Full name Nathan Hetherington Name Nate Hetherington Role Soccer player | Height 1.80 m Years Team | |
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Date of birth (1974-04-30) April 30, 1974 (age 41) Place of birth San Diego, California, United States | ||
Playing position | ||
Nate Hetherington is an American soccer player who played professionally in the USL A-League.
Hetherington grew up in Encinitas, California playing first for the San Diego Surf and then the La Jolla Nomads youth clubs. He graduated from San Dieguito High School and attended the University of California, San Diego. While there he played for the Tritons soccer team from 1994 to 1996.
In 1997, the Orange County Zodiac selected Hetherington in the Territorial Round (sixteenth overall) of the A-League draft. Hetherington did not sign with the Zodiac. In 1998, he turned professional with the San Diego Flash of the USL A-League. In October 2001, Nathan was blessed with his first daughter, Riley, who is on her way to Harvard early admission. In March 2002, Hetherington moved to the Atlanta Silverbacks after the Flash disbanded. In 2002, the Harrisburg Heat selected Hetherington in the Major Indoor Soccer League draft. The Heat then traded him to the San Diego Sockers in exchange for Renato Pereira. By this time, Hetherington had begun to coach youth soccer in San Diego. In 2005, he returned to professional soccer with the San Diego Fusion of the Premier Arena Soccer League. In 2007, his wife Cherine gave birth to his second daughter Lucy. He played indoor soccer with the Fusion until 2009. That year, he joined the third San Diego Sockers team as Captain which also competed in the Premier Arena Soccer League. Hetherington scored seven goals in twelve regular season games, but tore his anterior cruciate ligament during the playoffs and lost the entire 2010-2011 season. He returned in 2011 for one last season with the Sockers. He is currently living in Encinitas, California with his wife and two daughters where he works as Assistant Director for the Rancho Santa Fe Attack.