World Cup

I am watching Invictus tonight, finally catching it on PPV. This inspiring movie dramatizes Nelson Mandela's efforts to build post-apartheid unity through South Africa's national rugby team performance in the 1995 Rugby World Cup. It has gotten me really excited about the upcoming FIFA World Cup soccer tournament in South Africa this month.

I confess that I have not followed soccer closely over the years - nor rugby for that matter - although I did enjoy watching it re-enacted in the movie tonight. I didn't jump on the soccer train even through our successful U.S. Olympics team performances, but did catch some World Cup matches last time around and was reminded of its huge worldwide appeal. Then, a few years ago I attended a screening of the wonderful documentary, Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos. I loved the story of this soccer team's brief heyday in the frenetic New York of 1975, when Pele came to America and galvanized the country. His departure just two years later precipitated the sport's decline in the U.S. for years. Luckily, we have been experiencing a national renewed interest in soccer over the last 15 years and hopefully will see success in this year's World Cup.

I have also been supporting a great new non-profit, Global Girl Media, which is launching their Kick It Up! pilot program around the World Cup this month. The program will train underserved young women in Soweto and Los Angeles as the next generation of citizen journalists. These women will be reporting on both the World Cup events and issues in their lives and communities - using their voices to help change the world. Check out this fantastic organization and lend your support to empower young women around the globe, as you catch all the action on the soccer field.

Ole Ole!