Megan Rapinoe on USWNT young players: They’re so much better than we were at that age
Megan Rapinoe explains what its like to play alongside so many young players on this USWNT team that’s heading to the 2023 World Cup.
Sports Seriously
Sure, the Presidential Medal of Freedom was cool and all. And for a soccer player, it doesn’t get much better than winning both the Golden Ball and the Golden Boot at a World Cup.
But how many people can say they have their very own LEGO figurine?
Ahead of her fourth World Cup, Megan Rapinoe is included in LEGO’s new Icons of Play set, part of the company’s Play Unstoppable campaign designed to break down stereotypes and empower girls to play with whatever they want. She’s one of four players included in the set.
“Super excited to be part of this with LEGO,” Rapinoe said on Instagram before the set was released last month.
What is Icons of Play?
It’s a LEGO set that includes Rapinoe and three other players: Australia’s Sam Kerr; Nigeria’s Asisat Oshoala and Japan’s Yuki Nagasato. Rapinoe’s figurine even features her signature pink hair.
The 899-piece set also comes with a mini soccer field, stands, a dugout, a podium and a camera for video-assisted review. In addition to the players, there are 11 other figurines including a referee, a coach — who bears some resemblance to England’s Sarina Wiegman — and several fans.
The set is on sale for $99.99.
What’s the purpose?
LEGO created its Play Unstoppable campaign after a study found girls are more likely to ignore gender stereotypes when engaged in creative play. According to a 2021 study by the Geena Davis Institute, only 42% of girls said they worried about being made fun of if they play with toys that boys play with compared with 71% of boys who said they feared being made fun of for playing with toys associated with girls.
“We want to show the world what’s possible when we encourage girls to explore their interests freely, without the influence of unintentionally false assumptions of what they may like to do, how they want to play, or who they can or should be,” Renee Guida, director of Masterbrand at the LEGO Group.
As part of the Play Unstoppable campaign, Olympic champion gymnast Sunisa Lee also got her own LEGO figurine.
Megan Rapinoe thinks girls should live ‘without limits’
Soccer star Megan Rapinoe joined Lego to kick off Project Unstoppable and encourage girls to play and live “without limits.”
Cody Godwin, Associated Press
