Soccer and STEM The U.S. women's soccer team needs a goal Megan Rapinoe kicks a long high pass up the field The ball flies toward Alex Morgan Morgan reaches out her foot and traps the ball absorbing its energy Then she smacks a shot with the inside of her foot The ball spins as it flies through the air and curves into the net Goal The team rushes toward one another to celebrate It's another win for the amazing team of players and for STEM SCIENCE From flying through the air to bouncing on the field a soccer ball moves according to the rules of physics TECHNOLOGY Discover how wearable tech and digital recordings tell us more about the game ENGINEERING Modern stadiums are designed to help fans enjoy games in new and exciting ways MATH Information about teams and players is gathered as numbers called stats A winning score is just the beginning
Alex Morgan has used skill and STEM to score more than 100 goals for the U.S. women's national team
SCIENCE Bend the Ball The striker is ready to take a free kick But if he has any chance of making the shot he has to get around the other team's wall of defenders How will the player get the ball past that wall The answer is a combination of skill and science When the player kicks the ball it curves around the wall of defenders toward the net
Spin Is In When a soccer player wants to curve the ball with his kick he uses a physics concept called the Magnus Effect The player uses the inside of his foot to kick the side of the ball instead of the middle This causes the ball to spin The path of a spinning ball curves in the direction of the spin So with his kick the player bends the ball around the wall of defenders and toward the goal It takes a lot of practice to curve the ball like a pro ht
