1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:03,960 Speaker 1: I'm Hannah Waddingham and this is Hustle Rule, an audio 2 00:00:04,040 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: docuseries featuring the untold stories of women's soccer players around 3 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,640 Speaker 1: the world, based on the book Under the Lights and 4 00:00:10,720 --> 00:00:16,120 Speaker 1: in the Dark, written by Gwendolen Oxenham in South London, 5 00:00:16,239 --> 00:00:20,079 Speaker 1: where I grew up, I didn't know there were women's footballers. 6 00:00:20,680 --> 00:00:23,160 Speaker 1: In my twenties. I'd go to the pub to watch 7 00:00:23,200 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: Liverpool play, but I never thought of the sport as 8 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: an option for myself. You know, I'm six ft tall 9 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:32,479 Speaker 1: and my build definitely lends itself to sport. But I 10 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:35,839 Speaker 1: think my mom bless her, was just like, oh no, no, no, 11 00:00:35,920 --> 00:00:38,360 Speaker 1: don't do that. You might hurt yourself. That's a boy thing, 12 00:00:39,080 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: so it kind of infiltrated. I mean, of course, in 13 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,839 Speaker 1: England we are football mad and when the Men's World 14 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: Cup comes on, the whole country is gripped by fever. 15 00:00:50,240 --> 00:00:52,960 Speaker 1: But only recently has the women's team hit the country's 16 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:58,640 Speaker 1: collective consciousness. A turning point was the Women's World Cup. 17 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: England got to the semi final but lost a heartbreaker 18 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,919 Speaker 1: on an own goal. The pictures of a devastated Laura 19 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:11,000 Speaker 1: Bassett consoled by her teammates spread far and wide, and 20 00:01:11,080 --> 00:01:14,960 Speaker 1: suddenly the country was caught up in the emotion. The 21 00:01:15,080 --> 00:01:19,319 Speaker 1: Lionesses had arrived. In the United States. That turning point 22 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:22,880 Speaker 1: happened much earlier when the national team won the World Cup. 23 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,760 Speaker 1: But while a generation of girls watching Julie Foudy and 24 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:32,200 Speaker 1: Mia Hamm and Christine Lily imagined wearing the jersey themselves, 25 00:01:33,080 --> 00:01:35,560 Speaker 1: that dream had nothing to do with a salary or 26 00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: a career. A professional league didn't exist. Thanks to Title nine, 27 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:43,640 Speaker 1: American girls new soccer was a way to get a 28 00:01:43,680 --> 00:01:49,920 Speaker 1: college scholarship. The game equalled academic possibilities. The popular National 29 00:01:49,960 --> 00:01:53,680 Speaker 1: Collegiate Athletic Association commercial told them that nearly all n 30 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:58,200 Speaker 1: c A athletes go professional in something else, and girls 31 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:02,520 Speaker 1: knew it was talking to them. In the United States. 32 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:06,080 Speaker 1: From early on, soccer was always a route, not a destination. 33 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: But in the past twenty years, there's been a trajectory 34 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:16,280 Speaker 1: of change. This episode is Shape Shifters, Side Hustlers and 35 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: the New Guard The Three at Special, the last in 36 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:22,359 Speaker 1: our series featuring the voices of players around the world, 37 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,240 Speaker 1: from the players of the past to the new stars 38 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: of Olympic lion A, Manchester, United, Angel City FC, and 39 00:02:29,840 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: the US national team here to tell you just what 40 00:02:32,840 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: this game has meant and how it will forever shape 41 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: their lives for nobody. In Act one shape Shifters, we 42 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:57,720 Speaker 1: talked to the women who had no pro league to 43 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:00,240 Speaker 1: play in. What's it like to be a twin two 44 00:03:00,280 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: year old husband, to be the best at what you 45 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:07,519 Speaker 1: do and then have to completely start over kicked out 46 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: of their sport. They shape shifted and went on to 47 00:03:10,840 --> 00:03:14,919 Speaker 1: chase dreams in entirely different fields. Today, before we take 48 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,320 Speaker 1: you into anyone else's story, we want you to hear Quin's. 49 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:26,400 Speaker 1: When I was twelve years old, I tried out for 50 00:03:26,440 --> 00:03:30,400 Speaker 1: the Florida Olympic Development team. I remember sitting in the 51 00:03:30,440 --> 00:03:33,040 Speaker 1: grass as they called out the numbers of the players 52 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: who had been chosen, aching for them to call my number. 53 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: They did not call it. When I went up to 54 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:43,200 Speaker 1: the coach to find out what I'd done wrong, he 55 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:48,200 Speaker 1: told me You're just too awkward for this level awkwardness. 56 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:50,640 Speaker 1: That didn't even sound like something I could work on, 57 00:03:51,600 --> 00:03:55,160 Speaker 1: But I just remember feeling this sort of click of no, 58 00:03:56,000 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: this is the one place I am not awkward. This 59 00:03:59,640 --> 00:04:03,000 Speaker 1: is the place in my life where I belong, and 60 00:04:03,040 --> 00:04:05,760 Speaker 1: you're wrong, and I'm going to show you that you're wrong. 61 00:04:07,280 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: After that, I trained with my team, my brother's team, 62 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,040 Speaker 1: and I called up the high school team and asked 63 00:04:12,080 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: if I could train with them too. Every day after 64 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: those practices, I dribbled around trash cans in the street. 65 00:04:19,760 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 1: The days I doubled up on practice, I dragged the 66 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,680 Speaker 1: trash cans under the street light and dribbled in the dark. 67 00:04:25,920 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: Soccer was always my escape. My brother, who I love 68 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:34,479 Speaker 1: very much, was in trouble a lot. The police would 69 00:04:34,480 --> 00:04:38,440 Speaker 1: be at our house. He went to prison. Things weren't easy, 70 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,000 Speaker 1: but I had soccer. The game was what I could 71 00:04:41,000 --> 00:04:43,720 Speaker 1: turn to, and I think that's true for so many 72 00:04:43,800 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: of us. When I was sixteen years old, I skipped 73 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:50,560 Speaker 1: my senior of high school and got a scholarship to 74 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,479 Speaker 1: Duke University, my dream school. I was the youngest d 75 00:04:54,600 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: one athlete in the history of n C double A. 76 00:04:57,440 --> 00:04:59,839 Speaker 1: I scored two goals my first game, and I thought 77 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: was on my way. I wanted to be mia Ham. 78 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: I even wrote her a letter and told her that. 79 00:05:06,160 --> 00:05:08,760 Speaker 1: But by my senior year, I was not the best 80 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:12,039 Speaker 1: player in the country. The national team was not knocking 81 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:15,919 Speaker 1: at my door. When my senior season ended, they handed 82 00:05:15,960 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: us plaques that showed our span two thousand through two 83 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: thousand and four. An underclassman kind of nailed how we 84 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: felt when she compared the plaque to a tombstone. It 85 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: looks like you guys died. I would have tried out 86 00:05:30,560 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: for the U S Pro League, but it folded right 87 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: before I graduated. I was twenty years old and my 88 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,560 Speaker 1: career was over, which meant I had to find a 89 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:44,760 Speaker 1: new life. Suddenly, I wondered if maybe I devoted too 90 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 1: much time to dribbling around trash cans. That summer, I 91 00:05:51,320 --> 00:05:53,880 Speaker 1: got a job as a deckhand, scrubbing toilets on a 92 00:05:53,880 --> 00:05:57,279 Speaker 1: boat in Mexico. I was really excited to plunge into 93 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,640 Speaker 1: a new world. The people that I was working with, um, 94 00:06:00,680 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: you know, they used to be bakers in a cake shop, 95 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:05,359 Speaker 1: and they had astronomy degrees, and they treated me like 96 00:06:05,400 --> 00:06:08,400 Speaker 1: I was a freak, Like you mean, you've only played 97 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:13,280 Speaker 1: soccer your whole life. I loved this perspective of oh, like, 98 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,159 Speaker 1: the world is large and I've only been focused on 99 00:06:16,160 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: one part. Let's see what else is out there? And 100 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,680 Speaker 1: I thought to myself, Um, you know, I'm going to 101 00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:25,040 Speaker 1: eat sashimi on the deck with other deck hands from 102 00:06:25,080 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: all over the world. I told myself, I'm so excited 103 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:32,919 Speaker 1: to live this soccer free life. Ah. And this I 104 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:36,440 Speaker 1: soon discovered was a lie. We anchored off this island 105 00:06:36,440 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: that served as an outpost for the Mexican Army. On 106 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:43,279 Speaker 1: the dock, I could see soldiers with machetes and machine guns, 107 00:06:43,720 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: and right behind them I could see a makeshift soccer 108 00:06:46,600 --> 00:06:50,080 Speaker 1: field with driftwood goalposts. I diding eat over there, and 109 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,359 Speaker 1: I made kicking gestures, and within five minutes I'm sharing 110 00:06:53,640 --> 00:06:57,880 Speaker 1: goal celebrations. They're picking me up. It's monsoon rain, and 111 00:06:57,920 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: I just remember thinking, who am I getting? Nothing is 112 00:07:01,400 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 1: better than this. But the summer ended and I began 113 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:08,320 Speaker 1: my new life. I went to graduate school in creative writing. 114 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,800 Speaker 1: Those n c A commercials talk about the values sports 115 00:07:11,800 --> 00:07:16,880 Speaker 1: and still determination, perseverance, But all I felt was insecurity. 116 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,760 Speaker 1: It took me fifteen years to get good at soccer, 117 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: and now I was supposed to just go be good 118 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: at something else. Yet it was true that I knew 119 00:07:25,960 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: how to work hard, and all the effort I'd put 120 00:07:28,800 --> 00:07:32,320 Speaker 1: towards playing I now transferred over to learning how to write. 121 00:07:34,280 --> 00:07:37,080 Speaker 1: But I never forgot that game in Mexico. It always 122 00:07:37,120 --> 00:07:38,800 Speaker 1: just kind of sat in the back of my brain, 123 00:07:39,720 --> 00:07:41,520 Speaker 1: and I went to the Duke library with a former 124 00:07:41,560 --> 00:07:44,600 Speaker 1: teammate and we sat there with a legal pad, brainstorming 125 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:47,920 Speaker 1: about how we could keep the game. You know, if 126 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: I can't plan the national team, then what could I do? 127 00:07:52,280 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: And pick up has always been what I loved the most. 128 00:07:54,640 --> 00:07:59,840 Speaker 1: I loved playing pickup. So we made a documentary PAYLTA 129 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:02,440 Speaker 1: about pick up soccer around the world. We went to 130 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:05,920 Speaker 1: twenty five countries, playing with prisoners in Bolivia and moonshine 131 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: burrs and Kenya and old men in Brazil who just 132 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: beat the heck out of each other every Sunday morning. 133 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:15,160 Speaker 1: Seeing all of these people who love this game, the 134 00:08:15,240 --> 00:08:17,440 Speaker 1: same game that we're all playing, and none of them 135 00:08:17,440 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: made it either. I didn't really care about not making 136 00:08:20,320 --> 00:08:23,560 Speaker 1: the national team anymore. The film was at the beginning 137 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 1: of my life as a storyteller, leading me to the 138 00:08:26,440 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: stories I'm telling today. Because of the game, I get 139 00:08:30,160 --> 00:08:32,480 Speaker 1: to talk with players all over the world and hear 140 00:08:32,520 --> 00:08:35,679 Speaker 1: about their experiences and what their life is like. And 141 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: I wouldn't trade that. I love love what I do. 142 00:08:40,480 --> 00:08:44,280 Speaker 1: My Duke teammates also shape shifted our ambition funneled into 143 00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: new directions. They became doctor scientists CEOs. Crystal Presley, a 144 00:08:50,679 --> 00:08:54,920 Speaker 1: defender on our team, helped discover a gene that causes obesity. 145 00:08:55,080 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: She's now a surgeon. Our captain, Casey Truman, who used 146 00:09:00,040 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: to make our whole team burnt CDs, became one of 147 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:07,800 Speaker 1: Hollywood's most sought after music supervisors. The songs you hear 148 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:09,800 Speaker 1: during the heart wrenching scenes on some of the most 149 00:09:09,840 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: popular TV shows like Mad Men, Gray's Anatomy Scandal. She's 150 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:18,680 Speaker 1: the one who picks them out. You know, when pro 151 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: soccer was no longer an option for me, I had 152 00:09:21,360 --> 00:09:23,360 Speaker 1: to find a new dream. And I don't think I 153 00:09:23,440 --> 00:09:27,000 Speaker 1: realized that I was looking for a new dream. It 154 00:09:27,120 --> 00:09:29,520 Speaker 1: was just a music was my passion, and I just 155 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:32,680 Speaker 1: went after it like there was nothing else. You can't 156 00:09:32,679 --> 00:09:38,439 Speaker 1: deny what you love. My other Casey at Duke, Casey McCleskey, 157 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 1: was one year behind me. She became a litigator. When 158 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:46,160 Speaker 1: I met her, I knew I would never be the best. 159 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,800 Speaker 1: No amount of practice would ever get me to her level. 160 00:09:50,520 --> 00:09:53,320 Speaker 1: I never saw her lose a single drill at practice. 161 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:57,960 Speaker 1: That's not hyperbole. She was our leading scorer and a 162 00:09:58,040 --> 00:10:00,199 Speaker 1: CC Offensive Player of the Year into the was in 163 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: in five. She had an astonishing gift. Being on the 164 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 1: women's national team was always my goal. But in my 165 00:10:08,160 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: junior year the league folded. I remember very vividly when 166 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:14,880 Speaker 1: we had our last game. It was against U C. 167 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,120 Speaker 1: L A, you know, the whistle blue, and it was like, 168 00:10:17,280 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: now what you know? There was no league here and 169 00:10:20,760 --> 00:10:23,239 Speaker 1: is this the end? And for something that I had, 170 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: I'd poured everything into, you know, like my whole life. 171 00:10:26,120 --> 00:10:29,320 Speaker 1: I was a soccer player, every extra minute I had. 172 00:10:29,640 --> 00:10:33,200 Speaker 1: It was pretty devastating. I think at the time, I 173 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:37,280 Speaker 1: just felt like I needed to grow up and be 174 00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:40,040 Speaker 1: an adult and stopped kind of chasing the silly dream. 175 00:10:40,160 --> 00:10:42,599 Speaker 1: And so I came home and I took the l 176 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:45,360 Speaker 1: sad and I went to law school, and then like 177 00:10:45,440 --> 00:10:48,000 Speaker 1: halfway through law school, the league came back. But I 178 00:10:48,080 --> 00:10:49,880 Speaker 1: just said, you know, this is the path I've taken, 179 00:10:49,880 --> 00:10:51,719 Speaker 1: and I need to go through with law school and 180 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:54,440 Speaker 1: just kind of forget about soccer. So I think part 181 00:10:54,520 --> 00:10:57,959 Speaker 1: of it is just like the nostalgia and the missing 182 00:10:58,360 --> 00:11:01,720 Speaker 1: that version of myself that never be. It's hard for 183 00:11:01,760 --> 00:11:04,600 Speaker 1: me to wrap my mind around the idea that Casey's 184 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: husband and her three sons never even knew this part 185 00:11:08,400 --> 00:11:11,680 Speaker 1: of her. I kind of wish I had maybe like 186 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:15,880 Speaker 1: a highlight taber or something to show them. And you know, 187 00:11:15,920 --> 00:11:17,680 Speaker 1: it's like if I was like an artist and I 188 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:19,800 Speaker 1: had like these paintings I did, and then my husband 189 00:11:19,800 --> 00:11:22,000 Speaker 1: never saw my paintings and I can't paint anymore. You know, 190 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: it's kind of a weird thing to not be able 191 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,440 Speaker 1: to share that with him. And I'm also not like, 192 00:11:27,520 --> 00:11:28,920 Speaker 1: I don't sound like I'm going to talk about it 193 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: all the time like I was. You know, it was 194 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,240 Speaker 1: so good when when twenty years ago, you know, but 195 00:11:33,280 --> 00:11:38,360 Speaker 1: I'm glad, you know, you know, all the things that 196 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:51,679 Speaker 1: made me who I am. I learned playing soccer act 197 00:11:51,760 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: two side hustlers, the generation that did have a league 198 00:11:56,160 --> 00:11:59,760 Speaker 1: to play and still knew their livelihood was tenuous to you. 199 00:12:00,160 --> 00:12:05,360 Speaker 1: Leagues w USA and the WPS had folded. In sixteen, 200 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:08,720 Speaker 1: a third attempt at a pro league began, the NWSL. 201 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:12,440 Speaker 1: The starting salary for the NWSL professional player was just 202 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: seven thousand, two hundred dollars. Players often lived with host families. 203 00:12:17,679 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: A couple even roomed at a retirement home, and these 204 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,880 Speaker 1: college educated players are having to choose this lifestyle over 205 00:12:25,040 --> 00:12:29,120 Speaker 1: much higher paying career routes. Alie Riley, a Stanford grad 206 00:12:29,160 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: on the New Zealand national team who's followed the game 207 00:12:32,280 --> 00:12:35,640 Speaker 1: all over the world, had this to say. You know, 208 00:12:35,720 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 1: my mom, we had had these conversations from high school 209 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:44,559 Speaker 1: because she wanted me to go to Harvard or Yale 210 00:12:45,040 --> 00:12:47,720 Speaker 1: or Princeton, and I, you know, I was very very 211 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:50,760 Speaker 1: dedicated to to my academics and I had good grades, 212 00:12:51,280 --> 00:12:53,680 Speaker 1: but I just I wanted to play soccer and I 213 00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:57,679 Speaker 1: wanted to play at at a top school. But those 214 00:12:57,679 --> 00:13:00,520 Speaker 1: conversations started pretty early where she's like, you've got to 215 00:13:00,520 --> 00:13:02,959 Speaker 1: be a doctor, You've got to be a lawyer. Her 216 00:13:03,000 --> 00:13:05,960 Speaker 1: parents came from China, raised four daughters, They made their 217 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: own clothes, you know, never had had any money, and 218 00:13:09,080 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 1: I think she just wanted me to have so much 219 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:16,360 Speaker 1: more than that and and to feel secure. But it 220 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:19,280 Speaker 1: just was so perfect that the league came back right 221 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:21,280 Speaker 1: when I, you know, the year before I was graduating, 222 00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 1: I was just blindly, you know, going to follow my dream. 223 00:13:25,320 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 1: I think it wasn't until two years later when the 224 00:13:28,120 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: league folded that I kind of realized, um, I have 225 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,640 Speaker 1: no job and no home. But Ali and many others 226 00:13:35,720 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: around the world found a way to keep playing anyway. 227 00:13:39,520 --> 00:13:42,680 Speaker 1: In Ali's case, she took off for Sweden playing for 228 00:13:42,800 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 1: FC Malma. She made a yearly income, but not everybody did. 229 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:51,280 Speaker 1: These were athletes willing to do anything to play, even 230 00:13:51,320 --> 00:13:53,600 Speaker 1: if it meant playing for no salary in front of 231 00:13:53,640 --> 00:13:58,040 Speaker 1: empty stands in countries far away from their homes. No 232 00:13:58,080 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: matter where they were from or how they did or 233 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:04,920 Speaker 1: did not make, they were playing because they loved to play. 234 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 1: But to make it everybody had a side hustle. My 235 00:14:09,320 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: name then you all. I've had the opportunity to play 236 00:14:14,240 --> 00:14:18,920 Speaker 1: for the Argentinian National Policia. I'm a police officer. I 237 00:14:19,000 --> 00:14:22,480 Speaker 1: actually board eight hours a day, every single day so 238 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: that I can go and play soccer in the afternoon. 239 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:29,480 Speaker 1: My name is is Love Brown. I played for BIGA 240 00:14:29,600 --> 00:14:34,800 Speaker 1: national women's team for sixteen years and I am fifty 241 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:39,400 Speaker 1: two years right now. To survive as a soccer player 242 00:14:39,760 --> 00:14:42,440 Speaker 1: in Trinidad, you had to have a job. So my 243 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 1: job what did we find you was process contrivil that 244 00:14:46,640 --> 00:14:51,120 Speaker 1: deals with all the little gudgets that measure time flu 245 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:54,600 Speaker 1: pressure in a temperature stuff like that, so that they 246 00:14:54,600 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: don't blow up and cause a catastrophe. I'm for a 247 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: Alcobolter and I played for Iceland for seventeen years and 248 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:07,400 Speaker 1: I played professionally for six That's the CFO for DHL Iceland, 249 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:09,800 Speaker 1: working crazy hours at the same time, and I was 250 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:15,160 Speaker 1: still on the national team. Nowadays, Flora runs the Central 251 00:15:15,240 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: Bank of Iceland. Hi, welcome to stars. My name is Coco. 252 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 1: Like my very nice, like friendly voice. I would work 253 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: at Starbucks starting at five o'clock in the morning and 254 00:15:29,680 --> 00:15:32,880 Speaker 1: then work till about two. My sister used to work 255 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,560 Speaker 1: at that store. She would come in and be like, guys, 256 00:15:35,720 --> 00:15:39,040 Speaker 1: you know that she has a Wikipedia page and that 257 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: you're actually working with the super star. And I'm just like, 258 00:15:41,840 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, Savannah, please stop. After Coco Goodson retired 259 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:50,560 Speaker 1: from soccer, she joined the military. So I am a 260 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: first lieutenant, I am stationed at Fort Bragg and I 261 00:15:54,800 --> 00:15:58,960 Speaker 1: am a field artillery officer. So like the Big Cannons, 262 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:03,720 Speaker 1: we we shoo the Big Cannons. English footballer Bethmeade was 263 00:16:03,760 --> 00:16:06,120 Speaker 1: also a flarer tender for a local pub while she 264 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:10,720 Speaker 1: played for Sunderland, Cameroon's gale In Ganimuit used her football 265 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:15,520 Speaker 1: paycheck to buy Umoto, a taxi motorcycle, which grew into 266 00:16:15,560 --> 00:16:18,880 Speaker 1: a family taxi business in Unde that she ran on 267 00:16:18,920 --> 00:16:23,880 Speaker 1: the side while playing professionally in Sweden. So often athletes 268 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:27,720 Speaker 1: are treated as one dimensional, good at kicking a ball only, 269 00:16:28,520 --> 00:16:30,840 Speaker 1: but you can't say that about any of these women. 270 00:16:31,600 --> 00:16:35,280 Speaker 1: They had a whole other life beyond the game side, hustling, 271 00:16:35,680 --> 00:16:39,760 Speaker 1: doing whatever it takes in order to keep playing. And 272 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:42,840 Speaker 1: these women are also in a constant state of hatching 273 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:47,680 Speaker 1: plans and pursuing alternate lives. They are big picture thinkers. 274 00:16:48,320 --> 00:16:51,920 Speaker 1: Everybody's got a backup plan, an idea for what's next. 275 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:56,960 Speaker 1: Spain Celia Jimenez, who currently plays for the Orlando Pride, 276 00:16:57,280 --> 00:17:01,760 Speaker 1: has a degree in aeronautical engineering. She's planning to become 277 00:17:01,920 --> 00:17:06,800 Speaker 1: a rocket scientist. For others, the answer isn't moving on 278 00:17:06,880 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: from soccer, but finding a way to stay. Mammy Amagucci 279 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:15,840 Speaker 1: is a Japanese national team player who played professionally in Sweden, 280 00:17:15,960 --> 00:17:18,959 Speaker 1: the US, and Japan, and she wants to pass her 281 00:17:19,000 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 1: love of the game onto others. Some weekends, she coaches 282 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,680 Speaker 1: as many as eleven games in two days. If you 283 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:31,879 Speaker 1: get coached by you know, great coach, the kids just 284 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 1: change totally. It's kind of like a magic I love 285 00:17:36,920 --> 00:17:40,399 Speaker 1: the game more than anybody probably, so that kind of 286 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:43,920 Speaker 1: spread my love to the players. I have to from 287 00:17:43,920 --> 00:17:47,359 Speaker 1: the star. Okay, we're going to dominate the game the book. 288 00:17:47,480 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 1: Are we going to pay style? Right? Yeah, let's go 289 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:58,760 Speaker 1: ye like Mammy. A lot of former players give back 290 00:17:58,800 --> 00:18:01,679 Speaker 1: to the game. Is here the Trinidadian who worked in 291 00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 1: the oil factory. She went on to coach national teams 292 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:08,720 Speaker 1: in Trinidad, the Virgin Islands, Suriname, in Antigua. Other former 293 00:18:08,760 --> 00:18:13,200 Speaker 1: players become owners or gms. Take any Aluco, who played 294 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:16,159 Speaker 1: over a hundred games for the English national team. She 295 00:18:16,240 --> 00:18:19,040 Speaker 1: readied herself for a life after the game, but she 296 00:18:19,080 --> 00:18:22,560 Speaker 1: could never quite tear herself away from football, which has 297 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:24,679 Speaker 1: had her heart since she was a kid growing up 298 00:18:24,680 --> 00:18:28,080 Speaker 1: in public housing in the British city of Birmingham. I 299 00:18:28,119 --> 00:18:30,320 Speaker 1: was the only girl in the area, so like, my 300 00:18:30,480 --> 00:18:34,040 Speaker 1: quickest way of feeling accepted was to play football with 301 00:18:34,040 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: the boys. So every time the boys knocked on my 302 00:18:38,200 --> 00:18:42,119 Speaker 1: door and said can any come and play? The joy 303 00:18:42,240 --> 00:18:44,760 Speaker 1: I used to feel, at like five six years old, 304 00:18:45,359 --> 00:18:47,359 Speaker 1: I just was like, yes, I just want to play. 305 00:18:47,400 --> 00:18:49,639 Speaker 1: I just want to play. I want to play. So 306 00:18:49,920 --> 00:18:54,720 Speaker 1: coming from a traditional sort of Nigerian family, education is 307 00:18:54,760 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 1: everything right, It's like non negotiable. So my mom was like, yeah, cool, 308 00:19:00,240 --> 00:19:02,639 Speaker 1: like you you play, you do your thing, but you know, 309 00:19:02,760 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 1: you do have to focus on your school, particularly because 310 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:09,760 Speaker 1: there was just no professional pathway in football. So you know, 311 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: I really focused in on getting my grades, the good 312 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:16,479 Speaker 1: grades letter to a large degree. But despite getting a first, 313 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: the very top grade and equivalent of Magna kum Lada, 314 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: she was met with rejection letter after rejection letter from 315 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:27,320 Speaker 1: the law firm she applied to. It was so bad 316 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,080 Speaker 1: that my mom started hiding the letters because she just 317 00:19:30,080 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 1: didn't want me to feel so discouraged. And then I 318 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:36,000 Speaker 1: got an offer out of the blue to play in America. 319 00:19:36,119 --> 00:19:39,600 Speaker 1: So in the WPS, the previous league, the kicker was 320 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:42,679 Speaker 1: that the owner of the professional team also offered her 321 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 1: a job in his law firm during the off season. 322 00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:47,960 Speaker 1: For good five years, I was working as a lawyer 323 00:19:47,960 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: whilst I was playing semi pro. And then Chelsea offered 324 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: me a full time professional contract and then I was 325 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:56,240 Speaker 1: like okay, cool, like I'm going to commit to football now, 326 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:58,359 Speaker 1: and you know I can be a lawyer when I'm sixty. 327 00:19:58,600 --> 00:20:02,680 Speaker 1: Women players definitely loved the game because we definitely don't 328 00:20:02,680 --> 00:20:05,520 Speaker 1: do it for the money, right, I would have earned 329 00:20:05,560 --> 00:20:08,560 Speaker 1: more as a lawyer than if I played for a 330 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:11,879 Speaker 1: long time. I was happy to earn less because I 331 00:20:11,880 --> 00:20:14,760 Speaker 1: just wanted to play, whereas in the men's game, obviously, 332 00:20:14,840 --> 00:20:17,680 Speaker 1: you know you have just ridiculous amounts of money being 333 00:20:17,720 --> 00:20:22,320 Speaker 1: talked about nowadays. Any is helping to create the culture 334 00:20:22,440 --> 00:20:26,080 Speaker 1: at the National Women's Soccer League's hottest new team, Angels 335 00:20:26,119 --> 00:20:29,720 Speaker 1: City FC, which was founded by probably the most high 336 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:33,520 Speaker 1: profile ownership group any team has ever had anywhere in 337 00:20:33,520 --> 00:20:37,480 Speaker 1: the world, Hollywood powerhouse Natalie Portmant is one of its founders, 338 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 1: and its investors include Serena Williams, Eva Longoria, Jennifer Garner, 339 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:47,560 Speaker 1: Becky g Abbey Womback, Mia Hamm and Gabrielle Union. I'm 340 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:51,720 Speaker 1: the sporting director. Effectively, it's a general managers this team, 341 00:20:51,760 --> 00:20:54,920 Speaker 1: and this role feel all the more important in light 342 00:20:54,960 --> 00:20:58,800 Speaker 1: of the previous nw SELL season in which five male 343 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:04,840 Speaker 1: head coaches and a general manager we're fired for abuse allegations, 344 00:21:04,880 --> 00:21:09,679 Speaker 1: so to have any managing and Freya kumb coaching both women, 345 00:21:10,000 --> 00:21:14,280 Speaker 1: both former players. It feels like, you know, I was 346 00:21:14,320 --> 00:21:18,200 Speaker 1: player for over fifteen years, so understanding what players want 347 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:21,680 Speaker 1: and what makes players take and the environment, the professional 348 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,359 Speaker 1: high performance environments that you need to build. It's not 349 00:21:25,480 --> 00:21:27,720 Speaker 1: something that's like alien to me or something that we 350 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:29,719 Speaker 1: have to have to read a book to understand. Like, 351 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: I just get it. I've been in it. I'm passionate 352 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 1: about female players feeling like they have control over their 353 00:21:37,000 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: own destiny. So when it comes to my job, when 354 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:44,960 Speaker 1: it comes to making trades and sort of the business 355 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 1: end of this job, I will always have that human 356 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,840 Speaker 1: element in the back of my mind. Ultimately, now the 357 00:21:51,920 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 1: game is moved on and there is more money, there 358 00:21:54,760 --> 00:21:57,960 Speaker 1: is more investment, but it's also making sure that we 359 00:21:58,000 --> 00:22:07,840 Speaker 1: don't lose that really pure element of women's sports. In 360 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 1: the past decade, the women's professional game has grown by 361 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:16,080 Speaker 1: leaps and bounds. The storied European clubs like FC Barcelona 362 00:22:16,160 --> 00:22:20,199 Speaker 1: and CHELSEAFC have poured money into the women's game. In 363 00:22:20,240 --> 00:22:24,440 Speaker 1: South America, football Confederation Conno BAL has mandated that all 364 00:22:24,520 --> 00:22:28,640 Speaker 1: men's teams that compete in the Continents Championship Coppa Liberta 365 00:22:28,720 --> 00:22:34,520 Speaker 1: Torres must have a women's team. Audiences worldwide have exploded, 366 00:22:35,040 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 1: attendance records getting shattered. New records bring new fans, and 367 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:45,520 Speaker 1: new fans bring new momentum, which brings us to Act three, 368 00:22:46,280 --> 00:22:48,720 Speaker 1: in which we introduce you to the new Guard. The 369 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 1: momentum generation change is still ongoing, but there has never 370 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:58,440 Speaker 1: been so much hope. Here's Gwen. At the Africa Cup 371 00:22:58,480 --> 00:23:02,480 Speaker 1: of Nations and Cameroon in two thousand and seventeen, forty 372 00:23:02,640 --> 00:23:11,560 Speaker 1: thousand filled the stadium five hours before kickoff. That same year, 373 00:23:11,840 --> 00:23:16,080 Speaker 1: at the UEFA European Championship, the Netherlands sold out every 374 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:20,560 Speaker 1: game and one quarter of the Dutch population four point 375 00:23:20,640 --> 00:23:25,840 Speaker 1: one million people watched the final on television. And it 376 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:29,240 Speaker 1: isn't just the national teams drawing these kinds of crowds, 377 00:23:29,920 --> 00:23:33,240 Speaker 1: so are the professional teams. On a club team level. 378 00:23:33,480 --> 00:23:36,919 Speaker 1: The Portland Thorns of the NWSL can draw twenty tho 379 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 1: plus fans to a midweek game in Boguta. In two 380 00:23:41,560 --> 00:23:45,399 Speaker 1: thousand and seventeen, a crowd of thirty three thousand watched 381 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:49,679 Speaker 1: Santa Fe win Columbia's first ever women's professional League final. 382 00:23:51,040 --> 00:23:53,359 Speaker 1: It was a goose bump moment for all the players 383 00:23:53,440 --> 00:23:56,480 Speaker 1: who have spent years being told by naysayers that there 384 00:23:56,520 --> 00:24:01,560 Speaker 1: weren't fans for the women's game. Here's oor Velasquez, who 385 00:24:01,600 --> 00:24:05,000 Speaker 1: has played on the Colombia national team for fifteen years. 386 00:24:05,920 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: They say nobody watched a woman's sucker. So we got 387 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,520 Speaker 1: to the final and it was almost full of the stadium. 388 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: I was like, okay, now tell me how this is 389 00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:21,800 Speaker 1: the first time I've felt professional in my in my country. 390 00:24:22,000 --> 00:24:24,719 Speaker 1: So it was amazing because we went out and they 391 00:24:24,760 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 1: would just splew like all that emotion. Records keep getting broken. 392 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:41,960 Speaker 1: In two thousand and eighteen, more than fifty two thousand 393 00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,520 Speaker 1: fans packed a Stadio as Teca in Mexico City for 394 00:24:45,560 --> 00:24:50,560 Speaker 1: a woman's final between Tigris and Monterey. In more than 395 00:24:50,680 --> 00:24:55,640 Speaker 1: nine thousand fans showed up to see Real Madrid played Barcelona. 396 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,520 Speaker 1: And with new attendance records and new fans, come new 397 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:05,760 Speaker 1: salary eas In Norway, New Zealand, England, Australia, Brazil and 398 00:25:05,840 --> 00:25:11,200 Speaker 1: as of the United States, men's and women's players are 399 00:25:11,240 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 1: to be paid equal salaries for their national team appearances, 400 00:25:16,800 --> 00:25:20,679 Speaker 1: and on May eight, as US Soccer confirmed the terms 401 00:25:20,720 --> 00:25:25,720 Speaker 1: of its new contracts, it announced a global first, the 402 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:29,960 Speaker 1: US Soccer Federation will pool World Cup prize money, which 403 00:25:30,000 --> 00:25:32,800 Speaker 1: is a portion to national teams by FIFA based on 404 00:25:32,880 --> 00:25:36,640 Speaker 1: where they place. The grand total of what the women's 405 00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:41,719 Speaker 1: and men's national team win will be shared equally between them. 406 00:25:41,760 --> 00:25:44,879 Speaker 1: And considering that the total men's prize money at stake 407 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:49,320 Speaker 1: in Qatar four hundred and forty million is more than 408 00:25:49,520 --> 00:25:53,200 Speaker 1: seven times the women's prize money in Australia next year, 409 00:25:54,040 --> 00:26:00,320 Speaker 1: that's a gigantic change. On the professional club level, there 410 00:26:00,400 --> 00:26:06,720 Speaker 1: was also finally major progress. Here is Norway's Ada Haggerberg. 411 00:26:07,840 --> 00:26:10,720 Speaker 1: She's the all time leading goal scorer in UEFA's Champions 412 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:16,880 Speaker 1: League and the start forward for Olympic Leon. I remember 413 00:26:16,920 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: it like it was yesterday. The first summer when I 414 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:22,120 Speaker 1: came to Leon, I felt like I was leaving a 415 00:26:22,200 --> 00:26:25,280 Speaker 1: childhood dream. To be honest, I came from a very 416 00:26:25,280 --> 00:26:28,200 Speaker 1: tough regime in Germany and I came to a super 417 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:33,359 Speaker 1: super professional club, Olmpic Leone. Now today we train at 418 00:26:33,400 --> 00:26:35,359 Speaker 1: the same ground as the men's do. We have the 419 00:26:35,400 --> 00:26:38,000 Speaker 1: same training center and kind of like we have top 420 00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:40,760 Speaker 1: conditions in order to also perform at a high level. 421 00:26:41,440 --> 00:26:44,480 Speaker 1: We've managed to win the Champions League seven times. I 422 00:26:44,520 --> 00:26:46,960 Speaker 1: think the people of Leon are very proud of the 423 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:50,760 Speaker 1: women's team. I can feel that mutual respect from the 424 00:26:50,760 --> 00:26:53,240 Speaker 1: men's players as well. They see that we bring something 425 00:26:53,280 --> 00:26:57,240 Speaker 1: to the table as well. So by being given these conditions, 426 00:26:57,280 --> 00:26:59,800 Speaker 1: were actually in a place to deliver as well, and 427 00:26:59,840 --> 00:27:03,320 Speaker 1: that I think that's been very very important. Jackie grown 428 00:27:03,320 --> 00:27:06,560 Speaker 1: In is a Dutch midfielder who plays for Manchester United. 429 00:27:07,119 --> 00:27:10,679 Speaker 1: Like Ada, she makes a six figure salary, but she 430 00:27:10,760 --> 00:27:15,440 Speaker 1: studied law anyway because of the Netherlands women's soccer explosion. 431 00:27:15,920 --> 00:27:21,600 Speaker 1: Classmates weren't just classmates, they were also fans. When Tilburg 432 00:27:21,720 --> 00:27:25,240 Speaker 1: University went online due to the pandemic, she joined the 433 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:31,000 Speaker 1: zoom classes from home. And here's what happened. When covid started, 434 00:27:31,040 --> 00:27:34,159 Speaker 1: I kind of saw my way to do classes with 435 00:27:34,280 --> 00:27:37,000 Speaker 1: other people because everyone has to do it online, so 436 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 1: it's kind of like, Okay, I can do everything now 437 00:27:39,160 --> 00:27:42,480 Speaker 1: everyone else is doing. So. Then after one of the 438 00:27:42,520 --> 00:27:44,760 Speaker 1: first classes, one of the teachers prode me if I 439 00:27:44,760 --> 00:27:47,480 Speaker 1: could sign in in a different name because people kept 440 00:27:47,480 --> 00:27:49,840 Speaker 1: writing things in the chat about football, like when the 441 00:27:49,880 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 1: next game was, so she asked if I could use 442 00:27:53,880 --> 00:27:56,920 Speaker 1: a different name and turn that on camera, no longer 443 00:27:57,080 --> 00:28:01,439 Speaker 1: as a player like Jackie, just an anonymous ace. And 444 00:28:01,520 --> 00:28:04,920 Speaker 1: it's not just the professional athletes who have an opportunity 445 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:07,640 Speaker 1: to make money nowadays, thanks to one of the most 446 00:28:07,760 --> 00:28:11,639 Speaker 1: dramatic changes in a generation of American sport, the n 447 00:28:11,640 --> 00:28:16,760 Speaker 1: c double as June policy shift. In the past, while 448 00:28:16,840 --> 00:28:20,920 Speaker 1: colleges made massive amounts from their sports teams, the athletes 449 00:28:20,960 --> 00:28:25,640 Speaker 1: themselves were not allowed to cash in. Now, college athletes 450 00:28:25,680 --> 00:28:28,560 Speaker 1: are allowed to sign endorsement deals and make money from 451 00:28:28,600 --> 00:28:32,600 Speaker 1: their own name, image and likeness or an I L. 452 00:28:33,720 --> 00:28:40,040 Speaker 1: The first Nike signing under these new rules American football basketball. No, 453 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:46,720 Speaker 1: it was a women's soccer player. I'm Rayland Turner. I 454 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,760 Speaker 1: play soccer for u C l A, and I'm nike 455 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:53,880 Speaker 1: us first n I L athlete. Obviously they chose a 456 00:28:53,920 --> 00:28:58,440 Speaker 1: female athlete, which for some people's very surprising. But in 457 00:28:58,480 --> 00:29:01,960 Speaker 1: my opinion, I think that women's soccer is on the 458 00:29:02,040 --> 00:29:04,080 Speaker 1: rise right now and it's making its way up to 459 00:29:05,400 --> 00:29:08,640 Speaker 1: men's football, men's basketball. I think that it has a 460 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,840 Speaker 1: lot of publicity now more than ever, and I think 461 00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,640 Speaker 1: that it's a big step in the sports community that 462 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: women are finally getting the recognition that they deserve. Growing up, 463 00:29:21,680 --> 00:29:26,200 Speaker 1: my biggest role models were Abby Wambach and Michelle Acres 464 00:29:26,360 --> 00:29:31,120 Speaker 1: because their game was just so passionate and roofless. And 465 00:29:31,480 --> 00:29:33,760 Speaker 1: I always looked up to college athletes, so it's it's 466 00:29:33,800 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 1: really cool to be a college athlete now. I feel 467 00:29:36,960 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 1: like a lot of the times people's roller bottles are 468 00:29:40,160 --> 00:29:43,479 Speaker 1: people who are at the top, and I'm on my 469 00:29:43,520 --> 00:29:46,880 Speaker 1: way there, So I feel like I'm in more of 470 00:29:46,920 --> 00:29:49,719 Speaker 1: a relatable position than those who have already made it. 471 00:29:50,840 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 1: I just hope to be someone who a little girl 472 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:57,600 Speaker 1: looks up to. And another huge change for US soccer, 473 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:00,800 Speaker 1: a handful of women's soccer play ys have begun to 474 00:30:00,880 --> 00:30:05,880 Speaker 1: either leap frog college sports altogether, or, like men's basketball 475 00:30:05,880 --> 00:30:11,600 Speaker 1: players commonly, do leave college early to go pro. I'm 476 00:30:11,640 --> 00:30:14,240 Speaker 1: Sophia Smith and I was the first teenager to be 477 00:30:14,360 --> 00:30:18,880 Speaker 1: drafted into the NWSL. And I played two great seasons 478 00:30:18,920 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 1: at Stanford and loved every second of it, and I think, 479 00:30:22,360 --> 00:30:25,960 Speaker 1: you know, after winning the national Championship, I was just 480 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:29,800 Speaker 1: ready for something new. When I entered the draft. It 481 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,840 Speaker 1: was very rare that someone would leave college early to 482 00:30:34,040 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 1: become a professional soccer player, um specifically a female professional 483 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,800 Speaker 1: soccer player, and there was a lot of mixed opinions 484 00:30:41,880 --> 00:30:45,360 Speaker 1: on my decision, but my heart was telling me I 485 00:30:45,400 --> 00:30:49,280 Speaker 1: was ready and to just take that jump. And I've 486 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:51,800 Speaker 1: just loved it. I feel like this is the life 487 00:30:51,800 --> 00:30:56,600 Speaker 1: that I was supposed to live. Heroes are multiplying a 488 00:30:56,760 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: much wider range of kids watching today have a chance 489 00:31:00,600 --> 00:31:05,200 Speaker 1: to recognize themselves in today's new stars. Hi. My name 490 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:08,000 Speaker 1: is Madison Hammond and I'm a professional soccer player. I 491 00:31:08,040 --> 00:31:11,920 Speaker 1: became the first Native American soccer player to play in 492 00:31:11,960 --> 00:31:15,440 Speaker 1: the End of us L, which at the time I 493 00:31:15,640 --> 00:31:21,000 Speaker 1: never I did not think about it. I wasn't conscious 494 00:31:21,080 --> 00:31:24,840 Speaker 1: of it. That wasn't the goal, but I didn't realize 495 00:31:24,880 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 1: how freaking dope that is to be someone that people 496 00:31:30,560 --> 00:31:32,600 Speaker 1: can look to and see in a space that wasn't 497 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:38,000 Speaker 1: there before. I mean, I can't really put in towards 498 00:31:38,000 --> 00:31:39,840 Speaker 1: like what that feels like, because in the moment, I 499 00:31:39,880 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 1: was like, Oh, I'm just another girl trying to make 500 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:45,480 Speaker 1: it in the league. But then it was like, no, 501 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:50,480 Speaker 1: you represent so much more. The daughter of Ethiopian immigrants, 502 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:55,120 Speaker 1: was the number one pick of the NWSL draft. Hi. 503 00:31:55,360 --> 00:31:59,640 Speaker 1: I'm Naomi Grama. I'm a defender for Wave FC, and 504 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:04,280 Speaker 1: I started in Maloda soccer um. My dad pretty much 505 00:32:04,320 --> 00:32:07,800 Speaker 1: started it in the Bay Area, and it was really 506 00:32:07,840 --> 00:32:10,880 Speaker 1: just a way for the Ethiopian community to come together 507 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:13,719 Speaker 1: on the weekends. It was just a big group of 508 00:32:13,800 --> 00:32:17,040 Speaker 1: us who were kind of like figuring out for the 509 00:32:17,040 --> 00:32:19,640 Speaker 1: first time how to live in the US, so all 510 00:32:19,720 --> 00:32:23,560 Speaker 1: first generation Americans because our parents hadn't done it, and 511 00:32:23,840 --> 00:32:27,160 Speaker 1: it was great to kind of have that community like 512 00:32:27,200 --> 00:32:29,560 Speaker 1: within the kids to lead on and people going through 513 00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 1: similar experiences where we're speaking a language at home and 514 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:35,360 Speaker 1: we're going to school speaking a different language, and just 515 00:32:35,440 --> 00:32:38,080 Speaker 1: like having the cultural difference between home and school is 516 00:32:38,160 --> 00:32:41,120 Speaker 1: something that I think can be hard to balance, especially 517 00:32:41,120 --> 00:32:44,200 Speaker 1: when you're younger. None of my success would be possible 518 00:32:44,240 --> 00:32:47,560 Speaker 1: without the community around me. Naomi went on to become 519 00:32:47,720 --> 00:32:50,760 Speaker 1: valedictorian of our high school and then captain of the 520 00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:54,680 Speaker 1: Stanford soccer team. She remembers trying to help her parents 521 00:32:54,720 --> 00:32:58,080 Speaker 1: watch the draft, which had gone remote due to the pandemic, 522 00:32:58,840 --> 00:33:00,880 Speaker 1: Like two minutes before the draft starting. I was like 523 00:33:00,880 --> 00:33:02,480 Speaker 1: trying to tell them how to turn it on and 524 00:33:02,520 --> 00:33:04,840 Speaker 1: how to get onto the right the right channel, which 525 00:33:04,880 --> 00:33:08,400 Speaker 1: is very typical for our family. But yeah, they were 526 00:33:09,240 --> 00:33:12,800 Speaker 1: really excited. My dad and my mom just started crying. 527 00:33:15,480 --> 00:33:18,720 Speaker 1: You know, it's really cool, I think to see them 528 00:33:18,800 --> 00:33:22,360 Speaker 1: also have that moment of like wow, like we helped 529 00:33:22,360 --> 00:33:25,440 Speaker 1: our daughter get here, and you know, like she's one 530 00:33:25,440 --> 00:33:30,719 Speaker 1: step closer to her dream. There's never been a better 531 00:33:30,800 --> 00:33:36,560 Speaker 1: time to pursue that dream. The NWSLS players Union negotiated 532 00:33:36,640 --> 00:33:41,600 Speaker 1: its first ever collective bargaining agreement. It increases players salaries 533 00:33:41,640 --> 00:33:45,200 Speaker 1: across the board and raises the minimum yearly salary to 534 00:33:45,320 --> 00:33:49,800 Speaker 1: thirty dollars. While modest in comparison to the men, it's 535 00:33:49,840 --> 00:33:52,640 Speaker 1: still more than five times what it was in the beginning. 536 00:33:53,160 --> 00:33:57,680 Speaker 1: The agreement will also provide free housing, transportation, fully vested 537 00:33:57,720 --> 00:34:02,080 Speaker 1: four oh one K contributions, health life and disability insurance, 538 00:34:02,560 --> 00:34:05,280 Speaker 1: eight weeks of paternal leave, and up to six months 539 00:34:05,320 --> 00:34:09,600 Speaker 1: of mental health leave. Playing circumstances are better than they 540 00:34:09,640 --> 00:34:13,080 Speaker 1: have ever been, but the changed environment doesn't mean the 541 00:34:13,120 --> 00:34:16,360 Speaker 1: players today are no longer hustling. They're just hustling in 542 00:34:16,360 --> 00:34:20,280 Speaker 1: a different kind of way. They're hustling for change, picking 543 00:34:20,360 --> 00:34:23,000 Speaker 1: up the fight not just within sports but for the 544 00:34:23,040 --> 00:34:26,960 Speaker 1: world as a whole. Meet Midge Purse, the first Harvard 545 00:34:27,000 --> 00:34:31,080 Speaker 1: graduate on the women's national team. In the past few years, 546 00:34:31,080 --> 00:34:36,480 Speaker 1: she's taken on fossil fuels, racial inequality, and gender inequality. 547 00:34:37,000 --> 00:34:40,279 Speaker 1: At one point, when I wanted to be a really 548 00:34:40,320 --> 00:34:43,319 Speaker 1: great soccer player, I felt like I couldn't do anything else. 549 00:34:43,320 --> 00:34:47,600 Speaker 1: I felt like very guilty for expanding in different directions, 550 00:34:47,840 --> 00:34:49,520 Speaker 1: And now when I think about that, it sounds like 551 00:34:49,520 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 1: the stupidest thing I've ever heard. I ran for the 552 00:34:53,719 --> 00:34:57,719 Speaker 1: Harvard Board of overseers Um, which is the highest democratically 553 00:34:58,040 --> 00:35:01,920 Speaker 1: elected board at Harvard. I ran for the board for 554 00:35:01,960 --> 00:35:06,480 Speaker 1: two reasons. One, I think or I thought that the 555 00:35:06,560 --> 00:35:10,480 Speaker 1: board needed to be more inclusive in terms of its governance. 556 00:35:11,080 --> 00:35:15,280 Speaker 1: It didn't have anyone who had graduated from the school 557 00:35:15,320 --> 00:35:18,080 Speaker 1: within the past ten years, and that a voice of 558 00:35:18,080 --> 00:35:21,000 Speaker 1: someone who had been there within like this type of generation, 559 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:23,960 Speaker 1: would be really important to be included when making decisions. 560 00:35:24,600 --> 00:35:27,360 Speaker 1: And the second reason was I ran on a climate 561 00:35:27,400 --> 00:35:32,880 Speaker 1: crisis based platform to push Harvard to divest from fossil fields, 562 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:37,240 Speaker 1: which they have committed to. Not only was Midge invested 563 00:35:37,239 --> 00:35:42,000 Speaker 1: in saving the planet, in Mitch felt compelled to create 564 00:35:42,080 --> 00:35:47,080 Speaker 1: the Black Women's Player Collective, a nonprofit organization who stated 565 00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:51,120 Speaker 1: goal is to advance opportunities for black girls in sport 566 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:58,520 Speaker 1: and beyond. I experienced early on that being a black 567 00:35:58,560 --> 00:36:04,040 Speaker 1: player at times was different than being a white player 568 00:36:04,120 --> 00:36:09,200 Speaker 1: when you're playing woman soccer. They are just subtleties and 569 00:36:09,480 --> 00:36:15,360 Speaker 1: not so subtle things that people say, coaches do and 570 00:36:15,840 --> 00:36:20,920 Speaker 1: um ways that people react to you that are very accepted. 571 00:36:21,520 --> 00:36:23,880 Speaker 1: I once had a coach tell me that I scored 572 00:36:23,920 --> 00:36:28,239 Speaker 1: really ugly goals. I was the the leading scorer at 573 00:36:28,320 --> 00:36:30,440 Speaker 1: the time on the team, but he wouldn't start me. 574 00:36:30,880 --> 00:36:33,560 Speaker 1: And I used to get in the car after practice 575 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:37,200 Speaker 1: and I was so upset and my dad he just 576 00:36:37,239 --> 00:36:39,440 Speaker 1: told me you had to be twice as good. And 577 00:36:39,480 --> 00:36:41,960 Speaker 1: I remember saying, I am twice as good. I scored 578 00:36:42,080 --> 00:36:45,359 Speaker 1: more goal than everyone else. And he said, no, you're 579 00:36:45,400 --> 00:36:49,799 Speaker 1: not twice as good. It has to be undeniable. And then, um, 580 00:36:49,840 --> 00:36:51,480 Speaker 1: I wanted my dad to talk to the coach and 581 00:36:51,520 --> 00:36:53,799 Speaker 1: he said, no, you talked to the coach um, And 582 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:56,640 Speaker 1: I asked him. I was like, why aren't you playing me? 583 00:36:56,680 --> 00:36:58,480 Speaker 1: And he said, you score ugly goals? And I go, 584 00:36:58,600 --> 00:37:03,239 Speaker 1: but I'm scoring and he goes, being fast and athletic 585 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:07,600 Speaker 1: isn't enough. And at the time it really struck me 586 00:37:07,680 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 1: because I had never been reduced to being just fast 587 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:17,759 Speaker 1: and athletic. It was very strange and in my experience 588 00:37:17,800 --> 00:37:19,720 Speaker 1: and in the way that it happened, it was because 589 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:23,480 Speaker 1: I was black. And I know some people will hear 590 00:37:23,520 --> 00:37:25,040 Speaker 1: that and say, well, you don't know, you don't know. 591 00:37:26,520 --> 00:37:29,840 Speaker 1: I know, you don't know, and that's fine, like we 592 00:37:29,840 --> 00:37:32,440 Speaker 1: can agree to disagree. But it's things like that that 593 00:37:32,480 --> 00:37:36,160 Speaker 1: are subtle and like it happens. Yeah, truthfully, I haven't 594 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:38,760 Speaker 1: spoken about it in a long time, and even speaking 595 00:37:38,760 --> 00:37:40,600 Speaker 1: about it right now, I kind of just got like 596 00:37:40,719 --> 00:37:43,440 Speaker 1: thrown back into it and how angry I was. I was. 597 00:37:43,840 --> 00:37:46,399 Speaker 1: I was so upset, and I remember my dad being 598 00:37:46,440 --> 00:37:50,080 Speaker 1: so upset because it was just very clear to me 599 00:37:50,200 --> 00:37:53,719 Speaker 1: that he didn't want me to have that type of experience, 600 00:37:54,239 --> 00:38:04,279 Speaker 1: but I was having it anyway. I started the Black 601 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:07,279 Speaker 1: Woman's Player Collective with a couple of other players in 602 00:38:07,280 --> 00:38:11,120 Speaker 1: the league. During the Challenge Cup, we were in a bubble. 603 00:38:11,400 --> 00:38:16,759 Speaker 1: It was a pandemic and the country, you know, the 604 00:38:16,840 --> 00:38:22,080 Speaker 1: world truly was um pretty much in turmoil about racial 605 00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:26,120 Speaker 1: justice and it was a really really difficult time because 606 00:38:27,160 --> 00:38:30,239 Speaker 1: players were dealing with the decision of whether or not 607 00:38:30,280 --> 00:38:35,560 Speaker 1: to kneel during the anthem, and you know, on the surface, 608 00:38:35,560 --> 00:38:41,000 Speaker 1: it's a very personal choice. It's you know, up to you. 609 00:38:41,000 --> 00:38:44,000 Speaker 1: You have the right to do whatever you want, um. 610 00:38:44,040 --> 00:38:47,480 Speaker 1: But behind closed doors, people felt very judged for whatever 611 00:38:47,520 --> 00:38:52,160 Speaker 1: their decision was. And we were having so many conversations 612 00:38:52,200 --> 00:38:57,839 Speaker 1: about what people's decisions meant and what they meant by 613 00:38:57,880 --> 00:39:02,319 Speaker 1: their decisions, and um, what their perspectives and thoughts on 614 00:39:02,360 --> 00:39:07,080 Speaker 1: the country, the status of Black Americans were and hurtful 615 00:39:07,120 --> 00:39:10,240 Speaker 1: things were set. You know, it was in shocking things 616 00:39:10,239 --> 00:39:13,560 Speaker 1: were said, and it was a very exhausting time, I 617 00:39:13,600 --> 00:39:16,360 Speaker 1: think for all the black players in the league, not 618 00:39:16,520 --> 00:39:21,400 Speaker 1: exclusively at all, UM, but the Black Man's Player Collective 619 00:39:22,040 --> 00:39:26,560 Speaker 1: was made to support those players. The league has been 620 00:39:27,000 --> 00:39:31,600 Speaker 1: doing different things in an effort to protect some players 621 00:39:31,640 --> 00:39:34,400 Speaker 1: but not others. And when I say that, I'm referencing UM. 622 00:39:35,040 --> 00:39:38,040 Speaker 1: They wanted to take the anthem away, but the reason 623 00:39:38,120 --> 00:39:40,640 Speaker 1: they wanted to take the anthem away was to protect 624 00:39:40,640 --> 00:39:44,160 Speaker 1: players who were standing from any backlash. We were like, 625 00:39:44,200 --> 00:39:47,880 Speaker 1: that's really that's very targeted audience you have to protect. 626 00:39:48,719 --> 00:39:52,480 Speaker 1: Mitch also took on gender inequality, going to the White 627 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:56,479 Speaker 1: House alongside Soccer Icon Megan Rappino. It was a really 628 00:39:56,560 --> 00:40:02,520 Speaker 1: funny day because I drove from Jersey home that morning 629 00:40:03,000 --> 00:40:07,000 Speaker 1: and my dad took me to the White House and 630 00:40:07,000 --> 00:40:08,920 Speaker 1: then just parked on the side of the road and 631 00:40:08,960 --> 00:40:11,000 Speaker 1: waited for me to come back out, as if it 632 00:40:11,080 --> 00:40:13,960 Speaker 1: was just soccer practice. The point of what I said 633 00:40:14,200 --> 00:40:17,240 Speaker 1: was to highlight the fact that when we're talking about 634 00:40:17,239 --> 00:40:20,920 Speaker 1: equal pay, people don't really understand we're talking about equal investment. 635 00:40:21,560 --> 00:40:28,320 Speaker 1: There's just this entire history of cross industry support forcing 636 00:40:28,400 --> 00:40:32,200 Speaker 1: men's sports to become what it is today. So many 637 00:40:32,280 --> 00:40:38,120 Speaker 1: different organizations and groups, including like the government and government subsidies, 638 00:40:38,320 --> 00:40:42,680 Speaker 1: pushed really hard to make men's sports so amazing, and 639 00:40:43,719 --> 00:40:47,360 Speaker 1: we are constantly compared to what they have produced with 640 00:40:47,400 --> 00:40:51,279 Speaker 1: all that investment, without the same investment anything near it 641 00:40:51,640 --> 00:40:55,000 Speaker 1: um So I just the point was that you can't 642 00:40:55,000 --> 00:40:57,360 Speaker 1: really compare the two until you invest the same amount 643 00:40:57,360 --> 00:41:01,160 Speaker 1: in the two. While this push for investment is a 644 00:41:01,160 --> 00:41:05,600 Speaker 1: continuous process, the emergence of social media has opened up 645 00:41:05,640 --> 00:41:09,600 Speaker 1: a path for women athletes to invest in themselves, just 646 00:41:09,680 --> 00:41:16,040 Speaker 1: like the other influencers of their generation. Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube. 647 00:41:16,120 --> 00:41:21,080 Speaker 1: It changes everything. All the coverage and airtime and exposure 648 00:41:21,200 --> 00:41:24,960 Speaker 1: you weren't given. Social media allows you to take it 649 00:41:25,040 --> 00:41:29,960 Speaker 1: for yourself to be seen, to be followed, to be appreciated, 650 00:41:30,800 --> 00:41:35,680 Speaker 1: and suddenly your league, your sport is a thing, and you, 651 00:41:35,680 --> 00:41:38,960 Speaker 1: yourself can become a monetize herbal brand with only your 652 00:41:39,000 --> 00:41:41,840 Speaker 1: cell phone. It's a second stream of income for a 653 00:41:41,840 --> 00:41:45,279 Speaker 1: lot of people, and I think that's absolutely amazing. I 654 00:41:45,400 --> 00:41:47,840 Speaker 1: know players who make more off of their social media 655 00:41:47,880 --> 00:41:52,600 Speaker 1: than they do from actually playing. There are ripple effects, 656 00:41:53,000 --> 00:41:58,680 Speaker 1: ground swells where one tweet becomes one million tweets. Gabrielle Union, 657 00:41:58,960 --> 00:42:02,440 Speaker 1: a former collegiate athlete, an Angel City FC investor, and 658 00:42:02,480 --> 00:42:06,320 Speaker 1: an actress with twenty million followers, tweeted at Sophia Smith 659 00:42:06,360 --> 00:42:10,360 Speaker 1: the day she played her first game for the national team. 660 00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:14,240 Speaker 1: Union wrote, growing up playing soccer in the eighties and nineties, 661 00:42:14,480 --> 00:42:18,440 Speaker 1: seeing other black girls out there was extremely rare. Today, 662 00:42:18,480 --> 00:42:22,680 Speaker 1: I'm so full of pride watching these strong young women 663 00:42:22,800 --> 00:42:27,399 Speaker 1: have so much success on and off the field. I mean, 664 00:42:27,440 --> 00:42:30,040 Speaker 1: when I got the notification on my phone that she 665 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:33,000 Speaker 1: tweeted about me, I had to click on it and 666 00:42:33,040 --> 00:42:35,160 Speaker 1: like make sure it was actually her. I couldn't, I 667 00:42:35,239 --> 00:42:38,759 Speaker 1: couldn't believe it was real that first game. Soccer star 668 00:42:38,840 --> 00:42:44,200 Speaker 1: Abby Wamback also tweeted to congratulate her. Smith replied posting 669 00:42:44,239 --> 00:42:47,799 Speaker 1: a childhood pick. In the picture, you see a postgame 670 00:42:47,880 --> 00:42:52,279 Speaker 1: Abbey Wamback bending down, putting her arm around Sophia, who 671 00:42:52,360 --> 00:42:55,200 Speaker 1: was six or seven years old, her big brown eyes 672 00:42:55,360 --> 00:42:59,120 Speaker 1: looking absolutely wowed by the woman beside her. So I 673 00:43:00,120 --> 00:43:02,640 Speaker 1: replied to the tweet with the picture and and just 674 00:43:02,840 --> 00:43:06,440 Speaker 1: told her that she's a huge reason why this has 675 00:43:06,520 --> 00:43:08,840 Speaker 1: happened to me, why I'm in this position getting my 676 00:43:09,400 --> 00:43:12,160 Speaker 1: my hopefully first cap of many with the with the 677 00:43:12,400 --> 00:43:15,120 Speaker 1: U S national team. So it was a really cool 678 00:43:15,200 --> 00:43:18,480 Speaker 1: moment just to kind of see how it comes full circle. 679 00:43:19,040 --> 00:43:21,719 Speaker 1: You have to see it, to to dream it, and 680 00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:25,319 Speaker 1: to be it. This kind of intergenerational support is one 681 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:30,040 Speaker 1: of the awesome things about social media, but all that connectivity, 682 00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:33,279 Speaker 1: the ease with which a fan can speak directly to 683 00:43:33,400 --> 00:43:38,600 Speaker 1: a player can also be intensely difficult. In the past, 684 00:43:39,000 --> 00:43:40,960 Speaker 1: the athlete waved the crowd at the end of the 685 00:43:41,080 --> 00:43:45,000 Speaker 1: game and said goodbye. Now it can feel like the 686 00:43:45,080 --> 00:43:51,520 Speaker 1: audience stays with you always. Like other athletes, including Naomi Osaka, 687 00:43:51,880 --> 00:43:55,759 Speaker 1: who have posted about mental health, Sofia recently made an 688 00:43:55,800 --> 00:43:59,800 Speaker 1: impassioned tweet to fans to remind them that athletes are human. 689 00:44:00,320 --> 00:44:03,600 Speaker 1: You know, I think sometimes people might show up to 690 00:44:03,719 --> 00:44:08,920 Speaker 1: sporting events and think that we athletes are there just 691 00:44:09,160 --> 00:44:13,080 Speaker 1: to entertain them and that we you know, don't have 692 00:44:13,280 --> 00:44:17,360 Speaker 1: feelings or things that they yell or things that they 693 00:44:17,440 --> 00:44:20,680 Speaker 1: comment on social media. They think maybe we don't see 694 00:44:20,719 --> 00:44:23,400 Speaker 1: them or hear them, but we do. We're people before 695 00:44:23,440 --> 00:44:27,200 Speaker 1: we're athletes. Yeah, we are strong, and we maybe put 696 00:44:27,280 --> 00:44:29,359 Speaker 1: up a front out on the field that we can 697 00:44:29,480 --> 00:44:33,120 Speaker 1: handle anything, but it's not always the case. Um. And 698 00:44:33,200 --> 00:44:36,440 Speaker 1: I think mental health is just recently being more and 699 00:44:36,520 --> 00:44:40,480 Speaker 1: more talked about. Even for me, I've never really you know, 700 00:44:41,320 --> 00:44:45,280 Speaker 1: given it the time of day because I personally haven't 701 00:44:45,920 --> 00:44:49,480 Speaker 1: felt like I've struggled with it. But just you know, recently, 702 00:44:49,560 --> 00:44:54,319 Speaker 1: my good friend at Stanford passed away, um from suicide. 703 00:44:54,400 --> 00:44:58,120 Speaker 1: So I think I'm starting to become more aware of 704 00:44:58,280 --> 00:45:01,200 Speaker 1: that and maybe specifically more with athletes in the way 705 00:45:01,280 --> 00:45:06,160 Speaker 1: that we handle it, um or lack thereof handle it, 706 00:45:06,520 --> 00:45:10,360 Speaker 1: because you know, we're expected to be strong and nothing's 707 00:45:10,360 --> 00:45:12,560 Speaker 1: supposed to bother us and this and that, and I 708 00:45:12,680 --> 00:45:16,319 Speaker 1: think it's just it can almost be a toxic way 709 00:45:16,440 --> 00:45:19,200 Speaker 1: to handle things. So I think the more we can 710 00:45:19,239 --> 00:45:22,400 Speaker 1: talk about it, the more you know, athletes feel like 711 00:45:22,719 --> 00:45:26,440 Speaker 1: they can open up about it and be vulnerable about 712 00:45:26,520 --> 00:45:30,879 Speaker 1: it um And I just think that's a huge thing 713 00:45:31,000 --> 00:45:33,920 Speaker 1: that we need to, you know, take a big step forward. 714 00:45:34,480 --> 00:45:38,439 Speaker 1: If I have an opportunity to spread some sort of good, 715 00:45:38,600 --> 00:45:40,720 Speaker 1: I will do that, and I will use the platform 716 00:45:40,800 --> 00:45:45,440 Speaker 1: that I have to do that. Each generation wants to 717 00:45:45,560 --> 00:45:48,640 Speaker 1: make the game better for the next And that same 718 00:45:48,800 --> 00:45:51,880 Speaker 1: quality that pushed these athletes to be the best is 719 00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:55,040 Speaker 1: also what made them strong enough to fight for change. 720 00:45:56,040 --> 00:46:01,280 Speaker 1: There's audacity to be both strong and vulnerable, to keep pushing, 721 00:46:01,680 --> 00:46:05,600 Speaker 1: to speak up, to drag and pull and left and 722 00:46:05,880 --> 00:46:11,600 Speaker 1: dream your sport forward. This series took you inside the 723 00:46:11,680 --> 00:46:15,240 Speaker 1: dreams of women from all over the world, from Lagos 724 00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:19,680 Speaker 1: to Melbourne. From Queen's debuguitar. They found the game when 725 00:46:19,719 --> 00:46:22,600 Speaker 1: they were young and hung on for all they were worth. 726 00:46:23,800 --> 00:46:27,360 Speaker 1: Their dreams had nothing to do with fame. It was 727 00:46:27,440 --> 00:46:31,279 Speaker 1: really only ever about love. It didn't matter if they 728 00:46:31,320 --> 00:46:34,400 Speaker 1: were nobody's or somebody's, if they were playing in the 729 00:46:34,480 --> 00:46:38,120 Speaker 1: shadows or in the spotlight. Here's what they knew. The 730 00:46:38,280 --> 00:46:41,920 Speaker 1: feeling they had while they were playing, it was the 731 00:46:42,040 --> 00:46:45,120 Speaker 1: best thing they had found. No matter how far they 732 00:46:45,200 --> 00:46:49,080 Speaker 1: did or didn't get, they'd all tell you, playing this 733 00:46:49,320 --> 00:46:53,960 Speaker 1: game it gave us so so much. The highs, the 734 00:46:54,080 --> 00:46:58,799 Speaker 1: winds and the crowds are undoubtedly special. But when your 735 00:46:58,880 --> 00:47:03,480 Speaker 1: career is over, the smaller, quieter moments of how you 736 00:47:03,640 --> 00:47:08,720 Speaker 1: got there, I mean every bit as much. Running sprints 737 00:47:08,800 --> 00:47:14,480 Speaker 1: in the sun, hopping fences, sneaking onto fields, fetching forgotten 738 00:47:14,560 --> 00:47:18,000 Speaker 1: balls from the patch of the trees beside the refugee 739 00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:21,240 Speaker 1: can sleeping in the clids you bought from the second 740 00:47:21,320 --> 00:47:24,560 Speaker 1: hand store, doing your homemark on the subway home from 741 00:47:24,680 --> 00:47:28,799 Speaker 1: practice at eleven pm in Tokyo, not making a guy 742 00:47:29,000 --> 00:47:31,640 Speaker 1: at a gym and an underground league, and Queen's the 743 00:47:31,760 --> 00:47:35,839 Speaker 1: scout standing up to carrogated in during legals, saying you've 744 00:47:35,880 --> 00:47:38,759 Speaker 1: got what it takes to make it. Your father's face 745 00:47:38,960 --> 00:47:42,520 Speaker 1: as it relent. He says, yes, my daughter, you can't 746 00:47:42,560 --> 00:47:46,919 Speaker 1: play hitchhiking to professional football practice on a dirt road 747 00:47:47,080 --> 00:47:50,480 Speaker 1: in Brazil. We're in Jersey the middle of days. The 748 00:47:50,640 --> 00:47:53,680 Speaker 1: number of your country gives to the gods. Can't watch 749 00:47:53,719 --> 00:47:55,840 Speaker 1: it that Jersey in a cement s inc in the 750 00:47:55,920 --> 00:48:00,080 Speaker 1: back alley, juggling until wait with your mom standing to 751 00:48:00,160 --> 00:48:03,719 Speaker 1: the street light, just so we could see waking up 752 00:48:03,800 --> 00:48:05,800 Speaker 1: in the middle of the night because you tried to 753 00:48:05,880 --> 00:48:10,640 Speaker 1: shoot in your dreams. It's about want, It's about effort. 754 00:48:11,120 --> 00:48:14,840 Speaker 1: In the end, the hustle you bring rules the outcome 755 00:48:29,000 --> 00:48:33,440 Speaker 1: mostaff for no bad hustle. Rule is a production of 756 00:48:33,520 --> 00:48:38,280 Speaker 1: Waffle Iron Entertainment, Range Media Partners, Observatory Audio, UP Media, 757 00:48:38,560 --> 00:48:42,120 Speaker 1: and I Heart Radio, written and directed by Gwendolyn oxen Um, 758 00:48:42,480 --> 00:48:44,840 Speaker 1: hosted by me Hannah Wadding Him and is based on 759 00:48:44,920 --> 00:48:47,320 Speaker 1: the book Under the Lights and in the Dark, written 760 00:48:47,360 --> 00:48:50,880 Speaker 1: by Gwendolyn oxen Um. The executive producers are Justin Biskun 761 00:48:51,000 --> 00:48:54,880 Speaker 1: from Waffle Iron Entertainment, Bob Alligan from Range Media Partners, 762 00:48:55,080 --> 00:48:58,279 Speaker 1: and Sean Titan from I Heart Radio. Co written by 763 00:48:58,360 --> 00:49:02,240 Speaker 1: Ruth Hilton, Produced by Lynn Oxenham, Ruth Hilton and Jordana 764 00:49:02,280 --> 00:49:06,640 Speaker 1: Glick Franszheim. Co produced by Jimmy Jelinek and Jared Goodstad, 765 00:49:07,040 --> 00:49:10,239 Speaker 1: Edited by Carry Caulfield, Eric sound design and mixing by 766 00:49:10,320 --> 00:49:14,080 Speaker 1: Jeremiah's Immerman. Music by Jeff Peters and Bill mart Theme 767 00:49:14,160 --> 00:49:17,360 Speaker 1: song performed by A one Laflair. You'll find more podcasts 768 00:49:17,400 --> 00:49:20,440 Speaker 1: from iHeart Radio on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 769 00:49:20,719 --> 00:49:28,600 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts. Good Body Clop