Kickin' It with Natalie Beckman
Thank you Natalie for being an exemplary Portland Thorn for the past two seasons. We are grateful for your time here in the Rose City and wish you all the best with your career moving forward.
In last week’s Thorns roster update, it was announced that Natalie Beckman is out of contract and will not be returning to the club. The Stumptown Footy team still had the chance to connect with her last month, and discuss her life and interests off the pitch.
While her time in the Rose City is ending, we still want to share this interview to let you know all about the player. Thank you for your service to the Thorns, Natalie!
In the 2022 NWSL Draft, Portland Thorns selected Natalie Beckman from the University of Denver with the 48th pick.
She earned her first professional start in the 2022 NWSL Challenge Cup, and recorded her first career assist on March 30 against Angel City. Beckman made her NWSL debut by entering the match as second-half substitute against San Diego on March 26, 2022.
Natalie Beckman appeared in five regular season matches, making one start (vs. Angel City) on July 1, 2022 and made her NWSL regular season debut, as a sub against Houston on June 12, 2022.
Her versatility allows her to play both as a fullback and a winger. Beckman’s dribbling, speed, and playmaking was highly touted out of college and makes her an exciting player on the pitch.
Kickin’ It with Natalie Beckman
Phuoc Nguyen of Stumptown Footy: What you like to do for fun on an off day?
Natalie Beckman: On an off day? So I live with Gabby Provenzano and [Lauren] Kozal so I like hanging out with them a lot of time. We'll go on hikes. I personally love the zoo. Like I love animals. So going to the zoo.
Stumptown Footy: Have you found your favorite restaurants and coffee shops in Portland?
Natalie Beckman: Okay, so I don't drink coffee. I know. That's like a sin in Portland. I don't drink coffee. But, I grew up in Colorado. So like, I go to Chipotle normally, but I've been trying to get more into the foodie like, area because I know Portland's like big into food. I love ¿Por Qué No?. That's probably my favorite right now.
Stumptown Footy: Do you have a favorite dessert and berry?
Natalie Beckman: So I have a huge sweet tooth. So I like, love all desserts. Oh, honestly, I'm really into cookies right now. So chocolate chip cookies, just my go-to. Favorite berry? I have wanted to try marionberry because I know that they're like, are they native to Oregon or they're just big here. Right now, I'm really liking the blueberries and strawberries.
Stumptown Footy: Do you have any pets?
Natalie Beckman: Yes, I do. So I don't have any out in Oregon. Back home with my family in Colorado, I have two dogs and a cat. We used to have like a bunny, hamster, guinea pig, fish. We had another cat. Yeah, that’s crazy.
*We are so sorry about the loss of a pet in their family.
Stumptown Footy: Have you played as yourself in FIFA?
Natalie Beckman: I have not. I want to. I've had like friends like Snapchat me pictures of it and it looks amazing. But I do not have a gaming console here. So I need to get on it.
Stumptown Footy: How cool is it to see yourself in the game?
Natalie Beckman: So cool that we're getting those kind of opportunities now.
Stumptown Footy: Do you have a favorite movie?
Natalie Beckman: Oh no… Yeah, let’s come back to this one.
Stumptown Footy: What type of music do you like to listen to? Do you have a favorite artist?
Natalie Beckman: Okay, I kinda like a little bit everything. I'm liking country and like pop right now. It's like the classics. Favorite song right now? I think it's called Sunday Morning.
Stumptown Footy: Which song would you choose for your entrance?
Natalie Beckman: Oh my gosh, I had thought about this. Because we had a similar question. I got a really good answer. Yeah. And now it's just gone. Yeah. I'd want just like music like ‘dun, dun, dun.’ I wouldn't want words where it's like, you know like the classic when your team’s in the playoffs like the song they played during intermissions and stuff.
Stumptown Footy: Do you have any TV show you're like obsessed with right now?
Natalie Beckman: Okay, I'm a big TV person. So I have a bunch. But I cannot do horror, like I won't sleep for weeks. So they're all like the Friends the Gilmore Girls. I also like am obsessed with docuseries right now. So like anything sport docuseries related. I'm obsessed with the last dance. I just watched break point, the tennis one. I'm obsessed with that. Tour de France. Yeah, that one on Netflix. The Golf one and I thought it was really entertaining. I just love that kind of stuff.
Stumptown Footy: What is your dream vacation or a place you haven't been to, but you've just absolutely want to go?
Natalie Beckman: I want to go to so many places, but probably at the top of my list would be like Italy. I want to go to Spain really bad because I love like Real Madrid and Barcelona. I fell in love with players on both teams. So I've always wanted to go see a game. Seeing a Premier League game in person would be sweet. So it's all soccer related other than Italy because I want to go for the food.
Stumptown Footy: Do you have a bucket list? Any items you can share with us?
Natalie Beckman: Oh my gosh, bucket list. [I] think it's more of like places that I want to go to right now.
Stumptown Footy: Would you rather teleport once every 24 hours or shape shift once a week?
Natalie Beckman: Would you get to choose where you get to teleport to?
Stumptown Footy: Yes
Natalie Beckman: Teleport
Stumptown Footy: Who's your best friend on the team or best friends on the team?
Natalie Beckman: I love everyone on the team. I'm closest with my roommates probably just because I see them a lot more. So Gabby and Lauren.
Stumptown Footy: Do you have a favorite Pokémon?
Natalie Beckman: Okay, I wish I would have. This is another great TV series Avatar and [Legend of] Korra. Yeah, um, but I never got into Pokemon. I'm so sad. I had brothers and they failed me. But I only know if Pikachu so I’ll say Pikachu. He’s so cute.
Stumptown Footy: If you could bring one thing from your hometown to Portland, what would it be?
Natalie Beckman: Good question. There’s just so much to love about Denver. Okay, I have two parts. One would be my family because all my family's in Colorado. So like, I'd want to transport them out here with me. And then I love the mountain there, like, especially in the summertime. It's like perfect weather up there. Like just good vibes. It’s similar to here though.
Thank you Natalie Beckman for joining us on this edition of Kickin’ It! This was a super fun interview. We want to give our many well wishes to Nat who was awesome on the pitch, but off of it too. Good luck with your next step of your career!
Once a Thorn, always a Thorn!
Sam Coffey scored for the USWNT, helping the USA beat China 2-1 in a friendly. She did a perfect "placement" shot into the upper corner for what I think is her first international goal. I also think Sophia Smith assisted on the other goal, scored by Jaedyn Shaw, so our Thorns showed well.
Sometimes it's hard for us as fans to connect the players we cheer for on the pitch with the people they are with larger lives and dreams. It's a little sad to read this knowing that Beckman is now pounding the pavement looking for work.
From #17 overall at Top Drawer Soccer in the 2022 NCAA draft to 48th pick to 161 minutes in 5 games in 2022 (1 shot off target, plus 156 minutes in four Cup ties, 1 shot off-target, 1 assist)
To 12 minutes in the away loss to Gotham in 2023 (plus 102 minutes across four Cup ties, no shots, no assists).
Now? Gone. Surely not what she envisioned as a star forward out of Denver when she was picked up by the Thorns in January of '22.
Sport is a damn cruel way to try and make a living.