© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Women's Soccer Team Earns Ticker-Tape Parade In NYC — And A Return To No. 1

Well ahead of the ticker-tape parade's 11 a.m. start time, young fans were already in place along the route to celebrate the U.S. women's World Cup victory.
Adam Hunger
/
AP
Well ahead of the ticker-tape parade's 11 a.m. start time, young fans were already in place along the route to celebrate the U.S. women's World Cup victory.

Marking the first time any women's team has been celebrated in New York's famed Canyon of Heroes, thousands of fans turned out Friday for a parade honoring the U.S. women's soccer team's record third World Cup title.

The ticker-tape parade comes on the heels of another U.S. achievement: a return tothe No. 1 spot in FIFA's rankings that were released this morning.

In claiming the top spot, the U.S. women dethroned Germany, whom they beat in the World Cup semifinals. The team is also continuing a remarkable streak: Since FIFA created its world rankings for women in 2003, the Americans' average position is No. 1, according to soccer's global governing body.

Today's parade lasted a bit more than an hour, with Carli Lloyd, Abby Wambach and the rest of the 23-member team waving to screaming fans as they made their way from lower Manhattan's Battery Park to City Hall.

The last time a female athlete was honored with a ticker-tape parade in New York was back in 1960, when figure skater Carol Heiss Jenkins won Olympic gold at age 20.

This week, Jenkins wrote an open letter congratulating the women's soccer team, saying she had watched their games on TV — and adding that one of her granddaughters has earned a college scholarship for soccer.

"If you believe in something, write it down, because if you believe it, then it becomes a goal," she wrote. "Young girls have to have dreams and believe in those dreams in order to make them happen."

Jenkins concluded her note:

"Enjoy the moment. Look up at the buildings and the people above. The cheering fans should make you realize your accomplishment transcends just a score in a soccer game. Take it all in, as it goes by fast. This moment in time is very well-deserved, and I hope your day is as magical as the one I enjoyed back in 1960."

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Bill Chappell is a writer and editor on the News Desk in the heart of NPR's newsroom in Washington, D.C.

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content