Former United States National Team member Janine Szpara joined Head Coach Laura Schott’s staff in 2008, focusing primarily on the team's defense and goalkeepers.
In her first season with Portland State, Szpara helped guide the team to the Big Sky tournament after posting a 4-1-2 record against conference opponents. In conference play, the team's defense held a 0.67 goals against average through seven Big Sky games, including three shutouts.
Szpara nurtured former-Viking Cris Lewis during 2008 and 2009 to the top of Portland State record book, helping her set records in career wins, saves and shutouts. In 2009, the Vikings finished the season 50th in team save percentage (.836). In the last two seasons, Portland State has posted 16 shutouts, eight in each season.
Szpara played collegiately at Colorado College where she was a four-time first team All-America selection from 1985-1988. She helped lead the Tigers to an appearance in the 1986 NCAA Championship Game, where they fell 2-0 to North Carolina. Still, Szpara was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player of the 1986 NCAA Tournament. As a senior, she was named the Adidas Goalkeeper of the Year. She was inducted into the Colorado College Hall of Fame in 1995, individually, and the 1986 national runner-up squad was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame in 2006.
Szpara was a member of the US National Team from 1986-1987, appearing in six international contests and was a part of the US National Team pool from 1988-1991.
Professionally, Szpara played both overseas and in the United States. She played professionally in Japan for the Shiroki Serena and Takarazuka from 1995-1999, earning all-star honors. After playing for the Foothill Football Club in 2000, Szpara joined the San Jose Cyberrays of the WUSA for the 2001 and 2002 seasons.
As a collegiate coach, Szpara has served at Stanford, California, Cornell, Santa Clara, San Jose State and Warner Pacific College in Portland. She began her coaching career with the Cardinal, working at Stanford for the 1989 season. She then worked three seasons as an assistant and goalkeeper coach at California, from 1990-1992, before leaving the collegiate coaching ranks to travel.
Szpara returned to coaching in 2000 as an assistant coach at Cornell University. Following her two seasons with the Cyberrays, Szpara worked as a goalkeeper coach for perennial-power Santa Clara in 2002. The Broncos finished second in the nation in 2002, falling in the College Cup Championship Game. After spending the 2003 season as a graduate assistant at San Jose State, Szpara was the associate head coach at Warner Pacific, an NAIA program, from 2004-2006.
Szpara has worked with the Olympic Development Program at several points in her career. From 1989-1992 she was a goalkeeper trainer, worked as an administrator and was an assistant coach for the U14 and U19 teams. Szpara also worked as a goalkeeper trainer for the U19 National Team camp. In 2007, Szpara returned to ODP as a regional staff coach and in the spring of 2009 was an assistant coach at the U15 National Team camp in Palo Alto.
In the fall of 2008, Szpara took part in the American-Vietnamese Soccer Experience, teaching soccer at a handful of clinics throughout Vietnam. She spent time in Indonesia with the Indonesia America Soccer Experience, teaching camps with other American professional players and coaches.
Szpara's other coaching experience includes working as the Cornell Youth Camp coordinator and coach from 2002-2004. She has also been involved with Oregon Youth Soccer and the Tualatin Hills United Soccer Club. Szpara was an assistant directo, and the head coach for the U12 and U14 boys teams while assisting with U15 boys squad.
Szpara is a native of San Jose, Calif. She graduated from Colorado College in 1989 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History.
THE SZPARA FILE
PERSONAL
Hometown: San Jose, California
Alma Mater: Colorado College, 1989
Bachelor of Arts, History
AT PORTLAND STATE (2008-PRESENT)
• Announced as Assistant Coach at Portland State on May 30, 2008
• Helped guide the Viking defense to a 0.67 GAA in conference play en route to a Big Sky tournament appearance
COLLEGE COACHING EXPERIENCE
• Stanford (1989-1990), Assistant Coach
• California (1990-1992), Assistant Coach/GKs
• Cornell (2000), Assistant Coach
• Santa Clara (2002), Goalkeeper Coach
• San Jose State (2003), Graduate Assistant
• Warner Pacific (OR) (2004-2006), Associate Head Coach
CLUB EXPERIENCE
• USSF A and National Goalkeeping coaching licenses.
• Olympic Development Program (1989-1992; 2006)
• Olympic Development Program Regional Staff (2007-08)
• Oregon Youth Soccer Staff Coach (2004-present)
• Assistant Director, Tualatin Hills United Soccer Club (2004-present)
INTERNATIONAL PLAYING EXPERIENCE
• Appeared in six international matches for the US National Team from 1986-1987
• US National Team pool, 1988-1991
PROFESSIONAL PLAYING EXPERIENCE
• Shiroki Serena (Japan), 1995-1999
• Earned all-star honors playing in Japan
• Football F.C., 2000
• San Jose Cyberrays (WUSA), 2001-2002
COLLEGIATE PLAYING EXPERIENCE
• Colorado College, 1985-1988
• Four-time, first-team All-America selection
• Helped lead the Tigers to the 1986 NCAA Championship Game
• Inducted into Colorado College Hall of Fame, 1995
