The Women's World Cup is all about aspirations. The aspirations of parents for their daughters. And the aspirations of young women for themselves. Talk to young women who play soccer and they will tell you of their love for their game. It demands speed, grace and endurance and rewards these skills over size and brute strength. It creates an environment where both teamwork and individual excellence is required.
For many young women today, their participation on a soccer team is one of their key formative experiences. Such a generation has never existed before. The explosion of grassroots soccer for girls and women has created a generation of athletes who are not only ready to take their place on the world stage of sports, they are prepared to be leaders in business, politics and society. The 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup is about soccer at its highest level as well as a celebration of the new role of young women in sports and society.