Title: Commending and congratulating the Portland Thorns Football Club on winning the 2022 National Women's Soccer League championship.
Policy area: Sports and Recreation

Summary:
This resolution congratulates the Portland Thorns Football Club on winning the 2022 National Women's Soccer League championship and completing a successful 2022 season.

[Congressional Bills 117th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1513 Introduced in House (IH)]

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117th CONGRESS
  2d Session
H. RES. 1513

  Commending and congratulating the Portland Thorns Football Club on 
     winning the 2022 National Women's Soccer League championship.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 8, 2022

 Mr. Blumenauer (for himself and Ms. Bonamici) submitted the following 
resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Commending and congratulating the Portland Thorns Football Club on 
     winning the 2022 National Women's Soccer League championship.

Whereas, on October 29, 2022, the Portland Thorns FC (referred to in this 
        preamble as the ``Thorns''), a professional women's soccer team, won the 
        2022 National Women's Soccer League (referred to in this preamble as the 
        ``NWSL'') championship;
Whereas the Thorns defeated the Kansas City Current by 2 to 0 in the NWSL 
        championship, which was played in the District of Columbia;
Whereas the 2022 championship is the third for the Thorns franchise, making the 
        Thorns the first NWSL team with 3 championships;
Whereas the Thorns are the first team in NWSL history to qualify for 4 NWSL 
        championship games;
Whereas the enthusiastic fan support of the Thorns once again placed the 
        benchmark franchise among the NWSL leaders in attendance;
Whereas, in 2022, the Thorns scored the most team goals in the entire NWSL with 
        49 goals;
Whereas Rhian Wilkinson, head coach of the Thorns who was also a former player 
        for the Thorns in 2015, led the Thorns to the championship in her first 
        year as head coach, becoming the second woman head coach to win the NWSL 
        championship;
Whereas Karina LeBlanc, general manager of the Thorns who was also a former 
        player for the Thorns during the championship season of the Thorns in 
        2013, became the first person to win a NWSL championship as a player and 
        general manager;
Whereas Thorns player Sophia Smith--

    (1) was named NWSL 2022 Most Valuable Player (referred to in this 
preamble as ``MVP''), making her the youngest league MVP winner in NWSL 
history;

    (2) was named NWSL championship MVP, becoming the first player in NWSL 
history to win the league MVP and championship MVP in the same season;

    (3) became the youngest NWSL championship goalscorer and the highest 
single-season scorer in Thorns franchise history by scoring her 15th goal 
of the season in the championship game; and

    (4) became the youngest NWSL player to score more than 10 goals in a 
season;

Whereas Thorns player, and former University of Portland standout, Christine 
        Sinclair--

    (1) is the first player to win 3 NWSL championships with the same club;

    (2) is the most prolific player in the NWSL, charting the most playoff 
minutes of any player in league history with 1,022 minutes played; and

    (3) is the all-time leader of the Thorns in games played and goals 
scored;

Whereas Thorns players Bella Bixby, Natalia Kuikka, Kelli Hubly, Sam Coffey, 
        Rocky Rodriguez, Hina Sugita, Olivia Moultrie, Morgan Weaver, Sophia 
        Smith, Yazmeen Ryan, and Janine Beckie made their NWSL championship 
        debut in the game on October 29, 2022;
Whereas Thorns players Sam Coffey and Sophia Smith were named to the NWSL Best 
        XI First Team for the 2022 season;
Whereas Thorns players Kelli Hubly and Becky Sauerbrunn were named to the NWSL 
        Best XI Second Team for the 2022 season;
Whereas, at 17 years old, Olivia Moultrie became the youngest player in NWSL 
        history to play in the championship game;
Whereas the entire Thorns squad should be congratulated for its dedication, the 
        resilience of its players in the face of hardship, its teamwork, and its 
        impressive display of athletic talent;
Whereas the ongoing success, camaraderie, sportsmanship, and joy demonstrated by 
        the Thorns has inspired young women to dedicate themselves to soccer and 
        to pursue sports;
Whereas the Thorns donated $140,000 of ticket profits from the NWSL semifinal 
        game on October 23, 2022, to 4 different charities, including--

    (1) Girls on the Run, which helps young girls learn life skills through 
physical education;

    (2) Girls Inc. of the Pacific Northwest, which mentors girls and 
supports lifelong education;

    (3) SHE FLIES, an initiative of the Sport Oregon Foundation to connect 
women and girls to sports in Oregon; and

    (4) Street Soccer USA, which brings soccer to low income communities 
nationwide;

Whereas the donation by the Thorns was only 1 example of the tradition of 
        philanthropy of the Thorns, which was celebrated by the Portland 
        Business Journal as one of the top philanthropic businesses in Portland 
        in 2022;
Whereas the Thorns, in association with the Portland Timbers, have donated more 
        than $550,000 to Oregon charities in 2022;
Whereas the Thorns, in association with the Portland Timbers, raised more than 
        $600,000 for humanitarian assistance in Ukraine in April of 2022; and
Whereas the Thorns, its fans, and the Oregon soccer community came together in 
        the wake of a devastating report by the NWSL and NWSL Players' 
        Association condemning former team management and ownership for its 
        treatment of allegations of abuse, demonstrating the resilience of the 
        Thorns players, commitment to one another, and dedication to player 
        welfare and safety: Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
            (1) commends and congratulates the Portland Thorns FC on 
        winning the 2022 National Women's Soccer League championship 
        and completing a successful 2022 season;
            (2) recognizes the achievements of all players, coaches, 
        and staff who contributed to the success of the Portland Thorns 
        FC during the 2022 season; and
            (3) respectfully requests that the Speaker of the House 
        transmit an enrolled copy of this resolution to--
                    (A) the interim president and general counsel of 
                the Portland Thorns FC, Heather Davis;
                    (B) the general manager of the Portland Thorns FC, 
                Karina LeBlanc; and
                    (C) the captain of the Portland Thorns FC, 
                Christine Sinclair.
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