Drawing Inspiration, Smiles, and Next Steps from Team USA

Gone are the days when I can record a workday Women's World Cup match and watch the event in time delay.   The whole nation is talking.

In the aftermath of last Sunday's quarter final, the US Women made it on national network news.  Again today, no sooner than 5 minutes after the completion of today's semi-final, I encountered a co-worker commenting, "how about the US team, huh?  3-1 against France and going to the final!"

I can run, but I can't hide.  The US Women have brought the Women's game back to the mainstream, at least for a bit.  The news is everywhere.  It's going to get me in to trouble.  Now I have to sneak out to watch work day matches so that the results aren't spoiled for me by some eager fan.  Fortunately, today...I snuck the boss out with me.

The team never failed to stir up excitement and to put smiles on fan's faces.  Last Sunday's game had everything you would expect out of a football match and it's bringing folks who have never watched women's soccer into the fold. Such was the case today in the packed cafe where I eagerly watched the team take on France.  There was never a doubt in my mind that the US team would emerge victorious even when France tied the game up at 1-1.  There is one quality which sets the US women apart from it's competition: teamwork.  They are by all standards the archetype of what a team should be.  They truly play for each other.  No one is trying to be the lone superstar.  Their results show it.  It's inspiring and I think the country is starting to take notice.

It's great news for the women's game and for young girls everywhere; one can hope that the current excitement will carry those smiles on faces beyond this tournament.  It's just this kind of inspiration, that some are seeing for the first time, which I have been raving about.  It's what our daughters need and it's up to us to make sure it stays around beyond the World Cup.

In my efforts to support the women's game, I came across Jun Stinson, journalist and maker of the film The 90th Minute. Jun's film follows the progress of WPS team, FC Gold Pride as she set out to chronicle the state of the women's game last year.  Little did she know at the time that FC Gold Pride would fold at the end of only it's second pro season and after a national championship no less.   It's my hope that this film can help to spread the word about the reality that is women's soccer and that it, and the current excitement from the World Cup, might strengthen support for our pro leagues, the women who play in them and the young girls that aspire to do so someday.

Along with help from Senda Athletics, effort is now underway to help support the 90th Minute and to arrange a screening in the Berkeley, CA on August 19 at 630pm. We will have the filmmaker, Jun Stinson and hope to have pro players on hand from WPS and WPSL for Q&A.

Follow the Monkeys on Twitter or be a fan on Facebook to stay in the loop or get in touch if you can help make it happen.

Can Social Media Save Women's Soccer?

Women's World Cup is days away.  Fans are more ready than ever and yet there are many holding their breath as to what impact the Cup will have on the sport this time around.  It's now 40 years since title IX and it's high time that this time be different.  I believe it can.


Many months ago, as the US Women's National Team was battling for World Cup life against Italy, I was posed a question on Twitter (thanks @Ingridium): Can Twitter save Women's Soccer?


Before I answer, let me say sorry for taking 6 months but I think the timing is certainly right to do so.  The answer I think is worth the wait.  Twitter and other social media, certainly Facebook, not only can save women's soccer but in fact they must save women's soccer.


If social media can cause a revolution of freedom for entire countries, even entire regions, then a sport which is being played by conservatively 7 million US girls who will likely use social media and will grow up to be women can have a huge impact on the survival of the sport they are playing.


The key is that it's not actually Twitter or Facebook that will save the sport, it's the tweeps, bloggers and status updates that will drive the women's soccer revolution.  The fact of the matter is that many don't realize that the fate of the sport is in their hands.

MONKEYS launch grass roots WPS(L) 'Movement'

The Monkeys kicked off their spring season and with it, unfounded dreams are being rekindled.  For Bay Area soccer players in the Monkey's age group, Women's Pro Soccer (WPS) doesn't exist.

The details of the FC Gold Pride season ticket holder events and on pitch action are fading into fond memory.  As the WPS season itself kicked off with Sky Blue FC facing Philadelphia, the arm chair venue in front of Fox Soccer Channel has far less appeal for a nine year old Soccer Monkey that just wants to play.  There simply is no substitute at this age, for being present, at the pitch in the environment that was Women's Professional Soccer in the Bay Area. The Soccer Monkeys have had to find their inspiration elsewhere.

As an optimist, I would like to believe that the collapse of WPS on the west coast of the United States represents more of a changing of the guard than the end of an era.  As my daughters icons like Ali Riley and former Cal star Alex Morgan take to the pitch in Western New York with the WPS Flash, there is a whole new group of young ladies in that market that are about to be inspired.  In the big picture, even though we are now without a WPS team here in the West, it is vital to us that the league succeed in this it's third year of competition.

Also as an optimist, we Bay Area WPS fans can and should be looking forward to the plans of Terry Foley and company as he sets to launch two west coast teams professional in the WPSL.  Sure, the WPSL has been around over here, and in fact proclaims itself to be the largest women's soccer league but I am hopeful that as rumors would suggest, this is a cautiously wise stepping stone effort to establish a solid foundation for the rebuilding of high caliber professional Women's Soccer on the west coast.  In a recent chat on twitter about the WPSL, Foley hinted that the aim of the Bay Area Breeze and sister team Orange County Waves is to build a west coast foundation for women's soccer which could perhaps lead to a west coast league of it's own.  If true, this strategy is historically sound as was the case when both the Dodgers and Giants of Major League baseball moved out west from New York.

Title IX is More than a Token Gesture

As the father of a soccer playing daughter, equal playing opportunities for girls has a personal importance for me.

While Title IX ensures that in principal, I think there are indeed some differences between a club having a program that invites both girls and boys to play and a club that actively takes developmental differences of boys and girls in account to provide the best programs for each.

There are of course exceptions as there are some girls that don't mind playing with boys, but anyone who has coached both boys and girls at the younger age groups has spotted some of the differences.  Girls develop teamwork and tactical skills earlier than boys, generally speaking, while boys seem to have the early edge on aggressive physical play and individual skill.

For this reason, an interesting thing happens when you take your 8 or 9 year old daughter out to a co-ed event such as a camp, clinic or scrimmage.   With a few noted exceptions, from my experience most girls prefer not to play with a rowdy group of boys at that age, most certainly not if they are the only girl in the group.

Play With the Boys or Don't Play - Is Separate Really not Equal?

Recently, I was elected to my local youth soccer club's board of directors and one of my primary goals has been to improve the club's offerings for girls.

A few seasons ago, the club added to it's offerings an off season scrimmage.  It has been a huge plus conceptually and I the club puts a lot of emphasis on the context of these scrimmages to be a 'show up and play' format with a low degree of adult interaction.  

As one of my first actions as a board member, I set out to attend a few of these scrimmages and brought my daughter and some of her team mates to get a girl's perspective.

FC Gold Pride Matters to 9 year old Soccer Monkey

There is no sense in me trying to improve upon what my daughter had to say about the possibility of 'her team' FC Gold Pride folding this November 15. Her words say it all:

Why FC Gold Pride is Important to Me.

FC Gold Pride is important to me because it is fun and because I spend time with my dad. We go to the games together.

STOP the Demise of WPS Team FC Gold Pride

Yesterday, the U9 Soccer Monkeys had a guest coach, Kim Yokers, midfielder for FC Gold Pride, our Bay Area Women's Pro Soccer team. I'm sure they have fun when their regular coach (me) is conducting practice but this session was something completely different. I know they enjoyed it as their smiles were not fake, but I also know they have no idea how special it was.

I arranged for the midfielder to come conduct a practice session because I wanted all of the other team members and their parents to experience the inspiration my daughter has gained from WPS. I had no idea the timing would be so critical.