Can anyone forget the image of Brandi Chastain celebrating the U.S. soccer team’s win over China in the 1999 Women’s World Cup by stripping off her sports jersey and dropping to her knees in her very demure athletic bra? The photograph of that jersey flying was displayed internationally and is a perfect depiction of what sports jerseys have come to signify – talismans of the athletic achievement to inspire elation; engage interest; tap emotions; and even to heal.
Many of these famous sports figures have started charities of their own to convert their fame into help for children and others who are ill. Lance Armstrong, famous cyclist, has his own charity for children with cancer. When the baseball Red Sox were in the World Series, nurses at a nearby children’s hospital wore baseball jerseys backing the team and Red Sox players visited entire wards of children to bring some amusement, energy and, yes, jerseys to their lives.
