Where were you born & raised?

I began playing in 1989 at the age of 21 at the Sports Harbour tavern in Marina Del Rey, California. at the time it was one of the L.A area's real foosball hotspots with several weekly tournaments and really good competition. Players like Terry Moore, Evan Stachelek, Gregg Perrie, and Ron Sipiora used to regularly attend these events, so I had to get good quick, and I guess I did. I won my first tournament (a weekly DYP) just 2 months after starting, and I was hooked on the sport from there.

 

The first major tournament I attended was the U.S. Open held in San Bernardino, CA in 1990. It was a real eye-opener. I had played against some good players in L.A. but the depth of talent at that major tournament was amazing to me. I played, and did okay, but I realized then that I still had a ton to learn! 

 

What was your first Major title ever won?
I won my first major title in 1995 with Liz Hill in Womens Doubles at the U.S. Open in Cleveland, OH. We had just begun to play together that season, so to win that soon out was very exciting. Of course Liz was already, at the age of 18, one of the top lady forwards in the sport, so it was nothing new to her. But to me, it was exhilarating!

 

What is your primary position?

I've been fortunate enough to have won four Female Goalie of the Year titles, so I guess I'm a goalie. But I also enjoy playing forward, and have done so on several different occasions during my career. But most of my forward play comes when I play singles, or when we need to give the opponent a different look on the defensive five, or when defending the 3 rod.

 

Which do you like better?

By far the goalie position. I've spent most of my career in the back, playing with the likes of Liz Hill, Tom Yore, Dave Gummeson, and now Adrian Zamora. I enjoy the challenge of going up against the best forwards in the world and trying to out-think them. I especially enjoy Mixed and Open Doubles where I can go head to head with the big boys.


 

Primary & secondary shot as a forward? As a goalie? 

When I first started playing I shot a pull shot. But in 1995 I switched to the roll-over which would now be considered my primary shot. I don't think I really have one single back up shot, but I can always shoot my old pull shot if necessary. At the goalie position I use a standard pull series with variations of course and different passing options. To be consistent at goalie I think it's important to have a basic shooting/passing series with lots of options to always keep the opponent guessing.

 

Well, you can't really argue with either the World Championships or the Hall of Fame Classic as being special. They are both awesome events with first class competition. If I had to choose between them I guess I'd say my favorite tournament would probably be the Hall of Fame Classic, because it's in Las Vegas, and you get to see all your foos buddies after a 6 month tour season layoff. Not to mention it's closer to my home here in southern California. Now if you were to ask me my favorite venue, I'd say anything in Minnesota. I have had strong showings at many of the tourneys that I have attended in the Twin Cities, including a first place finish in mixed doubles with Adrian Zamora at last year¹s National Championships. I also have a few Minnesota State titles and won my only Open Women's Singles title at the 1996 U.S. Open at the Minneapolis Hilton.

 

I really enjoy competing against the men in either Mixed or Open Doubles. Going against their natural speed and power and Trying to outsmart them with my wits and experience is truly the most exciting challenge in the sport for me. Of course I also enjoy going up against (and hopefully beating) the top lady forwards like Moya and Cindy. But to occasionally defeat a Terry Moore or Tony Spredeman in a big match really gives you a feeling of satisfaction.

Early in my career I really enjoyed watching Thor Donovan because of the effort that he puts into each and every ball. In reality the first point of every game is just as important as the last, and I think Thor truly exemplifies that kind of play. Of course my old partner (now retired and raising children) Liz (Hill) Hellstern was probably the biggest influence on me. I loved playing with Liz. She was such a great partner and taught me so much. And of course my partner in life Jim Stevens who taught me to play "professional style" and continues to coach me to this day.

 

The most difficult thing I had to learn early on was how to hit the ball with any power whatsoever. I was diagnosed with the severest form of Rheumatoid Arthritis when I was 18, so my wrists simply don't work the way they are supposed to. I had to learn how to shoot pull shots (my main offensive series from goalie) by using a palm roll or open handed style in order to generate the power necessary to be any kind of offensive factor. I still am not a great shooter, choosing to primarily pass or clear the ball, but I seem to get the job done.

 

 I'd like to think that I can block them all. It's really a matter of finding your opponent's tendencies and adjusting appropriately. Knowing their weaknesses, timing, shot selection, tells, etc. makes it easier to get a read and hopefully a good percentage of the blocks. As a goalie in the open events, when playing against the top forwards, you are seldom going to stop every shot. So it's important to make sure you block a good percentage of them, to allow your partner the opportunity be successful at his or her offensive end. I have had some of my better performances playing against the men in Open and Mixed Doubles. The top pros always know why they're shooting to a specific hole, and they usually execute about 99% of the time, which makes it easier to think along with them and anticipate the shot. And of course you can generally count on the fact that they're not going to stub or spray the ball to the wrong hole.But if I had to pick one style of shot, I'd say (long pause) probably a pull-kick, since I rarely see them anymore. But if and when I do face them I'll be doing some serious reading and adjusting.

 

Of course spending as much time on the table as possible is a big key. I always advise new players to practice handling the ball, passing from man to man, rod to rod, slowly at first, and gradually developing speed. When you can do what you want to with the ball, the rest (shots, passes etc.) comes much easier. 
As a goalie, you want to start by perfecting the three basics: Blocking the slop, keeping the ball in your area after a block or opponent's missed shot, and developing a consistent offensive series in order to clear your zone. Scoring from goal is a bonus. If you can do the three basics, and block a decent percentage against the opposing forward, you're going to be a successful goalie.

 It also helps to find an experienced player or "coach" to help you along. I think playing in a league definitely helps a "beginner" because he or she is motivated to do well for the team, and it's a good way to get some personalized coaching. Oh, and of course watch the videos of the top players from insidefoos.com!

I just try to get in some quality table time, both by myself and playing against other players. My daily practice regimen includes ball handling (as discussed earlier) and practicing the execution of the shots, passes, and defenses that I will use in tournament play. I also watch videos to pick up other players tendencies and strategies, and to review my performances against certain players. Of course I get my best practice playing against my boyfriend Jim (Stevens, the "Fooscaster")) to see who has to do the dishes or walk the dog. I hate doing the dishes (and so does Jim) so our games get pretty competitive.

 

I can remember almost all of them. Winning my first Mixed Doubles title with Tom Yore (at the time my regular partner) back in 1996 at the Masters in Atlanta is a great memory. After winning the winner's bracket, we were faced with a possible double-dip after a first set defeat. But we turned the match back around and came back to defeat Bob Diaz and Angela Sine for our first title together. It was an overwhelming victory for me. What a feeling! It felt like all the hard work had finally paid off in a big way. It was a huge step in my career.

My most memorable "weekend" would be the 1996 U.S. Open held in Minneapolis. I won my first and only singles tour title at that tournament, and finished 2nd in both Women's Doubles (with Liz Hill) and Mixed Doubles with Bobby Diaz. That tournament made me feel like I could compete with anyone on the pro tour, even though winning the singles title was as big a surprise to me as it was to everyone else.

 

The first female player to come to mind would be Cindy Head. She's been at the top of the sport for almost two decades and is showing no sign of stopping anytime soon (until she retires of course). She has numerous tour wins with an amazing 33 World titles alone. With a record like that how could you not respect a player like Cindy. You've also got to love the intense way that she plays the game. It's a lot of fun to watch her when she really gets rolling. Although not so much fun to play against her.
Moya Tielens is another player that I greatly respect. Not only has she proven herself by competing and winning mutiple titles in the lady's events, she has, on more than one occasion, raised many eyebrows with her success in the open events as a forward playing against the men. Her win this year in Vegas playing forward in mixed was an amazing achievement!
Of course my first regular partner, Liz Hellstern (aka Liz Hill), also had a huge impact on my playing career. She took a chance playing with me (I was only rated an expert at the time) back in 1995 and we hit it off immediately, winning our first 2 major tournaments. Liz at that time was among the top 3 lady forwards in the world and had already won more than 20 titles.   
She taught me teamwork and camaraderie on and off the table. No matter what situation we may have found ourselves in, I always knew she wouldn't give up on me nor I her, not only for the sake of the "team" but also for not wanting to let your friend down. Playing beside her for more than five years, I learned what most of my strengths and weaknesses were, and she shared her time, insight, strength, knowledge and friendship with me. To this day we're still very good friends (even though she lives in Oklahoma and I'm in So Cal), and hopefully we'll see her out competing on the pro tour again in the future.
 
Do you think women get the recognition they deserve in this sport?

Yes, I think they mostly do. When I hear both male and female players talk about the most dominant players in the sport of foosball, Cindy Head and Moya Tielens are always two of the names that are immediately brought up. Of course when women make up only about 10% of all tournament attendees, you can't expect them to get as much notoriety as the men. Hopefully in the future, the sport will grow enough to where all players, men and women, will get more recognition from both their peers and the general public.

Thanks Christina!