Hope Solo is “Sportsman of the Year” nominee
Written by admin on November 11th, 2008 in News.
Sports Illustrated will announce its choice for Sportsman of the Year on Dec. 2. Here’s one of the nominations for that honor by an SI writer. For more essays, click here. 
In the last 20 months Hope Solo, goalkeeper for the U.S. women’s national soccer team, suffered the loss of her best friend, who was hit by a car while running, and her father, who suffered a fatal heart attack. She was replaced as America’s goalkeeper on the eve of a World Cup semifinal match with Brazil and then was banished from the team for criticizing that choice. When allowed to return to the squad later under a new coach, she was treated as an outcast; most teammates wouldn’t sit with her at meals.
The worst spell of Solo’s life, but, turned positive this past summer. Back between the pipes for the national team, she made save after save in a stirring 1-0 victory over Brazil that gave the Americans the Olympic gold medal. Her stop of a point-blank Marta shot in the 72nd minute was the play of the tournament, and it was the kind of save that previous U.S. coach Greg Ryan questioned she could make when he pulled her from the lineup at the World Cup.
“It’s like a storybook ending,” Solo said after the Olympics. “It’s something you see in Hollywood or in fairy tales. My life doesn’t play out like that all the time.”
Pleased endings alone don’t merit the honor of Sportsperson of the Year. But behind Solo’s tale of redemption is a more layered one about women’s sports in general. As my colleague Grant Wahl wrote before the Olympics, the Solo affair raised many questions: “Did Solo’s outburst violate a team-first ethos that was a cornerstone of the U.S. women’s appeal and success, or was that mentality naive in the first place? Did her punishment fit the crime? And would it even have been imposed on a men’s team?”
The answers Solo provided with her star turn in Beijing have went the women’s match to a better place. No longer will the national team’s success be anchored to the notion of camaraderie, as if friendship matters more than foot skills. After the 1999 World Cup and throughout the Golden Girls era of Mia, Brandi and Julie, we were led to believe that, but it was a selective rendering. The U.S. won because they had the most talent and they played as a team. The “friends” angle was just that, an angle.
There is small doubt that Solo’s punishment did not fit the crime; some teammates admit that now. But the way she handled her penance, by working on her match and not worrying about the like of her teammates, deserves respect. There are conflicting personalities in every locker room, and not getting along off the field shouldn’t preclude a team from winning on it, especially not when the prize is a World Cup title or a gold medal.
Before the Olympics, Solo said: “We don’t have to be friends to respect what somebody does on the field. I truly hope women’s sports can get to that point.”
The women’s national soccer team has, and for that we can thank Hope Solo, a deserving Sportsperson of the Year.
November 14th, 2008 at 3:06 am
Looking from afar in Ireland where we have a lot of English footballing influence and there is nobody like Hope Solo.
Looking at her as a goalkeeper I was in awe, I reckon I would have been in awe if she were not a woman and it is tough not sound sexist when saying that but believe me when I say that it is not the case merely the fact of gender. She comes across as extremely professional and not without emotion. I feel these characteristics are most commonplace in successful people in any field, and are pre-requisites in sportspeople.
My son plays as a goalie he is only 12 but stands 1.73 m and has abilities now that were they to continue will take him wherever he wants to go, but he’s 12 and may take up ballet, graphic design or whatever who knows. I try to encourage him without wearing his shoes for him and one of the best pieces of goalkeeping I have shown him was the clip on youtube “Hope solo fantastic goalkeeper”
Fantastic hands, fantastic speed of foot and reactions , incredible explosive speed, excellent choice making and the one thing that no coaching can give you courage…goalkeepers are said to be half footballer half lunatic this is probably said by those of us who cannot imagine willingly putting their face where only a foot should go. She really does have it all in the footballing world as for her personal life well that’s just what it is her personal life as long as she doesn’t publicly advocate doing drugs or the like I am not interested only in so much as I would wish her well.
As for commenting on being dropped it is a double-edged sword say something it’s disrespectful to others, say nothing and people reckon you don’t want it enough not a winnable situation.
She can’t know she would have made the saves against Brazil but the odds were in her favour.
It was not something that was dealt with particularly well by her, the team, or the coaches and like many others I wonder would a man have been treated in such a manner what goes on tour stays on tour should have been the motto for all concerned Hope included, to exacerbate matters by making her stand in the corner with the naughty hat on was, as I allude to, childish in the extreme.
One final point I believe like many top women players around now, in many countries, there would be times when you see them play and reckon they are much better than that player there and that player being a male. Right now 14/11/2008 Tottenham Hotspur have a goalie,Gomes, who is struggling with a massive loss of confidence , I would place Hope Solo in that goal in a heartbeat Excellent for a girl …she is just plain excellent or do I mean Fantastic