Kate Deines
A tenacious midfielder who championed the early professional era of women's soccer, representing the US youth teams and competing in Germany's top league.
Born 1989 (age 37)·American soccer midfielder-defender·Birthday: September 17·Millennials
Biography
Kate Deines' career unfolded during a pivotal, often unstable chapter for women's soccer in the United States. A standout at the University of Washington, where she left as a program legend, she entered a professional landscape in flux. Drafted by a league that suspended operations, she embodied the resilience required of players at the time, pivoting to the Seattle Sounders Women in the USL W-League. Her talent earned her a coveted move to Turbine Potsdam, one of Europe's powerhouses in Germany's Frauen-Bundesliga, where she tested herself against the world's best. Returning stateside, she became a foundational player for the Seattle Reign in the fledgling NWSL, providing steady defense and midfield grit. Deines wasn't a flashy superstar, but a determined professional whose path helped pave the way for the more stable league that followed.
Millennials
1981–1996
The first digital natives. Grew up with the internet, came of age during 9/11 and the 2008 crash. Highly educated, deeply indebted, slower to marry and buy houses. Redefined work, identity, and what it means to be an adult.
Kate was born in 1989, placing them squarely in the Millennials. The events that shaped this generation — the internet revolution, 9/11, and the 2008 financial crisis — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Kate Was Born
The biggest hits of 1989
#1 Movie
Batman
Best Picture
Driving Miss Daisy
#1 TV Show
Roseanne
Kate's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1989Born
Berlin Wall falls; Tiananmen Square protests
Gas: $1.00/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Look Away" — ChicagoBest Picture: Driving Miss Daisy
1994Started school
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2002Became a teenager
Euro currency enters circulation
Gas: $1.36/galHome: $137,800Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"How You Remind Me" — NickelbackBest Picture: Chicago
2005Could drive
Hurricane Katrina devastates New Orleans; YouTube launches
Gas: $2.30/galHome: $167,500Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"We Belong Together" — Mariah CareyBest Picture: Crash
2007Could vote
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2010Turned 21
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2019Turned 30
First image of a black hole; Hong Kong protests
Gas: $2.60/galHome: $224,400Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Old Town Road" — Lil Nas XBest Picture: Parasite
2026Age 37 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played professionally in the Frauen-Bundesliga for Turbine Potsdam, a top German club.
- Was a founding player for Seattle Reign FC in the inaugural 2013 NWSL season.
- Finished her collegiate career at the University of Washington as the program's all-time leader in games started.
- Represented the United States at the U-17 and U-20 Women's World Cup levels.
Did You Know?
In college, she was a two-sport athlete, also playing for the Washington Huskies women's basketball team.
Her younger sister, Annie Deines, also played soccer for the University of Washington.
She scored the first-ever goal for the Seattle Sounders Women in the W-League in 2012.
“I played wherever the league was standing that year.”
