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NEW YORK -- Brandi Chastain is confident the U.S. womens soccer team can win the gold medal again in Rio, is advocating for fewer headers in youth games and dealing with her sons diagnosis of Crohns disease.Its been 17 years since Chastains winning kick in a penalty shootout against China in the Womens World Cup at the Rose Bowl, and the celebratory photo of her overhead jersey twirl landed on magazine covers.These days, shes coaching youth, high school and college soccer in California. Chastain is keeping an eye on the current womens national team -- without retired star Abby Wambach -- after helping the U.S. win two golds and a silver in the Olympics during her career.We have a very deep roster, a nice balance of young players and veterans, she said. Those two components have always proved successful.Chastain, who transitioned from forward to defense on the U.S. national team, calls it humbling to be selected for induction into the Soccer Hall of Fame later this year at its new location at FC Dallas stadium.Here are a few things to know about Chastain, who plans to donate her brain for concussion research.SAFER SOCCER: Some think less heading in youth soccer games will lower the risk of concussions. Chastain works with the Safer Soccer initiative, which advocates for fewer headers. Since U.S. Soccer approved no headers for children under 11 last year, the whistle is blown for a foul if the ball is headed in a game. Chastain would like the ban to extend to 14 and under, but for now, its about reducing headers in practice and teaching kids spacial awareness, getting their head up and away from the ball. When the kids get fixated on the ball, their eyes never leave it, so they dont see any danger that potentially could be coming.She tells her boys youth team theyre not quite ready for headers and cautions her boys high school Bellarmine team. At the youth level, she says its best to avoid them.I hope U.S. Soccer educates refs on the rules, so its implemented at all levels and (teach) coaches about how to coach awareness skills for kids to protect themselves.Shes also a volunteer assistant coach at her alma mater, Santa Clara University, helping her husband Jerry Smith, who has been the head coach for 30 years.BELL RUNG: Chastains experienced her share of concussions during a 24-year career spanning college, national teams and pro soccer. The 48-year-old says shes donating her brain to the Concussion Legacy Foundation because she wont need it at the time and might as do some good with it. Chastain wants to leave soccer in a better place and if they can get some information out of looking at my brain, then Im happy to contribute.CROHNS CHALLENGE: Chastains 10-year-old son Jaden was recently diagnosed with Crohns disease, which causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Symptoms of the disease that affects about 700,000 people in the U.S. include cramping, diarrhea and fatigue. The cause isnt exactly known, but doctors think its a combination of genetics, an over-reactive immune system and environmental factors. Jaden, who plays soccer, baseball and swims, has a supportive school and a treatment plan to manage his symptoms.NEW ATTITUDE: Chastain acknowledges that helping her son deal with the emotional and social impact of the disease initially werent her strengths.As a pro athlete, my philosophy was you kind of grind it out, she said. Sometimes you wont feel good and you still have to do the work. I had to take a step back and know Im not always in control, and Jaden will take the lead. He knows when he needs to rest or cant play. That was a great lesson for me.SOCCER EQUITY: Shes been watching the efforts by the U.S. womens team to receive better wages and benefits from U.S. Soccer.Chastain says a lack of money is absolutely not the reason the federation offers different pay scales for the U.S. mens and womens teams. Its more about distribution, given the money the federation receives from TV revenue, sponsorships and FIFA.Im a big advocate for equal reward for the work we do on the field, she said. Its been a continual fight and a battle that, hopefully, well very soon win.She says its similar to the struggle for womens voting rights and Title IX, which opened opportunities for girls and women in education and sports. Chastain believes people will eventually look back at the wage issue and consider it archaic.Women -- and not just women, there are a lot of male advocates out there -- are saying, `Its time. Theres no logical reason for this to exist any longer.---Online: http://concussionfoundation.org/national...er-soccerOnline: https://www.ibdgameplan.com China Shoes Jordans . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. China Shoes Nike . Louis. To which I would say two things: 1. Where there is smoke, there is or perhaps has been a little fire. Or, in other words, the two teams would appear to have at least spoken. And spoken is defined as one calling the other to inquire, no more, no less. https://www.chinashoesshop.com/ . The 20-year-old Pelicans big man glanced up and smiled widely at the well-wishers -- a fitting end to a day he wont soon forget. Davis responded to his selection earlier in the day as a Western Conference All-Star with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Minnesota Timberwolves 98-91 on Friday night. China Shoes Free Shipping . Dusautoir, the former World Player of the Year, sustained a torn bicep playing for Toulouse in the Heineken Cup on Saturday. The flanker, who has played 65 times for France, is expected to be out for up to four months. China Shoes Outlet . Bryant, who signed a five-year, $34 million contract as a free agent with Cleveland in March, reported symptoms on Monday morning, a team spokesman said. SAN JOSE, Costa Rica -- Goals by Bryan Ruiz and Celso Borges put Costa Rica in a stronger position to qualify for next years World Cup with a 2-0 victory over Panama on Tuesday night. The Costa Ricans have 11 points from six matches with a 3-1-2 record. That trails only the United States (4-1-1), which beat Honduras earlier in the night. Ruiz opened the scoring on a free kicck in the 49th minute, and Borges clinched it just about two minutes later from long distance in a steady rain at National Stadium.dddddddddddd Panama has six points on a 1-2-3 record and is fifth of the six teams. The top three finishers from the CONCACAF finals will qualify for Brazil 2014, with the fourth-place team entering a playoff against New Zealand. ' ' '