Women's World Cup Instills Confidence, Shows Young Athletes Their Endless Potential

It's one of the biggest events for female-identifying athletes, and it's also a major inspirational moment for our kids.

My 10-year-old daughter Clare is soccer-obsessed. She's been on a field since she was about 3 years old. She's played travel soccer since she was 6. When she joined Liverpool International Academy in New Jersey, she thought it was so cool that she was part of a real soccer team.

Clare instantly looked toward the professionals for inspiration. She became a diehard fan of the Reds, watching both the men's English Premiere League and women's English Super League teams. She found heroes in not only the big names like Mohammed Salah for the men, but Missy Bo Kearns and Katie Stengel on the women's side (and she has autographed cleats worn by Kearns!)

Of course, Clare also follows the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the U.S. Women's National Team. Alex Morgan and now-retired superstar Carli Lloyd are two of her favorites. She was so excited to meet Lloyd at a NJ/NY Gotham game recently and have her jersey signed! (She and her friends also took photos and got soccer balls signed!)

Watching all of these players on the big stage has pushed Clare to dream big. She's learned a lot about field awareness from watching these big games. One day, Clare wants to play for the Liverpool women—but I think ultimately she'd be happy just playing.

Every four years, some of the world's best female-identifying athletes come together to compete in the FIFA Women's World Cup. The 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup kicks off on July 20 in Australia and New Zealand. Aside from the Olympics, it's arguably the biggest stage for these women to showcase their talent, their grit, their intensity, and the sacrifices they've made to get to the top of their game.

"A big event like the World Cup or even the Olympics can show aspiring athletes that pathway," says Scott Roth, Psy.D., a child psychologist and the clinical director and founder at Applied Psychological Services of New Jersey. "Hope and dreams are great, even if they are related to only the most elite of athletes. There is so much more that our youth gain from sports along the way." Dr. Roth also has experience working with young athletes.

The World Cup captures the attention of both kids and adults, whether they have an interest in soccer or not. And it's a great opportunity for family bonding and bringing the country together.

The U.S. Women's National Soccer team is looking for a repeat, having already won a record four World Cups, the last one coming in 2019. According to the Federation Internationale de Football Association's (FIFA) website, a combined 1.12 billion viewers watched official broadcasts of the World Cup. That was a record.

The popularity of soccer overall and specifically youth soccer continues to grow in the United States. There are three million soccer players registered annually through U.S. Youth Soccer. More and more girls are also turning to the sport. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), the number of female high school soccer players went from 23,475 in the 1978–1979 school year to 374,773 in the 2021–2022 year.

These young soccer players look to these athletes at the pinnacle of their sport for inspiration, motivation, and they see them as role models. "It's interesting to watch professionals do it," says Emily, an 11-year-old soccer player (and my daughter's friend). "I see them pass and the skill moves that they do and I can learn from them."

"It's interesting to watch professionals do it. I see them pass and the skill moves that they do and I can learn from them."

Emily, Age 11

This year's World Cup is also inspiring young LGBTQ+ athletes. According to Outsports.com, there are at least 87 LGBTQ+ players on 22 different teams. That's nearly 12% of all of the players. On the U.S. team, those names include Megan Rapinoe, Kristie Mewis, and Kelley O'Hara.

"Seeing queer athletes perform at elite levels can have a powerful impact on LGBTQ+ youth," says Dr. Roth. "There is something so special about seeing someone who might have had a shared experience succeed at such a high level."

No matter how your child identifies, these elite soccer players at the top of their game show our kids how dreaming big combined with hard work and studying the game, pays off. It also shows them how to win (and lose) gracefully, try their hardest, and leave it all out on the field.

Related: We Need to Stop Pressuring Kids to Be the Best at Their Sport

But Dr. Roth says parents should help children understand that it's not always about winning. "Like most sports, performance should be judged in terms of process rather than outcome...young female athletes should be prompted to observe specific actions and behaviors that are worthy of emulating," Dr. Roth explains.

If a parent is watching one of these World Cup games with their child, Dr. Roth suggests maybe not focusing on the goals themselves but rather "...it might be more beneficial for a parent to observe how the team worked together to set up the goal or how it looked like they showed great hustle on that play. Winning is the icing on the cake but recognizing the hard work, dedication, and collaboration can inspire a generation of young female athletes." He says those are the things that are important tools to allow confidence to grow in our children.

These aren't just good lessons for young athletes. They can be taken off the field and applied to academics and the arts. Hard work, confidence, teamwork, and dedication are all great skills for children to develop.

No matter how my daughter's soccer career turns out, I hope she learns a lot. I hope she continues to develop a love of the game and a passion for it. I hope the overall experience gives her joy and fulfillment while helping her develop a sense of self and skills she will carry with her for the rest of her life. And I can't wait for her to watch the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup with awe, wonder, and excitement. I hope it encourages her to keep dreaming big and gives her the confidence to push herself to be the best SHE can be.

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