Tamara Browder Hageage
Tamara Browder Hageage is the goalkeeper coach and assistant women’s soccer coach at Eastern Washington University. At Woodward High School in Toledo, she was a four-year starter in goal for the boys’ varsity team. She was a member of the Ohio-North State Team from 1990 until 1997. She was selected to the regional team/pool from 1992 to 1997, and was invited to the national team tryouts in 1992 and 1993. Tamara’s college career began in 1990 as a scholarship athlete at Colorado College, where her team made it to the NCAA Division I Final Four. She completed her last three years of collegiate eligibility at the University of Washington, where she received MVP honors in 1991 and still holds several records, including most goalkeeper saves in a season (106 in 1991), most goalkeeper shutouts in a season (8 in 1991), and most goalkeeper saves in a match (14 vs. Michigan State, 9/23/92). After graduating from Washington in 1994, Tamara returned to Toledo to complete a master’s degree and began her coaching career by helping to lead St. Ursula High School to the regional finals. She also played on a men’s semi-professional team. In 1995, Tamara played with the Cincinnati Leopards of the Women’s United States Interregional Soccer League (U.S.I.S.L) and helped the team reach the final six. In 1996 and 1997, she continued to play in the U.S.I.S.L as a captain for the Cleveland Eclipse. During this time, Tamara also worked as the assistant coach for the University of Toledo. In 1998, Tamara headed to Russia to play for Ryazan F.C. in the Russian First Division. Next, she played for Denmark’s F.C. Fortuna, one of the biggest, most successful women’s professional clubs in Europe. She was the first American to sign a professional contract n the Danish First Division and the first to win the club’s most valuable player award. Tamara also played professionally for Laval in Montreal, Quebec. After retiring from professional soccer in 1999 due to congenital foot problems, Tamara was named the head women’s soccer coach at Northview High School in Sylvania, Ohio. She led Northview to their highest ranking ever in the state and was named the 1999 District Coach of the Year. In July 2000, Tamara took over the women’s soccer program at Eastern Washington University with her husband, George Hageage. In 2004, Tamara earned her advanced national diploma from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and helped lead the Eastern Eagles to a piece of the Big Sky Conference title. In addition to coaching responsibilities at EWU, Tamara focuses her professional energy on helping coaches and goalkeepers become more effective by serving as the director of coaching for the Spokane Valley Junior Soccer Association, working with the Washington State Olympic Development goalkeeping staff, and volunteering as a coach for Spokane’s TOPSoccer program.
