Women’s Soccer
Learn to Play Like the Pros!
-Find out how to eat like an athlete. -The latest soccer uniform and equipment trends. -Pictures and biographies on the top women soccer players in the world!
Women's soccer is pretty well-known in the United States these days. However, it wasn't always like that. It went through a process to get to where it is now. Women played the game for fun, and just small pick-up games, but it never was an organized sport for them until the 1970’s. Before this it was always known as a man’s sport. Now, girls may begin playing at a very young age. They can continue to play the rest of their lives on different teams or for different leagues. There is much more freedom, and they have just as equal rights as men. So now, men
and women are equal, but there are still small arguments about the two. It’s mainly just about simple stuff such as men believing all of them are more athletic and more competitive than women. Soccer is played by men and women all around the world now by all different age groups. There is also a variety of professional women’s soccer teams all over. They compete against each other if different tournaments, competitions, cups, and even in the Olympics. There are certain things women have to do to stay in shape and be healthy to play. You should be eating right, drinking lots of water constantly, and exercising on your own time as well as at whatever practices your team meets for. All further information on women’s soccer is featured more in depth in this book. If you already play and have been playing, this may give you a better understanding of the sport, new ideas, or just some interesting facts on the history.
History and How It Came To Be
It’s hard to say exactly when soccer was invented. Although it was standardized in the 19th century by the English with final rules and regulations, forms of it were played way back in ancient times. There are records of games people put together and played many, many years ago, but wasn't quite the way we play now. They would do it more simply, like just kicking the ball around, and occasionally setting up some kind of goal using what they had. The concept of women playing soccer was looked down on by men. However, the ladies were
determined to fight for their right. They wanted to make it more popular for women to play soccer, and be at equal standards with the men. The men thought it was too violent and physical for the women to play, but they toughed it out, and showed them they could be just as physical. It's not a matter between men being tougher and more athletic than women; it's all in the individual. You have to be there mentally and physically, ready to fight just as hard, if not harder than them. Groups of women began assembling their own kind of pick up
games, and eventually at one of them, they drew a crowd of about 50,000 people. This definitely sparked an interest in the issue of women playing. After some time, they made more rules that included banning violence and brutality in the game. This made is easier for women to make a point that it should be okay for them to play, since the argument before was that it was to violent for them. They continued to fight, and eventually attained the ability to play in real official games, and finally were seen as equal to the men.
Beginning To Play and Growing Up Through It
Many people have played soccer on a team before, even if it were just one year to try it when they were a kid. You must be at least three years old to play on a team. Most children begin by playing on a small recreational team at a young age. When I was really young, both of my older sisters were playing soccer, and I loved to go to all of their games and watch them play, and watch my dad coach. I told my dad that I wanted to start playing too as soon a possible. So, when I was three and a half he put me on a recreational team for the Vista Soccer Club. I still remember my first game ever, I scored on the wrong goal and told my dad to take me out, and that I would never play soccer again. Now, I’m on my fifteenth year. There are different divisions depending on what age group you are. It starts at division ten, and eventually the older you get, works down to division one at about age eighteen or nineteen. However, there are other options besides recreational. You could also play for club soccer, which is much more competitive and serious about the game. To do this, you must find one near you, sign up, and go out to a couple of try-out days. Sometimes there will be hundreds of girls that come to try out for the team, but they usually only keep about eighteen players. I started playing for Vista Storm, which is a competitive
traveling soccer club, when I was nine. I loved it right away. I liked the intensity and focus much more than I had experienced in recreational. It costs over a thousand dollars since you are now paying for equipment, tournaments, official referees, great coaching, and travel fees. You have to be completely committed to every practice, which may be every day of the week for two hours, all of your league games and tournaments, which may even result in missing you homecoming or prom. I’ve played for that same team ever since, and have had whole new sets of girls come and go, but the team I have now is amazing. We all have a great relationship and great parents; they’re like my second family. However, we are all going off to college now, so things are going to be different. Recreational and club soccer only goes up to GU18 (girls under eighteen). If it’s what you want to do, and you have the skills and ability, you have the option of going on to a college women’s team. It is a little different because you are joining a whole new team, but it is extremely easy to make close bonds and friendships with your team. No matter where you are playing, as long as you are getting the experience you want, and are enjoying yourself and the game, playing soccer is an amazing hobby or interest to have and love.
What to Wear There is certain equipment you must wear while playing soccer. You would normally play in comfortable soccer shorts and a t-shirt or a game jersey. You also must wear soccer cleats, which have small grips on the bottom to dig into the grass to prevent
slipping, shin guards to protect your shins from someone kicking you instead of the ball, and long soccer socks to cover up the shin guards. There is also other equipment you can wear, but isn’t required. There is something that you would wear like a
head band, called a full90, which some people choose to wear to protect their head when they head the ball. There is also sliding pads for when you slide tackle to protect your legs from cutting and scratching.
Women’s Professional Soccer
Marta Vieira da Silva was born on February 19, 1986 in Dois Riachos, Alagoas, Brazil. She is a Brazilian women, who plays forward for the Western New York Flash of Women's Professional Soccer, and is also a member of the Brazil women's national football team. She is personally my favorite woman soccer player.
Mariel Margaret Hamm was born on March 17, 1972 in Selma, Alabama. Largely considered the best female soccer player in history, Hamm played with the United States women's national soccer team for 17 years, building one of the biggest fan bases of any American athlete.
Julie Maureen Foudy was born on July 23, 1971 in San Diego, California. After high school, she was accepted into medical school, but declined to play soccer. She was the co-captain of the United States Women’s National soccer team.
Shannon MacMillan was born October 7, 1974 in Syosset, New York. She played for the Women’s U.S. National team that won the gold medal in the 1996 Summer Olympics, and was U.S. Soccer's Female Athlete of the Year for 2002. In 2007, MacMillan became an assistant coach for the UCLA women's soccer team.
World Cup and the Olympics Canada vs. Germany
Norway vs. Athens
U.S. goal keeper, Hope Solo
U.S. vs. Mexico
What to Eat as an Athlete As an athletic woman, there are certain things you should have in your diet leading up to a game, or even just in general and on a daily basis. First, you should be drinking water constantly to keep your energized and hydrated while you’re playing. Also, you should be eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, and trying to stay away from a lot of sugar and greasy foods because these can cause you to feel gross and lazy. And something my coach has my team do is eat a big bowl of pasta every night about three days before game day. Pasta has a lot of carbs, which contain energy to keep you going throughout the game.
The game of soccer is different from any other, filled with constant action and excitement. A lot of people play it when they’re a little kid for fun, but I highly recommend sticking with it. I’ve been playing for 15 years, and I absolutely love it. There’s been times where I felt like giving up, such as my very game when I was three and accidentally scored on the wrong goal, and told my dad I would never play again, or when I just got bored and lazy about it, or when I fractured my ankle, had surgery and was out for 6 months, my entire last season with my club team, Storm, but I came back for our last games in state cup more committed and ready than ever. Just like professional for the women’s U.S. National team, Shannon MacMillan told me when I was11, “If it’s something you love, never give up on it.” Soccer is definitely a passion of mine. Just like I described in the previous page of growing up playing, I started in recreational, moved up to club, and now I’ve had scholarship offers to play collegiately for a couple of different colleges. I’m not sure if I’m going to start over again on a new team and commit to something big like that, but I will always be working on it and playing somehow, and it will always be a great love of mine.