With March being Women's Empowerment Month and our US Women's National Team on their way to Rio this summer to kick some ass in the Olympics, we've got a TON to be proud of! Here are SoccerGrlProbs' 8 reasons why us female athletes are unlike any other kind of girl.
8: We’re tough.
Seriously, don’t mess with us. We’ve most likely grown up around brothers or a bunch of guy friends, and we weren’t exactly playing with dolls when we were younger. See th
at group of girls in the sandbox giggling and playing nicely? Now look ten feet to the right at that one girl with band-aids on her knees and grass stains all over the dress her mother forced her to wear, rough-housing with the boys on the playground. That girl was US!
at group of girls in the sandbox giggling and playing nicely? Now look ten feet to the right at that one girl with band-aids on her knees and grass stains all over the dress her mother forced her to wear, rough-housing with the boys on the playground. That girl was US!7: We’ve got the best role models.
With athletes like Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd to look up to, young athletes everywhere have positive role models to aspire to be like. These women stand for all the right things; STRENGTH. POSITIVE SELF-IMAGE. CONFIDENCE. PRIDE. LEADERSHIP.
6: We believe in Strong over Skinny
Sure, we throw the occasional joke around (all the time) about the daily problems we run into having muscular bodies. You know, like we can’t fit our muscular legs into skinny jeans or that shoe stores need to come out with new boots that will fit over our calves or that the casual hand-on-the-hip pose ends up looking something like the Hulk posing for a picture…But in the end, we know that we’d choose being strong over skinny any day. We take pride in our strength as it is a symbol of our hard work and dedication.
5: We build each other up, instead of tearing each other down.
From being on team after team, we've been through enough to know that you get nowhere real fast by knocking each other down. Encouragement is key. Make it a goal to compliment a teammate at least once a day, or empower a teammate who feels down or support her if she did well. Be there for one another - that is the key to group success and great team morale!
4: Our competitive nature will make us more successful in the real world
Even though we might get too competitive sometimes (don’t challenge us in anything, no matter how random or insignificant it may be. We will win, or die trying...) We have grown up working hard for that win, and we know the hard work and focus that it takes. One day sports will stop, and we will continue to apply this to everything we know! We will become dedicated women in the workplace, mothers, friends, coaches, etc.
3: We can laugh at ourselves
Being able to laugh at yourself is a true sign of having confidence. You aren't living if you care too much about what people think! If you fall in public by yourself - laugh it off, if you miskick the ball at practice - laugh it off, if you score an own goal by accident (don't laugh, coach will be pissed) - but PICK YOUR HEAD UP AND STAY POSITIVE! If you allow things to get to you, it affects your whole outlook on a situation and your performance - or even worse, it affects your mindset and the people around you. Laugh it off girlfriend, you'll be better for it.
Being able to laugh at yourself is a true sign of having confidence. You aren't living if you care too much about what people think! If you fall in public by yourself - laugh it off, if you miskick the ball at practice - laugh it off, if you score an own goal by accident (don't laugh, coach will be pissed) - but PICK YOUR HEAD UP AND STAY POSITIVE! If you allow things to get to you, it affects your whole outlook on a situation and your performance - or even worse, it affects your mindset and the people around you. Laugh it off girlfriend, you'll be better for it.
2: We know how to handle the good, the bad, the ugly.
Whether it's a call that doesn't go our way or a girl on the other team who's been playing dirty all game (can't stand her), we've learned how to act with class and handle these situations with composure. Learning that things won't always go the way we want, has taught us to roll with the punches, get back up again when we've been knocked down, and handle every set-back in life with character, class and composure, just like on the field. What we are trying to say is, we don't do this:
1: We are bound for success!
“Something happens when girls play sports — they embody the experience of not just of winning, but the critical experience of losing. It’s that process of carrying on and clearing hurdles that really builds confidence. It’s an incredibly useful proving ground for business and leadership.” -Claire Shipman.. #SheCanDoIt
All wonderful, positive messages for our girls!