Finally makes sense! Reading this article explains why on one hand, the '99 World Cup is so
nostalgic for me, and on the other hand when I watch this tournament I find
myself just frustrated and terrified. I spend the majority of the games waiting
for them to eventually get "unlucky" and lose to a team playing
better soccer. I'm disappointed every time I see them play and although I want
the USWNT to win, I mainly just want to get good use of the money I spent on a
trip to Vancouver for the final in a couple weeks. I am not really emotional
about it anymore because I don't feel like they are. In 1999 I wanted the them
to win because I felt like they were giving the nation a reason to care about
Women's Soccer and Women's sports in general. I felt like their hard work and
inspiration gave us a chance and could maybe make me a better person and
player. Things have changed and for a while I thought it was just me, but as
Gabe described it right. It appears that the WHY has changed. Dreams of
inspiring the nation, changing gender status and stereotypes are no longer
important. The important thing now is to sell overpriced jerseys and gear,
celebrate celebrity on social media, and do whatever it takes to stay in the
spotlight as long as possible(even if it means talking about games 2 months
from now in the midst of the largest soccer stage in the world!). It was
unclear for me for a little, but Gabriel Bolton's article below helped it all
to make sense.
If you are wondering why I invest so much time
and support in Stanislaus and the Women's Soccer Program there... its because I
played for the best coach and teammates possible. Gabriel Bolton is such a
great coach and he knows how to inspire a team to play for the right reasons.
We had a WHY at Stan, and that WHY made my 4 years of college far more
effective than it ever would have been without it.
