HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 2000-4770, by Representatives Edmonds, Kagi, Quall, McIntire and Conway

       WHEREAS, It is the policy of the Washington State Legislature to recognize the contributions of individuals who reflect the standards of excellence that enhance the well-being and quality of life of the citizens of the State of Washington; and

       WHEREAS, Michelle Akers, graduate of Shorecrest High School in Shoreline, has displayed exceptional leadership on and off the soccer field, inspiring countless yong women and men with her sportsmanship, determination, and world-class skills; and

       WHEREAS, Michelle has shown a generation of young women how to play and win together through discipline, finesse, and perseverance; and

       WHEREAS, Michelle has devoted much of her time to educating the public about chronic fatigue syndrome as well as volunteering with youth soccer camps and programs; and

       WHEREAS, Michelle has been praised by so many, including President William Jefferson Clinton and Governor Gary Locke, has been called a "champion in the very best sense of the word" by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer newspaper, and has been named one of Sports Illustrated's sportswomen of the year; and

       WHEREAS, Michelle scored the final goal against a strong Brazilian squad with a deadly penalty kick in that 2-0 victory and later proclaimed, "Those are the moments you live for in this sport"; and

       WHEREAS, Michelle, after being knocked unconscious by her teammate and then put on an IV in the tough championship match against a powerful Chinese team, still managed to join her teammates to celebrate their hard-earned and well-deserved World Cup victory in front of 40 million TV watchers and the largest audience ever assembled to see a women's sporting event;

       NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives honor Michelle Akers for her leadership and extraordinary achievement in sports, for her dedication to community service, and for being an outstanding representative of the State of Washington; and

       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That copies of this resolution be immediately transmitted by the Co-Chief Clerks of the House of Representatives to Michelle Akers.

       I hereby certify this to be a true and correct copy of

       Resolution 4770 adopted by the House of Representatives

                         February 29, 2000.

________________________________       _____________________________

Timothy A. Martin, Co-Chief Clerk    Cynthia Zehnder, Co-Chief Clerk