Clare's a hotshot!

A HUDDERSFIELD woman has won a top footballing honour in America.

Clare Sykes, 20, has just been named Women's Soccer Player of the Year by the National Association for Intercollegiate Athletics.

Clare, whose family live at Mount in Huddersfield, moved to America two years ago to study at Martin Methodist College in Pulaski, Tennessee.

She is studying physical education at the private college.

It was through playing as central midfielder for the college's soccer team - the RedHawks - that Clare won her accolade.

She was voted Women's Soccer Player of the Year by a committee of coaches from the NAIA.

To be eligible for the award, players have to be members of the All America first team.

This team is made up of the nation's 11 best women college soccer players.

These are chosen from the 400 women's college football teams in the nation - totalling around 8,000 players.

Chris Megginson, sports information director at the college, said: "This is the highest honour a player can receive in college soccer in the NAIA.

"This award is saying that out of 8,000 NAIA women's soccer players, Clare Sykes was considered the best for this season."

Clare will receive a plaque in recognition of this award at the annual convention of the National Soccer Coaches' Association of America in Philadelphia in January.

This accolade is just the latest in Clare's successful soccer career.

This year, she has scored 10 goals and also has been credited with 11 assists.

She was also named TranSouth Athletic Conference Co-player of the Year and the NAIA Region XI Player of the Year.

Martin Methodist College competes in the TranSouth Athletic Conference, which is part of Region XI.

There are 14 NAIA regions, covering all of America.

Before going to America, Clare played for the National Women's Football Academy in Durham.

She boarded there from 2001 to 2003 and captained the college team, as well as studying for an A-level in leisure and recreation.

She was named player of the year there for 2003/2004. She was also named National Women's Football Academy Football Player of the Year for 2003/2004.

Clare - a former pupil at All Saints' Catholic High School in Bradley Bar - has been playing football since an early age.

At seven, she joined the Huddersfield Town Ladies' under 12s' squad and stayed with them until she was 16.

She captained the West Yorkshire county squad at the age of 15.

Clare's father John, who taught languages at All Saints' for 27 years, said the family were impressed with her progress since she went to America.

"I'm very proud of her," he said. "To get to this level is incredible really. Women's soccer is more popular in America and there are many more chances for her to progress.

"What she is doing now may bring her to the notice of teams that will allow her to play at the very top level of soccer."

John himself played football for Huddersfield schoolboys, then played for Huddersfield RUFC.

Clare's mother, Miriam, represented Sheffield University at swimming and played basketball.

Clare's twin sister Frances is a talented netball player.

Brother Greg, 22, is a former Kirklees schools champion for 200m and 400m running.

And younger brother Brendan, 15, is also a Kirklees running champion for 800m races.

* As the year 2000 commenced the US found itself as arguably the top country in the world for women's soccer - both in terms of participation and success in international competition.

* However, women's soccer got off to a relatively late start in America Women's leagues existed in Europe as far back as 1930, and international competitions date back to the 1950s, but in the United States organised women's soccer did not take root until the late 1970s.

* When it did take root it was partly an outgrowth of the Title IX legislation of 1972 mandating gender equity in education.

* Varsity college teams began to spread in the early 1980s, and a national squad was only established in 1985 - playing Italy in its first international fixture.

* The first national women's league did not launch until 1995, and it was not until 2001 that the first professional women's league made its debut.

* When women's soccer did finally take off in the US, it was with a vengeance, fuelled by enormous participation at the youth and amateur levels.

* After two World Cup titles and Olympic gold and silver medals, the US currently dominates the world in the women's game.