Imagine it: Soccer legend Abby Wambach, five years old and a gifted forward, scoring 27 goals in her first three youth soccer games.
Now widely known, it’s a story that Wambach shares often to emphasize the importance of working with teammates, or what she calls her “wolfpack.”
“After my third game, my mother asked me why I didn’t pass the ball,” recalls Wambach, 44. “I said the whole point is to score the most goals. She told me, ‘It is going to make you lonely. None of your teammates will want to be friends with you.’ Since then, I have prided myself on passing the ball and building up my teammates. It was the beginning of my life of gratitude.”
In Sunday Funday, L.A. people give us a play-by-play of their ideal Sunday around town. Find ideas and inspiration on where to go, what to eat and how to enjoy life on the weekends.
Empowerment is a theme that runs throughout Wambach’s activism, speaking engagements, and now, “The Wolfpack Way,” a picture book for children that arrived in bookstores this week. For even with her formidable soccer skills (following her debut, she was moved to the boys’ team), Wambach says she felt powerless as a child. “All of the decisions were being made for me,” she says. “So I created a picture book I wish I had growing up — full of inclusivity, teamwork and diversity.”
When she’s not writing books, the two-time Olympic gold medalist and former U.S. women’s soccer team captain co-hosts the weekly podcast series “We Can Do Hard Things” with her wife, best-selling author Glennon Doyle, and Doyle’s sister Amanda. Recently, the couple has been on the road with their 17-year-old daughter, singer-songwriter Tish Melton, who is performing in her first tour. When she is home, Wambach would start her ideal Sunday surfing in Manhattan Beach, followed by a walk along the Strand and an Angel City FC soccer game, of which she is a part owner. With time flying by, Wambach appreciates spending time with two of their three teenagers while they are still at home. “I have gold medals and championships,” she says, laughing, “but I assure you: my kids don’t think I’m remotely cool.”
This interview has been lightly edited and condensed for length and clarity.
7 a.m.: Catch a wave — or not — at El Porto
After making my morning coffee at around 6 a.m., I will go surf at El Porto just north of Manhattan Beach. I’m a novice. All I do is paddle around and fall off, but it doesn’t matter. It’s magic when you’re in the water, and it’s crisp and cold, and the dolphins are going by. There is a reason you keep getting called back to the ocean, even if you never catch a wave. Nothing else in life can replicate the feel of the water. You’re using Mother Nature to do something to move. You’re taking on a marine animal experience. Surfing is complicated, so when I get it down, it feels like a whole human experience when I’m done. I’m always so hungry afterward. It reminds me of when I played soccer and what it would feel like when I got off the field. I usually grab a burrito from Brother’s Burritos to warm me up after.
Every once in a blue moon, our youngest daughter Amma has a Sunday soccer game; in that case, you’ll find me on the sidelines at her game. At first, the other parents considered me a soccer extraordinaire and wanted to hear stories, but after several years, I’ve become a normal parent.
Noon: Take a walk with Glennon and map out the week ahead.
Our Sunday walk is when we catch up on personal and family stuff and what is circling around in our world. I love walking along the Strand bike path in the beach cities. We use our weekend walks to form what we discuss on the podcasts. We talk a lot about ourselves and plan for the week ahead. Sometimes, you need to have that quality time with your partner with no cellphones in hand. There is often a lot of silence. When you have three teenagers and are doing big business endeavors, finding that solitude and planning the week is one of those things that we really need as a couple.
2 p.m.: Indulge in a nap
In the afternoon, I’ll take my Sunday nap. To be completely honest, I am a napper on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday too. This is a regime that I brought from my playing days. It’s important. I think that’s why I can wake up so early — I know I’ll get a nap in the afternoon.
3 p.m.: Hit the cold plunge and sauna
After my midday nap, I like to take a cold plunge in the garage in my inflatable Edge Theory Cold Plunge. I’ll do a cold plunge, then have a sauna. I like to pretend I’m a wannabe professional athlete and have to prepare for a big game.
4:30 p.m.: Attend an Angel City Football Club game
If we are in town and they are playing, we are at the Angel City soccer games at BMO Stadium. It’s such an awesome environment to have 22,000 people at every game. I feel so much joy — and jealousy — that this is their weekly experience as professional soccer players. It’s such a fun thing for us to be a part of. The kids go with us too. We have seven season tickets, and sometimes we bring friends. It’s an experience that you don’t have elsewhere. We are all accustomed to going to football and basketball games for men. Women’s soccer games are just as intense, but they are also open and welcoming. You see moms and daughters, entire families and soccer teams from all over Los Angeles. There is a support section that never sits down. It’s so entertaining.
7 p.m.: Cook dinner and watch “Friday Night Lights”
I am the cook of the family, although Glennon has been dabbling recently. We have two kids at home — our youngest is a junior in high school — and that’s when everyone comes together. We normally like to have an early dinner and watch TV shows together as a family. If I cook, everybody else does the dishes. Once the dishes are done, I’ll make Glennon and me some tea, and then we will sit down in the family room, hang out and spend five minutes figuring out what we will watch while our teenagers do their homework. We are into “Friday Night Lights” at the moment. It’s such a great show, and it’s fun for us because the kids haven’t seen it. Spending time with each other on Sunday evening is a great way to ease into Monday and a big week ahead. We fight off the Sunday scaries a little bit with our Sunday routine.