On December 16, 2015 Soccer Star Abby Wambach will retire from Professional Soccer.  Wambach’s accomplishments include:

  • She ends with 184 goals scored in international play. That’s the most by any player — man or woman.
  • She won two Olympic gold medals (2004 and 2012) and a World Cup (2015).
  • She was named FIFA’s World Player of the Year (2012).
  • She helped the University of Florida win its first-ever national championship as a freshman (1998).

Source: NPR

Wambach acknowledged that the bar for professional soccer has been raised:

Wambach said the sport has changed so much since she first played for the U.S. National Team in 2001.

“It’s evolved. It’s harder than it ever used to be. The standard is even higher. That’s the way it should be.

[But] the body just knows when it knows and your mind is at the right speed but your body just isn’t doing what it was capable of doing even three years ago.” (NPR Dec 16, 2015)

She is also an outspoken advocate to increase the financial rewards for women soccer players.  The  USA women’s soccer team is notably more popular than the USA Men’s Soccer Team yet lack corporate sponsorships.

“Overall, as a culture, we have been so imprinted on the fact that women make less money, get fewer opportunities. I’m very passionate about it because the amazing part about equality and being treated fairly and being treated humanely, is that it doesn’t cost a cent.” (NPR Dec 16, 2015)

Thank you Abby for your fierce competitiveness on the field and for being a champion for women off of the field.  That DEFINITELY qualifies you to be woman we love!