Soccer legend to visit youth expo
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Julie Foudy will headline a number of prominent soccer celebrities at Saturday's 16th annual Illinois Youth Soccer Expo in Schaumburg.
Foudy was a member of the U.S. women's teams that won the gold in 1996 and 2004 and the silver in 2000.
Mary Jane Bender, Illinois Youth Soccer Association executive director, said opportunities to draw players of this caliber have been extremely rare during the history of the annual event.
"It is very difficult because while they're playing, they're just not available," Bender said. "This is an amazing, amazing woman."
Foudy will not only be signing autographs at 10 a.m., but she'll also be taking part in the 11 a.m. panel on the new women's professional soccer team in Chicago that will begin playing in 2009.
At noon, Foudy will conduct a leadership and team-building seminar for girls.
The annual event, which is free, strives, through vendors and seminars, to be of benefit to players, coaches and parents, as well as to those who deal with business, legal and safety issues of soccer organizations.
There also will be a number of field demonstrations, including one at 9 a.m. on goalkeeper training by Keith Rees, the goalkeeper coach of England's national team.
Longtime college coach Marcia McDermott, now the general manager of Chicago's women's professional soccer team, will also host a women's training demonstration at 2 p.m.
"You can't get higher-level people involved," Bender said of this year's speakers. "All of this is about education. That's what we stress. But we have soccer celebrities there that they can actually get autographs from."
The event is being hosted for the second year in a row by the Schaumburg Park District's indoor facility, The Sport Center.
The location and facility reflect where the highest concentration of attendees come from, but there are many who travel from downstate and out-of-state every year, Bender said.
No registration is required for the free event, she added. Those interested need only to show up.
If you go
What: 2008 Illinois Youth Soccer Expo and Chicago FireFest
When: 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday; Julie Foudy autograph signing at 10 a.m.
Where: The Sport Center, 1141 W. Irving Park Road, Schaumburg
Admission: Free
Information: (847) 290-1577 or illinoisyouthsoccer.org