Julie Foudy: Soccer

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On July 10, 1999, fans from around the world watched as the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team defeated China in the World Cup. The 11 players on the field proved that with focus, perseverance, teamwork, and sportsmanship, a team could accomplish anything. Men and women from all over the world admired these women for their amazing soccer skills and ability to perform under pressure. One of these players, midfielder and co-captain Julie Foudy, is giving fans another reason to cheer for her.

From a very early age it was clear that the San Diego native had a gift for soccer. In high school Foudy earned All-American honors and was named Player of the Year in Southern California for three straight years. Her first appearance on the U.S. National Team came at the young age of 16.¹

This early success earned her a scholarship to Stanford University. While in college, the impressive awards continued. In 1991, she was named Soccer America Player of the Year. For three consecutivey ears, she was named the team MVP. She was also a four-time National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) All-American. Despite all this success in soccer, Foudy was never solely defined by her athletic abilities at Stanford. In college, Foudy epitomized the true meaning behind the term “student-athlete,” earning a biology degree and then being accepted to Stanford’s prestigious medical school. Yet, she decided to forgo medical school to pursue her dream of playing professional soccer. She would later be inducted into the Stanford Hall of Fame for her contributions as a student-athlete, and she was recently named one of the “100 Most Influential NCAA Student-Athletes.”²

Foudy would go on to play for the U.S. National Team for 18 years, serving as a co-captain during her entire tenure with the team. Playing in four Women’s World Cups and three Olympic Games, Foudy, along with her teammates Mia Hamm, Joy Fawcett, and Brandi Chastain, were often said to represent “the golden era” of women’s soccer. Many people credit them for bringing popularity and attention to the sport. When Foudy retired from soccer in 2004, she had played in 271 international games, ranking her third all-time among men and women soccer players.

Her impact does not stop there. Besides embodying everything a student-athlete truly should be, Foudy used her notoriety to bring attention to important, yet controversial issues. She has been a political and social activist for issues ranging from women’s rights, to child rights, to fair labor standards. In the late 1990s, Foudy questioned the labor practices of her sponsor, Reebok, for using young children to stitch their soccer balls. Her work earned her the FIFA Fair Play Award, an honor never previously bestowed on a female. Additionally, Foudy served as the president for the Women’s Sports Foundation (WSF), a nonprofit organization designed to change the lives of girls through sports. With the WSF, Foudy focused a lot of her energy on Title IX. In 2005, when the Commission on Opportunity in Athletics threatened to weaken Title IX, Foudy was one of the first to protest. Her efforts paid off as many of the Commission’s recommendations were never implemented.

One of Foudy’s biggest contributions to society came after the birth of her first daughter, Isabel Ann, on January 1, 2007. Having a daughter of her own gave Foudy a special interest in opportunities for women. She wanted to make sure her daughter would grow up in a society where she could do and be anything. Not only did Foudy want this for her daughter, but she wanted it for every daughter around the country. This belief was the inspiration behind creating the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy.

The Leadership Academy was created in 2007 by Foudy and her husband, Ian Sawyers. The goal of the academy is to teach girls, ages 12–18, how to be leaders on and off the field through the sport of soccer. Among other topics, the curriculum focuses on leadership values, community involvement, public speaking, and team building. Additionally, the academy addresses diversity. In the past, Billie Jean King has served as a keynote speaker, as well as other leaders from diverse backgrounds. The Leadership Academy always addresses Title IX, and the impact it has on women.³

In a world where athletes are defined by simply their athletic abilities, Julie Foudy is an exception. Foudy is not only an athlete, but a political and social activist, scholar, mother, and leader. Foudy has made an impact in nearly every aspect of her life. With Foudy’s leadership academy, she hopes to “build tomorrow’s leaders and to use soccer as a vehicle to do it.”⁴What better person to teach this to young girls? After all, she is and has been a leader in every sense of the word.

Notes

1. Julie Foudy Soccer Camps, “Staff,” http://www.juliefoudysoccercamps.com/soccer_camp_core_staff_for_2006.htm (accessed July 10, 2008).

2. Ibid.

3. Julie Foudy Leadership Academy, “Academy Philosophy,” http://www.juliefoudyleadership.com (accessed July 10, 2008).

4. Ann Killion, “Former Soccer Star Julie Foudy Passing on Her Life’s Work to Youth,” San Jose Mercury News, May 31, 2007.

The exerpt above was written by Sara Jane Baker.

Julie Foudy was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007. Foudy has served as a soccer analyst for ABC, ESPN, and ESPN2 covering the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Euro Finals, Major League Soccer, and for US Women's National Team matches. Foudy is a regular contributor to ESPNW. She has also appeared on ESPN's Outside the Lines and ESPN First Take. Foudy appeared in the HBO documentary Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women's Soccer Team.