Welcome to the Party: "Giving the Power to the Party People — Our Family Crashes Welcome to the Party"

Podcast: Welcome to the Party
Hosts: Abby Wambach (B), Julie Foudy (A), with regular mention of Billie Jean King
Date: September 25, 2025

Overview

In this energetic and heartwarming episode, Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy kick off a new community-centric series: “Give the Power to the Party People.” Rather than focus on celebrity guests, this special is all about answering questions submitted by their families—their foundational “party people”—and introducing a new tradition: audience-driven Q&A sessions.

The hosts explore what qualities they value, family competitiveness, the pursuit of happiness, their favorite walk-up music, pivotal rule changes in sports, influential public figures, and the deeper purpose behind building this women’s sports community. Their playful, vibrant banter sets the tone—a reminder that, as Julie puts it, "The first Party Rule is: have a sh*t ton of fun" ([00:42]).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Power to the Party People: Launching a New Tradition

• Abby and Julie introduce the idea of regular listener Q&A episodes, encouraging party people to write in with questions ([02:08]).
• “We do want to make this a reoccurring thing that we do once a month, maybe even more if you guys really love it.” — Abby ([02:11])
• They share how they solicited questions from their own families to kick things off.

2. Family Questions: Values and Qualities

What is the most important quality you look for in the people closest to you?

• Julie: “I look for people who hunt joy... and are seeking it and have fun... yes, we can do hard things, but we can also do fun things” ([04:16]).
• Abby: “I want energy increasers. ...Your dimmer is always turned up, like, to the brightest in all the rooms that you walk into. I want to be around people... who are looking to increase the light.” ([05:00])
• Memorable Quote:
  • “I would be your dimmer forever.” — Julie ([05:43])

3. Sibling Rivalry: The Ping Pong Champion

• Julie’s son Declan asks, “Who would win in ping pong?” ([07:01])
• Julie proclaims family champion status but notes Ian would protest.
• Abby admits she’s “average” now with a “shot” left ankle and no agility: “I'm gonna give this one to you, Jules. ...Maybe invite me over to your house and I will whoop your kid's asses on that ping pong table.” ([08:50])
• The segment is full of playful trash talk and genuine family energy.

4. Finding (and Redefining) Happiness

What does happiness mean to you? What does the best possible future look like?

• Abby: “Happiness is not my North Star. It is a byproduct of contentment, of really building a solid life... we chase moments of happiness.” ([11:16])
• Julie: “What brings me happiness... is when I’m with community... there’s joy, there’s laughter, there’s happiness in a sense that... this is important to me—to have that community.” ([12:48])
• Both emphasize redefining ‘enough’ and moving away from the “hamster wheel” of chasing endless achievement.

Memorable Quotes:

• “Defining what enough is, is actually a really big source of happiness for us right now.” — Abby ([11:16])
• “I actually hear you say, I go and play things. And by virtue of playing things, I’m actually getting workouts. And that's really cool. ...I am playing beach volleyball now more. Did you know that?” — Abby ([15:35])

5. Game Day: Walk-Up Songs and Rituals

• Julie’s daughter Izzy asks: “What’s your favorite walk up song?” ([21:53])
• Abby: “White Stripes or Eminem (‘Lose Yourself’).”
• Julie: “I’m a huge Indigo Girls fan... for a long time, one of my pump up songs... was ‘Watershed’... the lyrics are so good.” ([22:23])
• Shared laughter about copyright paranoia and ESPN moments.

6. Influencers Beyond the Field

Which public figure influenced your athletic career, but isn't from sports?

• Julie: “The one who signed Title IX into law... Nixon.” Her revelation surprises Abby ([25:01]).
  • “No, Title IX, of course, being the 37 words that have transformed women’s sports in this country... Nixon.” ([26:06])
• Abby: Names Billie Jean King, even bending the question’s rules:
  • “She’s probably the single most important thing that ever happened to women’s sports, period.” ([28:28])
  • Adds: “The 99 women’s team absolutely shaped my career.” ([28:00])

7. Dream Rule Changes in Sports

• The episode loops back to its playful opener: “One rule in your sport you wish you could change forever. And why?” ([30:36])
• Julie: “I would like the goals to be twice as big so I could actually score.” ([31:31])
• Abby: Proposes football-inspired scoring or bonus multipliers: “Just make the goals worth six points like they do in American football...”
  • “If it’s off a one-touch, direct volley or header finish, you get three goals. Because those are rare.” ([32:24])
• Debunking low-scoring soccer as “2-1” vs. inflated football scores ([33:00]).

8. Joy, Hope, and Purpose: Why the Podcast Matters

Glennon Doyle’s question, read by Abby:

For Julie: “So many payoffs for your commitment to soccer greatness. What were the costs? What might you have done... if you hadn't pursued soccer greatness?” ([35:34])

• Julie: Reveals she was accepted to Stanford Medical School and almost became a doctor, but chose soccer—and happiness. “No one would have trusted me as a doctor. ...I felt like, oh, that's what you should do. ...It was a life decision. ...There was more joy happening on the soccer side.” ([39:00])
• Abby: “That is why you are a joy hunter, because you’ve been doing it all along, even when there were these great opportunities.” ([40:19])

The Movie Life Question:

“If you’re the main character in the movie of your life, what’s the one thing the crowd is screaming at you to do right now?” ([35:34])

• Julie: “The world needs some hope. Holy shit. They're screaming, ‘Give us some hope.’ ...That is our North Star in so much of what we do in building out this podcast.” ([36:35])
• Abby: “Keep going. ...I want to make the world a little bit better than when I found it... orient this ship toward hope. And that's what we're doing. That's why Welcome to the Party means so much to me.” ([41:40]; [43:27])

Memorable Exchanges:

• “We're just building it as we fly.” — Julie ([44:02])
• “Keep going. Because sometimes you're like, I don't know if I want to keep going into that dark room—but yes, keep going.” — Julie ([44:02])
• “I'm going to orient this ship toward hope.” — Abby ([43:27])

Notable Quotes

• “I want energy increasers... people who are looking to increase the light in every room.” — Abby ([05:00])
• “Bro, Pressure is a privilege. Just ask the Kinger.” — Julie, paraphrasing Billie Jean King ([07:01])
• “Happiness is a byproduct of contentment.” — Abby ([11:16])
• “The world needs some hope. Holy shit. They're screaming, 'Give us some hope.'” — Julie ([36:35])
• “I'm gonna orient this ship toward hope.” — Abby ([43:27])

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [02:08] Launching the “Party People” Q&A tradition; call for questions
• [03:40] Most important quality in people close to you: joy hunting, energy bringers
• [07:01] Family ping pong champion discussion
• [10:04] Reflecting on happiness and the meaning of “enough”
• [21:53] Favorite walk-up/pump-up song debate
• [25:01] Public figures who influenced career: Title IX and Billie Jean King
• [30:36] Rule changes in soccer: bigger goals, new scoring systems
• [35:34] Glennon’s question: alternate life paths and living with hope
• [36:35] "Hope" as mission of the podcast and women’s sports community

Final Notes: Join the Party!

• The hosts encourage listeners to submit questions for future “Give the Power to the Party People” episodes at partypeoplequestions@gmail.com.
• The episode closes with a throwback USWNT “cheer” ([46:03]) and a heartfelt call to “keep going” together—building community, seeking joy, and elevating women’s sports with hope at the center.

For more, follow on Instagram and TikTok: @welcometothepartyshow, and subscribe to the Welcome to the Party YouTube channel!