Nel Fettig

Nel Fettig (born April 25, 1976, in Fort Wayne, Indiana) is a retired American soccer player who played for the Carolina Courage.

Early life and education
Fettig was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana on April 25, 1976. She attended Bishop Luers High School, where she excelled in both soccer and tennis, being named the National High School Player of the Year in 1994. She graduated as class valedictorian, then received an undergraduate degree in psychology and exercise science from the University of North Carolina. While there, she received various honors as a student-athlete, including a postgraduate scholarship from the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), which she used to attend the University of North Carolina School of Law.

Before university
Fettig began her athletic career young, competing internationally before graduating from high school. In 1993, she competed at the U.S. Olympic Festival held in San Antonio, as well as on the United States women's national under-20 soccer team.

University
While studying at the University of North Carolina, Fettig played for the university's soccer team. She was an All-American from 1995 to 1997, and during her tenure, the team won three National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) titles. In 1996, she was named the NCAA Tournament's Defensive MVP. In her senior year, she served as the team captain.

Professional and semi-professional
From 1998 to 2000, Fettig played semi-professionally in the W-League with the Raleigh Wings, where she served as team captain. During her tenure, the team won two national championships. She was also named the W-League Defender of the Year in 1998, 1999, and 2000.

Fettig made her professional debut with the Women's United Soccer Association (WUSA) in 2001, having been drafted to play for the New York Power. She played in the 2002 WUSA All-Star Game and won the 2002 WUSA Founders Cup. She transferred to play with the Carolina Courage the following season. WUSA collapsed in 2003.

Coaching
Fettig was an assistant coach at Northwestern University for the 1998 season. She returned to the position in 2003.

Honors
In 2008, Fettig was inducted into the Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame.