Tina Estrada, Coach at San Jose State, and her women's soccer team have been on a roll. We discuss Estrada's story and the Spartans' recent successes. We also touch on the university's mental health resources for student-athletes.
Estrada's success
Hanson's pedigree is similar to Estrada, who was appointed assistant coach at San Jose State's women's soccer team in 2017. She was an All American college player in soccer and was a member of U.S.'s under-17 national team. At Santa Clara, Estrada was a three-time all-WCC forward, and also played in four NCAA tournaments. In 2015, she was named NSCAA Assistant coach of the year.
Estrada is a native of Fremont, Calif., but now lives in Walnut Creek, Calif. She has won the Mountain West Tournament twice and was named National Assistant Coach of the Year. She has coached the Spartans in two NCAA Tournaments and five consecutive conference tournaments.
Recent success at SJSU
The recent success of SJSU women's soccer has been attributed to several players. Most notably Dorthe Hoppius won the MVP award for the team, but she will not be back with the Spartans during the 2018 season. Jamilecxth Becerra, a sophomore, was also named Mountain West Newcomer-of-the Year. She scored seven goals, five of which were game-winning. In addition, Darriell Franklin was named the MW defensive player of the year and named to the All-MW first team.
New facilities have also contributed to the Spartans' success. Spartan Beach is a new addition to the campus. These two facilities are not the only additions to the campus. The Spartans also plan to open their Spartan Athletics Center next spring.
Coach Tina Estrada's career
Estrada is the interim head coaching of the San Jose State women’s football team. She was previously an Associate Head Coach and Spartans assistant for the past four years. Lauren Hanson retired after eight seasons. Lauren Hanson had been named her replacement. Hanson had been the winningest coach in school history.
Estrada was a standout player at Santa Clara University. Estrada also served as an assistant coach and associate director for several programs. She is now poised to be one of the top young coaches in Division 1 women's soccer. Estrada is a great teacher, has excellent communication skills, and can lead.
SJSU's Mental Health Resources for Student-Athletes
SJSU students-athletes have many mental health resources at their disposal. Many resources can be tailored to meet the specific needs of athletes. For example, Support for Sport helps athletes find mental health referrals and talk about mental health issues with teammates. LGBTQ+ Support includes stories and perspectives on being out in sports. ULIFELINE's college resources for mental health are also very helpful. Counseling Services also offers a page that provides self-help for student athletes. Finally, Health and Wellness Education has a website that contains a wide variety of information on mental health topics.
SJSU's Counseling and Psychological Services department provides quality services to students. The department examines every individual to determine if they are ready to be productive members in society. The third floor of Student Wellness Center houses the department, which offers counseling on a range of issues.