The American women who lifted this summer’s Women’s World Cup prepared themselves for success back in their college days. When Michelle Akers started at Central Florida in 1984, there was no such thing as a women’s national team. By the time she concluded her stellar college career in 1988, Akers was a premier national team player. Among her many accolades was making the Soccer America All-Decade Team for the 1980’s. When Akers started playing, the women’s game did not enjoy the support it possesses today. There were only 45 Division I programs to choose from. Title IX, while on the books, had yet to be enforced. In the mid-80s, Akers was followed by a group of young phenoms that would help elevate the game to an unprecedented level. When Joy Fawcett, Brandi Chastain, Carla Overbeck began their respective college careers, it was clear that they were destined for great accomplishments. Former U.S. national team coach Anson Dorrance commented on Fawcett (then, Biefeld) in Soccer America in 1989. “The thing I like about Joy is that she hasn’t hit her peak yet as a player. As soon as she realizes how good she is and what sort of impact she can have every game she plays in, she’s going to be a world beater.” Dorrance’s prophecy has certainly been fulfilled. Chastain was named Soccer America‘s 1986 Freshman of the Year when she began her career at Cal. However, knee injuries forced Chastain away from the game and Cal. Three years later, Chastain talked to Soccer America. “Soccer was so important to me,” she says. “When I first got to Cal, soccer was brilliant. I had a great season, but it was also a very selfish season. You know, there’s only one ball, and I wanted it all the time.” Chastain went on to finish her college career with Santa Clara, where she learned the importance of team play. Gladly, she retained just enough selfishness from her Cal days to nail the penalty kick that sealed the 1999 World Cup victory. Carla Overbeck (then Werden) was part of the North Carolina machine. In addition to her four NCAA titles, Overbeck, like Akers, made the Soccer America All-Decade team. The end of the ’80s saw the arrival of Kristine Lilly and Mia Hamm at UNC and Julie Foudy at Stanford. Lilly was Soccer America‘s Freshman of the Year in 1989. Hamm and Foudy had to settle for spots on the All-Freshman team that year. All three would win Soccer America Player of the Year awards during their careers: Lilly won as a sophomore in 1990; Foudy was honored as a junior in 1991; and Hamm, the only one of the three to redshirt in ’91 when the U.S. won its first world championship, was the top player in her final two years, 1992 and 1993. Title IX was finally being enforced by the early ’90s. Among the new stars on the scene were goalies Briana Scurry (Massachusetts), Saskia Webber (Rutgers) and Tracy (Noonan) Ducar (North Carolina). At Portland, Shannon MacMillan was paired with Tiffeny Milbrett. In 1992, women had 103 Division I programs to choose from. The quality of play has only improved since then. Tisha Venturini, Christie Pearce, Cindy Parlow, Kate Sobrero, Sara Whalen, Tiffany Roberts, Danielle (Garrett) Fotopoulos and Lorrie Fair are products of the new era in women’s collegiate soccer. They were all Soccer America MVPs during their college careers. Scurry was already looking ahead to the Olympics, telling Soccer America in 1993 she dreamed of “a dash to the victory stand, getting a medal, and wearing the USA warmup.” That dream was realized in 1996. There are 256 Division I programs in 1999. With the World Cup triumph, enthusiasm for women’s soccer is at an all time high. Eighteen out of the 20 players on the World Cup-winning U.S. team this summer were Soccer America MVPs during their collegiate careers. The current generation of college players promises to provide glimpses of future national team stars. by Soccer America editorial intern Bryan Alvarez