Question

STRETCH
Game Changers in Women's Soccer
News: Sports Extra

As a young girl in Brazil during the 1990s, Marta Vieira da Silva loved playing soccer—or football, as much of the world calls it. However, there were few girls' soccer teams. That's because Brazil had once banned women's soccer. Many other countries had done the same. Brazil's ban was lifted in the 1970s. Yet girls were still largely unwelcome on the pitch. How did the future soccer star cultivate her skills? By kicking wadded grocery bags down the street!

Marta is one of many female players who refused to give up on their soccer dreams. They persisted. And in doing so, they paved the way for future generations of women to have equal opportunity to play. Here are the stories of some of the sport's changemakers.

The Pioneer

Lily Parr grew up in England during World War I. She began working at a factory when she was around 14 years old. The factory had an all-women soccer team. Parr was recruited to play. The factory team competed against other female teams to raise funds for charity.

Women's soccer was very popular in England. But that changed in 1921. Women's soccer was sidelined by England's male soccer association. How so? The group banned women from playing on its fields.

Yet Parr and her teammates refused to hang up their cleats. They played in public fields and parks instead. These women kept soccer alive in England for future generations of female players.

The 99ers

On July 9, 1999, the final match of the FIFA Women's World Cup tournament took place in California. Millions of people watched. The game was tied. Team USA, nicknamed the 99ers, was down to its last kick. As Brandi Chastain sent the ball soaring toward the goal, fans tracked its progress. They erupted into cheers when it hit its mark.

This victory became a pivotal moment in sports history. The match changed the course of women's soccer. "Forever you can point to that and say, 'look what they did,'" 99er Mia Hamm told the Los Angeles Times in 2019. "It represented all the possibilities."

Afterward, the 99ers served as a model for women in sports. They fought for equal pay. Some 99ers also helped to start the first professional women's soccer league in the United States.

"They paved the way," former Team USA player Carli Lloyd told CNN in 2019. "They carved out this path for us and…it's our job to continue to make it better for those that are coming up."

The Superstar

Remember Marta? By age 17, she was making her first FIFA World Cup appearance. The young phenom even scored three goals for Team Brazil! In fact, Marta became the first player (male or female) to score in five back-to-back FIFA World Cup tournaments.

Yet Marta isn't just known for her soccer skills. She also works as a spokesperson for United Nations Women. In 2018, Marta told UN Women that she hopes her story will inspire other women to work towards their goals.

Today, over 16 million women and girls are playing organized soccer. That's thanks, in part, to women who continue to play it forward.

Think about and discuss these questions:
Based on the article, why did women have to fight to play soccer?
What makes someone a game changer? Choose one sentence from the article that you think shows a quality of a game changer.
Based on your notes, what is an important idea or message that you took away from this article? Explain your takeaway and why it is important. Use evidence from the article.




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Answer 1

Here are clear answers you can use for discussion or a short written response.

1) Why did women have to fight to play soccer?
- Women had to fight because laws and social rules kept them off the field. The article says Brazil once banned women’s soccer and England’s male soccer association banned women from playing on its fields in 1921. Even after bans were lifted, girls were often “largely unwelcome on the pitch,” so women had to push past legal barriers and cultural opposition to create teams and opportunities.

2) What makes someone a game changer? (one sentence from the article that shows a quality of a game changer)
- Chosen sentence: “They persisted.”
- Why: Persistence describes continuing despite obstacles. The article gives examples: Lily Parr and teammates played in parks after being banned; the 99ers kept pushing women’s soccer into the spotlight and helped start a pro league; Marta practiced by kicking wadded grocery bags and later used her fame to inspire others.

3) Important idea/message you took away (with evidence)
- Takeaway: Persistence and action by a few people can change systems and open opportunities for many.
- Evidence from the article:
- Early players like Lily Parr kept playing in public fields after official bans, which “kept soccer alive in England for future generations.”
- The 1999 U.S. team’s victory became a turning point that “changed the course of women’s soccer” and helped lead to a professional league.
- Marta’s rise from practicing with grocery bags to becoming a five-time World Cup scorer and a UN Women spokesperson shows how individual determination can inspire others.
- The result: “Today, over 16 million women and girls are playing organized soccer.”
- Why it’s important: It shows that fighting for inclusion and continuing to act despite setbacks creates real, lasting change and role models for the next generation.