1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,840 Speaker 1: Long Shot is a production of McClatchy Studios and I 2 00:00:02,920 --> 00:00:08,840 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Previously on Payback. Someone stripped of the tools 3 00:00:08,880 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: in high school to try to succeed at collegiate level 4 00:00:11,440 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: is going to continue to have to fight tooth and nail. 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:16,520 Speaker 1: I needed to get to you and see I knew 6 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: even at such a young age, I can just throw 7 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,599 Speaker 1: it away. What was critical is we had to get 8 00:00:21,640 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: her academics up to a level where we could admit 9 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: her at Phoenix College. They were like, this is what 10 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,240 Speaker 1: you literally have to do if you want to make 11 00:00:29,280 --> 00:00:32,320 Speaker 1: it to D one. We're here because we get at 12 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: witness miracles like that. We're an outlet to help people 13 00:00:35,600 --> 00:00:57,720 Speaker 1: like Jessica McDonalds. Jessica McDonald m it was a hot 14 00:00:57,760 --> 00:01:00,160 Speaker 1: dog that told Jessica McDonald her life was a out 15 00:01:00,200 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: to change forever. Okay, I need to y'all know not 16 00:01:04,280 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: everything in my life was a horrible experience. You guys 17 00:01:08,240 --> 00:01:10,320 Speaker 1: knew how I grew up only girl for a long time. 18 00:01:10,800 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: But my family we are tight. This was one of 19 00:01:14,240 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: the final interviews with jess for this podcast, conducted over zoom. 20 00:01:19,040 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: We were talking about summer vacation and a family trip 21 00:01:22,040 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: to California and Courtney Stewart, a man she met at 22 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:30,240 Speaker 1: Phoenix College. Our parents, everybody would save up money the 23 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 1: whole year, knowing we go to Disneyland, Sea World and 24 00:01:34,760 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: Knoxbury Farm every summer, and then suddenly the hot dog. 25 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: We're in San Diego and one of my cousins warmed 26 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:50,280 Speaker 1: up a hot dog in the microwave, and it was, Oh, 27 00:01:50,320 --> 00:01:53,080 Speaker 1: my gosh, I'm about to cry. It was one of 28 00:01:53,120 --> 00:01:57,440 Speaker 1: the most horrifying smells I've ever smelled. Jess was twenty 29 00:01:57,440 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 1: three years old at the time. They're a difficult child 30 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:02,720 Speaker 1: hood and then college years. She'd be the first to 31 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: tell you she was no stranger to microwave to meat. 32 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: But that morning something was clearly wrong. Very right in 33 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 1: the larger cosmic arc maybe, but in that moment, very wrong. 34 00:02:16,800 --> 00:02:18,480 Speaker 1: I feel like I need to throw up, and I'm 35 00:02:18,520 --> 00:02:22,000 Speaker 1: just like, I grew up eating hot dogs. What's happening 36 00:02:22,000 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 1: to me right now? Why do I feel like this now? 37 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,960 Speaker 1: I was feeling roozy, and I was like, hold on, 38 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:30,320 Speaker 1: I had to like calm myself down, and I was 39 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:37,520 Speaker 1: like no way. I like thought back, and I was like, oh, 40 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,799 Speaker 1: called Courtney immediately, and I was like I think I'm 41 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:48,320 Speaker 1: pregnant from The Charlotte Observer, Raleigh News An Observer, McClatchy Studios, 42 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: and I Heart Radio. This is Payback. I'm Alexandreev and 43 00:02:53,000 --> 00:03:06,800 Speaker 1: this is Part five A tiny prophet. Welcome to the 44 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:11,720 Speaker 1: inaugural Global Draft of the w u s A. The 45 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:17,000 Speaker 1: Women's United Soccer Association. Women's soccer in America took a 46 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,600 Speaker 1: grand leap forward in a modest event space in Boca Raton, Florida. 47 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:25,320 Speaker 1: This is an historic event in soccer, in women's athletics, 48 00:03:25,840 --> 00:03:30,760 Speaker 1: and worldwide. There In two thousand, acting Commissioner Tony di 49 00:03:30,840 --> 00:03:33,880 Speaker 1: Chico ushered in a new era of opportunity for players 50 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:39,600 Speaker 1: like Jessica McDonald. These players represent Olympic gold medals, Olympic 51 00:03:39,680 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: silver medals, and World Cup championships. Before the U S 52 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,280 Speaker 1: women's national team became legendary, before jess had watched them 53 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:51,200 Speaker 1: win it all at the Rose Bowl from the TV 54 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:54,360 Speaker 1: in her grandmother's living room, there was no professional women's 55 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,480 Speaker 1: soccer league in America, so at the time, there are 56 00:03:57,480 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: a few opportunities for players like jess to compete beyond college, 57 00:04:01,200 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: even if they were lucky enough to be part of 58 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:05,880 Speaker 1: the national team, and there was almost certainly no way 59 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:09,680 Speaker 1: for girls to dream of making soccer their careers. You're like, well, 60 00:04:09,800 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: how do we stay at the top of our game 61 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:16,520 Speaker 1: when there's nowhere to play? Joy Fawcett was a defender 62 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: on that ninety nine World Cup team. We met her 63 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:21,800 Speaker 1: in part one of this podcast. She told us that 64 00:04:21,880 --> 00:04:24,279 Speaker 1: during that World Cup run, even the biggest names in 65 00:04:24,279 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: women's soccer were wondering what would come next. If you 66 00:04:27,440 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: don't have a late what do you You're out of college, 67 00:04:29,400 --> 00:04:33,080 Speaker 1: what do you do? We're like struggling here, trying to 68 00:04:33,120 --> 00:04:35,640 Speaker 1: find places to stay fit and all in our different 69 00:04:35,760 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: states and how do we do that. During the mid nineties, 70 00:04:40,440 --> 00:04:42,760 Speaker 1: many people connected to the U S women's team had 71 00:04:42,839 --> 00:04:46,240 Speaker 1: full time jobs outside of the team. Even national team 72 00:04:46,240 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: head coach Anson Lawrence also coached at North Carolina. While 73 00:04:50,360 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 1: playing for the national team. Fawcett coached the u c 74 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:57,279 Speaker 1: l A women's college team for five seasons through then 75 00:04:57,279 --> 00:04:59,600 Speaker 1: she abruptly retired to focus on training for that n 76 00:05:00,080 --> 00:05:02,880 Speaker 1: World Cup. We don't have to quit our jobs. Every 77 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,400 Speaker 1: time we went to camp, we'd all go back and 78 00:05:05,400 --> 00:05:09,080 Speaker 1: find jobs. And I remember quitting jobs time and again 79 00:05:09,800 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: or having to coach. I mean, that was the ideal job, 80 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:16,320 Speaker 1: and it worked with our schedule because Anson was coaching too, 81 00:05:16,400 --> 00:05:19,400 Speaker 1: you know. But as we started playing more and more, 82 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:25,480 Speaker 1: it got hard and hardy. After that famous World Cup win, 83 00:05:25,839 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: public enthusiasm led to the creation of a professional women's league, 84 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:33,840 Speaker 1: the Women's United Soccer Association or w u s A, 85 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,880 Speaker 1: with eight teams. The players that were adding are the 86 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:43,080 Speaker 1: body and soul and personality of each team. That first year, 87 00:05:43,600 --> 00:05:46,840 Speaker 1: each roster had twenty players. Three players from the women's 88 00:05:46,920 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: national team were allocated to each club, and two international 89 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:54,160 Speaker 1: players were selected for each team to Chico then oversaw 90 00:05:54,200 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: a player combine and draft invoke overtone in late two thousand, 91 00:05:57,720 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: where coaches from each team drafted the remaining players on 92 00:06:00,560 --> 00:06:04,479 Speaker 1: their squads. I want to wish all our w USA 93 00:06:04,640 --> 00:06:10,599 Speaker 1: teams the best of luck. Most players in those teams 94 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:14,359 Speaker 1: had annual contracts, a first for American women soccer players. 95 00:06:14,960 --> 00:06:17,839 Speaker 1: The allocated national team players were each paid eighty thousand 96 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:20,640 Speaker 1: dollars a year or more. The other players on each 97 00:06:20,720 --> 00:06:24,200 Speaker 1: roster averaged about thirty thousand a year, with some making 98 00:06:24,200 --> 00:06:28,400 Speaker 1: considerably less pay. For fourteen two thousand and one, a 99 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: new league at the world's best death that would be 100 00:06:30,760 --> 00:06:34,839 Speaker 1: Superstars Today the Company of US kicked off the first 101 00:06:34,839 --> 00:06:36,920 Speaker 1: women's soccer league, opened play in the spring of two 102 00:06:36,920 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: thousand one in front of thirty four thousand people at 103 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: RFK Stadium in Washington, JP Della camera at the call. 104 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,600 Speaker 1: It's a bestive day on a nation's capital, Washington, d C. 105 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:49,680 Speaker 1: As we get ready to launch a brand new league, 106 00:06:49,680 --> 00:06:53,719 Speaker 1: the w USA. Today it's a Bay Areas Fibrary. The 107 00:06:53,839 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: US Soccer Federation bestowed upon the w USA a Division 108 00:06:57,560 --> 00:07:00,960 Speaker 1: one ranking, declaring it somewhat anti climb, actively the top 109 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,919 Speaker 1: women's league in the country, but US Soccer had no 110 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:06,800 Speaker 1: role in funding the league or any of those salaries. 111 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:11,600 Speaker 1: Financing was raised from outside investors, and over three seasons 112 00:07:12,080 --> 00:07:16,040 Speaker 1: that dwindled with TV ratings despite cuts to roster sizes 113 00:07:16,280 --> 00:07:19,360 Speaker 1: and two player salaries, the w USA was forced to 114 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:22,640 Speaker 1: fold in two thousand three. So for the next several years, 115 00:07:23,040 --> 00:07:26,560 Speaker 1: as Jess became a star with Sereno, then Phoenix College, 116 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:30,600 Speaker 1: then North Carolina rag Tag, amateur leagues were again the 117 00:07:30,600 --> 00:07:34,240 Speaker 1: only options for post collegiate soccer in the US. Ross 118 00:07:34,240 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: soccer didn't even exist, you know, for two or three 119 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,520 Speaker 1: years while I was in college. Jess remembered winning on 120 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 1: the best teams in the nation as a young player, 121 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:44,360 Speaker 1: and then wondering if her career would simply end once 122 00:07:44,400 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: she graduated college. All I want to do is just 123 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:50,400 Speaker 1: play soccer, and playing overseas wasn't even a popular thing 124 00:07:50,480 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: either at the time. But even if the w USA 125 00:07:54,160 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: failed to catch on, it did succeed in laying a foundation. 126 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,520 Speaker 1: Some of their matches drew tens of thousands of fans. 127 00:08:01,480 --> 00:08:04,119 Speaker 1: This crowd will be a major part of today's story. 128 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,040 Speaker 1: Man over twenty thousand tickets sold. As a Tuesday, they 129 00:08:07,040 --> 00:08:09,680 Speaker 1: had to open up the upper sections they could get 130 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:13,440 Speaker 1: as many as thirty thousand here today. The recession following 131 00:08:13,520 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: nine eleven certainly didn't help attendance for sponsorships. Investors thought 132 00:08:19,080 --> 00:08:21,600 Speaker 1: maybe eight teams have been too many, or the league 133 00:08:21,600 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: had chosen stadiums too large. There were reasons to think 134 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: a successor could capture American audiences in ways the w 135 00:08:28,720 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 1: USA hadn't. So five years later there was a revival, 136 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,880 Speaker 1: The Women's Professional Soccer League, or WPS, launched in perfect 137 00:08:37,920 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: timing for Jessice senior year in college. When WPS came about, 138 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:46,160 Speaker 1: I was like, holy crap, maybe I can continue this. 139 00:08:47,400 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: Suddenly there was life after North Carolina. We'll go inside 140 00:08:53,240 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: Jesse's rides to professional soccer after this, jessup MacDonald, what's 141 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:13,559 Speaker 1: end up enough? After that two thousand nine n C 142 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 1: double A title at North Carolina, Jess was named to 143 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: the all tournament team and was officially on the radars 144 00:09:19,080 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: of the seven teams making up the Young WPS. Entering 145 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,079 Speaker 1: the WPS draft would mean for going her senior year 146 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,599 Speaker 1: of college, but it was an opportunity just felt she 147 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:34,760 Speaker 1: couldn't pass up. In Januar, the Chicago Red Stars chose 148 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:38,360 Speaker 1: Jess with the fifteen overall draft pick. Jess joined a 149 00:09:38,480 --> 00:09:42,000 Speaker 1: roster that included US national team member Megan Rapino, as 150 00:09:42,040 --> 00:09:44,960 Speaker 1: well as a pair of Brazil's national team members, Christiani 151 00:09:45,160 --> 00:09:53,160 Speaker 1: and for Mega. Oh my goodness, I'm a rookie. I'm 152 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:57,680 Speaker 1: playing with these incredible players. The level from college into 153 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:00,800 Speaker 1: pro it's a huge gap because it's so much quicker, 154 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 1: so much fashion, And I'm like, holy crab, you can't 155 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:07,840 Speaker 1: even hear yourself think it was a crazy ride. Heal 156 00:10:07,920 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: A Watt, the other celebrated UNC grad we met in 157 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:13,400 Speaker 1: Part four, told us about her move to the professional 158 00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:17,320 Speaker 1: game back and how after playing for a dynasty like 159 00:10:17,360 --> 00:10:21,200 Speaker 1: North Carolina, stepping up to cash strapped professional women soccer 160 00:10:21,440 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 1: was surprisingly harsh, and not just in terms of competition. 161 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: And I do remember my rookie year. It was a 162 00:10:27,720 --> 00:10:31,319 Speaker 1: little sad because it's totally different. A lot plays for 163 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: the Chicago Red Stars Today. You can hear stories from 164 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:37,960 Speaker 1: girls of washing your own clothes and not having a 165 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: locker room, and it wasn't like, oh my gosh, this 166 00:10:41,160 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: sucks so bad, but it was completely different from a 167 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: college with money that has has been around for so long. 168 00:10:50,240 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: And that is a big adjustment in our conversation. What 169 00:10:55,080 --> 00:10:57,680 Speaker 1: crystallized an idea that I heard over and over throughout 170 00:10:57,679 --> 00:11:03,480 Speaker 1: my reporting concept so simple and yet all encompassing that 171 00:11:03,520 --> 00:11:07,680 Speaker 1: it reverberates across levels, leagues, and generations of women's soccer 172 00:11:09,720 --> 00:11:13,840 Speaker 1: for decades. These players have shown true dedication, passion, and 173 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:17,440 Speaker 1: perseverance in pursuit of growth and opportunities in the game 174 00:11:17,480 --> 00:11:21,800 Speaker 1: they love, but thanks to limited viable pathways to continue 175 00:11:21,840 --> 00:11:25,560 Speaker 1: playing time and again, they've acquiesced to personal treatment and 176 00:11:25,600 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: professional working conditions that can be stingy and unequal to 177 00:11:29,200 --> 00:11:34,199 Speaker 1: their male counterparts at best and at worst monstrously abusive. 178 00:11:35,360 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: But at every stage women's soccer players we spoke with 179 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 1: have told themselves that any chance to play pro ball 180 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:44,840 Speaker 1: under any conditions has to be better than no chance 181 00:11:44,880 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 1: at all. We just wanted a league here in America, 182 00:11:48,720 --> 00:11:52,000 Speaker 1: and so we were all just so thankful to be 183 00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: playing back in Chicago. Just made five appearances with Red 184 00:11:59,040 --> 00:12:03,080 Speaker 1: Stars over their first twenty matches. She showed off her 185 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: never say die passion to chase down every loose ball, 186 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:08,439 Speaker 1: and late in the season, she was named a starter 187 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:12,000 Speaker 1: for the team's matchup against the Washington Freedom, her first 188 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: start as a professional soccer player. Sure that was the 189 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:20,840 Speaker 1: moment the year round sports and the endless miles she'd 190 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: put on her knees caught up to her. I got 191 00:12:24,880 --> 00:12:31,319 Speaker 1: my first start in August of two and within minutes 192 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:40,520 Speaker 1: probably the most devastating moment of my entire life, alright 193 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: fully rubbed your my pateller tendon, which is like a 194 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:48,840 Speaker 1: very rare injury. It happens in American football and car accidents. 195 00:12:49,920 --> 00:12:52,600 Speaker 1: The pateller tendon connects the bottom of the kneecap to 196 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:56,120 Speaker 1: the top of the shin bone. It's not actually attendant. 197 00:12:56,480 --> 00:12:59,280 Speaker 1: It's a ligament, but to say the least, it's a 198 00:12:59,360 --> 00:13:02,720 Speaker 1: key ligament for any athlete. Jess told us that the 199 00:13:02,760 --> 00:13:05,319 Speaker 1: moment it happened and the rush of the team trainers 200 00:13:05,320 --> 00:13:09,480 Speaker 1: to reside is mostly a blur, but she did remember 201 00:13:09,559 --> 00:13:12,440 Speaker 1: lying in bed that night in pain, crying herself to sleep. 202 00:13:13,160 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 1: It's a two year recovery, way worse than a c L. 203 00:13:16,679 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 1: According to my surgeon, he gave me a one out 204 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:22,959 Speaker 1: of ten chance of even playing at a high level again. 205 00:13:23,320 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: So here I am thinking my pro career is done. 206 00:13:27,320 --> 00:13:31,520 Speaker 1: Soccer is a no go. Sensing her playing career might 207 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:35,760 Speaker 1: be over, Jess tried to recalibrate her identity. She'd been 208 00:13:35,760 --> 00:13:38,439 Speaker 1: a soccer player nearly her whole life. With that on, 209 00:13:39,080 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: what else could she do. I got my surgery, I 210 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: went home to Phoenix to get my rehab done. I 211 00:13:46,440 --> 00:13:49,720 Speaker 1: was bouncing around from my grandma's house during my recovery 212 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: and my best friend's house. Decitially just living off of 213 00:13:52,920 --> 00:13:55,840 Speaker 1: other people. I hadn't finished school yet because I got 214 00:13:55,920 --> 00:13:58,880 Speaker 1: drafted in the middle of my senior year. I have 215 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:02,040 Speaker 1: no car, I have no job. The only thing I 216 00:14:02,120 --> 00:14:07,680 Speaker 1: had was just rehabbing every day. Little did Jess know 217 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:11,240 Speaker 1: the road back to elite soccer was about to get 218 00:14:11,240 --> 00:14:15,679 Speaker 1: even more complex and uncertain than she'd imagined. But as 219 00:14:15,720 --> 00:14:19,280 Speaker 1: you'll hear, what everyone assumed would bury her career may 220 00:14:19,320 --> 00:14:33,320 Speaker 1: well have been the thing that would save it. I'm 221 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: Tom Bratcher. I'm a physical therapist. I've been doing rehab 222 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: and performance work with athletes of all sports and ages, 223 00:14:41,600 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: but soccer was my sport when I was coming up 224 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:48,680 Speaker 1: in the ES. Tom Bratcher played a few seasons of 225 00:14:48,680 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: professional indoor soccer for teams in Arizona before turning his 226 00:14:52,080 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 1: attention to strength and conditioning, training and physical therapy. He 227 00:14:56,120 --> 00:14:59,120 Speaker 1: first met Jess in the early two thousand's doing conditioning 228 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,080 Speaker 1: work with less arms on Sereno players, back when Jess 229 00:15:02,120 --> 00:15:05,320 Speaker 1: was a teenager on that club team. I went out 230 00:15:05,360 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 1: to watch one of the Sereno games and Jess was 231 00:15:09,560 --> 00:15:11,160 Speaker 1: She'll kill me if I say this, but she was 232 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:13,240 Speaker 1: like a giraffe on roller skates. I mean, she was 233 00:15:13,280 --> 00:15:17,240 Speaker 1: growing so fast and she could run so fast. She 234 00:15:17,520 --> 00:15:20,360 Speaker 1: was just all over the place. It's kind of fun 235 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: to watch. After surgery to repair her torn for teller tendon, 236 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:29,560 Speaker 1: Jess returned to Arizona and Bratcher to rehabilitate her knee. 237 00:15:30,360 --> 00:15:33,440 Speaker 1: She would have been or twenty seven years old at 238 00:15:33,440 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: the time something like that. I was looking at her, going, 239 00:15:35,920 --> 00:15:39,160 Speaker 1: holy cow, we've got an uphill battle here. The first 240 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:42,600 Speaker 1: step in Jesse's recovery was admitting how severe the injury 241 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:46,240 Speaker 1: actually was. You have to let it heal, and it 242 00:15:46,280 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: takes about six weeks for that tending to heal enough 243 00:15:48,840 --> 00:15:51,960 Speaker 1: to start bending the knee all the way. And once 244 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,520 Speaker 1: you do that, you have to kind of relearn to 245 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:55,840 Speaker 1: walk again with a new muscle that doesn't want to fire, 246 00:15:56,400 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: and you have to get it walking properly. Then you 247 00:15:58,400 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: have to get it strong enough to try to run, 248 00:16:00,680 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 1: and then you have to try to run. So it's 249 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:05,720 Speaker 1: it's not uncommon to come back, but it's uncommon to 250 00:16:05,760 --> 00:16:09,160 Speaker 1: come back as good or better than you were female 251 00:16:09,600 --> 00:16:12,200 Speaker 1: at that age to play soccer. I bet there's not 252 00:16:12,320 --> 00:16:13,920 Speaker 1: very many of those out there in the world that 253 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:19,080 Speaker 1: have done that. As she alternated rehab and couch surfing 254 00:16:19,120 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: with friends, jofre kindled a romance with a man she 255 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: met at Phoenix College, Courtney Stewart, but for those next 256 00:16:26,480 --> 00:16:29,280 Speaker 1: few months, her priority was getting back into something close 257 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 1: to playing shape. I said, look, I know you you're 258 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,400 Speaker 1: gonna want to try to do too much, So I'm 259 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,480 Speaker 1: gonna give you the stuff to do, but you have 260 00:16:36,560 --> 00:16:38,720 Speaker 1: to not do more than that, because if you do more, 261 00:16:38,760 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: you're gonna go backwards. She waited till the time when 262 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:43,520 Speaker 1: I cleared her to go start playing. She waited at 263 00:16:43,520 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: the time when I told her she could start running. 264 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:46,360 Speaker 1: She waited at the time, and when I told her, 265 00:16:46,360 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: she had walked, so she listened to all the steps 266 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: along the way and she pushed herself. You want to 267 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: see that. Jim played it. Once Chess was cleared to 268 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:03,000 Speaker 1: train again, she knew Jess where to find some local competition. Hey, guys, 269 00:17:04,359 --> 00:17:08,160 Speaker 1: through Dave Cameron at Phoenix College. She still was trying 270 00:17:08,200 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 1: to recover and train. We had her as an assistant coach, 271 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 1: but she was really there to play and train, so 272 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:18,600 Speaker 1: she was like a player's coach on the practice field. 273 00:17:18,920 --> 00:17:22,320 Speaker 1: Jess was driven to get back to professional soccer. In fact, 274 00:17:22,520 --> 00:17:25,520 Speaker 1: Cameron said, she dreamt even bigger, though rarely talked about 275 00:17:25,560 --> 00:17:27,200 Speaker 1: it in her head. She want to play in the 276 00:17:27,240 --> 00:17:30,840 Speaker 1: World Cup. That was number one, and if I was 277 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:32,920 Speaker 1: going to bet on it, I wouldn't bet on it. 278 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:36,120 Speaker 1: I was going to tell her that, but I would 279 00:17:36,160 --> 00:17:38,600 Speaker 1: not have bet on it. There's no way. A year 280 00:17:38,640 --> 00:17:42,320 Speaker 1: into rehab, Jess took that family trip to California, and 281 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:46,080 Speaker 1: then there was the microwave hot Dog. She went to 282 00:17:46,119 --> 00:17:49,399 Speaker 1: Planned Parenthood for a pregnancy test final. I'm parted with 283 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 1: my son, surprised be responsible for a whole another human being, Oh, 284 00:17:55,200 --> 00:18:00,239 Speaker 1: dear God. In minutes, everything changed as vision of her 285 00:18:00,280 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: mother's past cast shadows across Jess's future. Family and friends 286 00:18:04,520 --> 00:18:06,399 Speaker 1: were like, Oh, you're having a kid. You need to settle, 287 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:10,760 Speaker 1: be home, be a mom, get your nine to five going. 288 00:18:12,080 --> 00:18:13,879 Speaker 1: But I could even accept that, you know, in the 289 00:18:13,880 --> 00:18:16,639 Speaker 1: back of my mind, I'm like, there's no way I'm done. 290 00:18:18,920 --> 00:18:21,720 Speaker 1: To remain connected to the game, Jess coached a few 291 00:18:21,760 --> 00:18:25,480 Speaker 1: local youth teams throughout her pregnancy, and she never quit 292 00:18:25,520 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 1: showing up at Cameron's men's team's practices. She wanted to 293 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:31,560 Speaker 1: train and she's I'm fine. I'm like telling everyone, do 294 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:33,639 Speaker 1: not tackle her, you know kind of thing, And I 295 00:18:33,680 --> 00:18:39,480 Speaker 1: was scared, but you couldn't stop her from playing. Jeremiah 296 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:43,399 Speaker 1: Stewart was born on March seven, two thou twelve. His 297 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:47,160 Speaker 1: name was inspired by Jess's favorite Bible verse Jeremiah one five, 298 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: which goes before I formed you in the womb, I 299 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:54,200 Speaker 1: knew you before you were born. I set you apart, 300 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,399 Speaker 1: I appointed you as a prophet to the nation's and 301 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,360 Speaker 1: with everything else suddenly knew in her life, Jess told 302 00:19:01,359 --> 00:19:04,760 Speaker 1: me the most unexpected thing was this. Soon after her 303 00:19:04,760 --> 00:19:08,320 Speaker 1: son's birth, Jesse as me felt better than ever. I 304 00:19:08,359 --> 00:19:10,240 Speaker 1: felt fine even after having my kid, and not a 305 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:13,320 Speaker 1: lot of women can say that. The first few days 306 00:19:13,320 --> 00:19:16,080 Speaker 1: it's horrible. But I came out of that and it 307 00:19:16,160 --> 00:19:17,639 Speaker 1: was fine. And it took a couple of weeks for 308 00:19:17,680 --> 00:19:21,879 Speaker 1: everything just to like heal, and so my body changed 309 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: in a good way. I felt younger in a sense, 310 00:19:25,440 --> 00:19:28,040 Speaker 1: like I feel like I look better now than when 311 00:19:28,080 --> 00:19:33,359 Speaker 1: I was eighteen. Medical professionals we spoke with told us 312 00:19:33,400 --> 00:19:37,159 Speaker 1: that's not unheard of. There's a lot of things changing 313 00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,679 Speaker 1: in the body and pregnancy just from a hormone perspective, 314 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:44,399 Speaker 1: you know, from a biomechanics perspective, you now have a 315 00:19:44,480 --> 00:19:47,920 Speaker 1: different weak distribution and that's going to affect how you walk, 316 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 1: which is going to affect the loading of your joints. 317 00:19:51,320 --> 00:19:54,000 Speaker 1: Dabby Gilmer is in the m D pH D program 318 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:57,359 Speaker 1: at the University of Pittsburgh. She's a clinical researcher in 319 00:19:57,359 --> 00:20:00,760 Speaker 1: a field known as regenerative rehabilitation. We do have a 320 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:03,920 Speaker 1: little bit of evidence with regards to how those specific 321 00:20:03,960 --> 00:20:07,919 Speaker 1: hormones affect joints and how they function. We know that 322 00:20:08,040 --> 00:20:13,199 Speaker 1: generally estrogen is very involved in the body and inflammatory 323 00:20:13,240 --> 00:20:18,760 Speaker 1: processes and relax and also goes up in pregnancy relax in. 324 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: His primary job is to loosen ligaments. It's very appropriately named. 325 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:27,880 Speaker 1: It absolutely does seem plausible that there could have been 326 00:20:28,240 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: some kind of hormonal influence that helped her healing. Even 327 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: Dave Cameron, just as biggest champion there in Arizona, I 328 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:38,879 Speaker 1: thought this new development would render soccer a thing of 329 00:20:38,920 --> 00:20:41,399 Speaker 1: her past. There's the nail in the coffin. All right, 330 00:20:41,440 --> 00:20:45,640 Speaker 1: your mom, now it's over. There's no way everyone thought that. 331 00:20:46,359 --> 00:20:49,600 Speaker 1: I thought that, whether he had true scientific evidence of 332 00:20:49,640 --> 00:20:52,840 Speaker 1: that healing process or not, Cameron told us that tiny 333 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:56,440 Speaker 1: prophet made him a believer. I think jeremiahs saved her 334 00:20:56,440 --> 00:21:00,880 Speaker 1: career because ever since having Jeremiah, she's felt a million dollars. 335 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:05,040 Speaker 1: So Jeremiah was heaven sent to keep her body functioning. 336 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 1: I truly believe that my pregnancy like literally helped heal me. 337 00:21:12,880 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: So I talked to someone about this, and actually, there's 338 00:21:17,320 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 1: certain hormones that can facilitate certain injury recovery a stronger. 339 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,679 Speaker 1: So there's some real like yeah, see, so like I 340 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:32,160 Speaker 1: really think something miraculous happened, and I truly believe it's 341 00:21:32,280 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: my son gave me my athletic ability back. We'll be 342 00:21:40,640 --> 00:21:55,320 Speaker 1: back in a moment. Well, I was leading the same 343 00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: kind of life set all of us were supposed to 344 00:21:57,560 --> 00:22:00,560 Speaker 1: be leading in those years. You know, I'd had a 345 00:22:00,560 --> 00:22:03,480 Speaker 1: newspaper job, had been fired because I was pregnant, But 346 00:22:03,560 --> 00:22:06,360 Speaker 1: then I had been so guilty working anyway that it 347 00:22:06,440 --> 00:22:08,200 Speaker 1: was sort of a relief. And I wrote a housewife 348 00:22:08,240 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: on the census blank in the intractable balance of personal 349 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:17,880 Speaker 1: and professional lives. There's no more obvious negotiating of time 350 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: and obligations than that which is brought on with parenthood, 351 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:26,399 Speaker 1: or more specifically, motherhood. It's been that way since the 352 00:22:26,440 --> 00:22:29,840 Speaker 1: beginning of the battle for gender equality, no matter the field. 353 00:22:30,880 --> 00:22:33,800 Speaker 1: In nineteen sixty three, Ready for Dan described the struggle 354 00:22:33,800 --> 00:22:36,520 Speaker 1: of women unfulfilled by simply being housewives and stay at 355 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:39,920 Speaker 1: home moms. As quote the problem that has no name. 356 00:22:40,640 --> 00:22:43,399 Speaker 1: I was just living the life, but I was also 357 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:48,040 Speaker 1: freelancing for women's magazines and helping to create this image 358 00:22:48,040 --> 00:22:50,679 Speaker 1: of women that just wasn't true anymore. The name for 359 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:53,440 Speaker 1: Dan chose for it became the title of her landmark book, 360 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:57,640 Speaker 1: ushering in second wave feminism feminine mystique. She talked about 361 00:22:57,640 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 1: the book's origin in this ninety seven interview you on 362 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,400 Speaker 1: British talk show Good Afternoon. Each woman had been struggling 363 00:23:04,400 --> 00:23:06,880 Speaker 1: with all these things alone. I mean, if she felt 364 00:23:06,920 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 1: there had to be more, somehow than making bread, she 365 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: was a freak. There was something wrong with him. But 366 00:23:12,560 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 1: it was like everyone was waiting to have it put 367 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: into words. For more than half a century, the role 368 00:23:18,280 --> 00:23:22,360 Speaker 1: of mothers in the workplace has been debated, legislated, and documented. 369 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:24,880 Speaker 1: But I found that's not as true for women who 370 00:23:24,880 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 1: play sports for a living. There is very very little, 371 00:23:29,600 --> 00:23:35,720 Speaker 1: if any research about athlete mothers. Trying to think of it, 372 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:40,120 Speaker 1: I don't think there is any. Dr Nicole Voy runs 373 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,600 Speaker 1: the Tucker Center for Girls and Women in Sport at 374 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:45,520 Speaker 1: the University of Minnesota. We met her in Part three. 375 00:23:46,400 --> 00:23:51,520 Speaker 1: There is some literature around mother coaches, but none about 376 00:23:51,720 --> 00:23:56,919 Speaker 1: professional female athlete mothers. So that's a huge gap in 377 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 1: the area of research that Warren's future investigation. In fact, 378 00:24:04,200 --> 00:24:07,440 Speaker 1: it has warranted future investigation for almost a generation now. 379 00:24:08,040 --> 00:24:12,160 Speaker 1: There's no information whatsoever out there as to pregnant women 380 00:24:12,280 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: training or running or anything. I'm like trying to find 381 00:24:16,680 --> 00:24:19,840 Speaker 1: things anything like can I run and what can I do? 382 00:24:20,040 --> 00:24:22,640 Speaker 1: And trying to stay fit because you wanted to get 383 00:24:22,640 --> 00:24:26,280 Speaker 1: back as soon as possible. Joy Fawcett, the U S 384 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:30,400 Speaker 1: national team defender who became America's original soccer mom, struggled 385 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 1: not only to navigate pregnancy as a world class athlete, 386 00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: but also to navigate motherhood. It's like any mother, they're 387 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:40,120 Speaker 1: all working hard. I mean, this might be hard physically, 388 00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,000 Speaker 1: but it's just as hard I think on all moms 389 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:45,800 Speaker 1: that are working. You know, they're all staying up late 390 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,879 Speaker 1: and getting up and working. And if it's not soccer, 391 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 1: that's your job. You have another job and you're doing it. 392 00:24:52,320 --> 00:24:55,400 Speaker 1: Other legends of the game echoed that sentiment in our conversations, 393 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: especially for women whose work depends on elite physical performance, 394 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,480 Speaker 1: thought of adding motherhood to that mix was too much 395 00:25:02,480 --> 00:25:05,960 Speaker 1: to process. Joy was the first to show, like, Nope, 396 00:25:06,440 --> 00:25:08,120 Speaker 1: I'm going to do both, and you're all gonna see 397 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 1: it's gonna be fine. Julie Foudy played soccer professionally from 398 00:25:12,600 --> 00:25:16,440 Speaker 1: two four. She started her family three years after retirement. 399 00:25:16,960 --> 00:25:19,320 Speaker 1: I would not have been able to do both. There's 400 00:25:19,359 --> 00:25:23,840 Speaker 1: no way now that I have kids to just becomes 401 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:28,640 Speaker 1: another confirmation of Oh my word, how did you do 402 00:25:28,720 --> 00:25:32,040 Speaker 1: all this and do it so gracefully? And we should 403 00:25:32,040 --> 00:25:34,040 Speaker 1: be allowing women to make that decision and not have 404 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:37,320 Speaker 1: to quit playing. But me, I was like, oh, hell no, 405 00:25:37,440 --> 00:25:41,600 Speaker 1: I can't do that. I'm not having kids. They're in Arizona. 406 00:25:41,920 --> 00:25:44,920 Speaker 1: Bess continued coaching youth teams and running training camps in 407 00:25:44,960 --> 00:25:48,159 Speaker 1: the months after giving birth to Jeremiah. She watched her 408 00:25:48,160 --> 00:25:50,560 Speaker 1: former teammates and members of her two thousand ten draft 409 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:54,359 Speaker 1: class become stars. Always make the comments, you know, what's 410 00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:57,560 Speaker 1: good for women as good for everybody, and what's good 411 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:00,560 Speaker 1: for the most marginalized women is good for all women. 412 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:04,120 Speaker 1: And I think we're seeing that play out in many 413 00:26:04,200 --> 00:26:11,399 Speaker 1: different areas. Dr Lavoy again, pay equity, mental health, benefits, motherhood, 414 00:26:12,040 --> 00:26:15,200 Speaker 1: all these issues that women deal with all the time 415 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:19,840 Speaker 1: in every industry, but we don't see them. They're not 416 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:25,360 Speaker 1: on the TV sported such a visible and popular social institution, 417 00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:28,800 Speaker 1: so it gives visibility to these issues for women across 418 00:26:28,840 --> 00:26:33,600 Speaker 1: the board, which is really really important. Jessice drive to 419 00:26:33,600 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 1: compete had never been stronger. But in May, two months 420 00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 1: after Jeremiah was born, WPS, the second iteration of a 421 00:26:41,800 --> 00:26:45,919 Speaker 1: women's professional soccer league in the United States, folded, just 422 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:49,920 Speaker 1: as it's w u S, a predecessor had done. Suddenly 423 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,840 Speaker 1: just had no professional team to return to and no 424 00:26:52,920 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 1: clue how to get back in the game. My circle 425 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:58,200 Speaker 1: got smaller and smaller during my rehab because here I 426 00:26:58,240 --> 00:27:00,720 Speaker 1: am no longer pro. You know, I don't have people 427 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:04,920 Speaker 1: calling me as much. And it's very eye opening. It 428 00:27:05,040 --> 00:27:12,359 Speaker 1: just truly showed people's true colors final ten seconds. Fortunately, 429 00:27:15,280 --> 00:27:17,399 Speaker 1: one of her mentors was still on her side and 430 00:27:17,520 --> 00:27:27,200 Speaker 1: in communication, Anson Drance from the University of North Carolina, 431 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:30,720 Speaker 1: and he had an idea. I remember just like emailing 432 00:27:30,720 --> 00:27:32,679 Speaker 1: me when checking on me and stuff like that, and 433 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:34,199 Speaker 1: I was like, oh, yeah, I'm good, just had my 434 00:27:34,240 --> 00:27:38,080 Speaker 1: son training, you know, blah blah blah. Suddenly Jess saw 435 00:27:38,119 --> 00:27:41,000 Speaker 1: a new path to her dreams. He was like, Hey, 436 00:27:41,040 --> 00:27:43,680 Speaker 1: there's a team in Australia that needs a striker there 437 00:27:43,680 --> 00:27:46,639 Speaker 1: at the tail another preseason their starting striker just Tory 438 00:27:46,680 --> 00:27:51,600 Speaker 1: a c l Are you interested? The Melbourne victory wasn't 439 00:27:51,600 --> 00:27:54,200 Speaker 1: exactly what Jess had in mind when she recommitted herself 440 00:27:54,200 --> 00:27:57,480 Speaker 1: to playing elite soccer, and particularly not with a new baby, 441 00:27:58,320 --> 00:27:59,920 Speaker 1: But there was no U S League at the time 442 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,879 Speaker 1: to return to. And if a juco like Phoenix College 443 00:28:02,920 --> 00:28:04,960 Speaker 1: had been Jesse's stepping stone to n C double A 444 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:09,240 Speaker 1: glory at North Carolina, why couldn't Southeastern Australia ultimately leader 445 00:28:09,280 --> 00:28:11,520 Speaker 1: to the U S national team. He's like, I know 446 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:13,680 Speaker 1: your training again, do you want to go? And I 447 00:28:13,720 --> 00:28:16,199 Speaker 1: will let this coach know you are the person to 448 00:28:16,240 --> 00:28:19,719 Speaker 1: do this. And I was like, I really I slept 449 00:28:19,760 --> 00:28:22,600 Speaker 1: on it. It might have seemed like an easy yes, 450 00:28:22,840 --> 00:28:27,760 Speaker 1: but I'm like, my knee, my son, holy crap. Okay. 451 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:30,560 Speaker 1: In the first of many difficult decisions Jess would have 452 00:28:30,600 --> 00:28:34,400 Speaker 1: to make, bouncing motherhood with her professional ambitions, she left 453 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: Jeremiah and Arizona with his father for that soccer season. 454 00:28:37,880 --> 00:28:40,800 Speaker 1: Her son was seven months old at the time. This 455 00:28:40,840 --> 00:28:44,040 Speaker 1: was kind of like my ticket to get back into 456 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 1: pro and so I went and It was a really, 457 00:28:47,880 --> 00:28:52,880 Speaker 1: really incredible experience. But I did make a huge sacrifice. 458 00:28:53,000 --> 00:28:56,360 Speaker 1: I didn't bring Jeremiah with me. That was gut wrenching. 459 00:28:56,480 --> 00:28:59,680 Speaker 1: That was very hard to just leave your baby and 460 00:29:00,480 --> 00:29:04,800 Speaker 1: his dad stayed in Arizona with him. Courtney and obviously 461 00:29:04,920 --> 00:29:08,320 Speaker 1: very thankful for that. I was still able to provide 462 00:29:08,440 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 1: for my family at the time, which I'm very proud of, 463 00:29:11,440 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: and so I missed my son's very first Thanksgiving and 464 00:29:15,960 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: Christmas and New Year's. I knew I had to do 465 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:24,280 Speaker 1: a good job in Australia because of the sacrifice that 466 00:29:24,320 --> 00:29:31,000 Speaker 1: I was making at the time. Well, the closest season 467 00:29:31,040 --> 00:29:34,080 Speaker 1: ever in the Westfield w League culminated in a Grand 468 00:29:34,120 --> 00:29:37,720 Speaker 1: final between Melbourne Victory and Sydney f C at Amy Park, 469 00:29:38,520 --> 00:29:43,120 Speaker 1: with the Melbourne Victory just played in thirteen matches during season. 470 00:29:44,040 --> 00:29:46,560 Speaker 1: She scored seven goals and led the Victory to their 471 00:29:46,560 --> 00:29:59,960 Speaker 1: first ever league finals. My mom and dad were incredible athletes, 472 00:30:00,520 --> 00:30:02,440 Speaker 1: but they didn't take their chance. They didn't go to school, 473 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,040 Speaker 1: they didn't pursue that. Their excuses that they had kids, 474 00:30:06,240 --> 00:30:10,000 Speaker 1: so they gave up on their dream. And I didn't 475 00:30:10,120 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: want to use my child as an excuse to not 476 00:30:13,160 --> 00:30:17,600 Speaker 1: pursue the dreams that I had for myself With him, 477 00:30:17,760 --> 00:30:20,000 Speaker 1: Jess was once again making a name for herself in 478 00:30:20,040 --> 00:30:24,400 Speaker 1: the professional game. At that same time, back in the US, 479 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,200 Speaker 1: a third attempt at a woman's professional soccer league was 480 00:30:27,240 --> 00:30:30,880 Speaker 1: taking shape, and Jess was ready for the comeback of 481 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 1: a lifetime and on part six of Payback, welcome live 482 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,920 Speaker 1: to inaugural match at the NWS. Here, I am trying 483 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:40,320 Speaker 1: to figure out how to be a single parent. Now 484 00:30:40,520 --> 00:30:44,040 Speaker 1: I was making I couldn't afford child care. Oh what 485 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:47,880 Speaker 1: a finish by Jess McDonald. The female athletes who have 486 00:30:48,000 --> 00:30:51,320 Speaker 1: visibility are using their platforms in ways that we have 487 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: never seen before. A shocking report that a prominent male 488 00:30:55,240 --> 00:30:59,240 Speaker 1: coach is accused of coercing players into having sex. I 489 00:30:59,240 --> 00:31:02,680 Speaker 1: don't remember ever being more livid. I'm tired of the bullshit. 490 00:31:03,800 --> 00:31:07,240 Speaker 1: I'm Alexandrea. Payback is a production of The Charlotte Observer, 491 00:31:07,480 --> 00:31:10,640 Speaker 1: Raleigh News and Observer, McClatchy Studios, and I Heart Radio. 492 00:31:11,240 --> 00:31:14,920 Speaker 1: It's produced by Cotta Stevens, Casey Toth, Julia Wall, and 493 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:18,960 Speaker 1: Davin Cockburn. The executive producer for iHeart Radio is Sean 494 00:31:19,040 --> 00:31:22,000 Speaker 1: ty Tone. For lots more on this story and to 495 00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:25,640 Speaker 1: support journalism like this, visit Charlotte observer dot com slash 496 00:31:25,640 --> 00:31:31,240 Speaker 1: payback or news observer dot com slash payback. And for 497 00:31:31,280 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the I heart 498 00:31:34,280 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 1: Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your 499 00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: favorite shows.