Bill Text: VA HJR414 | 2020 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Jillian Anne Ellis.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)
Status: (Passed) 2020-03-05 - Bill text as passed House and Senate (HJ414ER) [HJR414 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2020-HJR414-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, Jillian Anne Ellis, a former resident of Fairfax County and a graduate of The College of William & Mary, led the United States women's national soccer team to consecutive FIFA Women's World Cup Championships in 2015 and 2019; and
WHEREAS, Jillian "Jill" Anne Ellis grew up near Portsmouth, England, but did not play organized soccer until her family relocated to Northern Virginia in 1981, as there were no soccer programs for girls in the United Kingdom at that time; and
WHEREAS, as captain of the Robinson Secondary School girls' soccer team, Jill Ellis led the Robinson Rams to a state championship in 1984, and she played as a forward for The College of William & Mary Tribe from 1984 to 1987; and
WHEREAS, Jill Ellis pursued a lucrative career as a technical writer but was drawn by her passion for the beautiful game to return to the pitch as an assistant coach at the University of Maryland, the University of Virginia, and North Carolina State University; and
WHEREAS, Jill Ellis was selected as head coach of the University of Illinois women's soccer team in 1997 and helped the team achieve a 12–8 record and its first-ever Big Ten Conference Tournament berth in 1998; and
WHEREAS, in 1999, Jill Ellis joined the University of California, Los Angeles as head coach of the women's soccer team and guided the Bruins to six consecutive Pacific-10 Conference titles and eight National Collegiate Athletic Association Final Four appearances, including seven in a row from 2003 to 2009; and
WHEREAS, Jill Ellis, who ultimately became a naturalized citizen of the United States, began her association with United States Soccer as a coach of the national under-20 and under-21 teams, and she became the first full-time development director for United States women's soccer in 2011; and
WHEREAS, Jill Ellis was an assistant coach to the United States women's national soccer team (USWNT) in 2008, when the team earned a gold medal at the Games of the XXIX Olympiad in Beijing; she went on to serve as interim head coach in 2012 and again in 2014; and
WHEREAS, Jill Ellis was selected as the head coach of the USWNT team on May 16, 2014, and was immediately tasked with ensuring that the team qualified for the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup; and
WHEREAS, on July 5, 2015, Jill Ellis oversaw the defeat of the defending Women's World Cup champions, Japan, by an astounding score of 5–2; Japan, which had only conceded three goals in the tournament before the final, could not withstand the American side's offensive talent and conceded three goals within the first 16 minutes; and
WHEREAS, four years later, on July 7, 2019, Jill Ellis and the USWNT won their second consecutive Women's World Cup title and made history as the only four-time cup winners, defeating the Netherlands by a score of 2–0; and
WHEREAS, during the 2019 campaign, the USWNT set a world record for goals in the tournament with 26, and Jill Ellis became only the second coach in history to win consecutive men's or women's World Cup titles since Italy's Vittorio Pozzo in 1938; and
WHEREAS, over the course of her career as interim coach and head coach, Jill Ellis coached the most games in USWNT history, achieving an incredible 106–7–19 record, and left the team well-poised to continue its legacy of success; and
WHEREAS, after her well-earned retirement as head coach, Jill Ellis will continue to support United States Soccer as an ambassador, promoting the power of soccer as a tool for youth development and positive change; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, the Senate concurring, That the General Assembly hereby commend Jillian Anne Ellis for her achievements as head coach of the United States women's national soccer team; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Jillian Anne Ellis as an expression of the General Assembly's admiration for her legacy of contributions to women's athletics.
