|
|
This is only a preview of the paper
Click here to register and get the full text.
Existing members click here to login
|
|
|
It was a scorching July day in 1999 when the Women’s World Cup finals invaded the homes of millions and had Americans glued to their television sets. This competition was a pivotal moment for the future of women’s soccer in the United States and it paved the way for female athletes around the world. In his book, The Girls of Summer, Jere Longman details the triumphs of the U.S. Women’s Soccer team and the obstacles they overcame in order to achieve their ultimate goal. Many factors played a role in affording these women the opportunity to set out to achieve their lifelong dreams, but the road to success was not always easy. One of the biggest factors affecting the lives of these women was the precedent which Title IX set for women’s sports in granting equality for female athletes. Obstacles affecting the team included player and coach financing issues and the allotment of money for equipment and travel needs. More so hindering than any financial impediment was the lack of faith the U.S. Soccer Federation had in the team. These twenty women, though, used their passion for the sport and their personal drive for success to prove to a nation that they were number one.
A record number 90,185 fans packed into the Rose Bowl stadium on July 10, 1999 to cheer the U.S. Women’s Soccer team to victory. This initial statistic itself shattered the belief that no one would pay to watch women play soccer, and this team of females made sure not to disappoint their fans. The sport of soccer had never ingrained itself into American culture as it did in the rest of the world. Other nations bled soccer, but the United States devoted its spare time to overpriced tickets and long lines at concession stands during football, basketball, and baseball games. This competition was unique not only in that it was a gathering of thousands of fans to see a women’s team play, but also that the team was playing a sport where stats were found in the youth club sections of hometown newspapers rather than in the sports pages of major metropolitan circulations.
Approximate Word count = 1697
Approximate Pages = 6.8
(250 words per page double spaced)
|
|
|
|
|
|