The US National team is celebrating their third World Cup victory; something that the men could only dream about doing once, let alone three times. But these women might have started a revolution in the world of sports. The parade for the women’s U.S national team is being held in New York City down the decorated Canyon of Heroes. Many teams from New York have come down this legendary path through New York City to show off their respective trophy. But this is the first time a female national team has come down the canyon to celebrate their winnings.
When most people talk about women sports, it is common for the average citizen to not know many female athletes. Other than a few tennis players, I could not have named that many. But there was something about this team that made them must watch television. I think that because of this soccer team, televised female sports are about to change.
Televised women’s sports are almost unheard of. Other than the Olympics, I think most people can honestly say that they do not watch women’s sports, and they don’t seek to watch it. Why? Women are extremely talented in their sports. I believe the 2015 Women World Cup winners bring something to the table that is seldom seen in the female game. Inspiration. This team has inspired every young girl to be a female athlete. I was watching a documentary on ESPN about Sydney Leroux and how she got to where she is. She was always a talented player, but what got her to the top was her dedication. She was never extremely famous before being on this World Cup team. Little girls were going up to Sydney and saying “I want to be just like you when I grow up.” These Women are role models for young women around the country, and probably the world. These girls are on SportsCenter, commercials, and getting all types of sponsorship deals because they are relatable to the average girl.
A perfect example is Julie Johnston who played defense during the surge to win the World Cup. In the beginning of the tournament Julie Johnston was on the bench, watching the team from the sidelines. When she got playing time she made the most of it, and eventually became an everyday starter. She was one of the best defenders on the best defensive team in the tournament. People love routing for the underdog and when that underdog succeeds, they become a hero. Julie Johnston was that hero.
USA's win over Japan in the Women’s World Cup final was the most watched game in US soccer history with approximately 23 million viewers. Yes, more people watched a women’s soccer game than any men’s game ever. Now the argument could be made that people were only watching it to support their country. But I believe that the 23 women that were on the World Cup winning team influenced these viewers.
Even social media was talking about this team. Everyone from President Barack Obama and Good Morning America are currently talking about the women’s parade. #USWNTParade is currently the top trending hashtag on twitter. And for a country that is not a “soccer” country, these girls are doing pretty well to say the least.
Julie Johnston and many other female athletes are available for sponsorship deals at opensponsorship.com