Thoughts during social distancing: Voice
It’s Saturday, but feels like “some”-day in the middle of quarantine. It’s been ten days since the sports world came to a stop, and I still find myself sitting in my office instinctively turning on the TV to a sports channel. Today, it was FS1 to watch the 2019 Women’s Fifa World Cup, our feature content: the Finals – United States vs. Netherlands.
For me, growing up playing soccer at age five in “bumblebee” leagues, all the way up to eighteen on travel club teams, the game holds a special place in my heart. It was a family sport. Both of my brothers played competitively, my dad also played growing up. There is nothing more special to me than the weekends filled with memories of going from my own tournament victory in the morning, to watching my little brother win his tournament later that day. Getting a chance to cheer him on alongside my parents on the sidelines is and will always be one of my favorite feelings as a big sister. I’m grateful I got the chance to share that experience with all of them.
I definitely miss playing soccer. I loved the team aspect and becoming family with my teammates and coaches. I loved getting a chance to travel to new cities while competing and learning valuable life lessons like teamwork, communication and work ethic. I’m not saying I would change the way my life is today, because I’m incredibly grateful for my path, but if I were to go back in time I would absolutely have continued with my passion for soccer.
Needless to say, I will always love soccer, even watching other non-family members play is fun too. One team in particular is the USA Woman’s Soccer team. These incredible athletes like Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe and Julie Ertz, play the game with such grace and power, but still make it look so effortless.
However, there’s more to it than just how they play the game. I’m in awe of these women for their strength and courage to stand up for issues in our society that need a voice. Whether that be for challenges they have personally endured, or standing up for others. A great example of someone who uses her platform to speak up, is Megan Rapinoe. She wrote an essay for The Players Tribune detailing why she kneels for the national anthem, supporting a similar cause to what Collin Kapernick began drawing attention to years ago.
Whether you agree with their cause or not, whether you are a fan of these women or not, or even whether you like the game of soccer or not, that’s not the point (at least for the sake of my argument). What I hope viewers recognize is that despite the sport, despite gender, despite the cause, athletes have the chance to make an impact with their message. How many times have your favorite NBA or NHL players used their platform to do good in the community? Time and time again. Although the light doesn’t always shine as bright on these ladies, their sport, or their causes, I applaud these women for playing with purpose on the field, but even more so, for purposefully playing a role in our society.
To be honest, I don’t think this group of women get enough credit. Not even close.
Clearly I am missing sports. Who isn’t? I think while we all endure this new period of social distancing and the unknown, there’s a lot of good work being done in the community to help each other out. So here’s my thought of this post and today; If you had the platform, what voice would you give? Who would you speak up for? How would you make your voice heard?
Feel free to send me your thoughts or comment on the post. I always appreciate other voices, opinions, and perspectives.
