than others and learned to compete strategically against taller players who depended on their size to gain possession.
Lavelle attended Mount Notre Dame High School in Reading, Ohio, graduating in 2013. While in high school, she played four years of varsity soccer, receiving the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Sports Women of the Year award in 2013.
Lavelle began playing soccer for the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2013 and was a starting player in her first nineteen matches in the Big Ten Conference. She was ranked as freshman of the year, leading her team with seventy-three shots. In 2015, she was named first-team All-America by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and called up to the US Women's National Team (USWNT). During her time at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she was a four-time First Team All-Big Team selection in 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. Lavelle graduated with a degree in sociology in 2017.
Professional Soccer Career
After she graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Lavelle was the number-one overall pick in the 2018 National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) Draft by the Boston Breakers. The midfielder started her professional career by scoring two goals in eight games and was named player of the month in April. The Boston Breakers folded before the start of the 2018 season, however, and a dispersal draft was held to distribute Boston’s players across the league.
Lavelle was the first overall pick by the Washington Spirit. Because of a combination of injuries and availability issues, Lavelle only played six games with Washington. She was then recruited to the Manchester City Women’s Football Club in the United Kingdom during the COVID-19 pandemic. A number of US soccer players like Lavelle moved abroad to play during the pandemic to stay active in the sport because they could not do so in the United States. However, Lavelle’s time at Manchester City was mostly marked by injuries, and her coach often played her out of her best position.
Lavelle left the UK after one season and returned to the NSWL, playing for OL Reign in Seattle. The Reign traded a first-round draft pick and $200,000 to acquire Lavelle’s rights. She ranked in the top ten in the NWSL in 2022 and helped the Reign secure its third-ever NWSL Shield, an accolade given to the team with the best regular-season record. She started in seventeen games and scored five goals and an assist. After being one of six players in the league playing at least one thousand minutes in the 2022 season, Lavelle missed most of the 2023 season because of a knee injury; her only goal that season came during the postseason championship.
The following January, Lavelle signed a multiyear deal with the NJ/NY Gotham FC and performed far better that season, despite incurring a calf injury. By late August 2024, little more than halfway through the season, she had already started in eight games and scored five goals and an assist.
International Competitor
Lavelle has represented the United States on the international stage several times. She made her first appearance as a member of the US Women's National Team (USWNT) on March 4, 2017, during a match against England at the 2017 SheBelieves Cup. Though the United States lost, Lavelle was named the best player of the match.
In 2019, Lavelle played in the FIFA Women’s World Cup with the USWNT, scoring an important goal in the final to lead the United States to victory over the Netherlands. She won the Bronze Ball for her performance in the tournament, an award given to the third-best overall player.
Lavelle also represented the United States in all six matches of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan (held in 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic). Although she struggled at times to maintain possession, she most notably aided the team in defeating New Zealand, 6–1, in the group stage and advancing to the quarterfinals. Under the leadership of coach Vlatko Andonovski, Lavelle and the USWNT would go on to best the Dutch national team before falling to the Canadians in the semifinals.
Following her April 2023 knee injury, Lavelle was deemed able to compete on a limited basis at the Women's World Cup later that year. There she contributed a pivotal assist but also incurred a yellow card in a match against Portugal, for which she received a one-game suspension. The USWNT's subpar, ninth-place finish in that tournament constituted the team's earliest departure from the competition to date.
Fortunes improved for Lavelle and the USWNT the following year. In June 2024, Lavelle won her hundredth cap in an international friendly match against South Korea. The following month, she returned to the Summer Olympics with the USWNT under the new leadership of coach Emma Hayes, whose approach Lavelle praised. At the Paris Games, Lavelle's strong playmaking and passing were on display and contributed to the USWNT's 6–1 victory over Germany in the semifinal game. However, Hayes opted to start Korbin Albert in the final gold-medal match against Brazil instead of Lavelle, who served as a substitute.
Sponsorships and Endorsements
Lavelle has also served as a brand ambassador for the Yuengling FLIGHT upscale light beer and signed promotional deals with New Balance apparel, the Chipotle fast-casual restaurant chain, and the American Girl doll company. She has appeared in television commercials and publicly aspired to a post-athletic career in sales.
Impact
Rose Lavelle is considered among the most dynamic professional midfielders of her generation. Though frequently sidelined by injury, she is credited with skill and creativity on the field and has contributed to the success of the US Women's National Team in numerous international competitions.
Bibliography
Bolam, Allison. “Cincinnati’s Soccer Star: Rose Lavelle.” Ohio History Connection, 5 May 2021, www.ohiohistory.org/cincinnatis-soccer-star-rose-lavelle. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
Bolam, Allison. “Ohio’s Rose Lavelle Has Become an International Soccer Star.” Knox Pages, 12 May 2021, www.knoxpages.com/history/ohios-rose-lavelle-has-become-an-international-soccer-star/article‗34107127-a46e-58d5-a29e-6410f6c22822.html. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
Cory, Annie. “Hometown Hopefuls: Rose Lavelle Prepares for Second World Cup, Reflects on Ohio Roots.” NBC Sports, 17 July 2023, www.nbcsports.com/on-her-turf/news/hometown-hopefuls-rose-lavelle-2023-womens-world-cup. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
Hill, Courtney. “Rose Lavelle Reveals Key Differences under Emma Hayes as the USWNT Impress at Paris 2024 Olympics.” Olympics.com, International Olympic Committee, 29 July 2024, olympics.com/en/news/rose-lavelle-emma-hayes-uswnt-paris-2024. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
JWS Staff. “Rose Lavelle Will Miss Second USWNT Friendly vs. Ireland with Knock.” Just Women Sports, 12 Apr. 2023, justwomenssports.com/reads/rose-lavelle-uswnt-ireland-knock-injury-absence-april-2023/. Accessed 9 May 2023.
Kassouf, Jeff. “Rose Lavelle and the Freedom to Be Herself: How Her OL Reign and USWNT Form Has Taken Off.” ESPN, 7 June 2022, www.espn.com/soccer/united-states-nwsl/story/4681440/rose-lavelle-and-the-freedom-to-be-herself-how-her-ol-reign-and-uswnt-form-has-taken-offro. Accessed 9 May 2023.
“Rose Lavelle.” All American Speakers Bureau, 2024, www.allamericanspeakers.com/celebritytalentbios/Rose+Lavelle/438536. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
“Rose Lavelle.” Team USA, 2024, www.teamusa.org/us-soccer/athletes/Rose-Lavelle. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
“Rose Lavelle.” U.S. Soccer, 2024, www.ussoccer.com/players/l/rose-lavelle. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
Watkins, Claire. “What Went Wrong for the USWNT at the Tokyo Olympics.” Just Women’s Sports, 3 Aug. 2021, justwomenssports.com/reads/what-went-wrong-for-the-uswnt-at-the-tokyo-olympics/. Accessed 30 Aug. 2024.
“Yuengling Launches ‘FLIGHT,’ The Next Generation of Light Beer.” Cision PR Newswire, 25 Feb. 2020, www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/yuengling-launches-flight-the-next-generation-of-light-beer-301010847.html?tc=eml‗cleartime. Accessed 9 May 2023.