Sport: Soccer
Born: June 13, 1971
Town: Princeton, New Jersey
Saskia Johanna Webber was born June 13, 1971 in Princeton, NJ. Starting around the age of 6, she began excelling in the local youth-sports programs, including soccer, tennis, softball, lacrosse and swimming. Saskia’s success in competition gave her the confidence she lacked in the classroom, where she was dealing with mild dyslexia.
Saskia played goalie occasionally for her club and high school teams, but it was not until she arrived at Rutgers that she embraced the position full-time. She started for Rutgers all four years, and led the Scarlet Knights to the ECAC Tournament title three years in a row. After Saskia’s junior year, she made her Team USA debut in a game against Norway. As a senior in 1992, she was an All-American, a Hermann Trophy finalist and the winner of the National Goalkeeper of the Year award. She finished her college career with a school-record 34 shutouts, which stood for 17 years.
After graduation, Saskia became the national team’s primary starter. She eventually lost this role to Briana Scurry, but was a member of the 1996 Olympic gold medal-winning team and the 1999 World Cup championship squad. At the 2000 Olympics, Saskia did color commentary for ESPN. During this time she played professionally in Japan and also worked on Anson Dorrance’s coaching staff at UNC and ran summer soccer camps in North Carolina.
Saskia was named to the “Team of the ’90s” by Soccer America and, in 1998, became the first female soccer player enshrined in the Rutgers Athletics Hall of Fame.
In 2001, Saskia was one of the big names signed to the Women’s United Soccer Association, playing for the Philadelphia Charge and, in 2002, the New York Power. When the WUSA folded, Saskia decided not to go back overseas. She joined with other Team USA stars to hold clinics and exhibition matches, hoping to get a women’s pro league re-started.
Saskia also pursued more work as a commentator and actress. She ended up moving to LA where she became a nightclub promoter and followed her passion for surfing. Later she became a host for Q TV’s On Q Live. She remains one of the most popular soccer pundits the Internet.