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NFT: RIP Tony DiCicco

ColHowPepper : 6/21/2017 8:40 am
who coached the US Women to their World Cup victory in 1999, in the heat of the LA Coliseum defeating a strong China team. Only 68, the cause was cancer, born and died in and around Wethersfield, CT.

Jere Longman did a terrific job capturing DiCicco, that WC cycle, and the girls on that team, Hamm, Foudy, Chastain, in his The Girls of Summer

not a huge soccer guy  
Stu11 : 6/21/2017 8:54 am : link
but I get into the mens and women's national teams. That '99 run was such a great month for the country. Was cool to see all the little girls get into it. That run had such a huge affect on youth girl's soccer and sports programs in general. The young girls of today have so many more sports options than when I was a kid. He deserves a ton of credit for that and recruiting all of those great players. RIP... he was great.
spot on, Stu  
ColHowPepper : 6/21/2017 9:19 am : link
In the early 2000s and beyond, you couldn't keep count of the girls who sported "Hamm" jerseys, or just "Mia" t-shirts, and you didn't have to ask. It was a huge life for women's participation and national awareness of the women's team, which has generally out shined the USMNT.

DiCicco was such a positive force, and that team would jump through fire for him, and that day on the field in the sunken Coliseum was pretty close. Longman's book is terrific, but then again I'm a guy with a daughter who really got into youth soccer and played for ~ 13 years.
Wasn't the game  
jc in c-ville : 6/21/2017 10:13 am : link
Played in Pasadena in the Rose Bowl?
jc  
ColHowPepper : 6/21/2017 10:25 am : link
you may be right, my bad. Either way, it was hot. Gotta get my head and memory examined, thanks for the correction. I guess as as East Coaster my separation of the venues is inadequate!! (:

Did you watch, or remembering reportage?
Col yep it was the Rose Bowl, and my daughter wasn't born yet  
Stu11 : 6/21/2017 10:54 am : link
but sure has reaped the benefits of that time with her participation in Basketball and softball. Women's professional sports in general will never be a money maker in this country, but the rewards from that run really were felt in the youth sports programs and the money put into them. Tony deserves a ton of credit for that. Funny thats probably one of the only sports events outside Football/Baseball/Basketball/Hockey that I can remember the day and exactly where I was and who I was with.
No problem  
jc in c-ville : 6/21/2017 10:58 am : link
Not trying to be 'that guy' in correcting you. I just reacted quickly to thinking back to the game and thinking it was the Rose Bowl- is all.
interesting that both of you  
ColHowPepper : 6/21/2017 11:23 am : link
remembered that game, that event, which Stu is right, I think, in characterizing it as, because it became such a seminal event in women's and youth sport.

My daughter was still 2-3 years away from joining youth/rec soccer and 5 years away from being a serious participant in travel and later HS programs, so I was barely, IF at all, aware of the match that afternoon. But Jere Longman's book, which I read in part for the joy and in part to help me become a better coach (for the three years I did that, which led to soccer officiating, now a main joy of my life, at age 70, yikes!), really was effective in bringing that game to life.

For you two who witnessed it live, it must have been one hell of an afternoon.
and, again,  
ColHowPepper : 6/21/2017 11:26 am : link
should have added to that last comment, so much of that experience, shared with my daughter, owing to the coach of that WC team. Lives large and small have meaning and impact so well beyond the normal consciousness.
Col have you also caught the HBO documentary on it?  
Stu11 : 6/21/2017 11:34 am : link
as usual for HBO it was superbly done. Talked about it from the view of Tony and the players and really went back to years before and the genesis of the program. Really went into the nitty gritty like his rocky relationship with Brandy Chastain, and the physical trials and tribulations of the players.
Stu  
ColHowPepper : 6/21/2017 12:26 pm : link
thanks for the recommendation. I might have caught that, but it could be a different retrospective because the one I'm thinking of had a lot of focus on Michelle Akers. She was the oldest of the group, iirc, and she was struggling so much in the heat and with some kind of nervous condition (which Longman went into in some detail in the book) that I think forced DiCicco to sub her out, she was all but delirious and hyperventilating. But as with the Rose Bowl venue, I might not be recalling accurately.

I'll see if our Cable provider has it in the HBO titles. Does it have a title that is not self evident in a search? tnks
yea it sounds like you saw it  
Stu11 : 6/21/2017 12:57 pm : link
they had a lot of Michelle Akers stuff but it was Chronic Fatigue Syndrome if I remember right which is a real serious disability for a championship level soccer player.
Just looked it up  
Stu11 : 6/21/2017 12:58 pm : link
it was titled "Dare to Dream"
thank you  
ColHowPepper : 6/21/2017 1:17 pm : link
sounds as if it might be the same; won't stop me from queuing it up again to watch, love this stuff.

CFSyndrome, yes, remembering this as you mention the name, many mornings, and before/after practices, she could barely drag herself to breakfast or to the field. It was alarming and puzzling at the same time, hard to know what to make of it. But DiCicco and Karen __, his ass't coach, and the trainers handled it about as well as could have been done.
Tough loss  
Kevin in CT : 6/21/2017 4:18 pm : link
My sister-in-law is married to his nephew. My father graduated the same year as Tony from Wethersfield High. I've met him on numerous occasions and family parties. Very nice and humble guy. It's a huge loss for everyone.
RE: Tough loss  
Del Shofner : 6/21/2017 5:08 pm : link
In comment 13506629 Kevin in CT said:
Quote:
My sister-in-law is married to his nephew. My father graduated the same year as Tony from Wethersfield High. I've met him on numerous occasions and family parties. Very nice and humble guy. It's a huge loss for everyone.


Agree. Didn't know him as well as you, but I met him a number of times over the years. Was ahead of his time and a good guy. 68 ... way too young.
"It's a huge loss for everyone."  
ColHowPepper : 6/21/2017 6:39 pm : link
Sorry that this strikes so close to home, Kevin. By all accounts, written and filmed are all I know, he was a vibrant, positive influence on all he touched, which was many people, and no hidden agenda. His players would go the wall for him, and it sounds like family too. Thanks for weighing in.
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