Hundreds of thousands of young girls play soccer every day on patches of grass across the United States. A generation ago, they dreamed of being just like

Mia Hamm

Now they can dream even bigger--of being a professional soccer player.

The WPS will start in April of 2009, and teams are currently gobbling up the best players to start constructing a winner.

First was the allocation of the U.S. national team players, which took place in September. Then there was the international draft a short time later. The four-round general draft took place on Oct. 6 and was open to international and domestic players. The drafting will conclude in January with a post-Combine draft that expects to round out the rosters.

The WPS is calculating momentum that will keep it around for the long haul. It just recently signed a multi-year deal with Fox Soccer Channel for television rights. Seven markets are slated to have teams for 2009 (Bay Area, New York/New Jersey, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis and Washington, D.C.), and two more (Atlanta and Philadelphia) will join in 2010. More expansion is expected, perhaps in Dallas.

And, even more importantly, they have a model to learn from. The WUSA was forced to suspend operations in 2003, and committees were immediately formed to determine the best way to re-launch women's professional soccer in the U.S.

This is their answer. The staying power of WPS remains to be seen, but its efforts will trickle down immediately. After all, it is another chance to inspire thousands of athletic girls wanting to dream just like the boys do.

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill</div>

!http://www.active.com/Assets/Soccer/KristineLillycelebrates.jpg|height=150|style=width:150px; display:block; float:left; margin:0 1em 1em 0;|alt=Kristine Lilly|src=http://www.active.com/Assets/Soccer/KristineLillycelebrates.jpg!Summer means different things to different people but for me, summer signifies the beginning of the camp season. Being outside and playing games with a large group of friends has always appealed to me--in fact, I'm still involved with summer camps to this day.

Whether it's soccer camps, day camp or sleep away camp, the experience can be a bit scary and nerve-racking but those are very natural feelings. I can remember going to my first sleep away soccer camp--saying goodbye to my parents was really hard. To make it easier, I had a specific time that I would call my parents every night so I knew I would talk to them every day. I also made sure that I was surrounded by people because being around others always helped those lonely, "I miss home" feelings. Usually, after the first few days, the homesickness subsides and you find yourself immersed in your practices and enjoying your new friends.

Getting ready for camp was always fun for me too. I had to make sure I had all my gear: In addition to shin guards, cleats and several pairs of soccer socks, I brought shampoo, conditioner, some books, and when I was at camp, a walkman--yesteryear's iPod. One thing that you shouldn't forget is sunscreen, especially if you will be spending a lot of time outdoors. Don't worry about thinking of every bare necessity though, your camp will most likely provide a list of items you'll need to bring with you.

Once you arrive at camp, get settled in and meet your roommate. After all the campers check-in, the camp counselors usually hold an opening ceremony that covers what will take place throughout the week. They will go over everyday activities, emergency situations and all the fun you will have.

Sometimes it's hard juggling the fun and what you are really at camp for: becoming a better soccer player. What I've learned is that when you work hard during practice time, you'll smile wider during fun time. After a day of good practice and hard work, the subsequent swimming, eating and socializing will be extra special. So when you think about camp and wonder if you are going to have a good time, remember that the first day is the toughest but if you work hard, the fun will follow.

Overall, camp is a learning experience that's an absolute blast! Each year, when I think about putting my camps together I make sure I'm well prepared with great learning experiences, fun, competitive activities, rest, and an opportunity to let individuals show their personalities on and off the field. I usually wrap up my camps with games and a closing ceremony that celebrates all the hard work campers put in during the week. Closing ceremonies can be quite enjoyable, especially if they feature awards presentations and cold popsicles!

Camps give kids the opportunity to learn while enjoying having fun. They can hone their skills at camp and grow not only as an athlete, but as a person as well. The camp experience introduces kids to valuable life skills such as teamwork, discipline and camaraderie. All these great things, tied in with a lot of fun, will build lasting memories and help to make this year's rookie campers next year's returning campers.

I hope everyone has a great summer! Happy Camping!

Always Believe,

Kristine Lilly

Former Argentinian soccer star Diego Maradona has issued something of an apology to British fans for the infamous "Hand of God" goal against England in the 1986 World Cup quarter-finals. Maradona knocked in the first goal of Argentina's 2-1 win with his hand, an act that went unnoticed by the referee. He went many years without admitting that it was, in fact, a handball.

Maradona has since said he did it because the English goalkeeper was very tall and he couldn't get his head on it. He also called the tipped goal "something that just came out of me. It was a bit of mischief." A bit of mischief??! Huge understatement.

Nevertheless, he was quoted in a London tabloid last week as saying, "If I could apologize and go back and change history I would." However, he shortly thereafter said that the paper changed his words and what he actually said was, "A long time has passed since that and that history can't be rewound."

It is unfortunate that Maradona, who is highly regarded as one of the best soccer players of all timesecond only to Pelewill likely be remembered in such a controversial, negative way.

!http://eteamz.active.com/filestorage/snapshotz/20061122114057_1161SM.jpg|style=margin: 0px 5px 5px 0px; float: left;|src=http://eteamz.active.com/filestorage/snapshotz/20061122114057_1161SM.jpg!

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"Lori Chalupny is a fantastic midfielder," U.S. women’s soccer team head coach Greg Ryan said. "First and foremost, her work rate both directions, defending and attacking--she went from 18 yard line to 18 yard line tonight....What she does to our midfield and our front line is she runs through the opponent's defense and gets in behind the other side of them and creates great attacking chances, scoring chances, for us. She really makes our midfield much more dynamic than we've been in the past."

It is that work ethic and dynamic dimension that helped Chalupny score the second-fastest goal in World Cup history, with a deflecting strike that found the back of the net just 55 seconds into the game. That proved to be the only scoring power the United States needed as the 1-0 win over Nigeria sent the team out of the toughest group in the tournament and on to the quarterfinals.

Even knowing the result immediately upon sitting down at my desk to start work yesterday morning, and seeing the highlight of the one and only goal of the match, I still tuned in late last night to watch much of the replay of the game to see how the team looked overall.

The Americans countered the Nigerians’ speed by moving the ball the more effectively than they had previously during the opening round--despite soggy conditions caused by the leading edge of a typhoon that forced today’s games to be postponed.

I’ll be cheering them on as they continue their attacking ways against England in a quarterfinal match-up on Saturday.

(Photo provided by Ronald Martinez/GettyImages)

Last weekend marked the 35th anniversary of Title IX, the legislation credited with increasing gender equity in sports. According to the Women���s Sports Foundation, since its enactment in 1972, female athletic participation has increased by a staggering 904 percent in high school and by 456 percent in college.

As someone who has benefited from Title IX, softball star Jennie Finch is quick to share her appreciation for those women that came before her. &quot;I'm truly grateful for people who have paved the way, and have fought the fight,&quot; Finch said in the Daily Freeman. &quot;I'm happy they broke down barriers to give women like myself the opportunity to be successful athletes and make a living playing a sport that I love.&quot;

I���m no softball star, but I am also thankful for the positive influence of Title IX in my life and the opportunity to play ball in college. Here are some other women who have enjoyed the effects of Title IX and are part of my favorite moments in sports history:

1996 | New Women's Olympic Sports. Women's softball and soccer made their Olympic debut at the Summer Games in Atlanta, and the U.S. dominated, winning the gold in both sports, as well as in basketball, gymnastics and synchronized swimming. The Atlanta Games made stars of Lisa Leslie, Mia Hamm and Lisa Fernandez, giving rise to professional softball and soccer leagues for women in the U.S.

1999 | Women's World Cup. A billion TV viewers and a stadium crowd of 90,000 witness the celebration as the U.S. wins the Women's World Cup in an overtime shoot-out against China. Brandi Chastain ripped off her jersey after scoring the winning goal, giving little girls someone besides a model to look at for a strong, beautiful body. And for the first time, a women's soccer team got as much attention a men's squad usually does.

2007 | Equal Pay at Wimbledon. After 123 years of awarding more prize money to men than women, Wimbledon yielded to public pressure and announced on Feb. 22, that it will offer equal pay through all rounds at this year's tournament.

2006 | Winningest Coach in NCAA History. Pat Summitt, the all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball historymale or femaleearned her 900th career win as the Tennessee Lady Vols beat Vanderbilt, 80-68. That year, Summitt signed a $1.125 million deal for the 2006-07 season, making her the first women's basketball coach in history to be paid a million dollars or more.

2003 | Annika Plays a PGA Tour Event. Annika Sorenstam became the first woman since Babe Didrikson Zaharias in 1945 to compete in a PGA Tour event. Sorenstam missed the cut at the Colonialin Fort Worth, Texasby four strokes, but walked off the course to a standing ovation.

1997 | The WNBA is Born. The WNBA kicked off its inaugural season with eight teams, but unlike the other women's pro basketball leagues before it, this one has enjoyed longevity, this year celebrating its 10th year of existence.

2001 | Increased Exposure for the Women's Tournament. The NCAA and ESPN announced an 11-year agreement for the cable outlet to televise every game of the women's national championship basketball tournament.

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Veteran 41-year-old striker Romario scored the 1,000th goal of his 23-year career last weekend in the second round of the Brazilian national championship.

One thousand goals scored. That���s amazing, even if Romario does count goals scored in training games and unofficial matches against small clubs towards the 1,000 goal tally. However, his tally reportedly had to be revised several times because he initially counted goals scored in matches that never happened and in games that ended 0-0. That���s bogus.

Three other players have scored 1,000 goals, the most notable being Pele. According to FIFA, Pel�� ended his career with a total of 1,281 goals in 1,363 matches, with his 1,000th goal scored when he was 29 years old. That���s what I���m talking about. Pele surpassed the thousand-goal mark by far and in 12 less years���without padding his own stats. Pele is still, in my opinion, the greatest player to have ever played the game.

On another note, while many Americans will be tuning into the American Idol finale tonight to find out if Jordin or Blake is going to win the competition (Jordin has my vote), there is another major event that I will be tuning into. Today held the biggest event on the European soccer calendar and I, along with many other soccer fans in the U.S. will be watching a replay of Liverpool versus AC Milan in the final of the Champions League. I���m a Liverpool fan so I���m hoping to see a repeat of the 2005 final, which Liverpool won on penalties after dramatically coming back from a 3-0 deficit.

(Photo provided by GettyImages/Richard Heathcote)