Do you have any soccer players in your family? It’s a great sport for youth that emphasizes speed, agility and skill over raw power–height and/or bulk aren’t necessary–making it a perfect sport for girls! I played JV soccer all through Jr. High and Highschool (sorry-I just wasn’t good enough for varsity unlike 3 of my sisters who all were!), and both of my kiddos play in the 9 week kids league here in town.
So I was pleased when I found out that MVP Health Care is one of the 3 sponsors for Abby Wambach, forward for the Womens National Soccer Team and Rochester New York native.
I’ll admit, before becoming an MVP Generation Go Ambassador for MVP Health Care I had no idea who Abby was. I’m just not a big professional sports fan and soccer doesn’t have the same type of following here as it does in Europe and South America. (side note-when I lived in Germany you ALWAYS new when the local soccer team had won a match. People screaming from cars, horns honking, ribbons fluttering out of car windows in the teams colors. They are soccer FREAKS over there~and I mean that in a good way!) Since becoming an ambassador I’ve had a chance to learn about Abby, and watch her in the World Cup. (note: that’s the world series of soccer folks!)
Abby signing autographs for kids. Photo by Kate R W
We all know that healthy role models help kids make good choices~but there seems to be a shortage of good role models out there in professional sports (don’t even get me started on the entertainment industry). We are bombarded with stories of athletes who behave in ways that we as parents most definitely do NOT want our kids emulating. Not so with Abby. Here is a role model I can whole heartedly endorse!
Not only is she a fantastic athlete (She holds the best goals per game ratio in U.S. soccer history) but she exhibits the kind of determination and fortitude that we all hope our kids will show when faced with trials. In 2007 Abby sustained an injury in the first game of the world cup~she collided with a North Korean player and received 11 stitches to her head. That didn’t stop her-she continued on scoring 6 goals in 6 matches and helping the US team reach 3rd place.
Even more impressive-in 2008 Abby was poised to attend the Olympics with the US team when in the final tune up game before the Olympics, Abby collided with a Brazilian player, fracturing her tibia and fibula. She was out of the Olympics. Can you imagine the pain and crushing disappointment? But she persevered through rehab and training and one year and three days after breaking her leg in the final U.S. tune-up game before the Olympics, Abby scored her 100th international goal in the 1-0 U.S. win over Canada on July 19, 2009 in her hometown of Rochester, N.Y.
Photo by Alyson Hurt
But what really cinched it for me was a quote from Abby that I read in today’s paper. Yesterday the US Team played the final game of the World Cup against Japan. . . and lost. It was an amazing run for the team and the loss was heartbreaking. Considering the recent disaster in Japan and their World Cup loss Abby said:
“Maybe their country needed them to win more than our country needed us to win. . . I feel devastated, but I feel proud of my teammates. And I give Japan credit. They just never gave up.” (USA Today, July 18th 2011)
Now THAT’S the kind of perseverance, grace and sportsmanship that I hope my kids learn from sports.
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Now on to the fun part-today’s giveaway! This giveaway starts today, July 18th and ends at midnight EST on Friday July 22th. Winners will be announced in next Monday’s MVP Generation Go post.
To enter, we would like to know your feelings on healthy role models! Who do you think is a healthy role model for your kids? Have you seen the effects that a positive role model has had on encouraging your child to be more active? Your comment sharing your favorite tip or experience is your entry.
For an additional entry you can:
Tweet about the importance of healthy role models to encourage active children with #GenerationGo included in the tweet (one entry).
Don’t forget to head on over to the MVP Generation Go Facebook page and Abby Wambach’s Facebook page to give them a “like”! On the MVP Generation Go page you’ll see all the great posts by the other Ambassadors-and to see their gift card giveaways as well! On Abby’s page you’ll get to hear from Abby, her fans and more.
*****This is a sponsored post*****
DISCLOSURE: I am an MVP Generation Go ambassador. MVP Has provided me with compensation for this post. My participation is voluntary and my opinion is always my own. The $50 Gift Card for this giveaway was provided by Kids Fun Plaza. Make sure to check out my other MVP Generation Go Amabassador posts: Meal Planning and Kids and Youth Sports
Abby is actually from Pittsford, NY…my home town!
LOL-obviously they did the same thing in her bio that I do in mine, name the next biggest town that folks would know. 🙂 That’s the problem with us Upstate NY’ers, so many of us live in smaller towns no one has heard of!
I usually do that, too!
I usually tell people I am from New York – most people assume I mean New York City – if they ask where in NY I say Upstate NY, if they ask where in UNY, I tell them Rochester, if they ask what part of Rochester I tell them Pittsford.
Good role models are important and I hope our kids grow up to view their Godparents and some of our other family and friends as the best role models. Sports figures and celebrities serve a role, but I hope it stays secondary to the people they know in real life!
Heather
Our role model are people we know. My children go to a small K-12 school. Their ages are 7, 6, and 2. Their biggest role models are high school athletes. It really means a lot to my kids when these teenagers speak to them or give them pointers for cheerleader or basketball.