Boston, MA – Flame Bearers, the fastest growing podcast championing women Olympians and Paralympians announces a special edition for exciting Season 4. Hosted by Jamie Mittelman and soccer superstar, Michelle Akers, will focus on the unsung heroes of the first US Women’s National Team (USWNT). In 1985 the USWNT paved the way for women in soccer, yet the players’ stories have never been told. Until now.
Title IX radically altered the sports landscape, but not all at once and not without resistance. In the early years of the statute, the “forgotten heroes” challenged bias and fought for necessities that 38 years later would surprise even the most frugal team owner. They didn’t receive the pay or the fame that comes with being on the national team today, yet are always the firsts to support and cheer for the current team and all of their wins both on and off the field. They were the Originals, the OGS who started a movement. While the world doesn’t know the names or stories of these original players, we feel their impact.
How do you start a national team? In the case of the U.S. women’s soccer team, it began with a letter sent to 17 players in 1985. The U.S. Soccer Federation had been invited to send a squad to an international women’s tournament in Italy known as the Mundialito (the “little World Cup,” even though it had nothing to do with FIFA, who hosted the first Women’s World Cup six years later in 1991). While the score did not go the US’ way, the numbers on a scoreboard could not reflect what those 17 women had done. They unleashed a dream for generations of young women to come.
Each week Mittelman and Akers will interview multiple members of the original team. Legendary soccer star and member of the inaugural team, Akers says “Incredibly, this team and its 38 year legacy of unprecedented world domination all began with 17 badass women in 1985 as the first ever USWNT. That first team set the stage for the greatness and warrior mentality of the American game today, and yet their story is largely unknown.”
‘”It is an absolute honor to champion the stories of the very first USWNT. We’re built on the shoulders of those who came before, and these women were the first, the originals, the ones who blazed a trail, not knowing what was going to be the outcome, said Jamie Mittelman, Host and Founder of Flamebearers. “Flash forward to today, and the USWNT has established one of the best sports legacies of any team. This journey started with the 1985 team, and their stories have never been told. Until now.”
Flame Bearers focuses on women athletes but offers something for everyone. These women tell the exciting tale of being the first team of women playing for the US.
About Flame Bearers
Flame Bearers is the first storytelling platform for elite women athletes. The company illuminates the unsung stories of resilient women who inspire people to drive change for themselves, in their connections with others, and their communities. The company envisions a world where people feel more represented, empowered to show resolve as they face their future, and are enlightened about what the power of community can do. www.flamebearers.com
Media ContactCompany Name: Flame BearersContact Person: Jamie MittelmanEmail: Send EmailPhone: 9733698052City: LivingstonState: New JerseyCountry: United StatesWebsite: https://flamebearers.com/
