SC Soccer Forums SCSoccer.com Forums Girls Varsity Soccer US womens national team?

My 19 year-old daughter, who will be a junior in college, grew up idolizing Julie Foudy and Mia Hamm. My 12-year old daughter, who will be a 7th grader, wants to model her game after Ronaldinho and Cristiano Ronaldo.

Why the shift? How far has the womens game fallen?

Contributing factors to why gals are down:

1. Changing of the guard (the old gals are retiring).
2. Demise of WUSA.
3. Momentum gone from womens World Cup and Olympics.

Contributing factors to why guys are up:

1. Current mens World Cup.
2. Joga Bonita & adidas+10 (advertising & promotion).
3. Fox Soccer Channel

Any other fathers of daughters seeing this shift in the tide?

Yes, I'm seeing it as well. But, this might be good thing. I took my daughters to WNT team game in Charleston and they didn't really see any soccer moves/plays that astonished them or that they already couldn't do. The players were much bigger but did not display astonishing skill. We can watch any World Cup men's game and be amazed by the moves, creativity, et al. displayed by Ronaldinho, etc. The womens game seemed to develop into a power game quickly after the Olympics- big, strong ladies leaning and pushing on one another. The last time the Brazil's womens team played the US, you could sense a change had taken place when the Brazil womens players were being talked about for their skill/moves. Now I can watch my daughters and their friends trying spinning Rainbow shots, bicycle kicks, triple scissor megs and you can see the future of women's soccer. It's exciting and it looks bright. As long as the womens coaches get out of their way, encourage creatvity and risk taking and let them create Joga Bonita.

tango,

Thanks.

Nice to see that the younger girls playing now are concentrating on skills and creativity. All else being equal, I'm still not sure if that's enough to trump sheer athleticism.... if the ref doesn't blow the whistle. I'd like to see some of these current World Cup refs (who are handing out yellow cards like they are candy) officiate some U13 and U14 competitive girls matches.

Does anybody think it is disappointing that the young players today do not have female role models (on the national level) to look up to?

There are role models on the women's team...the problem is they are not visiable to us...they do not get the coverage that Mia, Julie and Brandi got.We live in a society that is driven by television and radio. Right now..Ronaldinho is all over the tube and that's what our kid's see.
The women's team needs more exposure to the masses.Girls are more skillful with the ball today than they were five years ago but girls are taught to play team ball at an early age..whereas boys are taught to take on their opponent and I do not think that has changed much...Players should pass the ball more..that's why there is eleven on the pitch..My daughter still loves Brandi Chastain...who was a very physical player

I am glad to see that Julie Foudy is one of the ESPN commentators between and after world cup games.

Yeah..she looks great and has a vast knowledge of the teams..I think she picked the dutch to win it all

Having a woman analyze the men's World Cup is embarrassing! Throw in those bozos Lalas and Wynalda along with Muffberger and its ridiculous.

As for having role models, do any of you watch the WNBA? No? I thought so! How about fast-pitch softball? No, again? I thought so! Men's sports are the only thing worth watching on TV.

Always Right. Bad Comments my friend, you're asking for a lot of hell from other people with what you've said. As for myself, I actually would rather watch Fast Pitch Softball than a Baseball game anyday. At least there is a possibility that some of the softball players may be very attractive whereas the baseball players have nothing going for them to make the game more interesting then watching grass grow. Julie Foudy may not be the best person to analyze the world cup, I would agree with that, but I don't think saying it is embarassing is very fair. Think about your comments next time before you post them.

one question....Why are you posting on a girl's forum? Seems like the boy's area is where you need to be..As far as being embarrased by a female athele that has competed at the highest level...Well you'll get over it

"mens sports are the only thing worth watching on tv"

whoa.

this was posted on doubleazone.com

"I’ve been to a sold-out women’s [basketball] game at the University of Connecticut. I have never seen more painted faces in my life. Don’t tell me Gampel Pavilion was full of passive, disinterested patrons.

[A colleague of mine] assures us that he’s “110% behind supporting and growing women's sports at the professional, college, high school, and youth league levels. It's important, and pretty much nothing bad comes from anyone playing sports. But that doesn't mean that it should be televised, have entire shows devoted to it on ESPN, and generally continue to be forced upon a public which has shown time and again it's not interested.”

Having been at the Women’s Final Four a few weeks back, I can attest to the fact that the public seemed quite interested in the three games. After returning to Indianapolis and speaking to individuals who were fortunate enough to attend the Men’s Final Four, many would have traded places with me in a second to have been just a small part of the action in Boston. Witnessing a buzzer beater and an overtime victory in an NCAA championship game is a memory I will never forget. It doesn’t matter who was on the court. Exciting is exciting.

While television ratings for women’s basketball don’t approach the level of the men’s games, it’s not a competition. These are different sports and they have different fan bases. But rest assured, women’s basketball has a lively and devoted fan base, and to call us uninterested is a slap in the face. To suggest the game “sucks” and doesn’t belong on television or in newspapers is utterly misguided and disrespectful."