TAMPA, Fla. — During a soccer game, a throw-in after the ball goes out of bounds isn't usually one of the more exciting plays of the contest. But one Tampa Bay Sun FC player is changing that.
Tampa Bay signed defender Jordan Zade in January. Aside from her skills as an all-around player, Zade launches throw-ins from ranges of 30 to 40 yards.
That's significantly longer than an average throw-in, and the arc and height of her throws mirror that of a free kick. She does it by gripping the ball tightly on both sides, leaning forward, driving the ball into the ground, and then doing a front flip. Her feet hit the ground, and her body slingshots forward as she releases the ball.
"In college, I was just like messing around. I was doing it a few times, and my coach happened to be watching," Zade recalled. "He was like, ‘Can you do that again?’ I was like, ‘Yeah!’ It ended up just sticking in college."
Zade, a standout at the University of Nebraska, practiced the flip throw-in for years. She just didn't know it.
"I did gymnastics competitively for like seven, eight years. So I could always do the flips," she said before training. "Then one day I was like, ‘You know what? I think I might be able to do this flip-through.' And in high school, I started to do it. But then college is when it really stuck."
Sun head coach Denise Schilte-Brown is a big fan of the flip throw-in, but she's quick to mention that they signed Jordan because she's a great all-around player.
"[The flip throw-in] definitely wasn’t something we recruited her for because she’s a talented soccer player. But when she said it, I was like, ‘Oh yeah, you do do that!’ I don’t think that I knew she had such range," Schilte-Brown said. "Just excited to have her in the group. She’s a really hard worker. She’s explosive, and everyone loves the flip-throw."
Zade, 22, said she was excited to get her first professional contract from a franchise that's making history as the first women's pro team in the Tampa Bay area.
"It’s absolutely amazing. Knowing that the opportunities for women’s soccer are growing. Just being able to see that so that the younger girls can realize that their dreams are possible. So it’s really cool to be part of an amazing organization and club."
Schilte-Brown says Tampa Bay needed a team like the Sun, and every step they take will continue to be historic.
"You can feel the ascent of women moving forward and how we’ve been striving for this," she explained. "And for Tampa Bay to embrace this the way they did. And the fans, and the people, and the media. It’s been awesome for young women everywhere."
Tampa Bay (5-4-6) hosts Brooklyn FC (9-3-2) Saturday night at Riverfront Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
