Wambach's book "Forward" discussion

I just finished Wambach's book Forward: A Memoir, and it does talk a lot about her struggles with alcohol and prescription drugs and it, at least in part, imo, read like her just processing through the root reasons for why she's had that struggle. However, it also includes some other insights into WNT life, too, so I started a new thread and just pulled out some quotes:

On the 2007 WWC controversy:
"There's an unspoken code in our sport, with a few key tenets: you don't talk shit about your teammates, you don't throw anyone under the bus, and you don't publicly promote yourself at the expense of the team. The comment [Hope Solo's comment on Scurry] further derails a team that had veered off track, and when the tournament is finally over I made a promise to myself: if I'm ever forced to ride the bench, for any reason, I will not react in a manner I'll later regret."

On being co-captain with Rampone, in 2008:
"Pearcie and I have a tacit agreement: she's the arm-banded captain, the official face of the team, the wise and calm general who dispenses strategy before battle begins. I'm her obnoxious counterpart, the trusty lieutenant who incentivizes her teammates to kill. A few of the veteran leaders, myself included, meet privately with Pia and discuss what happened at the [2007] World Cup. This team has a chemistry problem, we argue, and it's going to be a problem moving forward if we want to win games. Pia's answer is concise and leaves no room for debate: 'Hope is the goalkeeper. You guys have to figure this out and deal with it.'"

And on co-captaincy under Ellis:
"Pearcie and I attend meetings with the coaching staff, absorb all Jill's concerns and ideas, distill them into specifics, and convey them to younger players. It's easier for Jill if the captains field doubts and complaints, if we're the bad cops delivering tough news. Her coaching style is effective--the woman knows how to win games--but noncommittal; she doesn't want to criticize her players too harshly for fear of thwarting their focus."

On Dan Borislow (besides the below quote, there's some other mentions of Dan which are almost entirely positive):
"I like Dan and the feeling is mutual; he sees himself in me--loud and unfiltered, prone to all-night revelry and vulgar proclamations. I admire his willingness to blurt out what others are thinking, his steadfast trust in his own instincts...He bluntly inquires about our sex lives...During practice, he occasionally deems us 'f***ing idiots.' When a teammate inquires how he'd like to be addressed--Dan, Mr. Borislow, or Coach--he has a different idea, instructing her to call him 'Daddy.'"

On alcohol abuse during her career (it came in waves but she did have a strict rule against alcohol abuse during WNT camp):
"During the countdown to the 2011 World Cup, I break my strict, career-long rule and drink during camp--not excessively, but enough to dilute any thoughts that drift away from soccer. ....I abstain only if the next day features a practice or a game or a tournament with the national team, such as the Algarve Cup, held annually in Portugal."

On her decline in performance and noticing forums:
"My deterioration does not go unnoticed on soccer chat boards, whose members dissect our performance at the Algarve Cup with disgust: 'Not only did Abby miss a penalty kick (which makes her PK conversion rate about 50% since 2013),' says one armchair analyst, 'but her current fitness level let her squander a prime and easy tap-in for a goal. . . . I recognize her importance on the field, but when does Abby impede the future success of the USWNT?' The next commenter agrees and adds, 'I still think she's very much the heart of the team, but I think she needs to be the heart of the team from the bench. She spends more time flopping around looking for a call than she does playing soccer these days.' I have to admit it's true. If only I were half as talented at flopping around as I once was at playing soccer."

I'll admit to googling the above quotes, and they are from comments on an article on American Soccer Now: http://americansoccernow.com/articles/u-s-women-finish-7th-in-disastrous-algarve-cup

On stepping away from NWSL club play prior to the 2015 WWC:
"I'm prepared for the criticism--why am I exempt, when my national teammates have to honor their club commitments?--but not willing to reveal the truth: my sabbatical has nothing to do with the World Cup and everything to do with my troubled marriage."

On disparities with the MNT and WNT:
"Our coaches are not allowed to hire their preferred staff, a restriction that sets them up to fail. There are disparities in the quality of our training: the men's team travels to top facilities around the country, and their expensive equipment--specialty treadmills and weight machines--is shipped along with the team. The promotion for our team is subpar....More infuriating is the pay gap..." (And she talks about the same misleading numbers that the WNT has been putting forth.)

She also mentions initially not wanting to take part in the "fanfare of a long good-bye" alluding to the timing of her retirement being at the end of the VT not being entirely her idea.

There's a long section on her superstitions and pre-game rituals that I found interesting. If anyone wants more on that, I'll include that quote, too.

There's also a section, in which Wambach tells about a letter she wrote to the team before the 2008 Olympics after she was out with a broken leg. Its probably the longest section in which multiple WNT members are mentioned by name. Throughout the book, she usually just refers to WNT members as "a teammate" except for some references to Rampone and some about Sydney Leroux who played a pivotal role in helping Wambach process through her addictions. Sydney apparently made Wambach getting help a prerequisite of asking Wambach to be her child's godmother.

 

I don't think Lilly would have been part of the group that's discussed in Wambach's book as she probably had already stepped away for her pregnancy once Sundhage came in. It is unclear though exactly when the conversation happened. Putting together Solo's book and this quote, some other possibilities of veterans in that group that talked things over with Pia would include Markgraf and Boxx, possibly even Scurry.

 

It was interesting in parts and a quick read but lacked some depth. I would have liked to read more about her childhood (although it did include some about that). I would have liked to read more about her club play with the Freedom and Mia and more about magicJack. The book even glosses over much of her WNT play. Like I said, it seemed to primarily be about Wambach processing through the root causes of her alcohol abuse, and she is brutally honest, which made it more interesting.

At this point, not even a year after retirement and even less time into her sobriety (think about the fact that the book was probably finished only 3 months after her DUI, after which she claims to have stopped drinking cold turkey), I don't think she really has the perspective to discuss it all with as much depth as she hopefully will be able to in the future. I don't think its a book I'd really recommend that you go out and get now, unless you're a huge Wambach fan, but more of one to read if you end up with some free time and can get it for a good price or for free at the library.

 

Lilly took off most of 2008 for her pregnancy. I can't remember if there was a December 2007 camp under Sundhage in which Lilly might have been present. Lilly definitely came back after her pregnancy to play while Sundhage was coach, but I don't think she was there before her pregnancy unless it was in a December camp.

 

Yes, and so is Lloyd's book. Reading them both left me wondering if this was some kind of new stylistic thing.