Hope Solo is running for US Soccer president
- Thread starter soxhop411
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Is she actually running? As in does she have the required nominations? I'd be shocked if she can find 3.
Great post. She's definitely right. Whether she's got any capability at all to pull it off is an entirely different question, though. Bernie Sanders was "right", largely, about a number of matters of social policy. If he got elected, a whole lot of nothing would happen.
Is Hope Solo within the "Overton Window" for what shifts can happen within USSF? Let's see her make an impassioned case on live TV, let's see other delegates talk about her listening abilities, and how they feel that she truly understands their needs and goals. Then I'll start rooting for her. The skills she'll need for that are entirely different than the skills she's practiced her entire life that made her the best damn goalie in the world. At the very least, I wish her luck.
Is Hope Solo within the "Overton Window" for what shifts can happen within USSF? Let's see her make an impassioned case on live TV, let's see other delegates talk about her listening abilities, and how they feel that she truly understands their needs and goals. Then I'll start rooting for her. The skills she'll need for that are entirely different than the skills she's practiced her entire life that made her the best damn goalie in the world. At the very least, I wish her luck.
Hated by her teammates; poor loser who insults international opponents; insults Olympic host country; arrested for domestic violence; abusive toward police...
Seems like the perfect candidate to Make American Soccer Great Again.
Seems like the perfect candidate to Make American Soccer Great Again.
Yeah, I'm not buying at all. A person best known for being a general wreck in all aspects of lfe outside the lines who has done nothing post career at all isn't a serious candidate. She didn't say much in that post that a handful of others didn't address already (besides her not knowing how the Fair Pay Act works).
Pretty much. Beyond her soccer talent she has demonstrated many times to be a vile human being having few good qualities.
When Roy Moore is the favorite to win a Senate seat, this does not seem disqualifying.
Solo’s fame guarantees that more people will read her Facebook post than could even name any of the other 8 candidates. The eloquence and passion of the post ensures that the other candidates will have to deal with her, whether by co-opting her positions or arguing against her. Solo is now at the public center of the race and will likely remain there as long as she stays in.
I have no problem with this at the moment. Her statement brought a lot of substance and told a compelling story. The other candidates are going to have to up their game.
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I haven't read her Facebook post yet (blocked at work), and I hope its succinct as possible, but her history makes her a big fat no for candidacy and this seems like an attention grab (she has to be self aware enough to know that she couldn't possibly win right?)
Her post cuts to several of the core issues in a very eloquent way - and, not to "down" her intellect or writing skills, I'd be surprised if it was actually penned by her......that said, she comes with an entire cargo plane of baggage, and likely indicates, given the current environment, that she is a shoo-in as the next USSF President.
Would you have more hope for the future with Hope Solo as USSF President than you would with Kathy Carter as USSF President? I think I would, just because we'd at least know that her heart is in the right place. She may or may not be the best choice, but if she's better than some insider-promoted candidate, then she's at least adding value to the election race, right?
She is absolutely right. (not on the FPA, but pretty much everything else). I don't like her baggage, but I hope she wins. She's the anti-establishment. I just heard that about the high school ban for US Soccer Academy players and I am disgusted at the current leadership.
Hope Solo may not be a good person OTL but she's been involved in Us Soccer for long time and her heart, at least on this matter, is in the right place.
Hope Solo may not be a good person OTL but she's been involved in Us Soccer for long time and her heart, at least on this matter, is in the right place.
I think it would be useful to have even an inkling of how Solo plans to "address the issue of 'pay-to-play'" and "make soccer financially acceptable to all". The vast majority of people support these ideas. The question of how you do it is hard and the details are important.
"Invest in robust player developmental programs, starting with diversity in the ranks of the Youth Club soccer. " Okay, sounds good, but what exactly does this mean? Players and/or coaches? What type of diversity are you focusing on? What sort of investments and changes would be made? How broad of a scope of clubs are you talking about? DA clubs? Smaller clubs?
A lot of this stuff sounds good, but without any detail or real substance behind them, many are still just empty sound bytes. I haven't seen too many specifics from other candidates either, but Solo also comes with a good deal of baggage. She has a history of domestic abuse and her temperament is a far cry from what you'd look for in the leader of a large organization.
Color me very skeptical.
"Invest in robust player developmental programs, starting with diversity in the ranks of the Youth Club soccer. " Okay, sounds good, but what exactly does this mean? Players and/or coaches? What type of diversity are you focusing on? What sort of investments and changes would be made? How broad of a scope of clubs are you talking about? DA clubs? Smaller clubs?
A lot of this stuff sounds good, but without any detail or real substance behind them, many are still just empty sound bytes. I haven't seen too many specifics from other candidates either, but Solo also comes with a good deal of baggage. She has a history of domestic abuse and her temperament is a far cry from what you'd look for in the leader of a large organization.
Color me very skeptical.
Why is it bad that Development Academy players have to choose between high level club soccer and HS soccer?
Over the years, I've heard many diagnoses of problems in US youth development and many proposals as well. Other than HS soccer coaches, nobody says "we need our top players to play more high school soccer".
I have never met Kathy Carter, but I have met Hope Solo and I can easily say "no way in hell." She simply does not make good choices in dealing with other human beings.
This would be like picking a drunk off the street to be president of the USA because we don't like Trump. Surely there must be a candidate for the job who would be competent.
Because they will all choose club soccer and that is bad for their social development and for the college game.
If one of the two should be cut it should be club soccer (at least during fall/HS soccer season), not high school.
So... What separates her positions from Martino's except Martino gives concrete examples of things he wants to do.
Also I am probably one of this forum's biggest critics of SUM/MLS etc. I'd take Carter over Solo in a heartbeat. Luckily this isn't a public election, I was surprised Solo could find 3 nominators. I don't see where her voting block is. Wynalda is both more radical and more connected/liked. Martino is better liked than either and more reasonable in platform while still progressive. The establishment candidates have far stronger bases than any of them.
Also I am probably one of this forum's biggest critics of SUM/MLS etc. I'd take Carter over Solo in a heartbeat. Luckily this isn't a public election, I was surprised Solo could find 3 nominators. I don't see where her voting block is. Wynalda is both more radical and more connected/liked. Martino is better liked than either and more reasonable in platform while still progressive. The establishment candidates have far stronger bases than any of them.
The populist zeitgeist. He's a white man from Westport. She's a "lower middle class" woman. Not sure that's going to be a winner with this electorate.
I don't buy that it is bad for social development. I'm sure it's not as fun to play DA games in front of family members as it would be to play HS games in front of classmates. However, there are plenty of activities and extracurriculars that aren't played out in front of classmates and I don't think that necessarily stunts social development.
I do think that rotating between HS and club coaches and getting all sorts of inconsistent advice is bad for development. There are good HS coaches out there, but for every good one there are dozens who have no business working with elite youth talent.
College soccer benefits from improved player development. The elite players are going pro, but if the next tier improves, NCAA programs benefit from their talent. Regardless, I don't see NCAA soccer playing a role in the future of youth development other than being a safety net for players who aren't emotionally/psychologically ready to go pro at age 18 and for late developers.
remember who votes, a significant percentage of those people have major financial investments in soccer (not just the pro-council, the adult council and youth council are loaded with people whose livelihood revolves around the sport. It's a reason that Gulati/Carver/Cordeiro as experienced business people have been/are so attractive, they won't totally fuck things up. If people think those voters are going for a woman who has no experience in a non-playing role in ANYTHING, and is best known as a combative personality with substance abuse problems, they are crazy. Even the closest Solo has to accomplishments (pushing hard to get her preferred head for the players' union) failed miserably long term when they alienated the rest of the union and Rich Nicols got canned.
She already has some impressive endorsements:
"Nothing can be done without Hope and confidence."-- Helen Keller
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, Hope for tomorrow."-- Albert Einstein
"Where there is no vision, there is no Hope."-- George Washington Carver
"Nothing can be done without Hope and confidence."-- Helen Keller
"Learn from yesterday, live for today, Hope for tomorrow."-- Albert Einstein
"Where there is no vision, there is no Hope."-- George Washington Carver