Kendall Coyne Schofield is a two-time Olympic medalist and the current captain of the US women’s national ice hockey team. Coyne Schofield also plays for the Professional Women’s Hockey Players Association, and she was recently hired by the Chicago Blackhawks of the NHL to serve as a player development coach. She spoke with JWS about her new job and what comes next for both Team USA and the PWHPA.  

You were recently hired by the Blackhawks as player development coach. You’re the first woman in Blackhawks history to be named to the role. Can you talk a little bit about the job and what your responsibilities will be? 

For sure. So my role as a player development coach will be focusing on the developmental aspects of each role, which is extremely exciting. I love to build and grow the game, and as the player development coach standpoint, I’ll be working alongside our prospects. I will be watching the games that they’re currently playing in, breaking down the film with them and for them. I will be trying to teach them things that eventually we hope to see them doing as a future Blackhawk. A lot of the principles and characteristics that we see in our Blackhawks every single day, we are trying to teach our prospects those and help develop those characteristics so that when they get here, they are NHL ready and they can make that jump.

In addition to that, I’ll be on the ice in Rockford when the players return and the league returns as much as I can be. So working with those players as well, I’m really excited to get on the ice. That’s where I strive the most.

I’m really excited to develop the relationship with the players and the trust with the players that what I’m coaching them to do is going to help them accomplish their dream of making it to the NHL. Because ultimately, I know what that feels like. I know what it feels like to fail. I know what it feels like to succeed. And I know what it feels like to win at the pinnacle of the sport. And so I hope I can take the experiences that I’ve had throughout the team and implement it with them through our relationship as a player development coach.

How will you balance this with your role as the captain of the US team?

That’s a great question. And I’ve answered this question a bit, but speaking with you, I think you’ll understand this when I say that if there’s one group of people that know how to manage and multitask, it’s women’s hockey players. From the time we graduate college, we are multitasking. We are doing many things because we can’t make a living from this game.

So our mindset from the time we go through the recruiting process to the time we walk across that stage is, what’s next? I need to be doing something other than playing because I can’t make a living playing. And so my mindset has always been on things other than playing. I’ve done broadcasting, I’ve done many other things. This relationship with the Blackhawks has evolved over the last six, seven years. I interned with them between my sophomore and my junior year of college. And it was because I had that mindset, unfortunately, that I can’t make a living playing the game. And so while I’m extremely excited and honored that I can wear many hats and that the Blackhawks are accepting of me continuing and pursuing my career as a player, while being a player development coach and a youth hockey pro specialist, I hope this game gets to a point where a young girl growing up knows she doesn’t have to wear many hats in order to make a living being in this game.

But again, I’ve been very fortunate that I’m able to do multiple things at once and have the blessing of the organization to do that because it is a lot. One of my focuses is with the women’s national team. That’s my focus. And my focus can’t only be on the Blackhawks and the prospects. And they are 100% on board with that. So to have their support means a lot to me.

I love how honest that answer is. Not everyone realizes just how much professional female athletes have to struggle with balancing their athletic careers with another job to make ends meet. And the only way to change that is if athletes talk about the struggles and fight for change.

And I hope this position also opens the eyes to so many young boys and girls to see what’s possible. To see that there’s so many other areas within the game of hockey that you can be involved in, that you can make a career out of. And I think hopefully I’ve proven that along the way that you can do many things within this game as I’ve done a lot besides playing. So I think that’s also an equally exciting part about this role.

You are paving the way. And the Blackhawks now have three women working in their hockey operations department. Can you put into perspective what that means for the sport at this point in history?

It’s extremely important. We need to continue to have women in the positions of making decisions when it comes to players, when it comes to helping a team win a championship, when it comes to the business aspect of the organization. We need to make sure the table is as diverse as possible. And there are different viewpoints coming from across all aspects of the game. And then to be a part of an organization that has three women in that position just speaks volumes to the inclusivity of the Blackhawks and the vision that they have for the organization.

And I think we want to have more, we want to be able to make sure there’s not only three. And I think I’m sure you saw Meghan Hunter was promoted as an amateur scout, which was another huge win for women in hockey. But I think it’s just as important for boys and girls to grow up and see women in the position of power alongside men, to know that both men and women are making important decisions as it pertains to sports. And so I think that’s what is also exciting about this role. I think we have a ways to go. The Blackhawks are leading the way as you can see, but there are 31 clubs. And so there’s a lot more room for growth. I’m the first here, the first player development coach, and I think what’s so exciting about it is knowing that someone’s going to be next. There’ll be someone who will come after me. And I hope through the efforts that I put forth, it’ll make the decision of hiring them that much easier.

Like you mentioned, you’re still playing hockey with the US team and the PWHPA.  Do you think being an active player will help you in your new role with the Blackhawks?

Yes, I really do. I think that’s the one unique aspect that I bring to the table is that I am still playing. And I’m sure this might be the first time that a lot of these players have a woman as a coach. I’m sure it’s the first time a lot of them have a coach that’s still actively playing at the highest level. Those are two distinct things that separate me from the other player development coaches they may have.

But I think what I’m excited for, and I know there’s going to be some smack talking I’m sure, is when I’m coaching a player up on something, and he’s watching me play with the women’s national team, and I’m doing the same thing I’m telling him not to do. It’s going to happen. And I’ve already thought about it, and I know I’m going to laugh about it. And I’m looking forward to that because that just shows the trust in the relationship that is being built between the players and myself. All of the best coaches that I’ve had throughout my career are the ones that care about me as a person. And so I want to make sure I have that relationship with the players that I will be working with. And because I’m still playing,I think I have a certain level of empathy for the players and what they’re going through because I’m still going through it myself.

For sure. In my experience playing sports in college, I always loved when our coaches would jump in and run drills with us.

Totally. And it means I have no excuse for a bad pass at practice.

You have mentioned before that being an NHL general manager would be a dream for you. How do you think this job fits into that trajectory?

I think it fits in very well. I think I’m able to see the organization from the business side of things. And I haven’t seen it from that side. I think I have the ability to learn and grow from some of the best in the business within the Chicago Blackhawks organization. And I plan on being a sponge. I plan on learning a ton along the way. I know I’m going to make mistakes, and that’s part of the process. But in order to get to the top, there’s a process to get there. And this is only the beginning for me.

You are originally from Illinois. How special is it to be part of your home team’s organization? 

This is the team I grew up wanting to be on ever since I was three years old. And I’ve made it. I’m on it. I’m here. I grew up 22 miles southwest of the United Center. My family and I would go to Blackhawks games when I was a kid. I played in the junior Blackhawks games when I was playing house league here in Illinois. And it was the highlight of my youth career being able to play at United Center. This was the first hockey team I ever wanted to be on. And I’m on it. And to be able to make decisions to work every single day to help an organization that was the one that I wanted to be on, that I idolized as a kid, is really special. And I think in order to be elite or the best in anything you do, you have to be passionate about it. And there’s no doubt that I’m extremely passionate about this organization.

What’s your schedule look like over the next year in terms of Team USA, PWHPA, and Blackhawks commitments?

With some of those things, your guess is as good as mine due to the pandemic. But we were able to get together with the women’s national team in October, which was awesome. We went in with 53 players healthy. We came out with 53 players healthy. That was the first sign of it being a successful camp. And then second was that everyone was in shape. It was incredible. I think it just shows how committed this team is.

We’re supposed to have a rivalry series in February. If that takes place, I’m not sure, it’s usually against Canada. It just depends on the border being open, the numbers, everything. And then I think the big thing to keep an eye out for is the women’s world championship in April in Halifax. They were supposed to be in Russia, but Halifax got canceled last year, so they just bumped it to Halifax for this year. So that would be in terms of the women’s national team.

PWHPA, we’re hoping to get off the ground and running in January 2021. Again, a lot of it’s TBD. We hope to have events, one, in the United States and events in Canada.

And then from a Blackhawks standpoint, I am currently off the ground and running right as we speak. It’s been an overwhelming couple weeks just getting my feet wet and learning the software and everyone who I’m reporting to and meeting the prospects. And so it feels overwhelming at first, but it’s exciting because I have so much to learn, and learning is the best part of it all.

Satou Sabally plays for the Dallas Wings of the WNBA. The No. 2 pick in the 2020 draft, Sabally was named to the AP All-Rookie team after completing her first season in the historic WNBA bubble. During the season, Sabally became the only rookie to serve in a leadership role on the WNBA Social Justice Council. 

Sabally spoke with JWS about her recent work with Orreco, a sports performance company partnering with Wasserman athletes to better understand the effects of the menstrual cycle on athletic performance. To read more about the partnership, click here. 

How did you first hear about the Orreco x Wasserman partnership and what was your reaction? 

I was put into contact with them through my agency. My team knew how important it was for me to know my body and every single aspect of it. I was very excited since I’ve heard athletes like Megan Rapinoe talk about the effects of hormones and periods before, but I never really knew the science about it.

How knowledgeable were you already about the science regarding how the menstrual cycle affects athletic performance?

I only knew about my cycle from biology and sex education in school. That was it. The only thing I thought I knew was that having your period on game days is a bad thing. But I know now that this is not the case, and the science behind it proves it.

What’s the biggest insight that you’ve learned? 

With every cycle, there are different phases in which I can change my nutrition to further increase my recovery, performance, and progress. What I found most interesting is the intake of antioxidants to reduce inflammation, especially the week before my period starts.

More and more athletes and teams are discussing the need to track the menstrual cycle in order to maximize performance, but what needs to happen to bring this conversation into the mainstream? 

People need to be able to access open conversations around this topic, like we’re doing now. It needs to be so normal to talk openly about your cycle so that no one is ashamed of something so natural. Of course, it always helps if athletes with big names speak about it and make it interesting to know about. Teenagers especially need to see this so that they can talk amongst each other, and their coaches as well

Do you see this partnership as being part of a broader effort to normalize the discussion? 

Yes, through my social media channels I try to be as open as possible and give people access to the resources I have. If I am able to normalize this topic for one person, I am convinced that this will have a trickle-down effect to her/his/their circle and friend group. If coaches see how important this topic is, they can open up this conversation with their athletes as well after finding more out about it.

You’re a few months removed from the WNBA bubble. What will you remember most about your rookie season?

That my body is the foundation for my success. I have to take care of it every single day and do the right things to maintain my health. Being around so many top athletes really showed me that the sky’s the limit.

What are the biggest parts of your game you want to work on this offseason?

I have to improve my mid-range game, being able to finish faster and in different ways without having to go all the way to the rim. After this summer I realized that this will save me a lot more energy on the court (haha).

What are your goals for season 2, and how will this partnership help you achieve them?

My goal for season 2 is to be in the best shape I’ve ever been in. I know it will help me with endurance and preventing injuries since I struggled with one this past summer. This partnership will help me to do exactly that. I found one more way to become a better athlete who understands her body.

Chloe Logarzo plays as a midfielder for both the Australian national team and Bristol City of the FA Women’s Super League. 

This is your first season playing in FAWSL. How has the experience been so far? 

It’s definitely been challenging. I think my thought process behind coming to Bristol was needing to get as many games as possible in before the Olympics. And obviously at the start of the year, which was the end of last season, everything kind of hit. So I guess my plans were kind of overturned. I wasn’t actually meant to be here for as long as I have been, but you know some things don’t always go to plan. I’ve just tried to take it one step at a time, but it’s definitely been challenging having the sort of the season that we had and being in England through lockdowns and being here for a lot longer than I thought I would be.

What led you to sign with Bristol city in particular? I know you mentioned just getting touches and more experience and play under your belt. But what about this team in particular?

So the coach is an Australian coach. She has actually watched me play in the W-League back home in Australia. It was just an easy transition for me to head from Australia into what I would say is a style that I would be comfortable with from an Australian coach.

I’m sure that’s made the transition on the field a little bit easier. 

Definitely. Tanya [Helen Oxtoby] has been over here for such a long time now, when I first had my first call with her, I actually had to ask her if she was Australian because the English accent was so strong. But yeah, I also came over because I knew it was going to be a challenge for me. I came knowing that the team was going to get relegated last year or in a position to get relegated. So I think for me personally, I thought it was an individual challenge for me to come over to a club and try and help them not get relegated.

And we were successful last year. I ended up coming over and we won one game before the lockdown happened and the season ended. And that was the crucial point that we needed to stay above getting relegated. And I think that’s still a challenge for me now. The club is doing all that it can, and I’m just working individually on myself and looking forward to the Olympics coming up next year. And I think that the players surrounding me are amazing people, and I’m lucky to have the people that I do around me.

How would you compare the playing style in FAWSL vs the NWSL? 

I would say that it’s definitely not as athletic. I think the NWSL is super athletic. Every single person is there at the highest level and competing with professional athletes on and off the field, and I commend the NWSL for that. Here I feel like it’s so brutal. Everyone is just out there and they’ll smash you. And sometimes it is about the physicality, where I think the physicality in the U.S. is different than over here.

It’s hard. It really is hard and there’s some incredible players. Lots of Man City and Chelsea players and such at the top, top level. But it’s definitely physical over here. And then I also think there’s a difference in terms of marking, where the NWSL is just so good. Here, you don’t really hear much about FAWSL games. I know the league is still growing, and this could probably be the best league in the world. It should be. But it’s still so far behind in terms of picking up the bottom half of the teams and pushing them to be better. There’s such a divide between the top and the bottom.

I know that Bristol City is closer to the bottom of the rankings currently. What do you think needs to happen to turn things around?

Yeah, I just think it’s been a difficult start for Bristol coming up against really good teams. For us it’s about just finding our stride and having confidence, especially after our first three games against some of the top teams and leaving those games feeling absolutely defeated.

Now it’s about how we pick ourselves up and work together as a team and collaborate to be able to play well against the middle rank and the bottom rank teams, so we can get confidence back in the girls and build from there. It’s just about belief for me.

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I wanted to transition into talking about the national team. The Matildas [Australia’s national team] just hired Tony Gustavsson as the new head coach.What was your reaction to that hire and have you been in contact?

We are extremely excited to have a national team coach announced. We’ve waited a long time for this, and we’re excited to have someone that’s going to be there for a while for the upcoming Olympics and World Cup cycle. It’s been a long time since we’ve had consistency like this. And I think now having the World Cup at home, we’re just really excited to get the ball rolling and finally be able to get into our endeavors and get ready for the Olympics and get ready for that.

It’s been exciting. We’ve had one Zoom call, and it was nice, just a quick introduction. He told us to just stay focused on our seasons over here as we wait for a time when we can have a camp, which unfortunately we weren’t able to schedule during this last international window due to the current climate.

You mentioned Australia co-hosting the 2023 World Cup, but what does that mean to you and for the team?

For me, it’s exciting to be able to play any game in front of your friends and your family, and to make your country proud and to be able to host the World Cup. It’s something that I didn’t think in my lifetime, I’d be able to do at home. I think the Matildas are the most beloved team within Australia, male or female, so on a personal level, I can’t wait for 2023. And as a Matildas team, I think it’s been a long time coming, and it’s going to change the way that sports are perceived within Australia. And I hope that we are able to leave a legacy for young kids within Australia that want to strive to be the best that they can be, whether it’s on the field or off the field, or just being the best at life. Hopefully we are able to inspire just the next generation.

I’m sure also not having to travel is also going to be a huge advantage? 

Oh yeah, for sure. It’ll be interesting to see everyone come to Australia. I feel like we’ve gotten so used to flying everywhere that a 12, 24 hour flight seems quick. So it’ll be interesting to see how different teams adapt to flying and adapt to the culture that we have and the climate. I think it will be a great World Cup, honestly. I think Australia is the perfect place to host such an event and yeah, it’s going to be an amazing, amazing time.

That’s awesome. What do you think needs to happen to put the team in championship contention?

I think it’s what we’ve been doing over the last couple of years, honestly. It’s just a slow tug toward getting to the next level and onto the podium. We don’t like making excuses, but we’ve just had an unfortunate run with national team coaches and not being able to have a consistent lead going into a major tournament. Before our last World Cup, we had a new coach appointed, and then two years before that, before our last Olympic campaign, I’m pretty sure we had a new coach.

So it’s just before major tournaments we haven’t really been the most prepared leading into them. I think that we did as good as we possibly could, but I think that there’s one or two things or pieces missing from our puzzle that hopefully we’ll be able to get into place for this World Cup. And I think, honestly, we were so close up in France, and it was just so disheartening to lose on penalties again. But I think we’re so close. We can see it and we’re gripping it. We just need that final piece.

Lastly, what are your personal goals for this upcoming year? 

My personal goals are just to be consistent. I kind of say it all the time, but if I’m consistent in my own individual playing style, I think that would help me. But obviously with the Olympics coming up, I would like to be as ready as I possibly can. So, getting myself on the score sheet and getting myself on the fit and small goals like that.

Catarina Macario is on her way to becoming the face of the U.S. women’s national team. A two-time Hermann Trophy winner and NCAA champion at Stanford University, the Brazilian-born Macario recently acquired American citizenship on the same day she was called into her first full camp with the senior national team.

Now in the Netherlands training with the USWNT, Macario spoke with Just Women’s Sports about her future with the U.S., whether or not she’ll play for Stanford this spring, and what she’s learned about herself off the field this past year.

First of all, huge congrats on becoming a U.S. citizen. We’re all super excited for you. Can you put into words what that moment meant to you given your 8-year journey since moving to San Diego?

I mean, it meant everything. It still means everything to me, because when I first moved to the U.S., obviously as a little girl, you know how amazing and inspiring the women’s national team players are. For so long, I’ve wanted to be able to join them, and not only that, but to be a part of this wonderful country, which I feel is truly my home, despite being born in Brazil. I truly feel more American than Brazilian given the fact that my developmental years were here. I went to high school here, middle school, and everything. So it was the happy ending to a long and challenging journey. But it’s also just the beginning.

I saw your post and I loved how you mentioned the significance of being able to vote in this election and how that was super valuable to you. 

It was the first thing that I asked my officer when she facilitated the ceremony for me. It was the first thing that I wanted to do, because obviously, that is one right that a U.S. citizen has that a permanent resident does not have. Now I can actually voice my concerns, because I am a citizen of this country. So I’m grateful that it came just in time for me to do that.

I don’t know how much you can say about this, but where are you now in the process in terms of being eligible to play for the national team? 

Right now, I’m literally in the final steps. I have my U.S. citizenship, I have my physical passport, which is why I’m in the Netherlands. So now I just need FIFA to approve my waiver, and I guess just confirm so I can switch my naturalization from Brazil to the U.S. And then I’m good to go. I also do not know when that will happen—it can literally happen at any point. So if it comes before Friday, then I would be eligible to play. I’m just going with the flow and regardless of what happens, I’ll be prepared. 

I’m hoping that I’ll be able to play. If not, I still have a wonderful training environment here, and I’m learning so much from everyone and from all the coaches. Even if I have to miss a match, that’s okay, because I am learning so much. I’m just incredibly grateful to be here.

So when Vlatko called you in for this friendly, was his goal just to give you some experience, or is the assumption that you will be in the Olympic mix and eligible to play next summer in Tokyo?

I think his reasoning behind this camp was definitely getting me integrated within the mix and the group, and getting me with the players. It’s good to hear that he is talking about the Olympics and my role in it. I definitely want to be there. I think this camp was really the initial step to having that happen. Again, like I said, if I don’t play this match, it’s totally okay. It’s only a small part of the bigger picture.

It must be a huge confidence boost to hear him talk about that possibility for you. 

Yeah, any player would love to hear their coach talk about his goals for them. The fact that he has that confidence, that I could one, be eligible, and two, be able to play in that environment—that already gives me so much confidence. Now I want to prove to him and the team that I deserve to be here.

Vlatko himself became an American citizen a few years back. Have you had any conversations with him about what it means to be naturalized as an American?

We briefly talked about it, and he just said how happy he was that I was finally able to gain the certificate that essentially is the seal of approval that you actually belong in the U.S. He just said how happy he was for me, and again, the possibility that citizenship will give me and my family, et cetera. And obviously in the soccer aspect of things, just how he cannot wait to finally be able to coach me and just get me in with the group and what not. So we were all really excited for this long process to have finally come to an end. But at the same time, it’s only the beginning. That was our conversation.

Let’s talk about your first camp with the National team, which was last month. We saw a bunch of new faces there, and this was your first time playing with some of these players. What was that experience like?

It was definitely quite the experience. It was almost easier or more welcoming to the point that I knew that there were other new players as well, so I didn’t feel like I was necessarily standing out as that one new college player who is playing with all these wonderful, well-acclimated players. I was just happy to, one, have my teammate Naomi Girma come with me and experience that with me. That was so much fun, especially because it was just a training camp, so you didn’t necessarily have that pressure to make a game day roster or something like that. Everyone was really just going with the flow each day, just trying their best and showing the different things they can do. It was really fun, though Colorado was very cold.

After a few days of camp, did you feel like you got into the swing of things?

To some extent, yes. Initially, I’d say that I definitely struggled with the pace of things. I briefly mentioned on a video that we had with the USWNT media team, for example, that during my first five-on-five, I had Becky Sauerbrunn and Ali Kreiger in my group, players who I obviously look up to and have grown up watching. To have them be in my group was like, “oh my gosh, what is happening.” Everyone just always brings that high intensity. That not only comes from playing already, but just the fact that they’re on the national team and obviously some of the best players in the world. They find a way to always reach the next level. I think for me, it was another level that I had not seen or experienced before. One that I obviously knew that I could reach, but to have had that right out of the gate, was just like oh, wow.

I will say that I definitely struggled for a few minutes and what not. But eventually towards the end of the camp, I felt like I was able to show some great potential. I felt like, one, obviously I wished that I could have done more, that my body was able to do more. But I definitely felt like it’s totally fine. With more training, I’ve got this, you know?

You mentioned the excitement you felt getting to play with Becky and Ali. Were there any other players specifically that you were most excited to go against last camp and now in the Netherlands?

Last camp, obviously, Lindsey Horan, who plays in the midfield. I have been playing midfield for about a year now. I just tried to learn as much from her as I could, on and off the field. She is obviously a wonderful player, and is very welcoming as well. So I was just taking in as much as I could from her. I was trained to keep my ground as well, because I obviously knew that they’re so amazing, but I also knew that I have something to bring to the table, you know? I had that mindset, that obviously I look up to this player a lot, but it doesn’t mean that I don’t belong in this space.

It’s also super cool that you are playing with so many former Stanford players.

Yeah, it’s great. It makes the transition that much smoother. My first camp, Kelley O’Hara would talk a lot with me. Especially on the field. I think because she had gone to Stanford, and had gone through that process, we almost felt closer more quickly. I had already imagined that she was a super cool person, but to have actually come to know her in person just makes it all the better. I definitely feel comfortable around her. It’s just wonderful. Especially this camp, we have even more people as well, with Alanna Cook, Jane Campbell, etc. We definitely have that bond. Even though some of us didn’t play together, we’ll still always look out for each other.

What does your timeline look like for both the national team and Stanford after this trip?

After this trip, the national team will take a break until January camp, and then in terms of Stanford, we have a report date for the end of December, and we’re supposed to start training in the beginning of January. That’s all I have thus far.

How have you been balancing online classes and training? 

Honestly, in some ways it has been a blessing, and at the same time it has been hard. It’s to the point that, for example, if classes had not been online, I would not have been able to go to San Diego and do what I wanted to do. But it’s also very unfortunate, because I miss having that in person instruction, and just getting to know other people through class, and what not. So there are two sides of it.

In terms of training, I’d say that online school has probably made it easier to give me more flexibility, for example, if I want to train in the morning, that’s fine, because I’ll just watch the lecture later. While I feel like in person, my schedule is very structured, to the point that I can only practice during a two or three hour block, because that’s when I don’t have school. In terms of that, I’m very appreciative. I think I’ve been able to really fine tune the things that I wanted to work on. I’ve been able to have more agency in terms of training how I want to train, and focusing on what I want to do. And I mean there isn’t anything that we can do, really.

I’m not going to lie and say it’s not like I wasn’t sad that my season got postponed. But obviously, it is what it is. We have to do what is safe and healthy for everyone. We really just have to look at the things that we can take away from this time.

What have you heard from Stanford in terms of this season? 

To my understanding thus far, we are heading for it. The season will happen, with practice starting February third, if I’m not mistaken. And we start playing games in the beginning of March. So far, we are optimistic despite cases rising. We’ll just have to take it week by week. But I think this time has been good, as they can implement a safer protocol to have athletes return to playing.

There’s been a lot of talk around your professional future, either in the NWSL or Europe. Obviously, if you choose to go the NWSL route, you’re a shoe-in as the first pick. What will go into that decision, and have you set any personal timeline for making it?

Yeah, honestly that is big the question at the moment. It depends what’s happening with college. Obviously, I would love to play with Stanford again. But at the same time, it would be hard for me to play in the Olympics if I’m not playing games, or if I don’t have contact training, which I have already missed out on for essentially a year. If things are looking like they’ll keep getting postponed, or the season will be canceled, then I will definitely have to make a decision in terms of my future.

Thankfully, I’ve been taking many units and will be able to graduate after this quarter. So if I want to graduate now, I can, and I would be able to start my professional career without having to worry that I’m not getting my degree. I’ve always valued both my academic and athletic careers, so I’m just glad that I have finally reached the point where I can chill for now.

Obviously a lot has happened this year. We talked about Covid, there were also the protests over the summer and a contentious election, which we’re still dealing with. How has this year changed who you are off the field? 

I feel like 2020 has gone on for so long. As a person, I think that I’ve been able to take the time to really think of myself as more than an athlete. Especially because, given the pandemic, we have not been able to do as much as we are used to. It has really given me the time to reflect on what is important to me, whether that be Black Lives Matter, or even the election. To me, I’ve just really been able to take this time to think about who I want to be, how I want to use my platform, and the ways in which I want to make my voice heard. Which started with voting, as soon as I got my citizenship.

Despite so many bad things happening this year, I think this has been a great time to reflect. I think that myself and everyone else has a long way to go, but I’m excited for the future. I’m hoping that people will think of this year as an opportunity to reflect on their past selves, and also think about what they want to do going forward, what they want to say, what matters to them. I don’t think this would have been possible without the pandemic, honestly. Even though it’s horrible, there are always some silver linings to everything.

Last question for you. Obviously your first goal is to get through the final step of getting to play with the national team. Once that happens, what’s your ultimate goal with the national team?

Given that the Olympics are right around the corner, my ultimate goal as of now is to obviously make the roster. Ultimately, I think I just want to serve as an example that really anyone can achieve anything. Coming from Brazil, and going through so many obstacles, my goal now is to inspire people. That’s cliché, of course, the “never give up” message. It’s more just, that the things that are in your way will only make you stronger. They are there for a reason. I think for me, my whole life has really been a series of obstacles. If I can do it, then anyone can. And I’m not even saying, “Oh my gosh, I’ve had so many messed up things.” It’s not even that. If you have the determination and that commitment, and really believe in yourself, and you focus on your craft and what matters to you, then anything is possible.

I will carry that mentality going into the next few months leading into the Olympics. I will just work hard, and know that if it happens, it happens. If not, then I’m still going to be super proud of myself for coming this far and trying my hardest. At the end of the day, I won’t be disappointed. It’s going to be okay. We’ll move on from that. In four years, there will be another one. And even before then, there will be the World Cup.

Mariah Duran is an American skateboarder who will be competing to represent the USA next summer when skateboarding makes its Olympic debut. A two-time X Games gold medalist, Duran spoke with Just Women’s Sports about her current partnership with sports technology company Orreco, which is helping athletes better understand the effects of their period on their athletic performance.

(To read an overview of the partnership, click here.) 

How did you first hear about the Wasserman and Orreco partnership, and what was your reaction? 

My agent actually hit me up about it and briefly told me what it was about, how they basically study the female body in athletes and want to educate their partners on how their systems work. I was really interested because it’s something that we don’t really dive into very often in the skating world or for female athletes in general. We’re always compared to guys, especially in skating. It was really cool to just be talking to somebody who’s comparing me to other females and going off of that evidence to try to help me have the best performance in my sport. That was really cool and eye opening for me. And it kind of just made me more aware of everything.

How knowledgeable were you already about the science regarding how the menstrual cycle affects athletic performance?

Honestly, I only knew about as much as I’d learned in school. After that, it was just me experimenting to see what works for my life and my training. I never really knew why it worked or why it didn’t work. More so, I didn’t really have a full understanding that we have completely different systems than men which affect our training and recovery. I was always under the impression that it was for one week of the month, and during that week, you’re just not going to be at your A game.

As an athlete, you have so many other barriers to get over, but as far as understanding the female body, what really stood out to me was that there’s two different systems, and one is not broken. We’re not weaker than a male. We’re just two different things. And I’ve used this analogy before, but it’s like we’re two different cars. One’s an automatic car and the other one’s a manual car. We have to shift into different gears to get where we’re going, but we’re still going to the same place.

That’s a great analogy, I never thought of it in that way either. Yulin [Mariah’s agent] had mentioned that you discovered a correlation between one of the biggest injuries you had in your career last year during a contest and just being unaware of your cycle and how that affects performance. Can you talk about that episode, and how things could have gone differently? 

Totally! So last year I had a stress fracture in my tailbone. It was in a contest and it was one of my worst injuries because it was kind of just a freak accident, but it was due to a lot of fatigue and just a hard week of contests. Those things just happen, but it was also something where, had I known how my body reacts throughout not only just one week of the month, but through the entire month, I probably could have been more prepared and more aware of my body, which could have prevented the injury.

Before I started working with Orreco, I skated with my brothers, and I just had this mentality to push until you can’t push anymore. Mentally, that’s the thing that has gotten me as far as I have. But now understanding the physical being of a woman, I think I can take some smaller steps that will help myself avoid fatigue.

And if you are menstruating then you know what to do for your body, you know what to feed your body so that it can keep going at the pace you want it to go. And I think that for me, it was kind of just a lack of education, but I also just never really knew that there was even something to be learned about this. It was kind of always something that I thought, Oh man, maybe it’s just me. I don’t see any of the other girls slamming hard, you know what I mean? And it’s not spoken about much, so it’s really cool to just learn and teach other people by passing on the word.

You’re actively taking the chance to educate some of your female friends and teammates on the subject, but what do you think needs to happen to bring this conversation into the mainstream?

I’ve always kind of believed in just leading by example, because it’s kind of hard to force education upon people who don’t really understand it or aren’t curious. But if I can somehow incorporate this in my skateboarding and people can see the benefits, they’ll be curious and they’ll ask questions about how I’ve gotten where I am.

Leading as a role model, and just bringing awareness—because it’s something that’s not really spoken about, especially as a female. I don’t really discuss how I feel except with my brothers, because they’re my brothers. I’ll tell them if I’m menstruating or whatever, but as far as everybody that I’m competing with or whatever, it’s a harder or more uncomfortable conversation for others to hear that or whatever. So I would like to bring a little bit more awareness, even if it’s small, and leading by example is one way to do that.

In addition to injury prevention like you mentioned, how else has Orreco changed or impacted your training specifically?

It honestly just made me more aware in my training of what I’m putting my body through. Because skateboarding is such a hard thing to regulate, I would say. It’s not like any other sport. In basketball, you could have training in the morning and practice in the afternoon. But with skateboarding, it’s very sporadic. There isn’t a set training schedule. You pull up to a skatepark and you yourself are accountable for how much you want to push yourself. For me, I’m my own coach and my own player. I have to hold myself accountable. And working with Orreco has helped me adapt to certain situations and understand that I’m not always going to be able to push myself the same way every single day of the month. I’ve definitely underestimated rest the past two years, and now I’m taking it into consideration.

Orreco reminds me to get more fuel during the day, and get an extra two hours of sleep during the week, and put my phone down two hours before bed and turn off the TV. And I can feel the difference in doing these little things. And understanding why it works, it’s easier to follow through. And for them to be down to be on this journey with me is awesome. It’s perfect because it doesn’t really interfere with anything. It’s more of just understanding this is my lifestyle and okay, this is how you should be fueling, resting. And it doesn’t interfere with the creativity of my craft. I still have freedom to try to train when I want, to go skate when I want, I just have to do certain extra steps to just help my body recover, be ready. So that’s really nice.

So separate from Orreco, I wanted to chat with you about what the rest of the year looks like. I know you’re working towards the 2021 Olympics, which is super exciting because this is the first year that skateboarding is in the games. How have you been preparing? 

Honestly, having the Olympics postponed was a blessing in disguise for me personally. The past few years have been an insane amount of traveling, insane amount of contests and also just other projects aside from getting ready for the Olympics. I never really had the time to take the time to understand where I’m at in my level of skateboarding and also what I need to do to help my body prepare for the Olympics. It’s weird to say, but having this whole pause made me just realize that I literally have gotten into skateboarding before the Olympics was even an option. So it’s kind of nice to know that the Olympics isn’t everything to me, but it is definitely that matters. And I want to prepare for that moment, but I also want to enjoy the journey. It’s weird to say, but just being present is the most important thing you could do for yourself. Each day counts.

It’s kind of one of those things where it’s like, I don’t want to put so much pressure on trying to predict how the future is going to be, because I really don’t know. And this year was an example of that. It felt like the world shut down overnight. I just have to control what I can control. Lately I’ve just been creating training routines with some of my trainers, through Zoom of course. It’s definitely nice because it’s just very simple and very effective for me.

So I’ve just had a lot of time to just work on myself physically and just kind of just be present. I don’t know what the future holds. I definitely know that I’m working towards the Olympics, but I also know that I’m just working every day. So I think that that’s like the main thing that I’ve just been telling myself is to stay present.

Gwen Svekis is a professional softball catcher who recently competed in the inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited softball. A graduate of the University of Oregon, Svekis led the Ducks to three College World Series appearances and was named the NFCA Catcher of the Year. Below, she spoke with Just Women’s Sports about her first season with Athletes Unlimited and what it means for the future of softball. 

Looking back at your first season with AU, what are your overall thoughts on how it went?

We thought it was going to be super dramatic and high stress. What we found was we created a culture off the field within the 56 athletes that fostered the exact opposite. It was no drama. It was a super empowering environment off the field, which I think made it extremely enjoyable on the field with the rotating teams. It was pretty easy to gel immediately because it really, really felt like one gigantic 56 person team rather than just a bunch of random groups of people thrown together. That was a huge takeaway. I think the other thing is just, it’s so exciting to see the future of our sport. Now there’s a group of us that talk almost every day. And it’s hard for us to watch baseball or college softball games or travel ball games without thinking through the Athletes Unlimited point system, which is really cool. We were watching a baseball game after the season ended, and we were like, “Oh my God, that was a 70 point hit.” It’s been really cool just to sort of feel like we truly did revolutionize our sport and we’re just so excited for the future and what it has to hold.

What surprised you about the scoring system?

I was surprised at how well it went for our first year. I was expecting a few more hiccups, a few more outliers within the ranks. I think what we found is it truly did work itself out. Is it perfect? No, I think we definitely will make some tweaks to it at some point, but I think overall for the first year, it was surprising how successful it was. I know on social media, there’s a lot of chit-chat about things that need to be changed. But I think from within our system, we don’t feel like it needs to be that much different.

Did you find yourself thinking about the point system as you were playing or was it an afterthought? 

For me, it was mostly an afterthought and that was for a few reasons. I didn’t want to think about it during the season. I went into the season thinking I can’t get caught thinking about the point system or I will plummet. It’s the same way in normal softball. If you get caught thinking about your stats, you’re not going to do well. So I tried not to think about it. I would check at the beginning of every week and be like, “Wow, I dropped X amount of spots this week. I need to really get it together.” In that way, I thought about it, but I would not be mid-game and be like, “Oh my God, I need 10 points here to jump X, Y, and Z.”

You placed in the top 5 leaderboard at the end of it all. What did that mean to end up there? 

I thought it was super rewarding, especially because I had won a lot of games being on Cat Osterman’s teams the whole time. But it was nice to feel like at the end I did well enough to get myself where I was rather than just being Cat’s catcher the whole time. It was nice to have a breakout final week and to feel like I earned that spot for my defensive play.

You mentioned Cat — she obviously proved she is still the GOAT despite her age. And you and her obviously had amazing chemistry. Throughout the six weeks, she picked you first in the draft a number of times. Can you speak to what it was like to play with her and why you think you worked so well together?

For starters, the eight year old in me was just so ecstatic about it. I think it was just so cool because I was tasked with trying to get Cat in the league at first. I called her giving her the first sales pitch. And when she signed up, I was like, “Okay, I want to play with someone as elite as she is.” I wanted to pick her brain, and so when we got together the first week, I was like, “Hey, I want to catch your bullpen.” I think that set the tone for our relationship.

Then straight out of the gates, we were super successful together. Some of that’s just Cat being Cat, but I also think she was immediately comfortable with me behind the plate. And then after that, we quickly got to the point where I probably didn’t even have to call pitches, and we still would have thrown a successful game together, which is every battery’s dream.

AU has already announced a 2021 season. Will you return next year?

If I get offered another contract, yes, I will be playing next year. It’s cool. I’m on the player executive committee. We recruited all the players for this year and we’re starting the recruitment for next year. It’s really cool being in the conversations and re-going through it. Now there’s obviously a lot of hype backing us. Before, we were trying to convince people to take the leap of faith without really knowing what we were doing. And now there’s a lot of hype and there’s a lot of excitement.

It’s awesome that college players now have something to look forward to.

That’s been something that’s been really exciting for us because, like I said at the beginning,  it’s just so exciting to know there’s a future for our sport. The NPF [National Pro Fastpitch], we’ve survived 17 years, but I use the word “survived.” We haven’t thrived. It’s just players that aren’t ready to hang it up or that love the game and want to pay it forward to the next generation. Now, I truly feel like there’s another opportunity on the horizon that could really, really be a professional environment for these young players.

I talked to a college team yesterday and I’m looking around at the freshmen thinking, “God, I hope what we’re doing right now makes it so that you guys can play professionally one day and actually truly make it an option to play rather than playing just because you don’t know what’s next.”

I heard that you are continuing to work with AU on the business side as a player coordinator during the February volleyball season. What will that look like?

I’ve been involved with Athletes Unlimited since last October. That’s when I signed on as a player, became a part of the player executive committee, and then I was consulting for them for the whole year. Right when I finished my master’s degree, I reached out and said, “Hey, listen. This is what I want to do. I want to dive into this full-time.” I went through an interview process and got hired on as the manager of player care and coordination across all sports under Athletes Unlimited. I’ve been building the volleyball league, and am now involved in our lacrosse league, handling player relations.

What are your other softball plans for the rest of the year until next season?

I work remotely, so I’m moving to Colorado with my former college roommate. I’m excited to have that quality of life, be in that environment, be able to go hiking and be outdoors. And then I’ll just be training, and then I will be in Nashville for the volleyball season. I’ll go move for that, be there for the duration of that, and then just start training again. Hopefully there’s an NPF season to supplement Athletes Unlimited. I haven’t really thought very long and hard about that and what that looks like for me, but I’ll definitely be training because I definitely plan to play in Athletes Unlimited next year.

Ali Riley is an American soccer player who plays defense for Swedish club Rosengård on loan from the Orlando Pride of the NWSL. As a collegiate athlete, Riley captained the Stanford soccer team to two NCAA semifinals and one final. Internationally, Riley captains the New Zealand women’s national soccer team. Below, Just Women’s Sports talks with Riley and Malmö Clothing Company founder Emilio Bernard about the soccer star’s new collaboration in celebration of the LGBTQ+ community. 

You can shop Ali Riley’s Malmö collection here. 

This collaboration is significant for so many reasons, one of which is the fact that it only furthers your connection to the city of Malmö. Can you explain what the city has come to mean to you over the years?

It’s become my home. I feel so lucky to have left my first home in California and come to a country I knew nothing about, and just be welcomed with open arms to a club and a community. This city really does celebrate diversity. Of course, there is always room to grow. I think spreading love and embracing our differences is so important right now. Malmö has done a great job of celebrating women and our cause is all about celebrating strong women and inspiring young girls. We stand for really important things, one of them is supporting and celebrating the LGBTQ+ community.

Part of this collaboration, for me, is realizing that I was welcomed as a foreigner into this country and this city with open arms, and I want that for everyone. I will be giving my percent of the profits to RFSL [The Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Rights] Newcomers Foundation, which helps anyone in the LGBTQ+ community who is seeking asylum in Sweden. The foundation helps them with legal issues and gives them a community to meet other people. I thought it was the least I could do to use my privilege to help other people.

Have you ever done a collaboration like this before?

No, actually, I don’t even think I’ve ever designed anything. This graphic with the rainbow embroidery just came to mind and Malmö Clothing Company was so helpful. They made it so easy for me to just pick out what style I like, what colors, what materials and what graphic. They helped me bring it to life and it’s all made with love here in Malmö.

You spoke to the significance of the collaboration, but what does it mean to you to be partnering with a local company?

I love supporting local brands, local restaurants and local bars. I think it is so important to support our city and our community. With Malmö Clothing Company, the clothing is not only local, but it is also organic and they make sure to use Fair Trade and certified factories. There are so many choices out there for clothing and for food, and with those choices, we can actually make a difference. So, why not lead by example? I also love working with a local company because it’s showing pride in our city, and I love Malmö. When you’re biking or training and you see someone walk by with a Malmö Clothing Company hat, it gives you such a cool sense of pride and community.

You said that you had never really designed anything before, but have you always had a visual sense or was this a completely new adventure for you?

This is completely new. It’s funny because I wear what’s comfortable, and I wear a lot of active wear. I don’t give that much thought to what I wear. Ever since I arrived in Sweden, I have had to wear a lot more clothing and I made this decision that when I buy clothes like t-shirts and sweatshirts from now on, I’m only going to buy clothes that mean something. I decided this at the beginning of 2020 and I started being on the lookout for clothes that supported a cause or were made with recycled materials, things like that. It is really important to me to support good causes, so when this collaboration fell into my lap, I just thought it was so perfect. Ali Krieger and Ashlyn Harris were inspirations for me because they had a collaboration with a company all about being an ally, and they designed this shirt that said, “Love whoever the fuck you want.” I love that.

Can you describe your collection for us? 

We have sweatshirts, t-shirts and a hat, so far. I’m not going to give myself too much credit, but the color palette for the particular sweatshirt that I chose is so nice. We kept the t-shirts more basic, so that the rainbow letters pop out more. I originally designed the collection with spring colors, but now that we are moving into fall, there will be another selection and hopefully we can introduce even more colors. I want to do a tote bag, too. Just to have as many people as possible representing Malmö the city, the clothing company and the pride collection.

You spoke a little bit about how you’re donating a percentage of the profits to the Swedish Federation for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Intersex Rights. Why was it important to you to both highlight that organization and the cause it represents? 

Going to the PULSE Memorial in Orlando had a really profound effect on me. I know that there’s discrimination and hate crimes and homophobia out there, but to see it firsthand and to think that people so close to me experienced that kind of discrimination when we are all human, really affected me. There are so many people close to me who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community — people who I love who inspire me. I thought it was so important to support those people, celebrate love, celebrate the LGBTQ+ community and bring awareness. Also, putting your money where your mouth is is important. While spreading awareness is one part of being an ally, making a donation and investing money into programs is also an important part of it. More than just saying that I’m an ally and that I support and love my friends, it is important to actually show it.

When you go to the Malmö Clothing Company website, your collection is right on the homepage. Did you see that? 

I know, it’s so cool. My two friends and my Mom were my models. One of my friends was born and raised around Malmö in Sweden. The other girl is from Scotland and we’ve played together for many years here. And then my Mom just happened to be in Sweden at the time. While I haven’t had to experience any discrimination from my sexuality, I think it’s really cool that my mom is supportive of this campaign and this collaboration. We’ve talked about it, and I know that she would love me and support me no matter what. And, I think it’s cool for an older generation to be part of this collaboration, as well.

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

They do ship to the US and, once again, all of my profits are going to the RFSL Newcomers Foundation. I am so thankful that Malmö Clothing Company gave me this opportunity to use my platform to make a difference. It makes me wonder, what more we can do as players. We are in this space now where we do have a bigger following as female athletes, so how can we use it? I think it is our responsibility to make the world a better place.

MALMÖ CLOTHING COMPANY FOUNDER EMILIO BERNARD:

 

Can you give us a quick introduction to Malmö Clothing Company?

I grew up in Oxnard, California, but I quickly left, went to school and started living in the Bay Area. I met my partner when I was living in the Bay Area and she was from Sweden. She basically said, “Runaway with me. I’ll take you to this awesome place called Sweden.” I came out here the first time in 2013 and basically never left. When I first moved, I had no vision for what I wanted to do, so I just did a little bit of everything. I quickly figured out that I was actually really into graphic design. I found some work with graphic design in the music industry and then I started a design studio with a friend. We did that for about five years, but I’ve always been very interested in printing processes and printing techniques.

That, in parallel, worked with an idea that whenever my friends would come visit me in Malmö, there was never anything that they could take home that was a representation of the city. You see cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, and you can’t look five meters down the road without seeing somebody wearing some Los Angeles script t-shirt or some SF Giants stuff. There is that pride here in Malmö too, but nobody was really capturing it and having fun with it. So, I started Malmö Clothing Company about three years ago. The city has been super receptive. People see the effort, they see that it’s genuine and they see that it’s sustainable. It’s been a slow growth over three years, but our stuff is all over town now.

Where did the idea for the collaboration with Ali come from?

It’s interesting because she came into the shop and I was working that day along with my colleague. We were both chit-chatting and Ali came in with all this energy, which is not very Swedish at all. Swedish culture is usually very reserved. We started talking and we realized that we were both from California. I recognized her, but I couldn’t remember how until she left the shop and posted on Instagram about us. I messaged her back like, “Hey, I’ve been meaning to talk to you. Are you interested in doing a collaboration?”

For a while, I had been wanting to reach out to the athletic community, especially FC Rosengård, because they have so much positive energy within their organization. For us, it was the perfect collaboration. She was all in and it was surprisingly easy to make it all work.

Ali mentioned that the design for the collection came to her right away. How did you ensure that the collection would fit both her taste and her ideas as well as the company’s brand?

We have a pretty simple minimalist brand. We try not to do too much. We also have a really good garment supplier. I basically try to only work with them because they have some of the highest standards in the business. They have all of the best certifications in terms of sustainability, and ethics. I pretty much gave her the catalog and said, “Go for it.” She chose something that I had never considered, so it was a bit of a gamble. Ali is our target customer, though. She’s the kind of person that we want to wear and buy our clothing and she’s also bringing a totally new perspective. That was all the convincing I needed, and it’s been super popular. Everybody who comes in says, “Damn, it’s so nice. It feels really high quality and it’s super comfortable.” So, yeah, it’s a 10 out of 10.

You mentioned that you hadn’t yet done anything to celebrate Pride. Why was it important for you to make a collection celebrating the LGBTQ+ community?

There’s a couple of reasons. The most obvious one is that Malmö and Copenhagen were chosen as the International Pride cities for this year, but it got postponed to next year. At the same time, the history of Malmö is quite interesting. Just on a quick note, Malmö is a very, very diverse city — 50 percent of the people who live here are not from here, which is quite rare for a Swedish city. It’s definitely an inclusive city in a lot of ways, and that’s now built into the fabric of the culture of Malmö itself. So I think that’s an important characteristic that needs to be promoted and celebrated. There’s also the whole micro-community aspect where we want to celebrate those communities. Yes, we are all one big community, but there are also smaller communities that we can lift up and shine a spotlight on.

You will have to promote the collection again next year when they do all of the Pride celebrations!

Exactly. This is just the warm-up collection.

How did Ali’s role as a professional athlete play into the collection? 

Obviously, her platform is important because she has a megaphone she can use. When we, as a brand, come up with something, we have — I don’t even want to call it a megaphone. It’s more of a piece of folded paper that we talk through. It only has so much reach. We feel like the message with this collection needed to be propped up on a higher platform and she is the perfect person to do that. Ali actually uses her platform to push out good causes more than just her professional accomplishments. There are more components of her life that have weight to them other than her professional soccer playing skills. I think it was a good mix.

Ali mentioned that it was important for her to work with a company that had international shipping so that her family and friends from home could be a part of it and to keep spreading the message.  

It’s funny to think that there are people out there in Texas and New Jersey and Florida rocking a Malmö sweatshirt with a little rainbow on it. I reckon that when people see it and they see the rainbow, they’re like, “Yep, that’s positive vibes right there.”

Is there anything else that you wanted to add?

Just one. Malmö gets a pretty bad rap in Swedish media, but people fail to highlight a lot of the great things happening in the city. There are so many small businesses and start-ups that are out here working on women’s health, health accessibility, education accessibility and more. So many good things come out of Malmö that just get swept under the rug. I think it’s important to highlight when something fun like this comes out. It’s great for the city and it’s good to push back with a little bit of positivity.

Denise O’Sullivan plays as a midfielder for Brighton & Hove Albion of the English FA Women’s Super League, on loan from the North Carolina Courage of the NWSL. O’Sullivan also plays for the Republic of Ireland’s women’s national team. She spoke with Just Women’s Sports about her decision to play on loan and how she’s adjusted to the change of scenery. 

What went into your decision to move on loan from North Carolina to Brighton & Hove Albion? 

Initially, I didn’t want to leave the Courage, but with the Irish national team, we had international games in September, October and December, which were all in Europe. So in order for me to be able to go to those games, I basically needed to be in Europe because otherwise I would have had to travel back and forth and done six weeks quarantine. And I would have basically missed maybe all of the Courage games and a lot of the training as well.

The club was really, really good to me. They understood what was going on and the situation, and they knew I needed game time and training. So Brighton were interested, my agent spoke to them, and I think it wasn’t a hard decision for me at all to come here. Two of my Irish teammates play for Brighton, and I had heard it was a great club. That was the decision, really.

How has the transition been, playing with new teammates and a new coach?

It’s been really good. Obviously when I got here I had to do two weeks quarantine. So that was tough. I had to go to an apartment by myself almost an hour away from everyone. That was probably the hardest bit about coming here. But once I was done and met the team, I really settled in very well. Having my two Irish teammates there made it a lot easier for me obviously, because I live with the two of them as well. But the team has been really nice, very supportive of me coming here. Really good girls, a very good club, and they’ve made me feel very comfortable. So I’ve gelled in really well so far.

How about the transition off the field? I know you said the team is great and you live with some teammates, but how has it been just adjusting to living in a new place, especially when we are still in a pandemic?

It’s hard. Obviously, living with the Irish girls, it’s made it a lot easier for me being with them every day and stuff, but really, we’re not allowed to do anything, to be quite honest. We go training, maybe go for a coffee or something like that, but we have to be really aware of where we’re going with all the restrictions and stuff, and just be really careful with this virus. I’m only an hour away from my family, but I can’t see them, I haven’t seen them in eight months. That’s been the toughest part for me. I’m so close, but they can’t come over and I haven’t been able to get back yet. Hopefully I’ll see them in a few weeks.

And how have you adjusted not only to playing with a new team, but playing your first season in the WSL?

It’s been good. It’s different. The league is really competitive. Obviously, you’ve seen so many players coming from overseas to the league. Really world class players, and it’s only making it better, but the league is growing every year. And it’s a challenge, but it’s a challenge that I’m relishing and playing in the games here. Obviously I had to get used to it. And I’m only five games in so far, so I’m still learning. I’m learning here with the new team and playing the likes of Arsenal and Man City, they’re really competitive games. But it’s only going to make me better as a player, so I’m very excited to be here with Brighton and learn from these players and coaches.

 How would you compare the playing style versus the NWSL?

I would say it’s more technical here in England. More technical players. I think that the US league is more transitional, if you ask me. But other than that, I think the quality of leagues, I don’t think there’s much between them at all. All of them are really competitive, top class players. So I wouldn’t say one is better than the other if someone asked me.

 And how would you describe Brighton’s mindset?

At the moment, we’re a lower ranked team in the league. But I think we’re the type of team that just goes out and works really hard. Working really hard for each other. We have each other’s back during games, whether we’re losing or winning. So I think that’s kind of the mindset with us. I would think just really hard workers, to be quite honest.

How would you compare the COVID protocols between the two leagues? Are they pretty similar or is there a difference given the different situations that each country is in?

I only played in the Challenge Cup in America. That was really strict. Obviously, it was very positive and it worked out great there, but here in England it’s pretty much the same. It’s very strict, and we are restricted from going places outside of training and stuff like that. And just hygiene, wearing masks. Everything is pretty much the same. I guess the only big difference is, well, not even between the leagues, but just in general, is not being able to see your family when you’re so close.

Do you have any specific personal goals for this season?

I wouldn’t say goals. I just think for me, I don’t really set goals, to be quite honest. I just want to get better as a player every day. I want to keep learning and growing. I think for the national team, obviously wanting to get to the Euros is huge for me. We are in second place and we have one more game to go next month. So I think that will be my biggest personal goal right now, if I said I had a goal.

And what does the next year look like in terms of balancing club and national team commitments?

With the Courage, I think we’ll probably start preseason in February or something like that, and then the season. But with the national team, I’m really unsure of what I have next year. So I think we’ll just have friendlies basically. Hopefully if we make the playoffs for the Euros then that will be next April. So that’s really what I know right now.

Gwen Jorgensen is a professional distance runner and former triathlete. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, Jorgenson won the USA’s first-ever triathlon gold medal. She spoke with Just Women’s Sports about her current partnership with Wasserman and Orreco, which looks to help athletes understand their periods effects on their athletic performance. (To read an overview of the partnership, click here.) 

How did you first hear about the partnership and what was your reaction? 

I remember Wasserman reached out and just said, “Wasserman’s been working with Orreco about their periods and how it affects performance.” And I was really intrigued and curious. I’ve always been a big proponent about getting your period. And I think when I was growing up, there was this stigma of like, “Oh, if you don’t get your period, it’s a good thing.” And so, I was very interested, very intrigued, curious, but I was also a little doubtful.

But honestly, my partnership with them has surpassed and exceeded all my expectations. And I want everyone to have their own little Dr. Georgie in their circle. It’s been incredible. I’m a mom and a female athlete, and as an athlete I was once told that I could manipulate my period by going on birth control so that I wouldn’t be on my period during race days because otherwise you’ll perform worse. It came from a male figure who was kind of a coach. And that never really resonated with me well. And so, talking to Dr. Georgie and just hearing like, “No, we can do things like sleep and manipulate nutrition to actually perform on any day of your cycle.” I love that, and I love seeing the impact of that, and I think that’s a really great message for women.

How knowledgeable were you already about the science regarding how the menstrual cycle affects athletic performance? 

I would say I wasn’t super knowledgeable. I knew little things about why some women need to go on hormonal birth control, but I never knew the science behind it. I’d heard women talking about why they cooked certain foods during different phases in their cycle, and I remember being really intrigued by that, but I didn’t really research it.

What’s most surprising about the science/or what’s the biggest insight that you’ve learned?

There’s been so many, it’s hard to pick one. For me personally, it was interesting because Dr. Georgie asked me if I got any symptoms, and I told her, no, I’m great. I don’t really get any symptoms. But she asked me to start tracking them anyways, and it turned out, I actually had a lot of symptoms. And I was like, “Well, yeah, but I just feel blessed because they’re not debilitating. I can live my life and it’s fine if I get a cramp, etc.” For me, I never talked about them as symptoms because I thought they were minimal. So that was really neat for me to learn and go through and have her acknowledge, “Those symptoms that you’re getting, maybe they’re not stopping you from doing what you’re doing, but we can make them even better, so you can perform even better on every day of your cycle.”

Some of the biggest things I learned were around nutrition. I feel like the, “You eat more fatty fish and berries around your fourth and first phase and eat more carbs during the training in phases three and four, then carbo-load in phases one and two” — things like that are interesting. I had some different coaches throughout my career who have wanted me to fast and to have some fasted runs or things like that. And to know that maybe during certain phases that might not be good, but during other phases of my cycle, it may be better — learning things like that has been really interesting.

More and more athletes and teams are discussing the need to track the menstrual cycle in order to maximize performance, but what needs to happen to bring this conversation into the mainstream? 

I think there’s some people on our team who are more shy about it or don’t want to talk about it. But right now I’m part of the Bowerman Track Club, and Shalane Flanagan just became a coach. She’s always been super good about making it very known. Like, “If you aren’t getting your period, speak up, saying something to us.” Because that’s an indicator of something going wrong.

And so that’s a good thing. But I feel like to help take it to the next level, coaches need to have a really good open line of communication about periods. I think there’s a lot of females with male coaches, and I think it’s just like, “Oh, we shouldn’t talk about that.” But it needs to be more prevalent. And I think it needs to be talked about more between athletes and their coaches. The coaches that I’ve loved are experts at getting me ready to be my best on race day. They’re not afraid of having other people join the circle, right? So I have a sports psychologist. I have a nutritionist. I have a strength coach. Everyone is an expert in their field. And I think it’s important to have somebody like a Dr. Georgie in that circle, as somebody who’s an expert on my period and how it relates to my performance. I think it should be normal to say, I have a nutritionist, and I have a period coach.

One of the things I’ve loved about Dr. George is that we don’t have to change our training. We can mitigate symptoms through things like getting more rest or having certain foods or doing some yoga during certain times of your cycle so that you’re ready to perform on any day of your cycle. I think that’s super important for people to know. This isn’t like, “Oh, you can’t perform on day 20 of your cycle.” It’s not like that at all. It’s more, “No, we want to get you so that every day of your cycle, you’re ready to be a hundred percent.” And that’s something that is just so cool to be able to learn about and to be able to know I’m flying up to the start line and no stone has been left unturned. I know that no matter what day of my cycle I am, I can perform.

Do you see this partnership with Orreco as being part of a broader effort to normalize the discussion?

Yeah. I mean, we need to normalize periods, bottom line. We just need to normalize them, and menstruating, and females. And I think there’s not a lot of studies that have been done on females, and it’s sad. And I think what Orreco and FitrWoman and Dr. Georgie and everyone’s doing is going to bring it more to the forefront. But it definitely is going to take a lot of effort and time and getting the word out and letting people know this is important and sports science is not just about male athletes, it’s about female athletes as well.

How has this experience with Orreco changed or impacted your training?

Honestly my training isn’t actually changing that much, which is what I actually love about this partnership. But it’s everything outside of what you would typically consider training that’s changing. So my nap schedule, my resting, the foods I focus on and those sorts of things are changing, and that’s been something that’s been super cool to see then how that actually transforms into better training. And it’s not perfected. I still have monthly calls with Dr. Georgie and we’re like, “Okay, what went well this month?”

Sometimes there’s a new symptom that pops up and we’re like, “Okay, we’ve never seen this before. Why do we think that is? Did you have a down week? Did you train super hard? What are the factors?” That’s why I think, going back to earlier when I said, “Maybe we need a period coach.” Because it is something that’s ever-evolving and ever-changing.

Was there anything else that you wanted to bring up that I didn’t mention at all?

I think it’s just so important to normalize periods and know that, if you’re an athlete, it’s not okay if your period stops. Know that it’s good to talk about these things and everyone gets different symptoms and we can overcome those and become better athletes if we are able to do the right things and keep focused on the process.

Madison Hammond is a defender for OL Reign of the NWSL. After playing collegiate soccer at Wake Forest University, Hammond became the first Native American soccer player to play in the NWSL. Below, Hammond talks to JWS about her rookie season, what it means to her to be the first Native American NWSL player, and how she plans to advocate for others moving forward. 

Now that the Fall Series is almost over, what are your thoughts on how it went?

Given the circumstances with COVID and all of the uncertainty, I personally benefited from the Fall Series, especially as a rookie. And, in our pod, we had Portland and Utah, which are two really good teams with full rosters, so it was definitely a good challenge to experience firsthand. It was all high energy and competition — it was so much fun. Overall, I think the Fall Series was great for individual development, but it was also great for team development. It gave us time to get to know our new head coach, figure out our style of play and discover our team chemistry. In my opinion, it was a beneficial two months.

This has been quite the year to be a rookie in the league. When you look back on the last 6 months, what stands out to you? 

My mind goes to so many different places when answering this question. For me, being on the field has made me realize how much potential I have and how much room I have to grow as a professional athlete. It wasn’t a fake rookie season, but it felt like that in a way. I had an opportunity to really put myself out there and not feel as much pressure. The time also helped me learn to be ready for anything. I feel like my entire life has been very cookie cutter, but now I’m just trying to learn to take things as they come in terms of soccer.

Off the field, what stuck out most to me, during this time, is that people care about what I have to say — not just about sports, but about what it’s like to be a female athlete in sports, a Black athlete in sports. It’s really been eye opening for me to realize that even though I’m a rookie, even though I’m really young, I still bring something of value to this industry and this sport. I think that’s really exciting.

You are the first Native American player in the league. What does that mean to you?

For me, being the first has been a very humbling experience. When you look at other people who have been the first of anything, it’s like, “Oh, that is so cool.” But, I don’t look at myself in that way. Maybe it’s because I’m only 22 years old and I’m still trying to figure out how to operate as a professional athlete. Even in this short amount of time, though, having people reach out and be inspired by my story has inspired me in reaction. It motivates me to keep working hard because people are noticing and it’s actually having an impact on people. It’s kind of mind blowing to be honest.

You’ve talked before about your experience attending a predominantly white school (Wake Forest University) and learning to speak up about your Native American background and experience. The NWSL is a predominantly white league. Has it been a similar experience in terms of entering a space where not a lot of people likely understand Native American culture? 

When I went to Wake, it was almost as if I operated in a space where my racial identity was an experience that I was undergoing myself. Even though I put myself in places to have conversations with people about racial diversity and racial inclusion on campus, no one really asked me how I felt about certain things. No one sat down and asked me about what it’s like being a Native American.

Now, on my team, it’s really different. I feel fortunate in that, with everything happening with the Black Lives Matter movement, there have been more talks about diversity and inclusion. During the Challenge Cup, we had a lot of discussions surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement and some of my teammates would look to me and ask, “Well, you’re having these experiences as a Black woman. What about as a Native American woman?”  There were some moments where I was almost surprised, like, “Well, I’m not really sure how I felt. I haven’t ever been asked to think about it.” I think it’s been really positive. I want people to understand that if they’re going to care about me as a teammate, as a friend, as a representative in this league, then they should also care about my personal experiences outside of just soccer.

You’ve said that moving across the country at an early age made it difficult to maintain ties with your Native American culture. What are you doing now as an adult to keep those ties? 

I’m interested to know what images pop up in people’s heads when I tell them that. What does it look like to lean back into your Native American culture? For me, it’s just having more conversations with my family and leaning back into a lot of our own beliefs. It’s very similar to religious beliefs, almost. It’s something that’s very spiritual. I’m trying to learn our language which is difficult because it’s only spoken, it’s not written down. My grandma is the only person in my immediate family who speaks fluently.

I think I’m just trying to be the best advocate for myself and for Native American communities as I can. I’m an N7 ambassador, which is a branch of Nike that is a fund for indigenous communities and athletes. I’m hoping that through different forms of outreach, I can keep telling stories that are authentic representations of Native American communities. I want to start breaking down those really old stereotypes that have permeated American culture since forever.

How are you planning to use your platform moving forward to encourage more Native American youth to see that they have a future in professional soccer?

Right now, my biggest focus is just laying the foundational groundwork and making sure that I’m advocating as best as I can. I hate to admit it, but social media is so influential in helping me to speak up on things that matter. The things that matter to me right now are supporting the Black Lives Matter movement, supporting voter registration and supporting voting. For me, it’s both about using my platform to advocate for those things, but also making sure that I’m performing on the field and being a good teammate.

At the end of the day, this is my profession and I want to be a good soccer player. I want kids to see that in order to be the best, you have to be playing at the highest level. Overall, I want to lay the groundwork, be my authentic self, and advocate for the things I believe in.

What was your reaction when you saw that tweet from Billie Jean King? That must’ve been unreal.

It was so unreal. I thought it was a fan account. I refreshed my Twitter app three or four times, I was so surprised. Even once the dust settled, I thought it was so cool that somebody with such a huge platform was recognizing me and validating Native American people. With COVID, Native American communities have been hit so terribly and it hasn’t reached mainstream media. So for there to be even just a little bit of happy news, I think it was really important.