[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 111 (Friday, July 22, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1389-E1390]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                COMMENDING THE U.S. WOMEN'S SOCCER TEAM

                                 ______
                                 

                     HON. LOUISE McINTOSH SLAUGHTER

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 22, 2011

  Ms. SLAUGHTER. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to commend our U.S. Women's 
Soccer Team in their thrilling race to the World Cup Final. Although it 
was ultimately Japan who captured the World Cup Trophy, as a country we 
could not be more proud of our team, their tremendous effort throughout 
the Cup, and their grace in accepting defeat. Regardless of the 
outcome, there is much to be said about how their playing inspired a 
country. The attention of the world has turned to women's sports, and 
these women are serving as positive role models to young girls across 
the globe. It has been a long twelve years since the heroics of the 
victorious US Women's National Team in the 1999 World Cup, and I want 
to congratulate the 2011 team for exemplifying champions, win or lose. 
The image of Brandi Chastain, fists clenched, basking in the glory of a 
World Cup victory that captivated our spirits all those years ago still 
hangs on the wall of my office.
  As a representative from western New York, I especially want to 
congratulate the amazing performance of Abby Wambach, a native of my 
hometown: Rochester, New York. She scored her 100th career 
international goal in Rochester and she carries with her the support of 
Rochesterians wherever she goes. She is a four-time winner of the U.S. 
Soccer Athlete of the Year award, and is currently the fourth all-time 
leading scorer in international soccer history. She scored the gold-
medal-winning goal in the 2004 Olympics and saved the quarterfinal 
match in this year's cup against Brazil when she scored a gut-wrenching 
equalizer off her head in the final moments. In the semi final victory 
over France, she tallied two more scores, including the go-ahead goal 
against France in the 79th minute. Of the two amazing goals scored by 
the U.S. in the finals, Abby scored the go-ahead header in extra time, 
and Alex Morgan, a player for the Western New York Flash, scored the 
other.
  Alex, a 22-year-old phenom, has impressed the world with her quick 
feet and prominence as a striker, and she is being heralded as the 
future star of U.S. women's soccer. The entire Upstate New York area is 
beaming with pride and admiration of these two players as they 
represented our area so well.
  The fervor and enthusiasm for our team was encapsulated in the hero's 
welcome Abby received when she returned to Rochester, with

[[Page E1390]]

several of her teammates in tow. It was ``Abby Wambach Day'' in 
Rochester, and she received a key to the city in commendation of her 
awe-inspiring talents. The regularly scheduled game between magicJack 
of Boca Raton, FL and the Western New York Flash saw a sellout crowd of 
15,404, a record for the 3-year-old league. It is clear that we have 
all been infused with a love of the game and a respect for our players, 
and I hope that passion never dies.
  The success of the U.S. Women's National Team is of particular 
importance because it shows young women and girls that like men, they 
too can earn the respect and admiration of the world through hard work, 
teamwork, and perseverance on the athletic field.
  Since 2004, I've sponsored legislation in the House that would help 
high schools improve opportunities for girls in sports, and thereby 
encourage greater participation of both girls and boys in athletics. 
H.R. 458, the High School Athletics Accountability Act, would require 
that high schools report basic data on the number of female and male 
students in their athletic programs and the expenditures made for their 
sports teams. Without information about how athletic opportunities and 
benefits are being allocated at the high school level, female students 
may be deprived of their chance to participate in athletics.
  And participation in sports has a multitude of positive effects on 
young women and girls, both physically and socially. For many young 
women, sports are often their ticket to higher education through 
athletic scholarships. I've met with so many Olympic gold medalists 
that told me without Title IX, which gave them access to athletic 
scholarships; they never would have had the chance to go to college. 
While we have made significant strides towards equity in athletics--
since the 1972 enactment of Title IX the number of women competing in 
college sports has soared by more than 500 percent while the number of 
high school girls competing in sports increased by over 1,000 percent--
we must continue to monitor our progress and ensure that our nation's 
young women have the rights and opportunities they deserve.
  This year's Women's World Cup was thrilling and is indicative of the 
amazing talent of our U.S. Women's National Team. The success of our 
team has captivated men, women and children who nervously watched as 
the squad overcame Brazil in the last minute to triumph in penalty 
kicks, and then swept past France with their athleticism shining as 
they moved onto the final. I proudly cheered for them as they faced 
Japan on Sunday in the final, and was filled with admiration for their 
relentlessness on the field. Their accomplishments as a team are 
inspiring: two Women's World Cups, three Olympic Gold Medals, and eight 
Algarve Cups, earning them a commendation as one of the finest teams in 
the world. I must also congratulate Japan for their performance and 
sportsmanship in a game that was watched by millions around the globe, 
and that kept everyone on the edge of their seats into the final 
penalty kicks. Though the U.S. team was ultimately unsuccessful in a 
heartbreaking 3-1 penalty shootout, I cannot imagine a more deserving 
adversary in Japan, who so recently suffered a devastating earthquake 
and tsunami. I hope this victory will bring joy to their people, and I 
know that the Japanese citizens are as proud of their team as we are of 
ours.
  Abby and her teammates have been role models for all with their poise 
both on and off the field and their dedication to the sport. I could 
not be more proud of her and her teammates as role models for young 
women interested in sports. I encourage children of all ages to be as 
inspired by the success of the U.S. Women's National team as I am, and 
to get involved with sports so that everyone can reap the benefits of 
this highly beneficial activity. Best of luck to the U.S. Women's 
National Team in the future; I know this is not the last time we will 
be cheering for them in the World Cup Finals. With the London 2012 
Olympic Games on the horizon, we won't have to wait long to see them 
back in action on the world stage. Go USA!

                          ____________________