ACADEMY GRADUATE MAKES THE NEW YORK TIMES!
NEW YORK TIMES
SPORTS / SOCCER | February 11, 2008
Soccer as an Escape to Hope for Afghan Teenager
By Joe Drape
Shamila Kohestani, the captain of the Afghanistan national women’s soccer team who was deprived an education for much of her childhood, is now growing as a student in America.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
MARCH 8TH, 2008
COME VISIT OUR BOOTH AT THE 2008 IYSA SOCCER EXPO
at the
Schaumburg Park District Sport Center, Schaumburg, Illinois.
April 24, 2007:
BILLIE JEAN KING TO SPEAK AT ACADEMY.
We are delighted to announce that legendary tennis great and the founder of the Women's Sports Foundation, Billie Jean King will be a keynote speaker at the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy at
St Mary's, California. Billie Jean has long been an advocate for women's sports and has tirelessly worked to enable young women to experience greater opportunities as athletes.
UPCOMING EVENTS:
ILLINOISJULIE FOUDY TO SIGN AUTOGRAPHS: SUNDAY MAY 6, 20078:15-8:45 AM at "ECLIPSE" Select Tournament (Oakbrook, IL. Polo Fields) at the Gatorade tent.
9:15-9:45 AM at "HAWKS" Tournament (Oakbrook, IL. Jorie Dr, adjacent to McDonald's Campus.
JULIE FOUDY & IAN SAWYERS (FORMER WUSA COACH) TO GIVE FREE LEADERSHIP SEMINAR AT: SUNDAY MAY 6th, 10.00-11.30AM. The McDonald's Campus, Hamburger University.
2715 Jorie Blvd, Oakbrook, IL.
(On the corner of Jorie and Ronald Lane. 2nd Floor, Room 224.
Ltd. Seating Available.
Topics include: Julie will discuss her Olympic and World Cup experiences.
Two decades with the U.S. Women’s National Team.
How to position yourself for Success.
How to be a leader on the field and in life.
How to incorporate leadership training into your programs
Valuable insights for Coaches and Players. Coaches handouts available.
CALIFORNIA
JULIE TO SPEAK ON LEADERSHIP AT Stanford University, Palo Alto, Ca.
Monday,May 14th: 6:30-8:30pm at the Arrillaga Family Sports Center 640 East Campus Drive (Opposite Maples Pavilion) RSVP - Limited Seating Available.To reserve a seat for this event contact: Gary Ireland
(gary@unionfootballclub.com). Cell: 650-387-4128. No charge.
Topics include: Julie will discuss her Olympic and World Cup experiences.
Two decades with the U.S. Women’s National Team.
How to position yourself for Success.
How to be a leader on the field and in life. JULIE TO SPEAK ON LEADERSHIP in conjunction with Gatorade, in the EAST BAY,
May 15th: Time and location TBD. Please check back in for further details.
Hamm, Foudy elected to Hall of Fame
| Posted 2/27/2007 7:26 PM ET |
CARSON,
Calif. (AP) — Former teammates Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy, who shared two
Olympic gold medals and two World Cup titles, were both elected to the
National Soccer Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
Hamm was chosen in a landslide, named on 137 of
141 ballots for 97.16% of the vote — both records. The previous highest
percentage belonged to Michelle Akers, who was elected with 95.77% in
2005.
Foudy was selected on 118 ballots for 83.69%. The voting was announced at Home Depot Center in Carson.
"What a blessed career that Julie and I have
been able to have with such a wonderful group of women," Hamm said. "To
top it off with this nomination is truly exciting for both of us. It's
going to be a weekend that we never forget."
Hamm also played for the Washington Freedom of the Women's United Soccer Association from 2001-2003.
Hamm and Foudy, each in their first year of
eligibility, comprise the first all-women class elected to the Oneonta,
N.Y.-based hall. They will be inducted Aug. 26.
The duo will join the five women who have been inducted since the hall began in 1950.
"This indeed confirms that we are old," Foudy
said. "It's fitting to go alongside Mia, having played alongside her
for 18 years. It's neat to have two women. We've done a lot of firsts
in our careers."
Foudy became a first-time mother on Jan. 1, when she gave birth to daughter Isabel.
Hamm is expecting twins in April with husband Nomar Garciaparra, who is at spring training with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
"If there's anything sad about this, that's the
only thing," Garciaparra said about not being able to attend. "I'm so
happy for her. I know she's thrilled."
Hamm said she checks the Dodgers' website daily
to see pictures of her husband and talks to him three times a day while
awaiting his return.
"It's been, knock on wood, a relatively easy pregnancy," she said. "We're excited. We have no idea what we're in for."
The couple is keeping quiet about the gender of the twins, which run in both their families, but they're kicking around names.
"It won't be Mia or Nomar (spelled) backward or
forward, that's for sure," Hamm joked, referring to her father-in-law
Ramon, who spelled his name backward in naming Nomar.
Hamm plans to bring the babies to New York for the induction ceremony.
"It'll be tough to leave them for four days,"
she said. "I have high expectations of my children, but
self-sufficiency at four months probably isn't one of them."
Foudy advised Hamm to sleep as much as she can now.
"I just told her it's the greatest thing to
happen in your life," she said. "I told her, 'I can't wait to see you
breast-feeding double-fisted.' It's challenging enough with one."
Joy Fawcett, one of their teammates, didn't get
into the hall. She received 95 votes or 67.38%, and only the top two
are elected. Although Fawcett exceeded the 50% minimum, she failed to
receive at least 80%, which would have allowed a third player to be
elected.
"I always said I think she should be in before
me," Foudy said. "She was the backbone of our team for so long. Not
just consistently good, but consistently great. I think she will get
in."