Sunday, May 11, 2008

The New York Times is Talking About it...

"The thought that a mainstream newspaper is writing about this subject should give us a reason to see what they are saying and evaluate if there is something we should be doing about it."

Chuck Blazer, Chairman FIFA Organizing Committee for Women's Youth World Cups

Click on the link below or the cover page to the right to read the interesting piece. We must look at what we can do for prevention.

The Uneven Playing Field


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I really enjoyed reading this article, I really could relate to what she went through, reminded me of my son when he played competitive soccer, he was just like her, we had gone on a tournament in Tempe, it was in preparation for the regionals and his coach ( Notre Dame coach now of the girls)was having the boys in as many tournaments as he could, my son, in the first game , in the first twenty mins. jumped for a header and was tackled , we could tell when he came down he was hurt, but kept saying he was ok, this was such an important game, they were playing a team that had a reputaion for winning Nationals every year, La Jolla Cal. good teams, he would not come out my husband kept telling him he has got to come out and Randy his coach made him come out when he was limping bad, he was one of those players that would never quit, tough, I took him to the hospital and he broke his ankle, boy was that a long recuperation for him and rehab, his team went to the finals and lost in 13 shootouts, it was so exciting but he was so devastated on not being able to play, he went to all the games with his crutches, but Randy felt better that he had several months to get healed before regionals started, they did go to nationals in Philadelphia and again lost to the california team in the finals, and he was able to play but that was so heartbreaking when they lost, they always played La Jolla in finals, three times in Dallas Cup here in Texas, you know Chuck you may remember years ago there was a soccer mag. called SOCCER AMERICA, I think that is what it was called, he was on the cover on it when they played LA Jolla, it came to shoot outs, and he was the first one up, he had never missed one ever, and he missed it and it came out on the cover, he never lived that down, they made fun of him all the time, since he was the captain of the team, but he was just like that girl, I miss those days, he was on this team for years, same team and club. I want to tell him of your blog but he will be so embarassed that I told you all this, he is very humble, and gets mad when I brag about him, he would love this blog and be so impressed at what you do and your career. I remember and I dont want to sound dumb but during the Dallas Cup tournaments they used national refs, you seemed to have been around all this, if my husband were alive he would have loved reading all this also. I usually don't comment but have read your stories , I do have to say that I also was diagnosed with renal carcinoma back in Sept. kidney cancer, they caught it in time and had surgery to freeze it , the tumor, at least they called it freezing it. now I am suppose to get a c-scan every six months, I had one in March and was ok, so I pray you stay healty also. I love reading about your stories when you are in NY since my daughter is there also, she said tonight it's cold one day and warm the next, but she loves to sit in Central Park, it sounds wonderful. I told her about you and this blog and she said oh mom, I hope you did not go on and on about me. I said no, but she does not have to know. If you ever come in contact with college coaches, Randy Waldrum , my sons coach back then still is close to my son, he goes up to ND in the summer for the summer camp, he helps coach and he brings his team, my husband was the manager of the club team and was very close to him, Randy came to my husbands Rosary and funeral, with his wife.ND has done well, my son learned all his coaching skills from him. Now I am trying to talk my son into getting his licenses, he says its complicated and you have to wait till it comes here,I do not know much about that but I always remembered that Randy got his licenses while he was coaching my son. he says he does just as good without it because of his expeirence but it just sounds better to have the top licence, but I really do not know much about this. Again sorry this is so long, but it brought back alot of memeories reading that story and reading your stories and what goes on in your life. waiting for more pictures of fifth ave. or maybe central park , or anything NEW YORK. Chuck you have been blessed with a wonderful life, cherish it, as I always tell my kids, we have been blessed with so many prayers answered that we cannot forget that and thank God everyday for them. You take care and have a wonderful day today .........Sandra, arlington tx.