NYC's World Cup Parade Message: Sports For Women And Girls Are Important

The first lady of New York City, Chirlane McCray, was on vacation with her husband, Mayor Bill de Blasio, and her children, when she received an urgent email Sunday: a forwarded letter from Manhattan Borough President Gale Brewer, calling for the city to celebrate the World Cup champion U.S. women's national soccer team....



It was a lot of work to pull it together on such short notice, but McCray says honoring America's newest soccer heroes was a no­-brainer. She knows, firsthand, the importance of athletics in shaping young girls: "I swam from the time I was about 7 or 8 through high school. I was co­-captain of my team in high school and co-­captain of my team at the YMCA. Swimming taught me social skills, discipline, comfort with my body and how to compete, and then the joy, the fun of it all. It's just so important to developing a healthy mind, body and spirit."

Female empowerment and equal opportunities for women are very important issues for McCray, who chairs the Commission on Gender Equity, established last month in New York City....

"This was the most-watched soccer game in U.S. history, so this is a great way to celebrate that," she said. "And there will be a lot of eyes on this parade -- we're making history. That's what we do here in New York City; we make history! And I think making history in this arena is just so important. It's about sending a message that sports for women and girls are important. This is our contribution to making progress for the world."