Alana Cook plays as a defender for Paris Saint-Germain and has also appeared with the USWNT. The 23-year-old is currently on loan from PSG, after signing on to play with OL Reign in the upcoming NWSL Challenge Cup. We spoke to Cook about what went into that decision and how she’s feeling heading into the Cup. 

You’ve now been in camp with the Reign for a couple weeks. How is that going? 

It’s been going really well. I think one of the awesome things about Reign is they have quite a few established veterans who are, I think, very vital to the team culture, the team environment. And I think everyone kind of follows their lead, in terms of looking after each other, helping each other be better. I’m enjoying the time here, and I think I’ve learned a lot. I’m continuing to develop under another staff and the leaders here.

When did you first realize there was an opportunity to play for OL Reign and how did that come about? 

We kind of just had to monitor the situation as the pandemic evolved, to see what the French league was doing and if there was going to be a NWSL season. Almost as soon as this tournament was put together, we were able to put together some of the terms of the loan deal and get it worked out with both Reign and PSG. Speaking with Bill [Predmore, OL Reign owner], it was clear that this was a win-win. We’re both hoping I can contribute and help the team, and that playing with the team can help me continue to develop as well.

How long have you been back in the U.S.? 

I think the French season was officially canceled maybe in May. But we had been suspended since probably the first or second weekend of March. And once things started to get a bit crazy in France, when they started looking at doing a total shutdown, I decided it was best to just come home. So I’ve been home in the U.S. since I think March 12 or 13. Right when things started to really pick up in France with the pandemic.

After you got out, were you just training at home and waiting to see what would happen?

I think when they first suspended league play, they were very much taking it day by day, week by week. We were told to be ready to come back at any time to continue playing. So I was just at home in New Jersey, doing my best to kind of train, and if there were any fields open, try to go to those. Obviously, New Jersey was hit pretty badly with its proximity to New York. So most of the public parks and everything shut down, so then it was kind of just, how much fitness can I do in my backyard and in my basement?

How much were you able to do? I can’t imagine your basement had enough space for full on soccer workouts. 

It was a bit difficult. I mean, I used all the online resources I could to find workouts and all that kind of stuff. You know, you make it work, you do what you can.

How does PSG feel about you playing in this tournament? 

I think they’re happy for me to be able to continue training and continue developing. And hopefully if I get some game time I think that will only benefit me when I go back to playing with PSG.

After a few practices with OL Reign, are you seeing differences in the French game versus the American game? 

It’s kind of the stereotype we all kind of assume between the French game and the American game. I think here it’s a little more athletically based. There’s a lot more, I would say, focus on counter-attack and the transition game. Whereas I think over in France, maybe Europe in general, it’s a little more, I don’t know… not necessarily possession based, but I think you’re less looking to strike on the counter-attack. Less looking to use your athleticism and speed to get behind unbalanced defenses.

Having grown up in the U.S., something I’ve noticed is that I think we focus a little more on just the tactics. And I think we spend more time specifically nailing down every detail of a defensive scheme, how things work. And I think over in France, maybe it’s just a little more ingrained in how they grew up playing. They don’t necessarily focus on it as much in training. It’s more assumed that you understand the relationships between the positions and stuff like that, and I think it’s just assumed that you then can apply that to different formations and different tactics.

So I would say here we’ve spent more time just slowing things down. We’re in our spots, looking at what we’re doing. Whereas in France, if you get told we’re playing a 3-4-3 or 4-4-2, you’re kind of expected to just know how that functions.

Would you say you’re more comfortable in one style? 

I mean, I’ve played at lot of 4-3-3. At PSG, we played some 3-4-3, 3-5-2. So I think either way, I’ve gotten used to those formations and I feel comfortable. And I think a lot of my coaches have done a good job teaching me the relationships and how to apply them in any formation. With that said, I am a big fan of a 4-3-3.

How are you feeling heading into the tournament? What are your thoughts on going into the bubble?  

I feel good. I think we’ve been doing really well in training, and I think the coach has been happy with the progress we’ve made. Obviously, it’s not a long preseason. We had to put the pieces together as quickly as possible. But I think we have a really good chance of doing well in the tournament, so I think morale is pretty high over here.

In terms of the bubble, I think everyone is doing the best they can to keep all the players safe and make sure the proper environment is maintained so that we can just play. With that said, I think everyone’s a little uneasy about being so secluded. I think we’re all willing to try to make it work. But it will definitely be an experience. There may be some character building along the way.

Alyse LaHue is the general manager of Sky Blue FC of the NWSL. Widely credited with turning around a club that had fallen out of favor, LaHue spoke with Just Women’s Sports about how she managed to change the culture and what comes next for Sky Blue. 

(Editor’s note: this conversation took place before the killing of George Floyd and the subsequent protests. Sky Blue FC released a statement on the issue here. For an earlier interview with LaHue about how Sky Blue was adjusting to the coronavirus, click here.) 

A lot of women’s sports are marketed towards younger kids, but you make a point of trying to bring in millennials and adults. Can you talk a little bit about that? 

We have a family friendly atmosphere within our games, and that’s something I absolutely always want to maintain. But, at the same time, I’m all for the supporters groups who go out there and heckle the other team and provide a difficult arena to play in. Part of the excitement of going to soccer matches is the supporters section, right? It’s the drums beating, it’s the chants and the singing — that’s part of soccer culture.

Our supporters groups, for the most part, are not typically parents with soccer-playing kids. There are some, don’t get me wrong, it’s a whole spectrum of the rainbow in the supporters group. But for the most part it’s single soccer supporters — it’s the adult who goes out and tailgates before the game, has a drink, and then comes in and chants. It’s a whole experience. It’s a family. And for us, I want to continue to develop that side of the game as we continue to bring more families into the stadium.

We always go back to the idea that we want Sky Blue to be the community’s team and to represent the community, especially in this region of the world where we’re basically the New Jersey/New York City team. You can’t find a more diverse area than where we’re at. Our fan base needs to be representative of that and that means that we need to cater to all of those different fans. As a women’s sports team with a really small front office and a limited budget, it can be difficult to reach all of those fans in big meaningful ways. But we’ve tried our best at the grassroots level to find ways to reach all of those groups and make sure we’re not overly focused just on one.

You have been one of the first people to recognize and embrace the diversity of fans in women’s soccer. Why do you think it’s taken so long for others in the league to do the same? 

I think when you have more diversity in leadership, you’re going to get different opinions at the table. Typically, our league has more or less looked one way. There is a prototype of who has owned the teams within our league, who has run the teams within our league.

Truthfully, it’s always been heterosexual white males, and there’s nothing against them. We wouldn’t have a league without them and their investment. But they look a certain way.

And we know that diversity makes good business. You make better business decisions when you have more people at the table who are representative of the populations that you’re trying to reach. Soccer is the world’s game. It is a diverse game. And again, I go back to specifically feeling it here in New Jersey/New York City, a very diverse region. We need to be representative of that.

I’m constantly pushed by Julie Evans, my Director of Operations, to think through people of all abilities and what that means within our stadium. She has pushed me in so many different ways that I’m so grateful for. That’s what you need around you — other people who are going to push you to say, “Have we thought about the closed captioning? Have we thought about making it a safe and friendly environment for folks with autism within our games? What can we do for them?” It takes diversity at the table and people with different backgrounds, beliefs and opinions to be able to embrace the fans, who all look different.

Sky Blue FC has quickly transitioned from a club players were trying to get traded away from to a club where players are excited to join. Can you talk about how that transition happened and what the vision was like on your end? 

I appreciate that, first of all. I always say you can have a vision but you have to have a team around you that’s willing to actually execute it. I always use the metaphor of picking up an oar. There can’t just be one person rowing or the boat’s going to spin in circles, right? You have to have everybody on both sides of the boat rowing. You have to have people who care. I can’t rely on the media to get fans out to our games. There has to be an effort from us on the inside. So, when I came in as GM, I started with having people around me who care as much as I do. I’ve always said this is a lifestyle, not necessarily a job. You have to believe in what we’re doing, and believe in the diversity of our league, and believe in the opportunities for women’s sports that aren’t necessarily on the table yet.

It was certainly a lot to do in a year, but at the end of the day it felt like there were just some really simple things that needed to be done to improve the club. I know it sounds naive from the outside, but I think this club lost track of listening to its fans and that, to me, goes such a long way. Listening to the fans was step A of the process. And I’m pleased with the progress we’ve made in the last year. There’s more to come.

Do you think the club lost track of listening to its players, too? 

In a way, yes. You need the community to be a part of the fabric of the team. It can’t feel like this is the team of Alyse LaHue. It needs to feel like this is the Sky Blue family, and there are a lot of different people in the family. You need all of those people to have their voices heard. For me, it started with having all of the hard conversations, like, “I need you to get off of your chest all of the anger that you have towards this club, and I’m willing to hear you because I need to know what those things are.”

In the beginning, listening to the players’ exit interviews was absolutely crucial. The players really had three or four top concerns. So during the offseason, I started to think of how I can fulfill every single one of those top four things. That’s always the vision I start with: “How can I freaking do everything?” I’m never going to aim to fulfill just one of the four concerns. That’s not my standard. I always start with the biggest vision — the biggest, craziest thing and go, “Okay, how can we do it?”

That’s awesome. In women’s sports, there are so many people who say, “Yes, but…” it’s exciting to hear you say, “Yes, and let’s go.” 

I like that. I might just steal that whole phrase to be honest. Instead of “Yes, but,” it’s “Yes, and let’s go.” I think that’s the point, right? “Yes, but there’s a pandemic.” I don’t care. We’re going to go figure out how to make a community with our fans right now and we’re going to engage them digitally.

You became interim General Manager of Sky Blue in April of 2019, and then you were seemingly “on trial” from then until September, when the job became official. What were your thoughts around some of the doubt that surrounded your initial promotion to GM? 

I like that, “On trial.” I never thought of it that way. To me, titles are just cute to have, but really the proof is in the pudding. It’s all about what you do, not even necessarily what you say. If I was an account executive, I would behave in the same way and be just as audacious. That’s the most important thing to me. I was never worried about sort of being on trial or this or that, I just knew that I had big lofty goals. I believe that this club can be one of the best clubs in NWSL. I firmly believe that. I’m doing what I can to get us there, and I believe that, from there, we could be one of the best clubs in the world.

What’s next for Sky Blue FC? 

We have to be a destination club for players. It’s what this area deserves. This is the New York City/New Jersey team. There’s a grittiness, there’s a pride behind that. It took me a while to figure the whole thing out, but I think I’m getting there and embracing it. This women’s soccer club in this region has to be a North Star. It has to be something that other people and other clubs want to emulate. I know that’s an audacious statement if you look at where we were a year ago, but that’s what I believe and that’s what I’m trying to do.

Tegan McGrady is a defender for the Washington Spirit of the NWSL. A Stanford University graduate, she helped lead the Cardinal to the 2017 NCAA Championship. Below, she spoke with Just Women’s Sports about the ongoing protests, what makes this moment unique, and why it has given her hope for the future. 

Why do you think it’s important to speak out now? 

I feel that it’s important to speak out now, first of all, because I am half black and I feel that this is something that has hit me a lot harder than anything else in my life. Being black in this world and America, I’ve always understood the hardships that it comes with. I haven’t experienced all of those hardships myself, but I’ve seen the racism. It’s been pointed towards me. It’s been pointed towards my family. And there’s a time where you just have to speak out. You have to say how you’re feeling. I’ve been reluctant in years past to really speak up, because I’m not one who speaks up unless I have a strong desire or passion. But now I feel like it’s finally my turn to speak on something that I’ve lived. And I see how it’s affecting people around me for the better. There’s so many lists of books by black authors that people are sharing right now. In previous years, people might have been offended if a black person told them to read this or that book, but now we’re able to help people understand what the black community is saying and what they are describing as their oppression in this world.

Broadly speaking, what do you think needs to change? How do we move forward?

I think it starts with education. Young kids going to school today are being sheltered from some of the things that have happened in our history. Racism is not something that we should be shying away from. My mom is a first grade teacher, and I’ve been able to listen to her kids. They’re smart. They understand way more than we think they do. The fact that racism is a difficult topic just means that it needs to be more focused on. People try and say, “Oh, we don’t see color.” But if you don’t see color, then you haven’t really seen the history of this world, the history of this country. We need to talk about the fact that we do see color. And we need to talk about history in a way that includes everyone. Then we can move forward.

Yeah, it seems like when we were young, we were taught to be “colorblind,” but that’s not really the right approach. 

Exactly. You can’t be color blind in this world because in order to understand the history of anyone in the world, you have to see color. But that doesn’t mean you have to see it in a way where one is better than the other. You can see color as representing different cultures, different people that we can learn from. Then you see that color isn’t a bad thing. Color is a great thing. It gives us a foundation to build a country on top of. And you can see that with what we’re doing now in the black community. We’re not asking to be seen as not black. We’re asking to be seen as black and equal.

You play a sport that is known to be pretty white. How has race intersected with your experience as an athlete? And how can soccer improve?

The crazy part is I never thought of it that way. I grew up in an area where I might have been on the more privileged side of the black community. And that’s why I myself have tried to take a step back and step outside my own privilege to understand the wider black community. I didn’t grow up with many black people playing soccer around me, but the ones that did, we were all very close. We all gravitated towards each other. It’s definitely hard when you get to the highest level and you look around a team and you don’t see anyone else who really looks like you. But I think as a society, we can change that. I wish I had all the answers, but I really think it starts with educating the younger generations, with giving younger girls the confidence that they can make it to the next level, no matter their race. It’s going to take a lot, but I believe that we have the resources and the people in this country to do it.

It’s always been super interesting because even during my time at Stanford, I was always trying to find where I fit in. If I truly fit in with the black community, if I truly fit in with the white community, if me being half black and half white sometimes staggered my understanding of where I come from or who I truly am. I felt stuck in the middle at some point. But ultimately, I feel like I’m blessed to be both. I feel like I can help bridge this gap. That’s where I think I can use my privilege and turn it into something where I can help bring people closer together.

Racism isn’t new. What do you think it is about this moment that has sparked such a widespread movement? 

It could be multiple things. I think social media has such a big presence now. Now everyone can see these murders, they can hear the desperation in George Floyd’s voice when he says, “I can’t breathe.” And then I think there’s a reaction within the black community that’s simply, enough is enough. We have seen too much of this. We have felt too much of this. We’re putting our foot down. When you watch the full video, nine minutes is a long time. It really hits you. And I think for a lot of people in this country, it hit them hard. Everything finally snapped, and you had this waterfall effect where everyone saw how much it was affecting those around them. And that’s something we can’t be blind to. We have to be able to see that. We have to be able to talk about that.

And this is one of the first times in a long time where I’ve seen millions of people being willing to open up and talk about the problems this country is facing with race and inequality. You just hope this isn’t something that’s going to fizzle out. But I feel with so many voices that have spoken out, that I don’t know how something like this could fizzle out, because I don’t think in our lifetime that I’ve ever seen something this big really go the way that it has. It really gives me hope for the future. I mean, I’ve never spoken up about anything. So if I can speak up and other people can speak up and this keeps going, it gives me butterflies in my stomach to see where this could all lead to, especially with all the elections coming up. So much could change in this country within the next year, or even just the next three, four months down the line.

Rebecca Mehra is a professional track athlete for Oiselle who lives and trains in Bend, Oregon, where she works for the Mayor of Bend and as a campaign manager on multiple city council races.

Can you tell us about your work in local politics? 

“As you know, a lot of sports have been canceled this season, including track. A few weeks ago, a political consultant I know asked me if I would be willing to manage two Bend City Council campaigns. And though the idea at first seemed a little crazy to think that I could be a professional athlete while running multiple campaigns, the fact that the season is pretty much nonexistent made it really possible. I know I’m not working on a presidential campaign, but as we’re all learning more and more, local politics make a huge difference in people’s everyday lives. And so if I can help make a positive impact by helping to elect two good candidates, then I’m happy to do it.”

What advice would you give to someone who wants to get involved? 

“Part of it is learning, and taking the steps to understand where other people come from and to understand the white privilege system. And donating is really important. Make sure you’re registered to vote. That’s a huge thing. A lot of young people A, don’t register and B, don’t vote. And then I would encourage people to get involved with a campaign of any kind. Volunteers are what drive campaigns, so there’ll be a lot of opportunities in the next five months before the election.”

How would you describe your reaction to the events of the last few weeks? 

“I’ve always been politically minded and politically oriented, but I haven’t spoken out on behalf of the Black Lives Matter movement publicly before, only kind of amongst friends. And I was disappointed with myself that I hadn’t because this crap is still happening to people in this country. People are still being killed just for what they look like. Ahmaud Arbery was killed running. That’s something I do everyday. And I don’t feel unsafe going outside. I never think that someone might shoot me in my neighborhood. That… that really hit home. It made me realize we’re being passively racist by not saying anything. I felt like it was time to start speaking up and raising my voice and using my voice, because I have one, to speak out against what’s going on.”

These are difficult times. What’s keeping you motivated?  

“I am a person of color, but I am not someone who is targeted on the streets. It’s really… Yeah. I can’t quite understand or feel how a lot of people are feeling. I’m doing my best to sympathize and in some cases empathize. We all need to work to amplify those voices. Especially if you feel like it’s not your battle or it’s not your conversation. Historically, it’s been almost entirely black women and black men who have been speaking up. But we need people who aren’t persecuted to also speak up and make a ruckus about what’s going on.”

Jamia Fields is a forward for the Houston Dash of the NWSL. A graduate of Florida State University, she helped lead the Seminoles to their first ever NCAA title in 2014.

Why do you think it’s important to speak out now? 

“It’s very important because we all have our own experiences that I feel like we’ve been suppressing for so many years. Maybe we’ve been in a situation where we felt that we couldn’t really speak out. And I know there’s a divide in the world right now, but I do feel that because so many people are coming out to support this cause, this is a perfect time to join the movement and to really push for change.”

It’s no secret that women’s soccer tends to be, well, pretty white. How has your experience in soccer intersected with some of what’s happening now?

“Yeah, growing up in Southern California, I was always one of the only black girls on my team. I always felt welcomed, but there were definitely times when I felt like the odd one out. And then, going to Florida State, there were a lot of black girls when I got there. I think God did that to give me a different type of experience. There were a lot of different cultures on my team at Florida State. And that was really, really amazing, something that I really needed. I was really immersed in the black culture. That was a real turning point in my life where I actually got to see black is beautiful, first of all. Growing up in Southern California, it was really just blond, blue eyed girls, honestly. But going to Florida State, I was like, ‘Okay.’ You know? There were six black girls on my team at one point. I was like, ‘What is this? This is crazy.’ That was so amazing.”

It’s wild to think that it was only when you were 18 that you saw other people who looked like you on your team. It’s honestly pretty heartbreaking. 

“I literally remember mentioning to my parents, like, “There’s other black girls on my team.” Like, “What?” It was such an exciting thing. I was so shocked. And the fact that that’s something that’s shocking is what’s sad. And then, going into the pros, it’s kind of a similar situation where there’s very few black people. You have to be confident in your skin when you’re the minority in that situation. That’s just how it has to be because, like I said, you’re outnumbered. And even if the people are loving, and on many of those teams, I felt loved, it’s still a personal battle. People might still say things that they don’t even know are wrong. It’s a lot.”

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What do you think needs to change? I realize that’s a big question. 

“I have a lot of friends reaching out, which I’m really thankful for because I feel the love and the support. And that’s just the main thing right now. I feel like people, black people, black women, black men, we need to feel the love and support because it’s been a long time of suppressing feelings and feeling outnumbered. And this is just a weird situation. With this question, I just don’t really know how to answer it all the time… In my life at least, stepping a little bit out of my comfort zone is what helped me grow the most, so I encourage people to do that, even if it’s small steps. Reach out to your black friends or coworkers. Help them feel loved and supported. And then ask each person ‘How can I support you? How can I help you?’ Because everyone’s needs may be different.”

Why do you think that athletes, in particular, are speaking out in such numbers?

“Well, I feel athletes already have it in them to be competitive and to fight. Now they want to fight for what is right. In different sports too, people have a lot of black teammates, and I think that’s causing people to step up. I think it goes back to that competitive desire, though. Athletes have it in them to push for something. And right now, it’s pushing for change, it’s pushing to win against injustice.”

Anything else you’d like to share with our audience? 

“I just want to encourage people to continue to push themselves outside their comfort zone and to use their voice. I know everyone’s saying it, but I feel like that is what’s going to create change. I’m also really thankful for you and this platform, because we need platforms like this who are open to talking about racism and are willing to say that black lives matter. These platforms are going to create change.”

Caitlin Foord plays for both Arsenal and the Australian national team. In 2011, at age 16, she became the youngest Australian to play in a World Cup. She has since played in three World Cups and the 2016 Olympics. Below, she spoke with Just Women’s Sports about her rise in the W-League, her time in the NWSL, and what comes next for the national team. 

[Editor’s note: this conversation took place shortly before the FA announced that the Women’s Super League season would not be restarted amidst coronavirus concerns.] 

You started playing in the W-League when you were 15 years old. What do you remember of those early years? Were you ever intimidated?

To be honest, at the time it was a big deal because the W-League was new. When I look back at the W-League now, the league has come a long way. It’s still not professional — it’s semi-professional, but it has improved a lot. Back then, we were training out of high school and I wasn’t too intimidated because I had been training with those same girls for a couple of years before through the state program. Getting brought into the state program was definitely intimidating though because that’s the first time you would train with those older girls.

Things were different then — the older girls didn’t make it easy for the young ones to come in. You had to earn your spot. At times that was intimidating, but I don’t think I had a difficult time because I showed them respect and then, when I played, I earned that respect back.

After you signed with Sydney FC, you got your first call up to join the national team. What was that experience like?

When I joined the national team, it was pretty scary. At the same time, though, Sam Kerr, Emily van Egmond and Teigen Allen were all on the team and around the same age. They were some of my really good friends, so it was easier to join the team with them there, too. It was intimidating, but I had my group of friends.

Then, the team went to the Asian Cup qualifiers for the World Cup. I had been going to the training camps leading up to the qualifiers, but I missed out on that squad. The team ended up winning the Asian Cup and I just remember watching that and really wanting to be there as a part of the win. It was the first ever for Australian football, and it was disappointing that I wasn’t there to experience it with them.

Was that disappointment motivating? What happened that led you to being included in the World Cup roster? 

I didn’t really expect to go to the Asian Cup with the team — I wanted to, but I didn’t think I was there yet. But, leading up to the World Cup, I was going to the training camps again, and I remember one specific camp where it was getting close to when the squad was going to be picked. And, I should say, I was pretty oblivious when I was younger — I didn’t really take note of certain things. At this camp, there was one game against a boys team and my role was to follow this one boy around the field for the whole game. So, I just said, “Okay, that’s my role.”

The girls were all saying to me, “You’re going to get picked for the team.” And I was so confused. How did they know? They kept saying, “It’s because we’re going to play Brazil in the first game and someone’s going to have to man Marta, and it’s going to be you.” And I thought there’s no way. But then at the final camp, I got a call from Tom Sermanni, who was the coach at the time. He told me that I was going to the World Cup, which was crazy.

I didn’t grow up with football in my family, so even though I knew it was a big deal, I didn’t know just how big of a deal the World Cup was. My family and friends were really proud of me and excited. But, for me, it was just like, “Cool, I get to go on another tour with the girls.”

There’s a lot of girls that were on that team that are still on the national team. 

Yeah, I think we had the youngest squad or the second youngest squad there. It was me, Sam Kerr, Kyah Simon, Lydia Williams, Emily van Egmond, Tameka Yallop, and Clare Polkinghorne. Sam and Emily and I have been on the journey from the beginning together. They’re two of my best friends. We’ve grown up together and experienced a lot together — the highs and lows, the injuries.

You were named “Best Young Player” at the 2011 World Cup. What was that experience like? 

Well, I did end up starting our first game against Brazil in March —  marking Marta. I went on to start in three of our four games, I think. I had a really good tournament and just happened to win the Best Younger Player award. I was still so oblivious to what was going on. After we got knocked out, I went on holiday with Sam and her family. So, I was in Croatia on holiday when I started getting Facebook Messages saying congratulations for the award. Then people from the Federation called me and told me that they wanted to fly me back to Germany for an award presentation. I just said, “No, it’s okay. I’m actually on holiday at the moment.” Looking back now, I really should have gone. But at the time, it didn’t really phase me. I was like, “Oh, that’s cool, but I’m having a much better time on holiday.”

In 2015, Australia had a good run but still looked like a team on the rise. In 2019, Australia was definitely a force to be reckoned with, but had a disappointing finish. How has the national team changed throughout the years? What’s the state of the team now? 

In the 2011 World Cup, we had a super young team. We were there to compete, but there was never a belief that we were genuinely going to be winners. And then in the 2015 World Cup, we started competing with the big nations. We knew that we had the team to be able to go far, but I think what was missing was the belief within the team that we could be winners. In 2019, we felt like it was our time, which is what is most disappointing. I’m not going to make excuses for us, but I think the timing of our coaching staff being fired four months before the World Cup wasn’t good for us. It was a difficult situation to overcome, and I think we did the best we could in that position.

After we were knocked out of the World Cup in 2019, we just wanted to play another game so we could move on. We wanted to leave the World Cup behind us and focus on the Olympics. Now with our new coach, we take our hats off to what he has done with us in the short amount of time he’s had. He’s taking us through to the Olympics as well. Although they’ve been postponed, we’re excited and feel like we are genuine competitors to medal.

You were only 18 when you moved to the US to play for Sky Blue in 2013. What led to that decision and how was that transition? 

Once I finished school, I didn’t really know what to do, and everyone on the Matildas was going to play overseas. I signed with Sky Blue through Lisa De Vanna, who was there as well. The team was looking for an outside back, and she put my name forward. Sam went to play for Western New York at the same time, so, as daunting as it was, I knew that I had her and Lisa.

It was definitely scary. I hated it my first two weeks. I was in New Jersey and the house I lived in was old and not very nice. I kept thinking, “What am I getting myself into here?” But once I started training with the team and making friends, I loved it.

I had to grow up pretty quick, though. I didn’t even know how to cook when I moved. Luckily, Danesha Adams was one of my roommates and she took me under her wing. She always cooked dinner for me and took care of me. And when it was time for me to leave during the offseason, I was really upset because I loved it so much. I was obviously excited to get home, but I was sad to leave the friendships and the life I was living over there at the time.

Looking back, how would you characterize that time with Sky Blue and that first stint in the NWSL? 

During my first couple of years at Sky Blue, we had a good team, and I loved it. I had the opportunity to play alongside Christie Pearce, who was still on the USWNT. I learned a lot playing next to her. I don’t even know how to describe her —  she was just incredible. There always used to be this joke where she would say, “I’m old enough to be your mom.” I was closer in age with her eldest daughter than I was with her. She took me under as one of her kids and I became really close with her family. She was someone that took care of me. I actually called her my US mom.

After those first couple years, though, I wanted to be traded. As I’m sure you are aware, the organization was not the best at the time. I wanted to get out of there, but they wouldn’t trade me.

This happened in the year leading up to the Olympics, so since they wouldn’t trade me, I decided to stay in Australia and focus on training for the Olympics. If it had been any other year, things probably would have been different. But, that’s where my stubbornness comes in. I knew I didn’t want to go back to play for Sky Blue. I was hoping that if I didn’t come back, they would just trade me and I could play somewhere else. I think they were hoping that if they kept refusing to trade me, I would give up and come back. It didn’t work like that for either of us. The following year, I wanted to be traded again but they continued to refuse.

After two years of requesting a trade, why wouldn’t they trade you? 

Honestly, I don’t know. There are so many rules in the NWSL, it’s crazy. When they wouldn’t trade me the second year, I went and played in Japan for a season. It was a completely different experience, but it was also a small world. The goalkeeper I played with at Sky Blue, Brittany Cameron, also played in Japan at the time and she is who first got me interested. It was a new challenge, but I learned so much from being there. My style of play adapted. They are so technically good in Japan, that I was able to improve a lot playing alongside them.

After playing in Japan, you ended up being traded. How did that come about? 

The following year, I started working with a new agent in America. He finally got me traded out of Sky Blue and got me to Portland. He asked me where I wanted to play and I said anywhere. He said, “No, you have a decision in this. You can choose.” That was shocking to me. I just wanted to get out and now you’re saying I can choose where I play? That was cool. He asked what my first preference was and I said, obviously, Portland. Somehow, he made it happen.

Why do you think it took having an agent to actually get you traded from Sky Blue?

Honestly, I don’t know. It never made sense to me. I was out of the league for two years, yet a team still owned me. It didn’t seem right to me. I guess that’s just how the league runs. You almost don’t have any power as a player.

How was the move to Portland? 

I was so excited about the big move because I had wanted to be in the NWSL for the last two years. Right before the move, I was still playing with Sydney FC and we were going into the semifinals. I was playing well at the time and had scored in the first half of the game. Right before half time, I ruptured a ligament in my foot. I was out for three or four months, which delayed me getting over to Portland. That was super tough for me because it was something I was really looking forward to.

Once I recovered and made it to Portland, I was so excited to be there. I have to give massive credit to Mark Parsons and everyone at Portland because they really helped me get through that injury. Their support made me feel like part of the team even when I couldn’t play — it was incredible. But it’s always difficult coming back from an injury, and I felt like I did well with what they asked of me in the club, but I was disappointed because I felt like I couldn’t give them all that I wanted to even though I was so excited to play.

How did your approach change following that disappointment during your second year with the team?  

That first year, I just didn’t feel like I could give to the club what I wanted to. Once the season ended, I was already excited for the next year. In my second year, we had three or four games before I went to the World Cup, and I was playing well. And then I went off to the World Cup to play for Australia. The league continued and credit to the other girls on the Thorns because they were playing really well. When I came back, it was a bit strange. I didn’t get the opportunity to play and prove myself. The team was winning. Players were playing well. It made sense to not take them out, but for me it felt like I was being punished for going to the World Cup. It’s still sad for me because I left Portland and I don’t feel like I gave as much to the club as I would have liked to.

You signed with Arsenal in January. Obviously, coronavirus has thrown a wrench in things, but how do you feel about the move? 

The biggest thing for me right now is that I feel like I’m in a good place with my football and how I’m feeling since joining Arsenal. I’ve never felt so sure and right about a move like this before. The staff has really gone above and beyond. They’ve driven around and dropped off workout gear. There’s group chats where they send workout programs, and they are able to make it fun.

It was hard to be motivated at first, especially after the Olympics were postponed. I spoke to the staff here at Arsenal and expressed how I was feeling. They 100% supported me and understood where I was coming from. They said, “Don’t feel pressure. We’re not chasing numbers. At this point, everyone’s mental health is more important.” To have that support from the Arsenal staff has been super encouraging. It makes my experience so far at the club even better.

You’re 25 and have played in three World Cups. This will be your second Olympics coming up. You’re playing for arguably the best club team in the world. What’s next for you?

Oh, man. I don’t think I’ll be satisfied at the end of my career if I haven’t won or played in a World Cup Final or won an Olympic medal. I want to do something special with the girls I’ve grown up playing with. I would give all of my individual awards away for any of those team awards. Obviously, Arsenal is known for winning trophies and I’ve yet to win any with the club, so hopefully we can grab some of those. A Champions League trophy would be cool.

Carson Pickett is a defender for the Orlando Pride of the NWSL and the Brisbane Roar of the W-League. A graduate of Florida State, she helped lead the Seminoles to their first ever NCAA Championship in 2014. Below, she spoke to Just Women’s Sports about her life and career as a professional athlete who was born without a left forearm and hand, how her mindset has changed over the years, and what Orlando needs to do to rebound from its disappointing past season. 

I’ve read articles that label you as disabled, but I have played with you and against you, and disabled feels off. What is the terminology you prefer? 

I would say limb different because that’s what I advocate for. It’s not just arms, it’s legs and other body parts. I don’t like saying I’m advocating for disabilities in general because that can mean so many different things, and I don’t want people to think I’m advocating for something that I’m not.

You were born limb different and that limited some of the sports you could play as a child. How did you begin playing soccer and what was that experience like as a kid? 

My parents were both great athletes. My dad played college soccer and had the opportunity to play professionally. My mom played college basketball. I definitely grew up in a family of athletes. Many people talk about how athletes often challenge themselves more and push themselves more. I think that was true for my parents in that they’ve always pushed themselves. So, when they had a child who might have needed to be pushed a little harder because they weren’t sure if she was going to sink or swim, their mentality was, “We’re going to challenge her.”

Growing up, I played a lot of sports. My parents never wanted me to feel different compared to everyone else. I think nowadays, with so much social media, a lot of families want their kids to be surrounded by people who are different from them so that they can learn from them. It’s two ways of thinking and neither of them is right or wrong, or better or worse. For us, my parents chose to go with the idea that I’m not any different than anyone else, and I can do anything that anyone with two hands can do.

At a certain point, I realized that I liked team sports better than individual sports — I liked the camaraderie. I honestly chose soccer because my friend group was the strongest in that sport. And when you’re younger, that’s most important. I’m also super close with both of my parents, so being able to train with my dad was fun for me. I think training with him is what drew me closer to soccer — it bonded the two of us.

Did people treat you differently on the field then? And do you think it affects your play at all? 

When I was 12, I got called for an illegal throw-in and that mortified me. It wasn’t a club game and it’s not that serious at 12, but a referee said that it was an illegal throw-in. Ever since then, I’ve been mortified to pick up a ball and throw it in. Sydney Leroux has been begging me to do it. She says, “It could be such a big breakthrough. If they let you do it, then you’ve just done a throw-in. If they don’t, we will go to the ref and it will become a massive issue because you can still do it.” I’ve been waiting to do it, but I’m so nervous. I know that it could be a big breakthrough and even push people with limb differences to do things out of their comfort zone.

In terms of if I think it affects me: honestly, no. Even during certain drills in practice, I never think: “Oh, here we go. You have to be physical, so I’m going to struggle.” Naturally, we all have weaknesses. It’s not that my weakness is my arm, but pushing people off the ball when they’re going towards my left side is obviously a lot harder. I can’t wrap my hand around and hold people off as much. It’s something that I’m aware of, but it’s definitely not a weakness or a struggle that I’m nervous about.

For college, did you know you wanted to stay in Florida? 

No, actually. When I went on trips to different universities and colleges, I really fell in love with the University of Texas. I loved the team there and the coach was awesome. I never thought about it as being too far from home. But when I visited Florida State, I fell in love with the feeling of being on campus. That’s what I tell so many young girls now: “It’s hard to explain which college is right for you. Sometimes you just step on campus and feel at home.”

My family definitely had an influence on my final decision, though. My grandparents and parents have always supported me and they come to every one of my games. I’m an only child, so it was easier for them to see me at FSU. I knew that I didn’t want them to have to get on a plane to visit or only see me play twice a year. I wanted them there all the time.

How do you think your mindset has changed over the years in terms of how you process all of the attention your limb difference receives? 

In college, I remember when reporters would come to the ACC tournaments. Everyone wanted to be reported on because it showed that you were a good player. But I remember that every single time that a reporter would talk to me or interview me, it always had to do with my arm. I would complain to my parents all the time, saying, “I just want to be known as a good soccer player. I don’t want to be known as someone with one arm who’s also a soccer player.” The reporters weren’t doing anything wrong — they just didn’t realize that I wanted to be more than the Florida State player who has one arm.

Fast forward to the pros, and the picture of me and the two-year old fan comes out. Seeing how many people I could reach completely changed my mindset. When I was in college, I just wanted to be a soccer player. I remember being on campus in the summer, in the dead heat in Florida, and wearing a hoodie the first couple of weeks. I would make excuses to not show my arm. Those times were tough for me because I had to make a decision of do I want to stand out? Are people going to stare? Does it matter to me?

Now, I’m more mature and I realize that when people stare at me it may be because they’ve never seen something like it before. Now, I want them to ask me what happened because then I can educate more people about limb difference. It’s not that I want to stand out, but I want to help people who are like me. And I know I’m also reaching people who have both of their hands, but who may be struggling with other problems. Everyone has their own story, everyone is different, everyone has gone through struggles and has weaknesses. It’s how you use that story and those weaknesses and the struggle to best help people in the world. Now that I’m able to reach so many diverse groups, it’s really become more of a blessing.

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Have you had to make adjustments in terms of workouts or lifting? 

I didn’t lift much in high school. It wasn’t until college that I learned lifting could actually help you. Since I had never lifted before, I would go into the gym with my strength coach at Florida State and he would say, “Show me a way you can squat” and I would just figure it out. I think him pushing me to get in there and figure out a way to lift was really helpful. He could have just excused me from lifting, but I think being put in uncomfortable situations and being pushed to figure it out was best for me.

You’re in your fifth NWSL season and your third year playing year-round. How has your experience been playing year-round with half of the year being in Australia? 

After my rookie year in Seattle, I decided I wanted to go home and train and be with my family. Being with my family was amazing, but I realized that it’s really hard to make yourself work out every single day, no matter how mentally strong you think you are. Especially, when you are training for a season that is four months away. It’s tough. Luckily, my agent asked me if I was interested in playing overseas and, after that first off-season, I was ready to go.

I wanted to go to Australia to be pushed out of my comfort zone and meet new people in a new environment. Obviously, I was nervous because I was going to another country and I did not know a single person. Usually, in soccer, you always know somebody. It was scary at first, but I could tell that I was growing as a person. Physically, there are times when I come back, after such a long NWSL season, and my body hurts. But I choose to do that and I know that sometimes it’s going to hurt. I am mentally happier training and playing on a team than being by myself. Obviously, it’s tough playing year-round, but I couldn’t do anything else at this point. I love it.

Do you have any plans for after you end your soccer career?

I have a few different things I want to do. Some days, I want to go get my master’s degree and maybe be a college coach. Other days I want to be an athletic advisor who helps freshmen with the transition to college. On top of that, my parents have pushed me to go into public speaking. I’m developing my story now. I have everything written down, but I just have to find the right words. I need to figure out what my storyline would be and what the point of my presentation would be. I’m working through that now and trying to talk to a lot of public speakers who have done this before.

There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding the season, but regardless, I have to ask, how does Orlando break what’s become a kind of curse? What’s going on? 

Oh, man. I know. I just think last year, and the year before wasn’t good enough. We struggled with cohesiveness — with players in and out due to the World Cup and medical reasons — but it was no excuse, it just wasn’t clicking. And that’s not blaming any certain people. I just think that because we struggled early in the year and dug ourselves a hole, our mentality faltered later in the season, when it should have been every time we stepped on the field, “we’re winning this game and not losing again.” I’m not saying that we went out there and were like, “Oh, well, we’re going to lose today. Who cares?” It was never like that. We worked our butts off, even in training. We worked probably even harder, but it just wasn’t clicking.

Whatever the reason was, we have a second year coach and a chance to make it right this year. Everyone seems to have the right attitude about it. This year, hopefully, is the year. We have a lot of veterans coming back, a lot of people who played at a really high level, so I’m hoping that this is the year that Orlando is not at the bottom of the table and that we can even make the playoffs and things like that. Right now it’s hard to say just because we’ve haven’t trained together as a team. But neither has anyone else. It’s really hard to say how we’re going to look, but I’m hoping we’re going to look great and we’re going to be making the playoffs this year.

Anson Dorrance is one of the most decorated coaches in the history of sports. Under his direction, the University of North Carolina has won 21 of the 31 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championships. Dorrance has been named the NCAA coach of the year seven times, and as coach of the USWNT, he won the first Women’s World Cup in 1991. Below, he spoke with Just Women’s Sports about coaching during a pandemic, why his experience with the national team prepared him for this, and his ongoing efforts to facilitate competitiveness in women’s sports. 

You’ve coached for a long time. Have you ever experienced anything like what is currently happening due to COVID-19? Is there any parallel you can draw or is this completely unprecedented? 

Actually, there is a parallel. This experience is similar to the way we had to develop our 1991 World Cup team back in the mid ’80s when I was hired to coach the US women’s national team. We had never won a game in an international competition. Five years later, we were world champions. What people don’t understand about that World Cup is how it was done. It was done through the teeth of the Scandinavian teams and the Italians who had a much larger investment in their women’s soccer program than we had ever had, and obviously a lot more experience.

If you look at teams in the 1991 World Cup — the Norwegians, the Swedes, and to some extent the Danes and the Italians — their rosters were filled with players who had accumulated caps, and they had large investments from their countries. Since we didn’t have any money from our soccer federation and the girls weren’t playing on any professional teams, it was hard for us to get together to train. Instead, we had to train on our own, just like players are having to train on their own now. I had to pick players to play on the national team who were self-disciplined enough that they could train themselves and come into camp fit. They also had to buy into the way we were going to try to win.

I do not have the life or death pandemic experience under my belt, but I have had experience with having players train on their own. I’m using that to talk to our college kids now. I’m saying: come back as a better player, come back fitter, come back with a more powerful strike from playing against a wall, come back a better 1V1 player from playing your brother, sister, mom, dad or your dog. We meet with the team every Monday at 2:30pm on a Zoom call. We excite everyone about getting better and better. We’re not kicking back, relaxing, eating Bon-Bons. No, we’re trying to get better.

How did you develop a coaching strategy for that 1991 World Cup given the limited investment and lack of opportunities to play together? Was it difficult to get players to play cohesively as a team with such limited training time? 

Since we didn’t have a lot of training camps and since the players weren’t coming from sophisticated teams, we decided the way we were going to win was by out-dueling every team in the world. By out-dueling, I mean that our philosophy was built on a platform of 1V1. Wherever our girls lived, they could always find at least one quality partner to train with. A lot of girls just trained with the boys they were dating.

The most famous story was Carin Jennings. She was dating Jim Gabarra. Jim was the captain of the US Futsal National Team, so he was one hell of a male player. Carin’s training platform of playing 1V1 against him every day was extraordinary for her because there’s no better example of getting to your potential in women’s soccer than playing with and against boys.

During the first camp I ever ran, I said, “Everyone come in fit. If you’re not fit, I’m sending you home.” The girls got there on a Sunday. Monday morning was our first training session and we had a fitness test. One of the girls failed, so I had her gather up all of her equipment that was there at the practice. She jumped in a van with one of the managers. The manager drove her back to the hotel where she packed her stuff and then he drove her to the airport and he sent her home.

That was wonderful, but the second thing that was wonderful was that we didn’t tell the players whether the test was going to be a fitness test or a 1V1 tournament. As a result, if they wanted to do well in the competitive cauldron, they had to prepare for both.

Depending on where they live, some players may not want to risk going outside and potentially contracting the virus and bringing it to their families. Do you have concerns about that and any other limitations affecting the individual athletes? 

Well, yes. It’s hard to find a field to train on because even our university fields are closed. Our governor in North Carolina is liberal, which means he believes in the stay-at-home orders. The Republican governors believe in opening up the economy. The specific state players are in dictates whether or not they can gather in groups to train or not.

There are training pockets for players. Some girls hang out together, some still live on campus together. I want my players to go after it and to keep working hard while trying to stay safe by following the dictates of the governors. Regardless of their state’s limitations, players can always find a 1V1 partner. It can be their dad or their mom. If both of them suck, play them both — play 1V2. Almost every player has a brother or a sister who they can train against.

How much of that training are you dictating for them? Are you guys putting together training packets or are you just encouraging them to do it on their own?

We have what we call the Champion’s Almanac, which is something we put together a long time ago that outlines different workouts every day. It’s a combination of strength training, aerobic fitness training and ball mastery development.

We also encourage 1V1 platforms which can be hard because girls hate to compete against each other 1V1. They have no issue playing their boyfriend or their mom or their brother, but making them play against a friend or a teammate 1V1 is horrible. Who knows whether this is a genetic quality or a social quality where the girls are trained not to have this sort of direct confrontation. But we encourage it.

This is something you’ve been vocal about throughout your career, that we need to encourage more aggressiveness and competition in women’s soccer. Mia Hamm said you made it ok for her to want to be the best when she arrived at UNC. Can you talk more about why you think this hesitation still exists and what its impact is on women’s sports? 

I talk about this in my camps all the time. I talk about how easy it is for men to have direct confrontation. Why? Because we understand hierarchy. We understand the fight to be the alpha. We’re accustomed to competing. If there’s a man shooting hoops on a basketball court and another man shows up, within minutes one guy turns to the other and says, “Hey, do you want to play?” I know what that means. It means let’s find out who the alpha is. Girls don’t do that.

Girls play turn-taking games like HORSE where first, I shoot and you don’t interfere with me, and then you shoot and I don’t interfere with you. Girls don’t have any trouble with that because all of the games they grew up playing were non-confrontational games. You go back to my generation. What did my generation of girls play? They played Jacks. Jacks is a game where basically I don’t interfere with you and you don’t interfere with me but we’re still, in a way, competing with each other.

We have to eradicate this dislike for direct confrontation if we want to lead women’s soccer playing culture. Our girls need to embrace 1V1 and not be afraid of it. I made sure that these ideas were part of the national team culture when I coached and now I try to implement them in the Tar Heel culture.

That’s the way the US won the first Women’s World Cup. We did it by being fitter than everyone else. We did it by playing extraordinary 1V1 soccer and we did it by pressing for 90 minutes. Not the classic modern press where you drop back to a line of confrontation half way between the 18 and the tangent on the center circle. No, no, no. We pressed if the ball was near their corner flag. We were all over them. We didn’t back off for one second. Those are the elements that delivered that World Championship to us.

David Copeland-Smith is a professional soccer trainer and the founder of Beast Mode Soccer. He has worked with the likes of Alex Morgan, Rachel Daly, Ali Riley, and countless elite prospects over the years. Below, he talks to Just Women’s Sports about the NWSL’s return, Alex Morgan’s post-pregnancy regimen, and the USWNT’s equal pay case.

What is your opinion on the NWSL’s plan to hold a month-long tournament in Utah in June? 

I am really hoping the tournament goes ahead. The league has a prime opportunity right now to get eyes on the product. There are barely any sports on TV. This could be an opportunity for players to brand themselves and get brand deals. If the league can pull this off and do it right, people will watch. And maybe only 20% of those people will continue watching when everything is back to normal, but that’s 20% that we didn’t have before.

They have to execute it right, though. Communism looks great on paper but we’ve never executed it right. Maybe it’s the marketing side of me coming out, but I see this as an opportunity for players who may never have this opportunity again. We’ll see what happens. I’m buzzing for it, though.

Who’s your pick to win it all? 

Houston always does well the first six games of the season, so they could win it.

You work with Alex Morgan, who just gave birth. Is there a return-to-play protocol after having a child? And, more generally, how do you design your training around women? 

For me, especially, all of our training is designed for the specific player. Alex has just given birth to Charlie, who already looks like a legend. For Alex, a lot of it will depend on listening to her doctors and her physical therapist. From my point of view, Alex has her fitness on lock so the focus would be on getting her sharp. The Olympics were meant to be the focus, but now there’s no rush. I said to her when she became pregnant, “Take your time. You’ve given soccer enough, it can wait for you as long as it needs to wait.”

That’s hard for athletes to hear, though. Especially someone who’s as hungry as she is. I’m excited for her because I genuinely think she could come back better — I think she’s going to be sharper. And now that she has a kid, I’d imagine it gives her extra momentum.

You also train a lot of other players on the US women’s national team. What is your reaction to the equal pay lawsuit they have filed against US Soccer?  

First of all, I think it should have been handled a long time ago. Unfortunately, ego gets in the way and it becomes a winning and losing game instead of people just doing the right thing. When you look at the stats and the money involved — they should be paid what they earned. That’s all that they want. These women have just won two World Cups in a row. If we can’t put them on a pedestal and give them what they’ve earned, then what kind of message is that sending? It’s ridiculous from my point of view because I see all of the work that goes into winning — all of the heartache of getting cut and then working your way back onto the team.

It is tough because there seems to be so much bad blood on both sides, especially on social media. US Soccer has made a lot of mistakes, but no one ever praises them when they do something well either. I still think they could have handled this better. Hopefully they’ll handle it better from this point on.

US Soccer has argued that the players’ legal claims are invalid given the collective bargaining agreement both sides signed in 2017. What’s your take on that point in particular? 

Contract renegotiations happen everyday. The CBA was signed but surely —  and this is how I run my company — if someone is doing really well, you want to renegotiate because you want to keep them happy. So, yes, the CBA was signed, but contract renegotiations happen all the time — change happens all the time. They just need to get this out of the way and pay them. It’s not difficult.

Again, it comes down to equality — if this was the men’s team who won two World Cups in a row, would this be an issue? Maybe it would. Maybe it wouldn’t. Maybe US Soccer would take the initiative and say, “Right, you’ve won another World Cup, let’s renegotiate.”

What’s your take on the World Cup bonuses and whether US Soccer and FIFA simply have their hands tied because of the discrepancies between the men’s and women’s tournaments? 

Yes, the men’s World Cup makes more money than the women’s, but it has been around for however many more years. Right now, women’s soccer and women’s sports are sleeping giants. You can see it with the last World Cup. France did nothing to promote the World Cup in the slightest, yet every stadium was sold out. If you can’t see the future in that, then I don’t know what to tell you.

But again, FIFA needs to look at themselves in the mirror. They always talk the good game, but there’s a difference between investing and throwing money at something. When you invest in something, you actually want it to grow.

A lot of the lawsuit stems from the players’ club contracts and a lack of financial stability for NWSL players. How do we fix that? 

I think it all comes down to marketing. You can fix the club contracts if you’re bringing in 20,000 people every game — if you’re making money. In a place like Houston, they need 7,500 people in the stands just to break even. Are they getting that? No.

What we’re failing to do is make the fans care. From my vantage point, I think the way to market our teams is to look at what LAFC did with the men. Before the team was even a team, they started having events street to street in LA. They started throwing jives at the LA Galaxy and, while it was slightly cringe, it made the fans care — it created that rivalry. Until we figure out what makes us, as fans, care about a team, we won’t be filling any stadiums. And until we fill stadiums and make money, we won’t be fixing any contracts.

You’re from England originally. How did you get into women’s soccer?

When I first came to America, I was in Florida and some of the first teams I worked with were girls teams. Then, when I moved to California, I was hired for a high school girls team. It’s been a natural progression, honestly. Also, I have this underdog syndrome. I love batting for the underdog. And women’s sports, unfortunately, is the underdog. It’s something where I’m very humbled to be a part of these players’ journeys, but I’ll also go to bat for them any day of the week. So, it was a natural progression for me and now it’s something I’m very passionate about.

You train athletes across the board. What is that like and how do you approach training a more amateur player versus an elite player? 

It’s been a long journey. When I came to America, I had a bag of clothes and the MLS was paying me $120 a week to coach in Florida. I started to do private training in Florida. When I moved out to California, I decided that I wanted to focus on training individuals, not teams. I didn’t have any money, though, so I got a job coaching high school soccer at Harvard-Westlake. I was there from 2005 to 2010.

To answer your question, it’s very much a normality for me to train both amateur and elite players. The first player who we did really well with was Ali Riley. I trained her in preparation for her to play on the New Zealand under-20 team. She did really well playing for them and continued to do well in college and professionally. She was my first player who did everything I asked her to do training-wise and got results for it. I don’t take credit for anything, really, because I’m not doing anything — I’m not doing the work. I just show them what to do.

I look at all of my players, and they’re all like Ali. Whether they’re 14 years old or 8 years old, all I ask is that they have a good attitude. We use the word “elite,” but I think it’s overused. When I refer to someone as “elite,” I’m referring to a mindset. It is funny, though, because in the off-season I’ll have Alex Morgan in the morning and then a 10-year-old in the afternoon. Regardless, the process is still very much the same. There are no secrets to it. Just analyze your game, plan it out, work hard, and repeat.

With private coaching, are you able to pick out who’s got the it factor and who doesn’t? Is there a thread or a commonality between your players? 

It’s the attitude. Are they relentless? Honestly, the players who are a little obsessed with the game are the ones who are going to go far. Even when I train in a team setting, I am able to pick out the three players who are going to go on to play at the next level. I’m not right all of the time, but you can just tell.

Sometimes, the top players under 15 will drop off by the time they turn 17. I’m pretty mean to people about that because it’s always the same story — as soon as the kids are committed to a school they stop working as hard. There have been a few who have had to decommit to schools because they’ve stopped. But besides that, I’d say I have a good eye.

England has a very different youth scene. A lot of players go professional immediately and get individualized training. What are your thoughts on the American system in comparison? 

It might be an unpopular opinion, but I believe that college needs to switch to a nine-month-long season. That way you would have time to develop players and you would be able to see what coaches can really do. And, if you have a roster of 30, you might actually play every person. You would also be preparing players for the professional league with the longer season. Obviously, the coaches have to be open to it, and I don’t know whether they are right now on the women’s side because it would mean a lot more work.

As a culture, and especially in sports, we put a heavy premium on hard work. Do you ever worry about overtraining players? 

First, those elite players all have fitness coaches who give them plans to follow so they can avoid injuries. Second, I always tell players that if you listen to your body, you will never burn out. It takes discipline, though. Periodization is fantastic if done the correct way, too. Where we find a lot of push back is from performance and fitness specialists because they don’t include our stuff in the periodization. I don’t like to clash with them because I respect what they do hugely, but I do ask for it to be reciprocal. And, players need to take a little bit of ownership over the training as well. But ultimately, listening to the players and being flexible is crucial.

You’ve turned your training and coaching into an online business. How has that transition been? 

It’s been good. I have an app now called My Soccer Training. It has taken a long time to build, but it is exactly where I want it to be. The whole idea is to be able to have a private soccer trainer in your pocket for less than $20 a month. We wanted to make something that was different. All of the other apps have drills, but ours follows an analyze, review, organize, execute, and repeat process. We basically use it as our own platform and we put new sessions on the app all the time. All apps are difficult to build, so respect to every other app out there, but mine’s better. Now we have Instagram as a platform, Twitter as a platform and My Soccer Training as a platform. Personally, I despise social media, but I love social media.

Do you consider yourself an influencer? 

No. I don’t ever want to hear that word. I am not an influencer. We get a lot of people who reach out to do collabs and I always have to say, “Listen, I’m not an influencer. I’m a soccer trainer who’s really good at what he does.” I’m not on here trying to sell whatever it is they’re selling. I’m not on here doing roly polys through hoops of fire with every shot going into the top corner of a skills net because that’s trash. I’m just someone who’s done quite well for himself, but I also feel like I’ve only done 5% of what I’m capable of. If I could just get over my procrastination.

The 2020 NWSL Draft is officially behind us, and given how hectic this offseason has been, it only seems fitting that the draft was equally dramatic. A last-minute flurry of trades radically re-ordered the first five picks just as the selections were getting underway. Many of the deals involved allocation money, immediately raising questions about the new rule. The biggest story of the day, however, was Mallory Pugh being traded from Washington to Sky Blue in a deal that could have a long-term impact on both franchises.

Below, we run through all the biggest NWSL headlines from draft day and beyond:

Portland snags the top two picks, sparking debate: Portland had already traded Emily Sonnett to Orlando ahead of the draft for the No. 1 pick, with which they were widely expected to select Stanford’s Sophia Smith. They did just that, and then shocked the league by trading $70,000 of allocation money and two later picks to the Chicago Red Stars for the No. 2 pick, which they subsequently used on Washington State’s Morgan Weaver. Weaver was a one-woman wrecking crew during Washington State’s magical run to last year’s College Cup, where Smith herself scored a hat trick in the semifinal. Portland now has two young offensive stars to anchor its apparent rebuild.

The trade between Portland and Chicago was one of many on draft day to involve allocation money, which was only introduced this past November. Intended to help teams pay certain players above the salary cap, the new spending mechanism is now already under fire, as coaches (including North Carolina’s Paul Riley) have said it will set a new precedent allowing teams to essentially buy first round draft picks. Expect this to be a hotly-debated issue moving forward.