Elizabeth Lambert now: Where is the ponytail girl in 2024?
Elizabeth Lambert is an American former professional female soccer player who gained infamy after her aggressive and violent behaviour during a soccer match in 2009. More than 15 years later, she is said to have retreated from the public eye, attracting questions about her whereabouts.
Source: UGC
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Elizabeth Lambert's career prospects in soccer took a sudden turn after the incident. This article unpacks what led to the fateful day's events while answering the question, where is Elizabeth Lambert now?
Elizabeth Lambert's profile summary
| Full name | Elizabeth Lambert |
| Nickname | Ponytail girl |
| Gender | Female |
| Age | 35 years in 2024 (She was 20 years old in 2009) |
| Place of birth | Sacramento, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Hair colour | Blonde |
| Eye colour | Dark brown |
| Famous as | University of New Mexico soccer player |
| Position | Defender |
| Alma mater | University of New Mexico |
| Educational background | Bachelor's degree in occupational therapy |
Who is Elizabeth Lambert?
Elizabeth Lambert, a Sacramento native, started playing the game at age five. She joined the University of New Mexico women's soccer team in 2006, where she had a record as a highly competitive player.
Elizabeth Lambert's occupational therapy
Elizabeth Lambert was also an excellent student. She majored in occupational therapy and was determined to become an occupational therapist after college. She also wished to play soccer professionally.
Source: UGC
What happened to Elizabeth Lambert?
Unfortunately, Elizabeth Lambert's fate changed after the 5 November 2009 match. As captured in Elizabeth Lambert's soccer video during the semi-final match against Brigham Young University, she was captured committing multiple unsportsmanlike plays and fouls. What fueled public outrage was that the referee did not take action immediately.
In the viral video, Elizabeth kicked an opponent in the face, tripped an individual from behind, delivered a punch to another player's back and forcefully pulled an opponent down by her ponytail. Her actions earned her the name Ponytail Girl.
Surprisingly, Lambert only received a yellow card later on in the game. Meanwhile, her victims suffered injuries and seemed to be in immense pain.
Was Elizabeth Lambert suspended from soccer?
The incident forced the University of New Mexico to weigh in and suspend her indefinitely for her actions. The university's conference supported the suspension, saying Elizabeth Lambert of the University of New Mexico violated the Sportsmanship policy.
Was Elizabeth Lambert banned forever?
According to an August 2010 publication by ESPN, Elizabeth Lambert served two-game suspensions after the BYU match incident. She was reinstated and was eligible to play as a senior, proving she was not a female soccer player banned for life. Kit Vela, her coach, commented on the matter, saying, "She is doing great. She has an unbelievable team behind her."
Source: UGC
Elizabeth Lambert's apology
Nearly two weeks after the incident, Elizabeth Lambert addressed the ordeal in a November 2009 interview with the New York Times by issuing a public apology. In her first interview since the incident, she mentioned she could not fully explain what led her to yank her opponent by her ponytail. She admitted her actions were indefensible, saying, "I still deeply regret it and will always regret it and will carry it through the rest of my life not to retaliate. I look at it, and I am like, 'That is not me,"
At the same time, Lambert mentioned that some of her actions, like the punch, were inadvertent and were taken out of context in a condensed video. She insisted that the issue was misinterpreted because it occurred during a women's game. She said,
Because I am a female, it brought about a lot more attention than if a male were to do it. It is expected for men to go out there and be rough. The female we are still looked at as, Oh, we kick the ball around and score a goal. But it is not. We train very hard to reach the highest level we can get to. The physical aspect may have increased over the years. I am not saying it is for the bad or that it has been too overly aggressive. It is a game. Sports are physical.
She added, "I think the way the video came out made me look like a monster. That is not the type of player I am. I am not just out there trying to hurt players. That is taking away from the beauty of the game. And I would never want to do that."
Source: UGC
Where is Elizabeth Lambert, the soccer player?
According to a publication by Sports Bilge, Elizabeth Lambert of the New Mexico University graduated in 2010. She allegedly pursues a career as an occupational therapist. There is not much information about Elizabeth Lambert's soccer career and whether she still plays the game.
She allegedly got married, although details about Elizabeth Lambert's soccer husband are not publicly available. She is allegedly a mum. She is off social media; hence, updated information on the whereabouts of Elizabeth Lambert is irretrievable.
These details about Elizabeth Lambert bring you up to speed with her past before the events of the ill-fated match that changed the trajectory of her life. It is unclear whether she fulfilled her dream to pursue a career in professional soccer. She went off the radar, although she is purported to be married and works as an occupational therapist.
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Source: Briefly News
