Briana Scurry says the 1999 USWNT's biggest win came at the bargaining table
"You helped fight for equality for other people who you'll probably never meet."
Lindsay Gibbs
Jun 3, 2019, 8:00 am
Everywhere Briana Scurry looks, be it billboards or commercials, social media or magazines, she is reminded that the 2019 Womens World Cup in France is just a week away. The teams are all making their way overseas, practices are underway, and in a few short weeks a champion will be crowned. The National Soccer Hall of Famer, who won two Olympic gold medals and the 1999 Womens World Cup as a goalkeeper for the U.S. Womens National Team (USWNT), is giddy with anticipation.
Its like a pot of boiling, Scurry told ThinkProgress at the Athletes + Activism panel hosted by The Atlantic and the Washington Mystics on Thursday. And soon, its just going to be boiling all the way.
Her zeal is understandable. This year, the USWNT is defending its title from the 2015 Womens World Cup in Canada. It wont be an easy task; most experts think this the most competitive field in the tournaments history. But the U.S. team certainly looks up for the task.
And as if the stakes needed to be intensified somehow, while the USWNT is competing in France, its members are simultaneously suing the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) for gender discrimination. In that way, this latest iteration of womens soccer Team America already shares an important legacy with their famous predecessors that first stamped the team into our national consciousness.
https://thinkprogress.org/for-briana-scurry-labor-fights-are-the-most-indelible-part-of-1999-womens-world-cup-legacy-c45e08069b1e/
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Some people think, well, its unfortunate that that is actually something that has to be continued. But its also something that is really rewarding, because you know that you did more than just play a game, you helped fight for equality for other people who youll probably never meet, Scurry said.
And now you see with other womens federations, because of what weve done, now theyre doing it, and well probably never meet them either. But theyre doing their own little battle. And theyre inspired by us. And for me, thats inspiration and creation is what Im here for.