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Earlier this month, I was lucky enough to get an invite to the always-sold-out Timbers game.
The Portland Timbers are all the rage in the Rose City this summer, just as they've been since their re-franchising in 2011.
The franchise originated in 1975 in the old North American Soccer League. This is the fourth Portland team to share the Timbers' legacy and don a Timbers' kit.
Portlanders have a rich history with soccer, and traditionally do a tremendous job supporting their teams. And since the MLS brought professional soccer back to Portland just a few seasons ago, the Timbers Army and the rest of the city, have done just that.
I put together a short video from the Timbers vs. Whitecaps.
While most think of soccer in the US as an afterthought, the Timbers sell out Jeld-Wen Field each and every match. 20,000+ screaming, singing, scarf donning, flag waving fans, elicit thoughts of passionate European crowds (sadly, something I never got to see while in Europe), not a small-market city in the States.
Some action on the field.
It seems to me that the Timbers Army is the heart and soul of the franchise. While the players make the machine go, the passionate supporters are what make the soccer experience in Portland memorable. Officially, the Timbers Army is made up of the 4,000+ fans at the north-end of the stadium.
I wouldn't call myself a soccer fanatic, but without a doubt, I'm a sports fan. And am always loyal to my hometown teams. So when I got the invite, I jumped at the chance to see the Timbers, and the Timbers Army, in person.
Timbers Army.
I had seen several games on TV, and the constant singing and chanting from the crowd alone made it fun and exciting. Since this would be my first game in person, I was thrilled to see and feel the energy of the crowd. The Timbers Army lived up to the hype, and then some. Our seats (or stands, since we never sat down) were just next to the Timbers Army in the north-end of Jeld-Wen field.
After two seasons of less-than-stellar play, this year's Timbers squad
is an improved team, and is battling to stay near the top of the Western
Conference standings. And the game versus Vancouver just happened to be one of their rivalry games -- the Cascadia Cup.
Yell sheets.
My first professional soccer match was sure to be a doozy.
Walking into the stadium, yell sheets with lyrics were being handed out. And as we found our seats, roughly 20 minutes before kickoff, the chants were already echoing throughout the stadium.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the game, I felt myself, at times, paying more attention to the crowd and the yell leaders -- trying to decipher which song they were chanting. The were entertaining in
Pre-game activities.
itself.
Now to the game.
It was my first professional soccer match. And it was fast, physical, and intense. The athletes were impressive; quick, strong, and skilled.
The final minutes tick off the clock.
Seeing a game in person is always a sure fire way to becoming a fan, as the speed of any game never translates through television. So being able to watch live and in person, was a real treat.
One thing I was disappointed with: the game ended in a 1-1 tie.
The last five minutes were played in a fury -- get that game-winning goal! But then the final whistle blew, and the match was over. You could feel the disappointment in the crowd too, as if everyone was saying, 'now what?'
On the MAX. Headed home with a tie?
No win, no loss. And yet, it was time to head home. Weird. I don't know, as an athlete, if I could ever get used to ending a game in a tie.
Nonetheless, we hopped back on the MAX, jam-packed with all the rest of the crowd, and eventually made our way home.
Though I was disappointed with the tie result, my first professional soccer match was a blast -- thanks to the exceptional athletes on the pitch, and the tremendous fans in the stands.
Next time, I'll have yells down pat. And maybe we'll get a win out of the deal too.
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Before I was even born, lawmakers were looking out for me, ensuring that my tall self would be able to play sports. I've previously written about the impact sports, namely basketball, has had on my life (Following Your Passion).
Not many days pass where I don't remind myself how lucky I've been to be able to pursue the career I have, and be able to do what I love for a living.
Participating in basketball helped give me an identity, a platform, a passion, it improved my self-confidence, and provided me with countless incredible experiences -- that continue to this day.
So you'll have to understand, I firmly believe that every boy and girl should be allowed those same experiences growing up.
The Law In 1972, a piece of legislation was passed in the US that changed the entire landscape for girls and women in sport. Title IX, ironically enough, was not written with athletics in mind.
"No person in the United States shall,
on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in,
be denied the benefits of,
or be subjected to discrimination
under any educational program
or activity receiving Federal financial assistance."
Simply stated, Title IX requires gender
equity for boys and girls in every educational program that receives
federal funding.
When it was first written, Title IX was meant to address equal funding and access in 10 different areas: Access to Higher Education, Career Education, Education for Pregnant and
Parenting Students, Employment, Learning Environment, Math and Science,
Sexual Harassment, Standardized Testing and Technology.
But where girls and women really took advantage of the new law, was in the realm of athletics: Title IX has become synonymous with girls' participation in sports.
She climbed Mt. St. Helens. I think my mom would have liked sports too.
Evolution of Girls' Sports
Prior to Title IX's passage, the accessibility to sports by females, many times, was dependent on what part of the country they lived.
For example, my mom, who grew up in Portland, didn't have access to team sports in high school. She could swim, play tennis, run track, or play golf.
In the Midwest and East, girls were able to play team sports, like basketball (correct me if I'm wrong), but it was the half court, six-on-six variety.
Across the board however, once girls graduated high school, their chances to continue playing dwindled.
My mom grew up in a family of athletes (my uncle Mike played football at UW, and my uncle Rob played professional baseball). But because she grew up in a pre-Title IX era, my mom wasn't afforded those same opportunities.
Not an easy hike, as you can see!
I know she would have loved participating in sports (for many reasons), if only to have been able to answer 'yes' to the countless people who have asked her 'you're tall, do you play sports?'. (Not to say that if you're tall you HAVE to be an athlete, or that athletes can ONLY be tall. But you know how many times people are asked 'do you play basketball?' even if you are just a little bit taller than average!)
Fast forward to today's America, there are over 3 million girls participating in high school athletics (versus 294,015 one year prior to Title IX becoming law), and nearly 170,000 female varsity collegiate athletes (compared to just 29,972 in 1971).
For those who argue that Title IX takes away from boys/men's sports, both statistics have risen on the male side too.
While the arms of Title IX don't touch professional sports in the US, you can't help but think that the law has also had an impact on professional women's sports as well. Now, we have collegiate and professional female athletes in the public eye, setting examples for the next generation of athletes.
Girls' athletics have progressed exponentially in the 40 years since Title IX's passage. And if we keep playing, and keep encouraging young girls to play, women's sports will continue to boom.
Benefit of Sport
Participating in athletics has far greater impact than solely what happens on the court or the field. Sure, playing the game is great, but there are aspects to sports that go far deeper than just playing a game. The benefits of girls' participation in sports is immeasurable, but here are a few of proven benefits:
higher than average levels of self-esteem and lower levels of depression.
reduced rates of body dissatisfaction and eating disorders.
learn valuable life skills that will be useful later in life. Women will
learn to collaborate with others, dedication, and perseverance.
female athletes have better grades and higher graduation rates than non-athlete females.
teenage female athletes are less likely to illicit drugs, less likely to
be suicidal, less likely to smoke and more likely to have positive body
images than female non-athletes.
young women who participated in sports were more likely to be engaged in
volunteering, be registered to vote, feel comfortable making a public
statement, follow the news, and boycott than young women who had not
participated in sports.
The world of athletics is far-reaching, and can impact girls' lives every way imaginable.
Shy, first grade me.
Title IX's Impact on Me
I grew up watching and admiring the local high school athletes in
the Portland area. As I grew older, my eye turned to the collegiate and
Olympic ranks for role models: the Oregon State women's basketball team,
the 1996 US Women's National team with Sheryl Swoopes, Lisa Leslie, and
Katy Steding (who hailed from my hometown of Lake Oswego).
Those
athletes looked like me, they were women I could identify with, and
strive to be like.
Watching them helped me realize there was a lot that
could be done on the basketball court. And if I wanted, the game could take me many, many places. It seemed the more I watched them, the
more I wanted to play. And in turn, the more I played, the better I became.
2006-07: Playing in Poland.
Sports opened up a whole new world to me. Who knew that years later, I'd still be playing, and doors would still be opening. Without Title IX, none of that would have been possible. Maybe there would have been sports to play, but certainly not to degree that they are played today.
Title IX Celebration
Last summer, I was invited to participate in a Nike event celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Title IX. Of course, I jumped at the opportunity. Help promote athletics to youth, while at the same time celebrating all
the female athletes that came before me? I was thrilled to be included!
With Stella at Nike event.
I took my then-eight year-old niece Stella with me. We had a fun day at the Nike World Headquarters playing basketball, celebrating Title IX and all the athletes who have benefited from its passage. I tried explaining the importance of Title IX to Stella, but I'm sure she'll need a few reminders at some point.
She met Lisa Leslie and played basketball with her daughter, saw giant posters of Maria Sharapova, Abby Wambach, Allyson Felix, and Hope Solo throughout the WHQ campus. Now, maybe a new world has opened to Stella, and the other girls (and boys!) who participated in the event that day too.
Opportunity
Stella under Lisa Leslie's banner.
To be honest, I don't know how you can argue against Title IX (but I guess I might be biased). Why
shouldn't every child, boy or girl, have the same opportunities? If institutions weren't forced to fund girls/women's sports in 1972, why should we believe that they would have eventually done it out of the goodness of their hearts?
Politics aside, girls participating in athletics results in great things for everyone.
While there are still disparities in funding and other areas (coaching, for example: The Glass Wall), women's athletics has come a long way in 40 years. I think it's important to keep Title IX in the forefront, and not let the law that has impacted so many lives in such a profound way fall by the wayside.
I grew up playing basketball in the front yard with my dad and brother, and soccer, baseball, and basketball with the
boys (and a few other girls) on the playground at recess. I don't know
how we develop an interest in one thing over another. But just having the opportunity to play, and being allowed to make the decision for myself, was a life changer for me.
I'm grateful for the world of athletics being opened to me. So here's a big thanks to the proponents of Title IX, and the athletes who paved the way for me!
There's a poem about little eyes always being upon you (read it below). It's about being a role model.
In one way or another, if there are kids in your life, in any way, you are their role model. Regardless of if you want to be, or even what Charles Barkley says!
Whether they are your children, your nieces, your friend's kids, children you mentor, or just kids that watch you play basketball; every time they lay those little eyes upon you, you are setting an example for them.
They'll remember what you did. They'll remember how you interacted with them. They'll remember how you made them feel. And many times, what you do, will end up being what they do.
Tebowing: A prime example of 'monkey-see, monkey-do.'
There's a small group of little girls (two or three of them) here in Dunkerque that, every time I see them, I can't help but think of that poem. Without fail, they always have a huge smile for me. And I try my best to always give them a big smile back.
My team practices after them twice a week. And each and every time, they run over to me, after their practice is finished, to say bonjour/hello with a kiss on each cheek (hey, that's how they do it in France!). They do the same after each home game they attend too.
I love that they come to say hi, it always make me smile. And it's a great reminder for me too. It's very easy to get caught up in your own world, and forget that what you do has an impact on others. But when you take a step back and remember the little eyes that are upon you, you do whatever you can to put your best foot forward as their role model.
Abby Wambach signing autographs after a training session.
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A friend a mine posted this picture to her twitter account yesterday (shout out to @heidiburgett!),
and it put the biggest smile on my face.
Great, a picture of US Women's Soccer National team forward Abby Wambach signing autographs. What is so fabulous about that?
What made me smile were the eager little girls surrounding her, and the countless others in the background. What an awesome role model they have to look up to!
What I think is great, is the number of tremendous role models little girls have to look up to these days. And that they're easily accessible (call it high-profile, if you will). Not that I didn't have great role models to look to up to when I was growing up, but it's on a larger scale now. Instead of admiring the local high school star, girls today can admire the best athletes in the world because the platform is now there.
They don't have to try too hard to find their role models. At a young age, a little girl can see someone like Alex Morgan or Maya Moore on TV or in the newspaper, and say 'I want to be just like her.' Thanks to Nike, Gatorade and the like, they see them in commercials too, just like their male counterparts.
1996 U.S. Women's Olympic Team.
The picture of Abby made me think back to when I was those girls' age. What, are they 12? I was trying to remember who my role models and heroes were when I was 12. Outside of the girls playing on the local high school basketball teams in the Portland area (and my dad and brother, who taught me how to play basketball), I looked up to the guys who were playing in the NBA and college.
I also remember looking up to Jennifer Capriati and Steffi Graf as well -- even though I never played competitive tennis. I admired them because they were the only professional female athletes I regularly saw on TV and in magazines.
A couple years down the road, there was the 1996 Women's Olympic basketball team, and eventually the WNBA. But by that point, my role models had already been established, and I was well on my way.
Jennifer Capriati - cover of SI.
I think it's important to have role models at a young age. No matter what field they might be in. It's important for a young girl to look up to successful women. Just like it's important for boys to have men they aspire to be like. Whether they are athletes, singers, actresses, or family members, role models help you see what is achievable.
If you see the best on a regular basis, it makes it that much more realistic and inspiring. A little girl sees Serena Williams today, and says 'I want to be the best tennis player in the world some day'. Whereas before, she might have only aspired to be the best tennis player in her town, if her only role model was the local high school star at the time.
Seeing it on a regular basis, on a national level, makes achieving it yourself seem all the more possible.
2011 U.S. Women's World Cup teammates Abby Wambach & Hope Solo.
Maybe some of the girls in the picture want to be great soccer players just like Abby. Maybe they saw how hard Abby and her teammates played in the 2011 World Cup, and they want to work just as hard. Maybe they don't play soccer at all, but they look up to Abby for being an awesome athlete.
Their reason for looking up to Abby doesn't matter. What matters that is they have her to look up to at all.
