US soccer legend Abby Wambach shares message of equality in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — Abby Wambach looked around Eby Fieldhouse, saw herself and laughed.

'Super bizarre,' Wambach told a young girl, who asked the U.S. Soccer legend for her thoughts on the dozens of fans holding cardboard cutouts of her face.

It's a site she's plenty used to now. Same with seeing the hundreds of girls, ranging from elementary age to college students, who reminded her of herself growing up in similarly-sized Rochester, N.Y.

Wambach's message for those young soccer players and all 2,000 people in attendance Tuesday night: Don't set your dreams too low.

'That's why I like to reach back out to these smaller communities, because people here still need to feel like they can get out and make something of themselves, whether they're going to school in a small city or they were brought up in a small city,' Wambach said at a media gathering before the event.

'It's important to inspire kids and adults alike to be better than they possibly can be, because if I can do it, anybody can do it.'

Women's soccer has grown significantly since Wambach, 35, first appeared with the U.S. national team in 2001.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champion saw a photo a few months ago of less than 1,000 people in attendance for a 2005 game celebrating the team's Olympic title alongside one of a sold-out stadium in 2015.

'I get chills just thinking about it, because that's real, quantitative change,' Wambach said. 'Measurable change that you can then take to the federation, that you can then take to different sponsors to really justify being treated actually equal, whether it be through pay, whether it be through treatment.'

In retirement, Wambach's mission has her traveling the country to make sure progress in the sport — as well as equality in general — doesn't slow.

Her 2013 marriage to partner Sarah Huffman and stances against FIFA for its World Cup playing surfaces and U.S. Soccer for its unequal pay for the men's and women's teams are among the off-field storylines that put her in national headlines. For Wambach, part of inspiring children to achieve dreams is assuring they have the opportunity to do so, no matter their background or beliefs.

'(These girls) have women that look different than the '99 World Cup team does, that's more of a melting pot, more of an honest, realistic look into what normal teams all across the country look like,' Wambach said. 'If you can look up and see yourself look similar to somebody else doing something on the grandest scale, then you can envision yourself.'

A photo posted by @abbywambach on

  Thank you @coecollege for having me, letting me meet and eat dinner with the women's soccer team, and most importantly talk to the crowd!!! Lot of good stuff. A great night for sure. #kohawks

A photo posted by @abbywambach on

Feb 9, 2016 at 8:53pm PST

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