3 chapters in

Here are a few of the take-aways I have from "The Girls of Summer" by Jere Longman about the 1999 Women's World Cup winning U.S. Soccer team...Hard to believe that was 10 years ago.

I will write a little bit more in depth about confidence, Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and those famous penalty kicks later.

I of course found a hard worker and well she needs her name to be mentioned. Michelle Akers of the U.S. team had played so hard, exhausted herself to such an extreme that she had to have her jersey cut off of her after the game. That's crazy...and I love hard workers.

The Women's Soccer team had a lot of fan support too. One girl ran after the team bus after a game against Nigeria at Soldier Field for a half mile with hands waving...almost hitting a parked car...the players stopped the bus and Brandi Chastain gave her a pair of autographed shoes.

The players were also swarmed at hotels, girls rode in elevators and knocked on the players doors. They had people waiting in hotel lobbies to get autographs.

(I apologize and take any of the blame necessary if something like that happens to Meghan Cunningham. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience should that ever happen to her)

Boys and Girls were both wearing Mia Hamm jersey's during the cup.

Also the timing of the event was just right. About a week after the U.S. won John F. Kennedy Jr. died and that story would have overshadowed the tremendous event that took place for women's soccer. President Clinton and the Governor of California both watched the game together at the Rose Bowl too.