Abby Wambach: The All-American Athlete

Women’s soccer superstar Abby Wambach laced up her cleats one final time for the U.S. Women’s National Team last night as they took on China in the New Orleans Superdome.  Her retirement marks the end of an era for not only the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team, but also for women’s place in American sports as a whole. Wambach will join a short list of American athletes that have been able to use their in-game abilities to change more than just the numbers on the scoreboard.

Wambach has won at all levels in her lengthy career. She played college soccer at Florida and brought the school it’s first D1 championship for soccer. She has played in two Olympics (’04, ’12, was injured in ’08) and brought home the gold both times. She has played in four different FIFA World Cups dating back to 2003 and most recently brought home the 2015 championship. Wambach is also the owner to a world record 184 international goals that stands for both men’s and women’s soccer. Although she is 35, her retirement came as a surprised to many who simply don’t know soccer without her.

The ultimate competitor, Wambach’s career has been sprinkled with some of the greatest all-time moments in sports. Her 122nd minute header in the 2011 World Cup was awarded the ESPY for Best Play of the Year.  People all around the world recognize her for the toughness and grit she brings with her on the field each and every game. Regardless of the stakes, you can see Wambach oozing emotions at any given moment. From criticizing referees, to playing injured, to tears of rejoice after winning crucial games; Wambach’s legacy will be filled with memories that exhibit her as, if nothing else, a bad ass chick. But she is so much more than that.

In October of 2013, Wambach married a fellow star in the sport, Sarah Huffman. From that point forward Wambach was more than just a decorated superstar, she was a moment in history.  Although she tried to avoid the limelight and acted as though it were no big deal, Wambach was now he world’s most famous gay athlete. She took the new role in stride and proved to the rest of the world that her sexuality had no affect on her game. Nothing changed in the eyes of Wambach, on the field she was still the hard-nosed competitive athlete hungry for her next win. However, off the field she was an emerging polarizing star that would inspire millions around the globe.

In 2015, Wambach took the next step forward in her career of stardom. She stepped out of the role as her team’s superstar and into the role as the team’s mom. After going through just about everything you could imagine as a female athlete, she was able to use her experiences to set an example to the young team members and pave their way to a championship. Last summer, Wambach was taken out of the lineup as a starter and played her first real tournament as sub since early in her career. That didn’t stop her from affecting the play of the team however. Wambach could be seen from the sideline screaming at teammates for lack of hustle and referees for bad calls. No matter what she was doing she made sure her presence was known on the field.  Wambach was brought in to games for the final 20 minutes as a reminder to the team that no matter what the score they were never to take their foot off the gas. She became a true closer.

Wambach brought home that 2015 World Cup championship for the United State’s first time since the unforgettable 1999 team that’s popularity swept the country. The summer of ’99 was the first time that women’s soccer really stepped into the daily lives of Americans. Well this past summer, Wambach finally finished what they started. The final game of the 2015 World Cup set the record for most-watched soccer game ever, men’s games included. Her team made sure that everyone knew women’s soccer was here to stay. That being her last World Cup, Wambach joins another elite group of athletes that were able to complete a storybook ending to their career and walk away from the sport on top.

After being the face of women’s sports for over a decade, Wambach has done just about everything imaginable as an athlete and changed the climate for American sports in the process. With her retirement she ends the era of women being doubted in sports. She ends the era of women’s athletics being looked at as a second tier of sports. She ends the era of gay athlete’s having to hide their sexuality from the public.  She has proved to us that there is no challenge that is greater than the will to overcome it. With women in all sports and gay athlete’s worldwide looking up to her, it is hard to believe Wambach will stray far from the spotlight. A face that is recognized globally, it is obvious that the 35 year old has big plans for her post-soccer career.  This year, Time magazine listed her as one of the top 100 most influential people on the planet. As she steps on the field for one last time tonight, we can all look forward to what amazing feat she plans to overcome next.