The impact of USA Women’s World Cup victory on girls

The USA Women's National Soccer Team's World Cup victory over Japan on July 5 was the most watched women's sporting event in U.S. history. Over 25 million people watched the U.S. women win the World Cup for the first time since 1999, and names like Carli Lloyd and Abby Wambach have become household names across the nation.

With all this attention on the team, the question becomes, will this World Cup victory have short-term or long-term impact on American girls who play youth sports? That is to say, is all the hype about the team something that will soon fade, or does the World Cup victory have a longer term influence on the number of girls who play soccer and enjoy the benefits of youth sports?

The research seems to support that after major sporting events, like the Olympics or World Cup, that there is an increase in the number of girls who enroll in a variety of athletic activities.  For example, after the Olympics, there tends to be an increase in the number of girls in gymnastics and figure skating. There is also evidence that, although many of these new participants eventually stop taking organized lessons in the sport, they do maintain an interest in having that sport become part of their recreational life.  If the goal of youth sports is to help children incorporate fitness and recreation into a healthy lifestyle, this is a positive trend.

As importantly, particularly for girls, the USA Women's National Soccer Team represents role models for them to emulate. Children tend to learn best by modeling and imitation. That is to say, children often develop interests and behavior based on adults whom they have watched perform. The fact that so many young American girls have spent several weeks watching elite women athletes increases the chances that they can also set goals to compete at the highest level.

One cautious note, from my experience as a sport psychologist over the years, is that some parents take away from victories like the U.S. World Cup victory, the notion that if their daughter takes more soccer lessons, is placed on an elite team, and just works harder and harder, that their child too can achieve World Cup status. This reinforces the notion that the more time spent in the sport activity, the better. It is this belief that has led some parents to have their daughters play soccer year round starting as young as 7 or 8 years old.  Children specializing in one sport, to the exclusion of other sports, is a phenomenon that continues to grow for boys and girls in America. Specializing, though, often doesn't breed sports success. It can, however, breed sport burnout.

It is clear that more in sports isn't always better. Parents need to be aware that setting lofty goals for their children is great, but it is most important that effort, participation, and skill development be the goals that parents most emphasize and reward.

On a personal note, I remember that my daughter, Talia, was 7 years old when I watched the U.S. Women's World Cup victory in 1999 with her. There is no doubt in my mind that her having the chance at a young age to watch elite female athletes influenced her interest in sports, fitness, and recreation. Watching top-level women athletes also helped Talia to recognize that sports could be a healthy part of her identity and contribute to her self-esteem. Talia went on to play soccer in high school and field hockey in college and, as a parent, I have seen how participating in sports has been an important part of her life.

The USA Women's National Soccer Team's World Cup victory was a terrific accomplishment for the group of women on the team, and there is every reason to believe that watching these women play will also have a very positive impact on the girls who watched the tournament. It is exciting to see the trends happening in America as they relate to more girls being involved in organized sports than ever before. This should help accelerate the trend of girls increasingly being able to get the benefits that being involved in sports, fitness, and recreation can provide to one's growth and development.

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