Soccer icon Brandi Chastain wows packed crowd at CSU’s second annual Girls in the Game event

Columbus State alum Chelsea Person marveled at the size of Thursday’s capacity crowd at the Country Club of Columbus.

When Person walked to the podium as one of the speakers at the second annual Girls in the Game Advance Initiative event, she couldn’t hide what a thrill it was to see all the young faces in the audience of more than 300 people.

“If you were here last year, you are probably looking around thinking oh my this blew up!” Person said.

Person, a recent member of CSU’s soccer team, co-founded the event as an intern with the athletic department last year. The goal of initiative was to raise funds and spread a message of empowerment for the university’s female student-athletes.

She handed off the program after graduating, but was on stage Thursday to introduce this year’s keynote speaker Brandi Chastain.

“As a little girl I watched her on TV and loved her,” Person said after the event. “To help start an event like Girls in the Game that I’m so passionate about — women’s athletics and empowerment — to have someone of her stature come and affirm that for us was incredible.”

The former United States Women’s National Team soccer player didn’t just come to Columbus to read off a few cue cards.

Chastain has dedicated much of her post-playing career to empowering young female athletes as an assistant coach for Santa Clara University and through co-founding the Bay Area Women's Sports Initiative (BAWSI).

The nonprofit organization runs a series of programs in the Bay Area designed to build confidence and support the development of young female athletes.

“I grew up in an environment where I was given every opportunity to participate whether it was in dance or sport or school,” Chastain said. “And so to come to Columbus State University today to share my story through soccer was a no-brainer for me. Every young girl should be empowered to find her inner potential then go out there and be courageous to explore it and experience it. If coming here today, it ignites some kind of flame or desire for somebody then I’ve done the job I set out to do.”

Chastain spent more than an hour at the podium illustrating lessons for younger players about communication, confidence and personal growth through stories from a career that includes two Olympic Gold medals and two World Cup championships.

The California native brought passion and energy to the stage even using the CSU backdrop as a prop to reenact a critical corner kick in the 1999 World Cup finals against China.

Chastain had plenty of stories about her success but didn’t shy away from sharing ones about her failures. She persevered through multiple knee injuries early in her career — she was on the sidelines for more than two years — and bounced back from being cut from the USWNT following her first World Cup appearance.

One of the defining moments of Chastain’s career came when she had to call new USWNT coach Tony DiCicco in 1994 to tell him she wanted a second shot.

“I had to put myself out there in an uncomfortable way,” Chastain said.

And what about the iconic moment most soccer fans remember her for? Chastain smiled recounting her antics after scoring the game-winning penalty kick in the 1999 World Cup against China. She celebrated by taking her jersey off and whipping it around her head in her sports bra.

The image graced the covers of magazines across the world and Chastain told athletes in the crowd not to be shy about celebrating their achievements — big or small.

“You have to own those moments,” Chastain said with a smile.

This story was originally published April 28, 2016 at 6:14 PM with the headline "Soccer icon Brandi Chastain wows packed crowd at CSU’s second annual Girls in the Game event."