The students will watch matches and learn about the cultural issues surrounding women’s soccer after taking a course on the topic.
The first matches in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup are just 10 days away, and a group of students from Quinnipiac University will see the action up close.
They are traveling to Australia to watch several games. The trip is part of a course that is also pushing them to look at the larger cultural issues surrounding women’s sports.
“Soccer is pretty much my life. And that's why I'm so excited to take this course and go there,” Aine Clarke, a rising senior from Glastonbury, said.
She is one of 16 students Quinnipiac preparing to travel across the world and watch four matches up close and personal.
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“Really excited to see Denmark, England, we're going to see Columbia twice,” Clarke said.
Aine grew up playing the game, and even had the chance to come face-to-face with some Team USA stars. Now as the Quinnipiac women’s soccer team manager, she will not only get the chance to travel to the Cup with four players, but someone else special: the Bobcats’ head coach, her dad.
“The more any of the players can watch games and attend games, especially at this high level, it should be a motivating factor for them. It's a chance of a lifetime for the four them,” Dave Clarke, Quinnipiac University head women’s soccer coach and license instructor for the U.S. Soccer Federation, said.
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Although all eyes will be on the pitch, the students are also looking at a bigger picture.
“It's going to be a 90-minute match, it will be exciting, but I think they're just going walk away with a much more intellectual as well as visceral understanding of where we are with the sport and where can could go,” Hillary Haldane, Quinnipiac University professor of anthropology, said.
Haldane was one of two professors behind an anthropology and communications course the students took during the spring semester before the trip. It focused on the challenges women in soccer face today.
“The human rights, some of the women's civil rights that they've been fighting for, equal pay, some of the LGBTQ rights,” Clarke said. “As we know, Megan Rapinoe is a big outspoken one. So we talked a little bit about whether or not some of the players will be speaking out.”
This year will be the first time the U.S. Women’s team plays in the World Cup since reaching an agreement with the U.S. soccer federation last year for equal pay.
“One thing we talked about is a lot of the teams that are going to be at this World Cup that don't have that equal pay, and are still fighting for it,” Clarke said.
As Team USA strives for its fifth World Cup win, this academic excursion has a goal of its own.
“This is hopefully going to be one of, will be the most watched women's tournament yet,” Haldane said. “I really do hope people come to understand, the question is, why is it still a challenge? Why do we still struggle to support women and women in this sport? Why is there still so much inequality?”
