Getting KONnected With the World Selection Committee
The World Selection Committee consists of ten members, the President of the National Olympic Committee (NOC) and a Doctor of Sport Medicine. The World Selection Committee consists of five sportsmen and women from each country participating in the Olympic Games. The committee has to make the best possible decision regarding the Olympic Games’ participation, in view of maintaining the Olympic spirit and values. Each country is assigned a committee, who meets at least twice a year to discuss and prepare the situation.
At first, only the country participating in the Olympic Games was involved in the planning process. However, in the past few years, the International Olympic Committee has made changes to its selection procedure, so now the entire national association is involved in the decision-making. The athletes are selected by the World Selection Committee based on their sporting ability, sportsmanship and appearance, and their personality. They also undergo numerous training and competition tests each year to prepare fully for the big games. They must pass a very strict selection process before they can even get to the Olympic Games, where they will represent their respective countries.
For the upcoming Olympic Games in Boston, USA, the Executive Coach of the National Professional Women’s Soccer League (NPWL) informed the World Selection Committee that he wanted the team to consist of completely female players. The NPWL executive told the World Selection Committee that he believed this would make the women’s game more appealing to the general public. Although the committee did not have the power to make decisions for the team, they still wanted to send an invitation to the world to watch the matches, to build up interest and hopefully bring more people to watch the matches. So far, there has been positive feedback from the various teams and leagues involved, that they are all excited about the upcoming event. They all want to perform to the best of their ability.
It was during the meeting that the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) executive coach, Dave Gaviria, made his suggestion to expand the team from eight teams to just twelve, in order to create the largest player base in the league. This was met with mixed response from the various teams, which is the reason there is no definite plan in the works. However, one team manager did suggest a potential expansion to twenty-four teams, if the demand for international women’s football exceeds the supply. Other teams had discussed the possibility of a European team and having a North American component.
Now the World Selection Committee has been hard at work for over a year preparing for the Olympics, preparing for the teams that will be competing in Boston. The preparations have been especially tough on the women’s side, who has not made much progress since the last time they’ve competed in a major international event, the 2021 World Cup. Now they have to get connected with the men from Massachusetts and all the other players should be ready for their journey to Brazil.
This is an exciting moment for women’s soccer in the state of Massachusetts. The chance to win at the World Games, which will be held in Brazil this summer, would be great for the sport in Massachusetts. The visibility of these matches on television and the exposure that local companies could get by booking tickets for the World Selection Committee would boost sales of tickets to the games, which would benefit the state in terms of revenue. For any team or player looking to get connected with the national team, this is a good time to get connected.