Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma keep late teammate in hearts, mental health in public’s minds

WELLINGTON, New Zealand — Katie Meyer’s parents joke that their daughter would have taken a plane, a ferry, even "a trained dolphin" to be in the stands at this World Cup, cheering on the Stanford teammates who were so close they were more like sisters than friends.

Gina and Steve Meyer are certain their daughter is still riding with the U.S. women, thanks to Sophia Smith, Naomi Girma and other players using the biggest moment of their careers to make sure Katie isn’t forgotten and no one else has to feel a similar loss.

"It is so heartwarming. And heartbreaking," Gina Meyer told USA TODAY Sports. "We’re just so proud of them. They didn’t have to do anything but to remember their friend, but they really want to talk about this subject, which is usually brushed under the rug.

"It’s such a beautiful thing that this whole team jumped on board and said, 'We want to be a part of this.'"

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Katie Meyer played with Smith and Girma on the Stanford team that won the 2019 NCAA title, and the goalkeeper was named MVP of the championship game after making two saves in the penalty shootout.

Meyer died by suicide in February 2022, a month after her 22^nd birthday.

"It changed everything. It changed the whole way I view life," Smith said last week. "I now don’t take things too seriously. I realize there are so many more important things happening."

Girma and Smith had talked about how they could honor Meyer at the World Cup, their first. In an essay for The Players Tribune before the tournament began, Girma announced that she, Smith, Sofia Huerta and several other USWNT players would partner with Common Goal and Fox Sports on a mental health initiative.

Fox is devoting 1% of its airtime during the World Cup to discussions about mental health, while Common Goal will provide support to communities that don’t traditionally have access to mental health resources.

"I stand in awe of what they’re doing," Steve Meyer said. "They could have just gone and played games. They stopped the train for a minute and said, 'We want to do something that matters,' and I commend them."

Girma told the Meyers family about the partnership with Common Goal, and let them read her essay before it was published. But the Meyers didn’t know the players had planned another tribute to Katie until after it happened.

After Smith scored her second goal in the USWNT's opener against Vietnam on Saturday, she drew her fingers across her lips. The "zip it" motion was the same one Katie Meyer had made after her first penalty save in that NCAA title game, her way of silencing the Stanford doubters. Video of it went viral after the Cardinal won the title.

"That was really sweet and really cute," Gina Meyer said. "It just made us smile and warmed our hearts."

Finding ways to continue honoring Katie is "really important" to her and Smith, Girma said. Katie Meyer was a huge presence in their lives, and they want the world to know the bright, bold and vibrant young woman they did.

They also want the world to know why she’s no longer here.

"Speaking out about mental health, we see this as an opportunity to shed light on a lot of things that are important to us," Girma said.

Katie’s parents only learned after she died that she’d been the subject of a disciplinary action at Stanford that could have resulted in her diploma being withheld. According to court documents, Katie had received a written notice the night of her death charging her with "a Violation of the Fundamental Standard" for spilling coffee on a football player who’d been accused of sexually assaulting one of her teammates.

Through their “Katie’s Save” initiative, the Meyers want college students to have the option of designating an advocate who would be notified "when the student is involved in challenging circumstances where they may need extra guidance and support." That could include student conduct issues, academic probation or emotional or mental health problems.

The Meyers are working with California state Rep. Jacqui Irwin to craft legislation that would require "Katie’s Save" to be implemented at the state’s public universities and are hopeful of it being considered as early as 2025. They’ve also had meetings with members of the University of Colorado’s Board of Regents, and have gotten interest from lawmakers and educators in other states.

"We’ve got to make a difference," Gina Meyer said. "This is why we’re not curled up in a ball. We’re really trying to do something positive in Katie's honor and her memory."

That Girma, Smith and other members of the USWNT are, too, means the world to the Meyers.

The World Cup has a broad platform, as do the U.S. women. Whether they are calling attention to Katie herself, "Katie’s Save" or the broader issue of mental health, the Meyers know these young women are going to make a difference.

"There’s big difference between awareness and action," Steve Meyer said, "and they’re taking action as an expression of love for Katie and others like Katie who we’ve lost."

And Katie will be cheering them on, all the way.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on Twitter @nrarmour.