The US Women’s National Soccer Team is a group of women that prevails. Most recently, they beat the Netherlands in the final of the Women’s World Cup in France in 2019. But the U.S.Women’s National Soccer Team has won three other World Cups along and two Olympic gold medals all the while fighting to close the gender pay gap with the Men’s National Team. It is clear that they have had an impact on young women and girls in the United States whether you’re an athlete or not. Many American soccer parents are optimistic that this moment will inspire their daughters to believe that women can, do, and should occupy positions of leadership and heroism in power. Furthermore, it shows how women need to stand up for what they believe in and show the power that they have today. Specifically, certain players on the team who have stood up for the gender gap are Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, Ali Krieger, Ashlyn Harris and so many more.
Beyond the gender pay gap, these women have advocated for the black lives matter movement, stood against racism and are LGBTQ+ allies. These women are inspiring in all fields metaphorically and ironically.
There’s a phenomenon in which young women feel empowered and inspired by another woman’s success in a sport that is usually dominated by men. In sports, we often talk about politics in a symbolic representation — that you can’t do certain things because of certain things — but that is not true in soccer. These women prove that you can be a female sports hero and also be emotionally strong and get the credit you deserve.
Not only is this team remarkably astounding because of their back-to-back World Cup wins, and Olympic wins, but they are also role models for young girls because they are a group of women who produced the results to justify their demands. Although they get a lot of negative criticism and hate, they have the strengths to still stand up for what they believe in. They believe it’s worth it to take all that heat and form it into something powerful for others, whether it’s advice for little girls to take with them into the future or fighting for a gender pay gap. Their strength is no doubt inspiring younger girls in the sports world, and it is exciting to see what the future holds for these girls who are inspired by the USWNT.