Female soccer legends reunite on school pitch

By Kurt Wagner

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"We love you, Brandi!"

The shouts sporadically echoed across Buck Shaw Stadium last Saturday as hundreds of local youth soccer players covered the stadium turf for U.S. soccer legend Brandi Chastain's first annual ReachUP! Testimonial Game.

Across the field, Chastain looked over from the game of sharks and minnows she was organizing, waved both her arms at the group, and smiled.

For over an hour, Chastain - along with the help of 20 or so other former Olympians, world cup players, actors and professional athletes - ran drills with local youth, then participated in a celebrity soccer match in an event geared towards celebrating Chastain's career as well as promoting her new foundation, ReachUP!, which strives to help empower young girls and encourage them to work hard towards accomplishing their dreams.

"Today was about saying thank you," said Chastain. "To Santa Clara University, to all the people in the community who have come out to watch me play, to the coaches who will be coaching here tonight... I think that's what ReachUP! is really about. It's about mentoring young people to reach up to their dreams, to not be nervous about falling down and making mistakes because we all do that."

Participants and fans alike were treated to a star-studded lineup of players including U.S. soccer legends Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy, former major league All-Star Nomar Garciaparra and Olympic gold medalist Bode Miller. Both Chastain and Hamm were very impressed with the strong turnout, especially considering it was the first annual match ReachUP! has hosted.

The clinic ended with all of the participants getting the opportunity to run through a tunnel made by their celebrity coaches and receive high-fives before returning to their seats in the stands. The Testimonial Game itself offered an opportunity for the whole community to watch some of the United States' greatest soccer players in person.

"Brandi always thought outside the box with regards to this game and she loves this game like no one I've ever seen," said Hamm. "For all the things it can bring kids, that's why she has dedicated her life to giving back and especially giving young girls the opportunity [to play]."

Chastain played most of her college soccer career at Santa Clara after transferring from Berkeley, leading the Broncos to two Final Four appearances in 1989 and 1990. She was a member of the U.S. national team from 1988-2004 and will be best remembered for ripping off her jersey and falling to her knees after scoring the game-winning penalty kick against China to win the 1999 FIFA World Cup.

The celebrity match Saturday was followed by a special ceremony in which Chastain's friends were given the opportunity to speak about her accomplished career.

"There has never been a better teammate and a better ambassador for the game," said Foudy. "Thank you for what you have given not to women's soccer, but to soccer in general."

Chastain, who attended Archbishop Mitty High School in San Jose, had her number 11 high school jersey retired Saturday evening with both Mitty Athletic Director Will Scharrenberg and Santa Clara Athletic Director Dan Coonan on hand for the ceremony. Chastain was inducted into the high school's Hall of Fame in 1998.

"I can't imagine where the sport of soccer would be without you in it," said Hamm to her former teammate. "You made all of us special, you made all of us want to be better, you made all of us every single day want to love this game, so thank you."

Following the clinic, Chastain expressed her interest in continuing to use Santa Clara facilities to host future ReachUP! events.

"Fr. Engh, if you're listening!" she said with a laugh. "I think it speaks highly about the university itself and what it is that we're trying to accomplish and then I think it also speaks well about the kind of facility we have here and the kind of people that live here. We have a great soccer community, so it's going to be spectacular."

Samantha Juda contributed to this story. Contact Kurt Wagner at jwagner@scu.edu or (408) 554-4849.