 Wambach attended Our Lady of Mercy High School in Rochester from 1994 to 1998 , where she lettered in soccer and basketball . During her high school career , she scored 142 goals , including 34 in 1997 alone . Mercy 's soccer coach , Kathy Boughton , recalled that Wambach would stay after practice to practice diving headers – a skill that would later become her signature as an international player . Following her senior season , Wambach was named to Parade Magazine 's High School All @-@ America Team . She was also voted national high school player of the year by Umbro and the National Soccer Coaches Association of America ( NSCAA ) . In 1997 , she was named NSCAA Regional Player of the Year , NSCAA State of New York Player of the Year , Gatorade Circle of Champions New York Player of the Year , and cited by USA Today as one of the nation 's top 10 recruits . 
