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| Friday, September 14, 2001 24:19 EST |
Objective is to sustain soccer's popularity
By Steven Wine
[Associated Press]
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The young autograph seeker stood at the edge of the practice field, pen in one hand, soccer ball in the
other.
She pressed against a restraining rope, watched her heroes 100 yards away and smiled with excitement, pleased to be part of a new breed: women's soccer fans.
Members of the U.S. team, suddenly celebrities after winning the
World Cup last July, began workouts this week in preparation for
their 2000 opener Sunday against Norway, which ended in a 3-2 loss, the Americans' first in 22 matches.
This year's obvious goal is a gold medal at the Sydney Olympics, but there's another objective: to sustain the popularity of a sport that captivated the nation last summer.
Only a dozen fans showed up for this week's first practice, but
still, that's a dozen fans who probably wouldn't have shown up a
year ago. The World Cup champions are a success story for soccer
and women's sports, both long ignored in the United States.
"All the naysayers out there about women's athletics can go
away and stay in a closet," new U.S. team coach April Heinrichs
said. "We're riding the wave, and I think we'll be for a while."
The American team's momentum has carried over into the new year
with yet another startling victory -- a five-year contract with the
U.S. Soccer Federation. The agreement reached last week ended a
month-long boycott by players that caused them to miss three games.
"I'm really proud that everyone stayed unified," said Mia
Hamm, the leading scorer in team history. "The most important
thing is the future of this game. This contract is going to outlast
all of the veteran players and ensure that U.S. Soccer stays
committed to the development of the women's side."
The deal allows each player to earn about $130,000 this year -- the same as for the U.S. men's team. The women also will be part owners of a league planned to begin in 2001, the first such
arrangement for any major pro sport in the country.
While the boycott may be an unfortunate sign that women's soccer has become big-time, the terms of the contract underscore how much progress the game has made.
"It's been like going from the middle of the Sahara Desert to New York City," said Michelle Akers, the U.S. team's oldest player at 34. "Now we're all under a magnifying glass -- how we behave, who we are, how we perform and the decisions we make."
But Akers and her teammates have no complaints, which separates them from other professional athletes.
"This is a great opportunity to influence a ton of people in a positive way," Akers said.
The team seized the nation's attention with a boldness best
symbolized by Brandi Chastain, who scored the winning goal in the
World Cup final against China, then ripped off her jersey in
celebration.
"That started a debate about women and their jog bras,"
Heinrichs said wryly.
The victory -- and photos of Chastain -- made women's soccer front-page news. Then came appearances on David Letterman and other network talk shows, a parade at Disneyland, a rally at the Los Angeles Convention Center, a trip to the White House and countless endorsement offers.
Midfielder Julie Foudy sat next to Hillary Clinton during the State of the Union address. Chastain worked for Fox at the Super Bowl and had perhaps the most memorable endorsement experience -- a promotional appearance on a Caribbean beach for a new bed that somehow flipped over and nearly crushed her.
"Ah, the wacky world of soccer," Chastain said. "At least we all got a pina colada afterward."
Now girls around the country want to be the next Brandi, or Michelle, or Mia. The aspiring players include high school junior
Sara Randolph, at 16 the youngest member of this year's U.S. squad.
Last summer Randolph watched the World Cup from the stands. This week her idols are her teammates.
"I walked into my room after the first training session and I couldn't even talk, I was so excited," she said.
But now that the American players have the attention, they must keep it. Seventeen members of last year's championship squad return, and they're happy with the choice of Heinrichs to succeed Tony DiCicco, who quit last fall.
Heinrichs and her players agree that nothing less than Olympic gold in September will do. The goal is daunting but within reach.
"It's going to be a hard year for us," Akers said as she
toweled off following a two-hour scrimmage. "We have to evolve.
The margin between China and Germany and Brazil and us is so
narrow, we'll have to make some changes and yet keep the good
stuff."
With that Akers smiled, excused herself, walked over to the cluster of fans at the edge of the practice field and began signing
autographs.
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