Gig Harbor High soccer coach Cox returns to the game, signs with Reign FC

The allure of the game was just too much for Steph Cox.

On Friday, Cox resumed her playing career, signing with the FC Reign as a national team replacement player. Cox, 33, played for Reign FC from 2013 to 2015 and was an original member of the franchise before taking on the role of assistant coach under Vlatko Andonvski.

In addition to coaching with Reign FC, she’s the current head coach for the Gig Harbor High School girls soccer team, leading the Tides to three-straight state tournament appearances including a 3A state title in 2018.

It was during that time that Cox started thinking about playing again.

“All season, coming out to practice, there was something inside of me that still loves striking a ball,” Cox said in a release issued by the team. “I talked to my husband about it. He was supportive. I started thinking ‘I’m already here, why not give it a shot?”

While her husband was on board, her two kids were split on their final say.

“My oldest daughter understands because she remembers me playing, but I was pregnant with my youngest the last time I played,” Cox said. “I asked them both, ‘Should mommy play or should mommy coach? My oldest said play but my younger daughter said coach, coach.’

“It will be great for them to see me follow my heart.”

Cox made 49 appearances with the club and 89 international appearances as a member of the U.S. women’s national team. She appeared in two World Cups (2007, 2011) and was on the gold-medal winning team at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Anodnovski was a little surprised when Cox had approached him about returning to the field.

“It’s something that we didn’t even think about,” Andonovski said in a press release. “When she first told me that (she wanted to play), I was in shock. I didn’t know what to say or ask, but after processing everything I’m just excited and happy that we can have a player of her caliber on our team.”

Reign FC hosts the Houston Dash at Cheney Stadium at 1 p.m. on Sunday.

This story was originally published May 31, 2019 at 1:20 PM.