Denise Reddy is no stranger to the Miller Family Training Complex, although it didn't exist when she was a two-time team captain and an All-American in soccer at Rutgers more than 30 years ago.
The professional coach has returned often since then to help out during Rutgers women's soccer team workouts on the Piscataway campus.
But recently, her stop at Rutgers took on special meaning when she appeared on the field as an assistant coach with the Olympic-bound U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.
"It's amazing to be able to come back and actually have an [Olympic] camp in New Jersey before going to the Olympics," she said, just outside the complex in the heat of an early July afternoon. "I'm honored to be part of the U.S. National Team, but to actually be able to come back and train at my alma mater is really special."
Her coaching journey began when she was still a member of the Rutgers team, working with New Jersey's Olympic Development Program in 1989.
Thirty-five years later, at age 52, she couldn't help but appreciate how far she has come.
Among the players she is coaching is another Rutgers grad. Casey Murphy, class of 2017, is a goalkeeper and also a Jersey girl from Bridgewater. Reddy grew up in Hazlet and now resides in Point Pleasant.
"Casey is a huge part of Rutgers. I've trained with her, played against her a little bit in pickup games. And being a Jersey girl," Reddy said," that means a lot."
