1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:04,880 Michelle Betos: Welcome back to She Pivots. I'm Michelle Betos. 2 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,319 Emily Tisch Sussman: Welcome back to she Pivots, the podcast where we talk 3 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: with women who dare to pivot out of one career 4 00:00:19,320 --> 00:00:23,599 Emily Tisch Sussman: and into something new and explore how their personal lives 5 00:00:23,680 --> 00:00:33,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: impacts these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. I'm 6 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:36,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: so excited about this week's guest because she brings together 7 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:39,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: two of my worlds, women's soccer and pivoting. 8 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:41,519 Speaker 3: We have none other. 9 00:00:41,400 --> 00:00:45,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: Than Michelle Betos, one of the most iconic goalkeepers to 10 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:46,879 Emily Tisch Sussman: come to the National Women's Soccer League. 11 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:48,400 Speaker 3: She even managed to make. 12 00:00:48,320 --> 00:00:50,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: History as one of the only goalkeepers to score a 13 00:00:51,040 --> 00:00:54,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: goal during gameplay and was named Goalkeeper of the Year. 14 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:57,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: I first met Michelle just hours after I joined the 15 00:00:57,800 --> 00:01:00,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: team as co owner, and hours before she led the 16 00:01:00,480 --> 00:01:03,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: team to the NWSL Championship in twenty twenty three. I 17 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:06,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: just knew she was a gem of a person then, 18 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: and I'm even more sure of it now. Since then, 19 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:11,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: Michelle has made her pivot off the field and as 20 00:01:12,040 --> 00:01:15,759 Emily Tisch Sussman: part of our incredible Gotham FC staff. After announcing her 21 00:01:15,760 --> 00:01:19,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: retirement earlier this year, she immediately transitioned into her new 22 00:01:19,600 --> 00:01:22,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: role as Gotham FC's assistant goalkeeper coach. 23 00:01:23,520 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 3: But in true she Pivots fashion, she had a little 24 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 3: plot twist of her own. 25 00:01:28,200 --> 00:01:31,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: Earlier this spring, Gotham signed her to come out of 26 00:01:31,200 --> 00:01:32,119 Emily Tisch Sussman: retirement and. 27 00:01:32,160 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 3: Play for a whole month. 28 00:01:34,319 --> 00:01:36,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: We'll actually share a special update from Michelle about that 29 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:38,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: experience at the end of this episode. 30 00:01:38,920 --> 00:01:40,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: Think of it like a little epilogue. 31 00:01:40,920 --> 00:01:44,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: In this conversation, we cover everything from her early soccer days, 32 00:01:44,440 --> 00:01:46,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: to what it was like to play professional women's soccer 33 00:01:46,840 --> 00:01:49,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: before there was a stable league to play in, to 34 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: where she sees her journey going now she's back on 35 00:01:52,840 --> 00:01:56,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: the coach's bench, working alongside my sister and fearless leader 36 00:01:56,360 --> 00:01:58,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: of the team, Carol and Tish Blodgett. 37 00:01:58,440 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 3: So if you haven't listened to. 38 00:01:59,800 --> 00:02:03,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: Her two sheep Pivots episodes, both are gems, both worth 39 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:07,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: a listen and another she Pivots guest Gotham's general manager 40 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: y l Aberbusch West. Together they're all building and supporting 41 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:12,919 Emily Tisch Sussman: a team and a culture built to be the best 42 00:02:12,960 --> 00:02:16,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: women's soccer team in the world. As the NWSL heads 43 00:02:16,280 --> 00:02:18,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: into the second half of the season, I couldn't think 44 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:20,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: of a better person to talk to you about what 45 00:02:20,600 --> 00:02:23,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: it's like to experience the sport from both sides of 46 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:26,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: the pitch than Michelle. She is one of the most 47 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,799 Emily Tisch Sussman: insightful and articulate people I know, and I hope you'll 48 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:31,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: enjoy our conversation as much as I did. 49 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:32,800 Speaker 3: Let's jump in. 50 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,240 Michelle Betos: My name is Michelle Beatos. I am currently the assistant 51 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:41,919 Michelle Betos: goalkeeper coach for Gotham FC. 52 00:02:42,680 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 3: I love it so much. Okay, so we're going to 53 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 3: back up. We're going to go in chronological order. So 54 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 3: we're going to start. We're going to start with little Michelle. 55 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:51,080 Michelle Betos: Oh wow. 56 00:02:51,480 --> 00:02:53,799 Speaker 3: Little Michelle is a native New Yorker. 57 00:02:54,560 --> 00:02:58,840 Michelle Betos: She is. She was never very little though, and so 58 00:02:59,080 --> 00:03:01,840 Michelle Betos: is big Michelle. I've been about this size, you know, 59 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:03,160 Michelle Betos: since I was born, I think. 60 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:07,079 Emily Tisch Sussman: So, what was your family like, Like was it did 61 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: you come from like a big sports family, Like did 62 00:03:09,160 --> 00:03:11,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: you know that it was going to be something athletic? 63 00:03:11,760 --> 00:03:16,400 Michelle Betos: So big Italian Greek family, loud family. My mom didn't 64 00:03:16,440 --> 00:03:19,840 Michelle Betos: really play sports, she's pretty on athletic, but love the Yankees, 65 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:21,919 Michelle Betos: like the Yankees were like a religion in my house. 66 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,520 Michelle Betos: My dad was a professional goalkeeper in Greece actually, so, 67 00:03:26,120 --> 00:03:28,600 Michelle Betos: I mean, some of my earliest memories were this like 68 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:30,959 Michelle Betos: little yellow football that we got in like one of 69 00:03:31,000 --> 00:03:34,480 Michelle Betos: those claw machines and throwing that around, you know, waiting 70 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:36,400 Michelle Betos: for mom to leave the house so we could play 71 00:03:36,400 --> 00:03:38,440 Michelle Betos: ball and you know, get in trouble, just me and 72 00:03:38,440 --> 00:03:42,440 Michelle Betos: my dad. Yeah, sports were always always part of my family, 73 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,200 Michelle Betos: watching them, going to them. You know, I would have 74 00:03:45,240 --> 00:03:47,480 Michelle Betos: to miss school so we could camp out for Yankee 75 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:49,680 Michelle Betos: tickets for the playoffs. Like I would beg my mom 76 00:03:49,680 --> 00:03:51,000 Michelle Betos: to go to school and she'd be like, no, we 77 00:03:51,040 --> 00:03:53,320 Michelle Betos: need to get Max tickets. You're missing school. We're sleeping 78 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,200 Michelle Betos: on the streets. We're getting the tickets. So yeah, sports 79 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,040 Michelle Betos: are definitely like in my blood for sure. 80 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 3: And I feel like your family is still like this. 81 00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:03,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: I was actually remembering back to the first day that 82 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:05,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: I showed I mean the first time I met any 83 00:04:05,840 --> 00:04:07,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: of you guys and showed up at in San Diego 84 00:04:07,920 --> 00:04:08,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: at the Championships. 85 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 3: The first person I was your met was your mom 86 00:04:11,040 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 3: in the lot. 87 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:15,400 Michelle Betos: I did you know that? Okay, Yeah, yeah, they are dedicated. 88 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:19,200 Michelle Betos: Obviously my my dad has passed away now, but between 89 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:21,680 Michelle Betos: the two of them, they were at I played at 90 00:04:21,680 --> 00:04:24,280 Michelle Betos: the University of Georgia for college. They were at every 91 00:04:24,400 --> 00:04:28,039 Michelle Betos: home game most of our road games. I mean I've 92 00:04:28,040 --> 00:04:30,719 Michelle Betos: played all over the world and all over the country 93 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,800 Michelle Betos: and the NWSL, and they've been to every market. They've 94 00:04:33,800 --> 00:04:35,960 Michelle Betos: been to every game. They usually were bringing New York 95 00:04:36,000 --> 00:04:38,840 Michelle Betos: bagels when I was you know, in Seattle and Portland 96 00:04:38,839 --> 00:04:41,200 Michelle Betos: and whatever, like cooking for the team, you know, that 97 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:43,360 Michelle Betos: was always a joy spot or taking them to dinner. 98 00:04:43,480 --> 00:04:47,520 Michelle Betos: So yeah, they are passionate sports fans. And they are 99 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:52,240 Michelle Betos: passionate Michelle Beatos fans. Whether whether whether it embarrasses me 100 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:55,960 Michelle Betos: or not, they are passionate about those two things. I 101 00:04:56,160 --> 00:04:58,159 Michelle Betos: love that. 102 00:04:58,920 --> 00:04:59,240 Speaker 3: Okay. 103 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:01,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: So you okay, so you went to University of Georgia. 104 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:07,000 Emily Tisch Sussman: When you went there wasn't like really a US league, right, 105 00:05:07,120 --> 00:05:08,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: So did you think you were like going to go 106 00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:11,359 Emily Tisch Sussman: to college, stayed educated, and then do something else. 107 00:05:11,800 --> 00:05:14,760 Michelle Betos: Yeah. So, honestly, growing up, I dreamt of playing in 108 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:17,400 Michelle Betos: the WNBA. My mom has like caught me in the 109 00:05:17,440 --> 00:05:20,679 Michelle Betos: shower at like eight years old giving interviews because after 110 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:24,040 Michelle Betos: like having you know, scored thirty points in ten rebounds, 111 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:26,240 Michelle Betos: because that was what I saw, you know, growing up 112 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,440 Michelle Betos: the WNBA, and so played basketball and soccer growing up. 113 00:05:29,600 --> 00:05:31,719 Michelle Betos: Eventually played soccer just because I just felt like I 114 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,000 Michelle Betos: had the best chance, and I loved it. I fell 115 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:35,000 Michelle Betos: in love with it late. 116 00:05:35,279 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 3: But yeah, you know, like late, what is late? Like 117 00:05:37,480 --> 00:05:38,280 Speaker 3: what do you consider late? 118 00:05:38,440 --> 00:05:42,520 Michelle Betos: So late I was about I was playing both, but 119 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:46,560 Michelle Betos: basketball way more seriously. And then actually met this goalkeeper 120 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:48,520 Michelle Betos: coach that is still like one of the most important 121 00:05:48,560 --> 00:05:51,320 Michelle Betos: people in my life. When I was about thirteen, and 122 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:53,360 Michelle Betos: my mom always tells this story. Her and my grandma 123 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:55,520 Michelle Betos: were driving me to this trial for this team that 124 00:05:55,560 --> 00:05:57,920 Michelle Betos: this woman coached, and I was like, you guys are 125 00:05:57,960 --> 00:05:59,840 Michelle Betos: ruining my life. All I want to do is play 126 00:05:59,839 --> 00:06:02,520 Michelle Betos: back basketball, like you have no like, I don't have 127 00:06:02,560 --> 00:06:05,159 Michelle Betos: time for this all this stuff like going on and 128 00:06:05,200 --> 00:06:09,160 Michelle Betos: on being a brat. And then after the one training 129 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:11,240 Michelle Betos: session I worked with this woman, she was a goalkeeper, 130 00:06:11,760 --> 00:06:13,680 Michelle Betos: and I learned more in that one session than I 131 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:15,640 Michelle Betos: felt like I had learned my entire life. And so 132 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:17,919 Michelle Betos: I came back in the car and my mom was like, Okay, 133 00:06:17,960 --> 00:06:19,400 Michelle Betos: did you tell her that you're going to have to 134 00:06:19,440 --> 00:06:22,200 Michelle Betos: miss some some trainings for basketball? And I was like, oh, no, 135 00:06:22,279 --> 00:06:24,120 Michelle Betos: I think it's okay. I think I can just you know, 136 00:06:24,160 --> 00:06:25,800 Michelle Betos: go to soccer training. And my mom was like, what, 137 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:29,000 Michelle Betos: like what happened? Out there, you know. So, yeah, I 138 00:06:29,040 --> 00:06:31,640 Michelle Betos: was about thirteen, and I just fell in love with it. 139 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,039 Michelle Betos: You know. I had somebody who really invested in me, 140 00:06:34,360 --> 00:06:36,480 Michelle Betos: and I just felt like I could get so much 141 00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:38,920 Michelle Betos: better and I learned so much more just about the position, 142 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:42,360 Michelle Betos: about the game, and yeah, I fell in love with it. 143 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:48,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: So she left her WNBA dreams behind and set her 144 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:51,719 Emily Tisch Sussman: sites on professional women's soccer. At the time, Women's United 145 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:55,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: Soccer Association or WUSA had recently folded and a new 146 00:06:55,320 --> 00:07:00,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: league sprung up, WPS or Women's Professional Soccer. Enrolled in 147 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: the University of Georgia as a goalkeeper, dreaming of one 148 00:07:03,760 --> 00:07:05,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: day playing for the WPS. 149 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:09,479 Michelle Betos: WUSA came and went, and then the WPS came, and 150 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:11,440 Michelle Betos: so coming out of college, I was hoping to play 151 00:07:11,440 --> 00:07:12,640 Michelle Betos: in the WPS. 152 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:14,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: What did it take? Like, what did you think? So 153 00:07:14,760 --> 00:07:17,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: when you graduated, Like, what was it? What was the 154 00:07:17,240 --> 00:07:18,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: vision of what was it going to take? 155 00:07:19,080 --> 00:07:20,880 Michelle Betos: Yeah, so this is a story I tell a lot 156 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:23,920 Michelle Betos: of people kind of to hopefully learn from my mistakes. 157 00:07:24,000 --> 00:07:25,680 Michelle Betos: So I went to college. I worked my butt off 158 00:07:25,720 --> 00:07:27,400 Michelle Betos: to get to college for soccer because I had so 159 00:07:27,480 --> 00:07:29,640 Michelle Betos: much to learn in such a small amount of time. 160 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,640 Michelle Betos: Coming to the game late, or like dedicating myself to 161 00:07:32,680 --> 00:07:35,320 Michelle Betos: it late. Then I got to college and I couldn't 162 00:07:35,320 --> 00:07:37,160 Michelle Betos: really tell you exactly why, but I was, you know, 163 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,640 Michelle Betos: I was playing, I was starting. I had what people 164 00:07:39,640 --> 00:07:42,880 Michelle Betos: thought was like, oh, this very good college career, and 165 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:44,440 Michelle Betos: at the end of it, I was like, you know, 166 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,200 Michelle Betos: I want to play professionally. And I ended up going 167 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:50,320 Michelle Betos: into pre season with the Boston Breakers at the time, 168 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,880 Michelle Betos: which was the WPS. Alissa Naire, who obviously just retired 169 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,480 Michelle Betos: from the national team still playing in the NWSL, was 170 00:07:56,560 --> 00:07:58,840 Michelle Betos: the goalkeeper there, and I went in the first training 171 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:01,600 Michelle Betos: session and I remember getting off the field, calling my family, 172 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:04,880 Michelle Betos: calling my friends, calling coaches, and being like, you're all liars. 173 00:08:05,320 --> 00:08:07,960 Michelle Betos: I am terrible at soccer. You told me I was good, 174 00:08:08,160 --> 00:08:11,520 Michelle Betos: Like you lied. I am so far from what it 175 00:08:11,560 --> 00:08:15,080 Michelle Betos: takes to do this. So I remember that night crying, 176 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:17,920 Michelle Betos: streaming all the emotions, kind of coming to this place 177 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:20,240 Michelle Betos: where like, okay, like I'm so far from where I 178 00:08:20,280 --> 00:08:22,000 Michelle Betos: need to go. This is either going to take like 179 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,840 Michelle Betos: every ounce of me or I'm just going to walk away, 180 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:28,760 Michelle Betos: call quits, find something else to do, because it was 181 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:30,760 Michelle Betos: going to take another level of dedication that I had 182 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:33,240 Michelle Betos: probably never given and I sat there that day and 183 00:08:33,320 --> 00:08:35,520 Michelle Betos: I you know, went through all my range of emotions 184 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:36,840 Michelle Betos: and then I was like, Okay, I'm going to do 185 00:08:36,840 --> 00:08:39,160 Michelle Betos: it and I'm going to give everything to it. So 186 00:08:39,320 --> 00:08:42,400 Michelle Betos: probably from that day on that was two thousand and eleven, 187 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:45,840 Michelle Betos: I was like, I'm going to do it. And so 188 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:48,480 Michelle Betos: I had this big picture goal of what I wanted 189 00:08:48,520 --> 00:08:49,880 Michelle Betos: to be. I looked at Alyssa, I looked at all 190 00:08:49,920 --> 00:08:51,640 Michelle Betos: the best goalkeepers in the league, like what does it 191 00:08:51,679 --> 00:08:54,480 Michelle Betos: take to be successful at this level? And this is 192 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:56,719 Michelle Betos: where I am, this is where that is. What are 193 00:08:56,720 --> 00:08:59,400 Michelle Betos: the smallest steps I can complete every single day to 194 00:08:59,440 --> 00:09:02,680 Michelle Betos: get there? And so for year after year after year, 195 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:06,160 Michelle Betos: like I promised myself that I would never walk away 196 00:09:06,559 --> 00:09:09,120 Michelle Betos: with regrets. You know, maybe I would fail, maybe I 197 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:11,760 Michelle Betos: wouldn't get there, maybe I would never achieve anything, but 198 00:09:11,840 --> 00:09:13,720 Michelle Betos: I was going to give it everything. Because I walked 199 00:09:13,760 --> 00:09:16,160 Michelle Betos: away from my college career being like I didn't give 200 00:09:16,160 --> 00:09:18,320 Michelle Betos: it everything I had. I actually don't know how good 201 00:09:18,320 --> 00:09:20,840 Michelle Betos: I could have been. And so my pro career that 202 00:09:20,920 --> 00:09:23,360 Michelle Betos: was like my one goal, not even to you know, 203 00:09:23,400 --> 00:09:25,280 Michelle Betos: make this team or that team or whatever. It was 204 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:27,199 Michelle Betos: just like I'm giving it everything. I'm going to walk 205 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,080 Michelle Betos: away from my career knowing how good I could be, 206 00:09:29,440 --> 00:09:31,720 Michelle Betos: and so I spent fifteen years doing that, you know, 207 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,679 Michelle Betos: just every single day. How do I grow, whether it's 208 00:09:34,720 --> 00:09:39,280 Michelle Betos: on the field, nutrition, mental performance, like watching the game, learning, 209 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,720 Michelle Betos: asking questions. I mean, I was in so many people 210 00:09:42,760 --> 00:09:44,480 Michelle Betos: told me early in my career, you know, maybe just 211 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:46,920 Michelle Betos: do something else, like maybe this isn't for you, you know, 212 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:50,120 Michelle Betos: But yeah, I knew I could do it, and I 213 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:52,640 Michelle Betos: knew that it was going to take a crazy level 214 00:09:52,640 --> 00:09:55,800 Michelle Betos: of dedication. But I did it every single day until 215 00:09:55,880 --> 00:09:57,440 Michelle Betos: you know, the day I hung up my boots not 216 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,760 Michelle Betos: too long ago. Yeah, it took everything, literally everything I had. 217 00:10:01,440 --> 00:10:04,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: Can you be specific about what those things were, like 218 00:10:04,600 --> 00:10:07,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: the places that you felt like you were not good enough, 219 00:10:07,080 --> 00:10:09,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: but specifically that you had not tried hard enough. I 220 00:10:09,559 --> 00:10:11,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: think there's a lot of there's a lot of questions 221 00:10:11,840 --> 00:10:14,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: about what it for people, you know, for our listeners, 222 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:16,679 Emily Tisch Sussman: for people that ask me about got them all the time, 223 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:18,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: and I don't have the answers, you know, like what 224 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: does it mean to actually be a professional athlete right now? 225 00:10:21,280 --> 00:10:23,920 Michelle Betos: So for for the first thing I realized is like I, 226 00:10:24,280 --> 00:10:27,040 Michelle Betos: within my career always leaned into my shrinks and like 227 00:10:27,320 --> 00:10:30,800 Michelle Betos: tried to hide my weaknesses. So throughout my college career, 228 00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:32,800 Michelle Betos: I really never worked on what I wasn't good at. 229 00:10:32,800 --> 00:10:36,600 Michelle Betos: So like for me, kicking, like kicking, distribution, like decision making, 230 00:10:36,840 --> 00:10:39,720 Michelle Betos: playing a ball over distance, I just tried to avoid that. 231 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:41,200 Michelle Betos: I'll just give it to my center back. They can 232 00:10:41,200 --> 00:10:42,560 Michelle Betos: do that, and I'll do what I'm good at, which 233 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,800 Michelle Betos: is shot stopping, you know, coming into the league, recognizing 234 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:48,280 Michelle Betos: that's such an important part, and especially even the game 235 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:50,720 Michelle Betos: has grown while I've been in it, so the role 236 00:10:50,760 --> 00:10:53,640 Michelle Betos: of a goalkeeper has changed even in my professional career. 237 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:57,079 Michelle Betos: So really it was just leaning into my weaknesses and 238 00:10:57,400 --> 00:11:00,360 Michelle Betos: telling myself, like going into training, like I'm going to 239 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:02,200 Michelle Betos: fail right now, and I'm going to fail over and 240 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:04,080 Michelle Betos: over and over, and it's going to be embarrassing. It's 241 00:11:04,160 --> 00:11:06,600 Michelle Betos: going to be you know, might cost me playing time, 242 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:08,760 Michelle Betos: it might cost me a chance, but I'm gonna do 243 00:11:08,920 --> 00:11:11,360 Michelle Betos: it so I actually get better at it instead of 244 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,160 Michelle Betos: hide these things. So I think that was just you know, 245 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,120 Michelle Betos: like to be a goalkeeper in this league, you need 246 00:11:16,160 --> 00:11:18,680 Michelle Betos: to be you need to be a shot stopper. You 247 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:20,720 Michelle Betos: need to be explosive, you need to be good in 248 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:23,000 Michelle Betos: the air on crosses, you need to be aggressive off 249 00:11:23,000 --> 00:11:24,840 Michelle Betos: your line, and then on top of all the things 250 00:11:24,840 --> 00:11:26,000 Michelle Betos: you need to do to keep the ball off the 251 00:11:26,040 --> 00:11:27,240 Michelle Betos: back of that, you need to be able to be 252 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:29,080 Michelle Betos: a field player with the ball at your feet. And 253 00:11:29,120 --> 00:11:32,120 Michelle Betos: it's really really challenging. And I don't know that, you know, 254 00:11:32,280 --> 00:11:35,240 Michelle Betos: growing up, I was really prepared for that. You know, 255 00:11:35,320 --> 00:11:37,720 Michelle Betos: I was a shot stopper. I was a goalkeeper. You know, 256 00:11:37,760 --> 00:11:38,959 Michelle Betos: I'm just going to sit here and I'm going to 257 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,040 Michelle Betos: keep the ball out. But yeah, I really had to 258 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:44,800 Michelle Betos: develop so many new skills. So it was working with 259 00:11:44,840 --> 00:11:48,240 Michelle Betos: my feet. It was understanding new players in college, your 260 00:11:48,600 --> 00:11:52,320 Michelle Betos: usually athleticism can get you pretty far in this league. 261 00:11:52,400 --> 00:11:54,800 Michelle Betos: I learned the first session I was training with Lauren Cheney, 262 00:11:54,840 --> 00:11:56,480 Michelle Betos: who was like one of the best to ever play 263 00:11:56,520 --> 00:11:59,080 Michelle Betos: this game. I think she's retired now. And I would 264 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:00,880 Michelle Betos: just lean a little bit like this because I thought 265 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:02,800 Michelle Betos: she was going there, and she just come back across 266 00:12:02,840 --> 00:12:05,440 Michelle Betos: my shoulder and I'm like and scored on me every time, 267 00:12:05,480 --> 00:12:07,040 Michelle Betos: and I'm like how And she's like, I see you 268 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:09,400 Michelle Betos: moving and I'm like I'm barely moving, you know. But 269 00:12:09,840 --> 00:12:13,640 Michelle Betos: it was just another level so really being disciplined really, 270 00:12:13,880 --> 00:12:16,400 Michelle Betos: so it was work in the gym, to be more explosive, 271 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:18,800 Michelle Betos: to be leaner, to be fitter. It was honing in 272 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:22,439 Michelle Betos: my nutrition, you know. It was little habits, little decisions 273 00:12:22,480 --> 00:12:26,439 Michelle Betos: every day. It was getting into meditation, to visualization. You know. Physically, 274 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:28,600 Michelle Betos: I worked as hard as I possibly could on the field, 275 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:30,840 Michelle Betos: probably so that you know, within that first year, I 276 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:32,760 Michelle Betos: pulled my groin, I pulled my hamsterring because I was 277 00:12:32,760 --> 00:12:35,520 Michelle Betos: pushing my body in a way it never had. So 278 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:37,240 Michelle Betos: I also had to learn how do I train when 279 00:12:37,280 --> 00:12:39,880 Michelle Betos: I'm off the field. So it's watching games, It's watching 280 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:44,760 Michelle Betos: good goalkeepers, it's you know, visualizing myself. It's like fixing 281 00:12:44,840 --> 00:12:48,040 Michelle Betos: mistakes by seeing myself doing it well. It was breath work, 282 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:51,120 Michelle Betos: like what's my mindset going in? It was journaling like 283 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:54,280 Michelle Betos: and being intentional going into trainings. It was reflection after 284 00:12:54,400 --> 00:12:56,720 Michelle Betos: what did I do well? And you know, what do 285 00:12:56,760 --> 00:12:58,360 Michelle Betos: I need to work on for tomorrow? And kind of 286 00:12:58,400 --> 00:13:00,920 Michelle Betos: the cycle over and over and over. Yeah, I mean 287 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,440 Michelle Betos: it was never ending, you know. I this is like 288 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:05,920 Michelle Betos: such a cheesy quote, but one of the first sports 289 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,920 Michelle Betos: likes that I worked with said, make your days reflect 290 00:13:08,920 --> 00:13:11,400 Michelle Betos: your dreams. Somebody should be able to follow you throughout 291 00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:14,640 Michelle Betos: one day. And know exactly what you're going after. So 292 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:16,520 Michelle Betos: like for me, I was like, what does my day 293 00:13:16,520 --> 00:13:18,560 Michelle Betos: look like? Of course I can't kick a ball for 294 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:21,480 Michelle Betos: twenty four hours, but that means getting the right amount 295 00:13:21,520 --> 00:13:23,560 Michelle Betos: of sleep, That means eating in a certain way, that 296 00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:25,440 Michelle Betos: means taking care of my body in a certain way, 297 00:13:25,520 --> 00:13:29,880 Michelle Betos: watching games, watching film, reviewing things, asking questions. I was, 298 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:33,120 Michelle Betos: you know, within this league from day one to the 299 00:13:33,160 --> 00:13:37,440 Michelle Betos: day I retired year round one percenters like these incredible 300 00:13:37,520 --> 00:13:40,400 Michelle Betos: athletes with these incredible mindsets that like you kind of 301 00:13:40,440 --> 00:13:42,760 Michelle Betos: take for granted sometimes, like you're sitting next to a 302 00:13:42,760 --> 00:13:45,760 Michelle Betos: World Cup winner and an Olympian here and there, and 303 00:13:45,800 --> 00:13:47,640 Michelle Betos: it's like, how do I pick their brains? How do 304 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:50,760 Michelle Betos: I understand everything it took for them to be successful 305 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:52,800 Michelle Betos: and then figure out what's true for me, what also 306 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,360 Michelle Betos: works for me? So yeah, it was kind of this 307 00:13:55,559 --> 00:13:58,800 Michelle Betos: like never ending ascension for me. You know, I thought 308 00:13:58,840 --> 00:14:01,360 Michelle Betos: one day in my career like, oh I finally made it, 309 00:14:01,520 --> 00:14:04,560 Michelle Betos: And at some point I realized that's never going to happen, 310 00:14:04,920 --> 00:14:07,800 Michelle Betos: you know, like until my body falls apart or until 311 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:12,640 Michelle Betos: I can't physically do it anymore. Like growth is always possible, 312 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:15,960 Michelle Betos: you know, And so yeah, it just becomes this chase 313 00:14:16,040 --> 00:14:18,920 Michelle Betos: and this journey to just keep finding little ways. You know, 314 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:21,760 Michelle Betos: I say this all the time, but soccer and life 315 00:14:21,800 --> 00:14:24,200 Michelle Betos: are game of inches, you know. Like the difference in 316 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:27,000 Michelle Betos: our team winning and losing is literally like maybe it 317 00:14:27,080 --> 00:14:29,240 Michelle Betos: hits my glove, hits the post and goes out, or 318 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:32,160 Michelle Betos: maybe it hits my glove and it goes in. You know, 319 00:14:32,280 --> 00:14:35,760 Michelle Betos: it's millimeters. So like sometimes we want to chase yards 320 00:14:35,800 --> 00:14:39,120 Michelle Betos: and miles and cover distances like from where we are 321 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:41,280 Michelle Betos: to where we want to go in one day, but 322 00:14:41,320 --> 00:14:43,240 Michelle Betos: it just doesn't work like that. So it's like every 323 00:14:43,280 --> 00:14:45,160 Michelle Betos: single day I was like, Okay, how do I gain 324 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:47,440 Michelle Betos: an inch today? And every day is different. 325 00:14:50,320 --> 00:14:53,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: It's important to note that Michelle entered professional women's soccer 326 00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:57,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: before the creation of the NWSL and before the league's 327 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:01,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: first ever collective Bargaining Agreement or CB, which was announced 328 00:15:01,080 --> 00:15:04,520 Emily Tisch Sussman: in twenty twenty two and guaranteed players minimum pay and 329 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:09,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: introduced free agency and for non sports folks out there, 330 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:13,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: without true free agency, teams controlled the player's rights indefinitely, 331 00:15:14,400 --> 00:15:17,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: meaning that even after a contract expired, the team could 332 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:21,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: keep the player's rights, preventing her from signing freely with 333 00:15:21,320 --> 00:15:24,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: another club. Unless that team traded for her rights, leaving 334 00:15:24,600 --> 00:15:27,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: players with zero leverage to find a better salary role 335 00:15:28,040 --> 00:15:31,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: or location. Not to mention their salaries were horribly low 336 00:15:31,160 --> 00:15:35,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: to begin with, and can you talk about how you 337 00:15:35,480 --> 00:15:39,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: balanced the off field as well, because particularly of those 338 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:42,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: look players are not compensated as they should be right now. 339 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:45,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: But it was like not a living wage. Yes, so 340 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:49,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: how did you manage all of that with the financial 341 00:15:49,480 --> 00:15:51,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: compensation being I mean, can you talk a little bit 342 00:15:51,120 --> 00:15:52,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: about that. I mean it was ya Ilepitt was paid 343 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:54,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: ten thousand when she was in the national team. 344 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:57,840 Michelle Betos: Yeah, the year I won Goalkeeper of the Year, I 345 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:02,720 Michelle Betos: was making twelve thousand dollars. It's wild, you know, it's 346 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,960 Michelle Betos: hard to even explain what that was like. To be fair, 347 00:16:06,040 --> 00:16:08,720 Michelle Betos: the season was shorter, so he played about six months, 348 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,640 Michelle Betos: and then in the off season I would always go overseas, 349 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,680 Michelle Betos: so I went to Denmark, I went to Australia, I 350 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,560 Michelle Betos: went to Norway. I went, you know, just to make 351 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,440 Michelle Betos: money and keep playing in the off season. And typically 352 00:16:20,480 --> 00:16:22,560 Michelle Betos: at that time you could make more money as a 353 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:27,200 Michelle Betos: foreigner going overseas. But within season I was I would 354 00:16:27,200 --> 00:16:29,960 Michelle Betos: train and then I would train two or three goalkeepers 355 00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,200 Michelle Betos: I would do sessions online. I would just try to 356 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:36,680 Michelle Betos: find ways to make money. I honestly am still well 357 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,920 Michelle Betos: not still honestly, probably since I was CBA where there's 358 00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:42,000 Michelle Betos: finally a minimum salary and later on in my career 359 00:16:42,040 --> 00:16:45,120 Michelle Betos: where I was making more money. Still you know, obviously 360 00:16:45,120 --> 00:16:47,320 Michelle Betos: we're pushing for more. I was able to like pay 361 00:16:47,320 --> 00:16:49,680 Michelle Betos: off credit card debt because that was real. You know. 362 00:16:49,760 --> 00:16:52,440 Michelle Betos: I saw I met a girl the other day that 363 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:54,760 Michelle Betos: I played with who was saying, she's coaching now, but 364 00:16:54,840 --> 00:16:57,240 Michelle Betos: she like people don't realize, like she's still paying off 365 00:16:57,280 --> 00:16:59,840 Michelle Betos: debt from that time, like it was, you know, it 366 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,840 Michelle Betos: was a crazy time to manage. So yeah, it was 367 00:17:02,880 --> 00:17:04,240 Michelle Betos: just how do I make money? But how do I 368 00:17:04,280 --> 00:17:06,399 Michelle Betos: also take care of my body. That's also how I 369 00:17:06,480 --> 00:17:10,000 Michelle Betos: kind of got into like mentoring and doing things online 370 00:17:10,080 --> 00:17:12,359 Michelle Betos: because you can only physically work for so long. But 371 00:17:12,680 --> 00:17:14,960 Michelle Betos: I could be in my norma tech boots and you know, 372 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:17,359 Michelle Betos: help an eleven year old on her mental side of 373 00:17:17,400 --> 00:17:20,800 Michelle Betos: the game, or work with college athletes or things like that. 374 00:17:20,840 --> 00:17:22,600 Michelle Betos: So you kind of had to get creative. You know. 375 00:17:22,680 --> 00:17:25,760 Michelle Betos: Anytime there was appearance, like all my hands were up, 376 00:17:25,800 --> 00:17:28,800 Michelle Betos: please like let me do the appearance. But that was 377 00:17:28,800 --> 00:17:30,840 Michelle Betos: all of us. That was just the reality, you know, 378 00:17:30,920 --> 00:17:34,520 Michelle Betos: And I think for my generation, we were always holding 379 00:17:34,520 --> 00:17:36,600 Michelle Betos: onto the idea that it would become what it is 380 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:39,920 Michelle Betos: today and beyond. You know, it's such a rewarding thing 381 00:17:40,119 --> 00:17:43,239 Michelle Betos: the past, like three four years, I would say, like 382 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:46,800 Michelle Betos: my generation of players, like, yes, we're always pushing for more, 383 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:49,840 Michelle Betos: we're always asking for more, but we're also like, take 384 00:17:49,880 --> 00:17:53,159 Michelle Betos: a second, look how far we've come. Because within my 385 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:56,800 Michelle Betos: you know, lifetime, growing up, like you said earlier on 386 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:58,479 Michelle Betos: in this conversation, we didn't know if there was going 387 00:17:58,520 --> 00:18:01,119 Michelle Betos: to be a pro league. So I remember early on 388 00:18:01,200 --> 00:18:03,520 Michelle Betos: in my career seeing the girls in the stands and 389 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,160 Michelle Betos: being like, you have something in front of Your dream 390 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:08,440 Michelle Betos: is in front of you. You can see it every day, 391 00:18:08,680 --> 00:18:11,600 Michelle Betos: and like, to me, that's a dream come true because 392 00:18:11,680 --> 00:18:14,000 Michelle Betos: when people can see it, when they and they feel it, 393 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:17,000 Michelle Betos: they're they're at our games, they're in LA, they're in Portland, 394 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:21,200 Michelle Betos: and they feel the crowds and the atmosphere, it's like, yeah, 395 00:18:21,240 --> 00:18:23,040 Michelle Betos: I want to do that, Like, yeah, I'm going to 396 00:18:23,160 --> 00:18:25,080 Michelle Betos: chase that, and maybe I'm going to make the decisions 397 00:18:25,119 --> 00:18:27,960 Michelle Betos: that make me chase that instead of leave sport. So yeah, 398 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:30,280 Michelle Betos: So like that was such like it's been such a 399 00:18:30,280 --> 00:18:32,719 Michelle Betos: rewarding thing to see where the league has come, you know, 400 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:36,840 Michelle Betos: the investors, people like your family, everything, it's just yeah. 401 00:18:36,880 --> 00:18:38,760 Michelle Betos: To know that it was going to finally be this 402 00:18:38,920 --> 00:18:41,040 Michelle Betos: and be this for the next generation is like one 403 00:18:41,040 --> 00:18:44,200 Michelle Betos: of my dreams come true. It was the first time 404 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,400 Michelle Betos: as players we came together and we said the way 405 00:18:47,440 --> 00:18:50,639 Michelle Betos: we've been treated, the things that have happened are not okay, 406 00:18:51,240 --> 00:18:54,440 Michelle Betos: and enough is enough. And even just for one game, 407 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:56,720 Michelle Betos: we all came together and said, no, we're not playing, 408 00:18:57,480 --> 00:19:00,840 Michelle Betos: like what's happened is not okay. And I think that 409 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:06,400 Michelle Betos: was such a groundbreaking just moment in this league because 410 00:19:07,200 --> 00:19:11,320 Michelle Betos: players finally recognize their value and like, look, there's no 411 00:19:11,440 --> 00:19:14,840 Michelle Betos: league without us. There's such a future for this, Like 412 00:19:15,840 --> 00:19:19,040 Michelle Betos: we're not going to put up with sexual abuse, visibal abuse, 413 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:23,160 Michelle Betos: you know, without free agency. You know, for almost all 414 00:19:23,200 --> 00:19:26,600 Michelle Betos: of my career, like teams just owned you and it 415 00:19:26,640 --> 00:19:28,960 Michelle Betos: didn't matter. Like I had a contract in Portland, my 416 00:19:29,000 --> 00:19:32,480 Michelle Betos: contract was up and instead of being able to renegotiate, 417 00:19:32,520 --> 00:19:34,919 Michelle Betos: they just said, here's your offer, take it or leave it. 418 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:37,879 Michelle Betos: But actually you can't leave it because we own you. 419 00:19:38,480 --> 00:19:41,439 Michelle Betos: So I went overseas to get my rights back, and 420 00:19:41,480 --> 00:19:44,159 Michelle Betos: while it was overseas, another team just claimed my rights 421 00:19:44,320 --> 00:19:47,760 Michelle Betos: because we didn't have any. So yeah, free agency is 422 00:19:47,800 --> 00:19:52,320 Michelle Betos: a huge benchmark. Minimum salary, you know. I remember one 423 00:19:52,359 --> 00:19:54,600 Michelle Betos: of the first year's minimum salary was around. There was 424 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:56,920 Michelle Betos: a rookie and she was like, you know, it's so hard, 425 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:58,880 Michelle Betos: I'm poor. And I was like, oh, no, you don't 426 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:02,720 Michelle Betos: know poor, you don't know more. You know, yes, fight 427 00:20:02,800 --> 00:20:05,240 Michelle Betos: for more, Yes, it needs to go up. Yes, like 428 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,320 Michelle Betos: we're driving for more. But also we have come so far. 429 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:10,639 Michelle Betos: You know, some of us were making five hundred dollars 430 00:20:10,680 --> 00:20:14,240 Michelle Betos: a month, you know, like, so yeah, I think free agency, 431 00:20:14,320 --> 00:20:17,679 Michelle Betos: I think minimum salary. I think and just seeing like 432 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:20,040 Michelle Betos: the people coming in, the investors, people coming in and 433 00:20:20,080 --> 00:20:22,199 Michelle Betos: being like this is something special, not like oh this 434 00:20:22,320 --> 00:20:24,520 Michelle Betos: is a write off, this is you know, this is 435 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:28,000 Michelle Betos: just something I'm doing because my daughter plays. It's like, no, like, actually, 436 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,600 Michelle Betos: this is a business and we respect it. You know. 437 00:20:30,720 --> 00:20:32,920 Michelle Betos: I think that's what you've seen over the past couple 438 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:35,639 Michelle Betos: of years, seeing the evaluation of teams like you know 439 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:38,040 Michelle Betos: up there with you know, some of the men's teams. 440 00:20:38,040 --> 00:20:41,199 Michelle Betos: It's incredible. So yeah, so there's been benchmarks to be 441 00:20:41,240 --> 00:20:44,080 Michelle Betos: honest for me, it was more like it wasn't so 442 00:20:44,200 --> 00:20:46,320 Michelle Betos: much what happened in my career. It was just more 443 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:49,119 Michelle Betos: like what it could be. Having this vision of what 444 00:20:49,160 --> 00:20:51,920 Michelle Betos: it could be and then getting to see those benchmarks 445 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,800 Michelle Betos: later in my career. Were just icing on the cake 446 00:20:54,840 --> 00:20:57,159 Michelle Betos: and like kind of like a deep. 447 00:20:56,960 --> 00:21:01,959 Emily Tisch Sussman: Sigh after the break. Michelle takes us back to what 448 00:21:02,040 --> 00:21:05,359 Emily Tisch Sussman: those early years playing professional women's soccer were really like, 449 00:21:17,880 --> 00:21:20,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: can you tell us a little bit just to elaborate 450 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,359 Emily Tisch Sussman: with people, including me, you know, really don't understand like 451 00:21:23,359 --> 00:21:25,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: what some of those early years were, Like. 452 00:21:26,760 --> 00:21:29,960 Michelle Betos: Yeah, it was just wild. Honestly, this has like been, 453 00:21:30,080 --> 00:21:32,639 Michelle Betos: you know, a place of reflection for me and like 454 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:37,080 Michelle Betos: pushed so long. Even in the youth game, players were 455 00:21:37,119 --> 00:21:39,920 Michelle Betos: treated in a certain way kind of like verbal abuse. 456 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:43,760 Michelle Betos: Talked about our weight, talked about like really inappropriate ways, 457 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:46,679 Michelle Betos: not like in constructive ways, you know, like making comments 458 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,520 Michelle Betos: about somebody being fat from the sideline, coaches saying like 459 00:21:49,880 --> 00:21:52,719 Michelle Betos: really inappropriate things. When I was growing up in my club, 460 00:21:53,240 --> 00:21:56,760 Michelle Betos: we had three coaches that were in relationships with players 461 00:21:57,160 --> 00:22:00,680 Michelle Betos: under eighteen, and that was normal. That was all I knew. 462 00:22:00,880 --> 00:22:02,920 Michelle Betos: And so you go to the pro league and it's 463 00:22:03,040 --> 00:22:06,080 Michelle Betos: like that, and you kind of always have this little 464 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:09,000 Michelle Betos: feeling in your stomach like something feels wrong, this isn't right, 465 00:22:09,240 --> 00:22:12,600 Michelle Betos: but like, also, this is just how it is. It's 466 00:22:12,960 --> 00:22:15,239 Michelle Betos: if you want to play pro sports, this is how 467 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:18,480 Michelle Betos: it is as a woman. And I feel like it 468 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,520 Michelle Betos: was actually it's been like a real like challenge for 469 00:22:21,640 --> 00:22:24,480 Michelle Betos: my generation to understand what is right and wrong because 470 00:22:24,920 --> 00:22:27,760 Michelle Betos: what we learned for so long was this is just 471 00:22:27,760 --> 00:22:30,280 Michelle Betos: what it is. And then finally somebody standing up and 472 00:22:30,280 --> 00:22:32,000 Michelle Betos: being like, no, I'm not going to take that anymore. 473 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:34,080 Michelle Betos: That was a turning point and being like, yeah, that 474 00:22:34,200 --> 00:22:36,919 Michelle Betos: is wrong. Yeah, power dynamics are a real thing. I 475 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,679 Michelle Betos: never knew. I never even knew those two words together, 476 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,080 Michelle Betos: you know, So I think that was a reality. But yeah, 477 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:46,359 Michelle Betos: just the reality of the salary and you know, trying 478 00:22:46,359 --> 00:22:48,919 Michelle Betos: to make like you were full time professional but you 479 00:22:48,960 --> 00:22:51,679 Michelle Betos: were working other jobs because you had to. Yeah, And 480 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:54,080 Michelle Betos: it was like, honestly, I played in Portland for a 481 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,680 Michelle Betos: lot of that time, and our facilities and everything were 482 00:22:56,680 --> 00:22:59,800 Michelle Betos: probably the best at that time. But I know, for 483 00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:03,880 Michelle Betos: like Mandy Freeman, who's been at Gotham Skyblue since day one, 484 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:07,040 Michelle Betos: like they didn't have showers at the facility, they trained 485 00:23:07,080 --> 00:23:09,760 Michelle Betos: at like a D two college where the fields were 486 00:23:10,040 --> 00:23:12,080 Michelle Betos: no one would step foot on that field right now, 487 00:23:12,160 --> 00:23:15,359 Michelle Betos: you know, they were like risking ankle injuries every day. 488 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:18,960 Michelle Betos: People were so underpaid in terms of staff, so you 489 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:22,760 Michelle Betos: had one staff member trying to do eight jobs. So 490 00:23:22,840 --> 00:23:25,080 Michelle Betos: obviously nothing's done well even when you have the best 491 00:23:25,119 --> 00:23:27,280 Michelle Betos: person in place, Like it's to no definite, you know, 492 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:30,359 Michelle Betos: no fault of their own. It's just impossible. I had 493 00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:32,880 Michelle Betos: an athletic trainer in my first year when I said 494 00:23:32,880 --> 00:23:35,399 Michelle Betos: my hamstring was hurting. That was literally looking in a 495 00:23:35,440 --> 00:23:38,960 Michelle Betos: textbook for hamstring stretches, and I was like, what do 496 00:23:39,040 --> 00:23:42,879 Michelle Betos: you mean, Like this is your job, you know. Yeah. 497 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,320 Michelle Betos: I think the reality was then, like colleges were so supported. 498 00:23:47,320 --> 00:23:49,040 Michelle Betos: Like I played at the University of Georgia. We had 499 00:23:49,040 --> 00:23:51,200 Michelle Betos: a good football team, so we had the best of 500 00:23:51,480 --> 00:23:55,000 Michelle Betos: everything our locker rooms, our gear, like our athletic trainers, 501 00:23:55,040 --> 00:23:57,600 Michelle Betos: our strength coaches, things like that. So it was almost 502 00:23:57,640 --> 00:23:59,439 Michelle Betos: like going from college to pro you were going a 503 00:23:59,440 --> 00:24:02,479 Michelle Betos: step down. Like yes, you were getting paid to play, 504 00:24:02,600 --> 00:24:08,560 Michelle Betos: but like actual resources, facilities like fields, everything were so 505 00:24:08,560 --> 00:24:12,720 Michelle Betos: so far from what we actually experienced in college. Playing 506 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:17,119 Michelle Betos: professionally felt like a sacrifice. For a lot of my career, 507 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,439 Michelle Betos: you know. And the reality is the people who did 508 00:24:19,480 --> 00:24:22,160 Michelle Betos: it did it because they just purely love this game, 509 00:24:22,680 --> 00:24:26,159 Michelle Betos: like they loved playing this game. But there are so 510 00:24:26,359 --> 00:24:29,080 Michelle Betos: many players in my generation that never really reached their 511 00:24:29,119 --> 00:24:31,480 Michelle Betos: full potential because they had to at a certain point. 512 00:24:31,480 --> 00:24:33,800 Michelle Betos: You can't make it work, you know, like it's not 513 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,040 Michelle Betos: financially feasible. It's not like, you know, like you can 514 00:24:37,119 --> 00:24:39,240 Michelle Betos: make so much more money, especially with the amount of 515 00:24:39,280 --> 00:24:42,320 Michelle Betos: time and hours. Because that's the thing, Like the league 516 00:24:42,359 --> 00:24:44,760 Michelle Betos: has grown, the resources have grown, everything has grown, but 517 00:24:44,800 --> 00:24:47,960 Michelle Betos: our actual dedication has always stayed the same. So you 518 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,240 Michelle Betos: were working, you know, twenty four hours a day to 519 00:24:50,320 --> 00:24:53,199 Michelle Betos: achieve this dream, just like you are now. But you 520 00:24:53,280 --> 00:24:57,159 Michelle Betos: just weren't being compensated or really able to maximize yourself 521 00:24:57,200 --> 00:25:00,520 Michelle Betos: when you don't have the proper resources and every you need. 522 00:25:00,680 --> 00:25:03,280 Michelle Betos: So yeah, I mean there were no showers. You have 523 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:07,080 Michelle Betos: to wash your own gear. Yeah, traveling was insane. You 524 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:10,880 Michelle Betos: would have layovers the night before a game and then 525 00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:13,320 Michelle Betos: eat the hotel breakfast and like pray you had enough 526 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:15,560 Michelle Betos: fuel for the game. You know, like it was just 527 00:25:16,320 --> 00:25:18,600 Michelle Betos: all it just wasn't professional, you know, like we were 528 00:25:18,640 --> 00:25:21,680 Michelle Betos: playing professional sports. But it wasn't professional. You never really 529 00:25:21,680 --> 00:25:24,920 Michelle Betos: felt like a professional athlete. I would say game day 530 00:25:25,040 --> 00:25:27,520 Michelle Betos: at the Portland Thorns felt like a professional athlete because 531 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:29,879 Michelle Betos: there's like twenty thousand people in the sands and so 532 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:32,240 Michelle Betos: like on game day you get to feel that, but 533 00:25:32,320 --> 00:25:34,359 Michelle Betos: every other day you're like kind of like a second 534 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:37,000 Michelle Betos: class citizen to the men's team or to whatever else 535 00:25:37,080 --> 00:25:37,600 Michelle Betos: is around you. 536 00:25:38,359 --> 00:25:40,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: I want to turn it to the positive about like 537 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:44,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: you know, how changes that have been made and what 538 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:47,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: things felt impactful for you, Like what were the things 539 00:25:47,480 --> 00:25:50,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: you know you said, like stepping onto the field with 540 00:25:50,119 --> 00:25:52,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: a packed stadium made you feel like a professional athlete, 541 00:25:52,600 --> 00:25:55,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: Like what are those things that made you feel like, yes, 542 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:57,399 Emily Tisch Sussman: I will stay in this, I will keep going. And 543 00:25:57,840 --> 00:26:01,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: where have you seen big changes that I felt hugely impactful? 544 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:04,240 Michelle Betos: Yeah? I think that's the reality is that every year 545 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,000 Michelle Betos: it's grown, you know, like it was like every year 546 00:26:07,600 --> 00:26:10,040 Michelle Betos: the next year was a bit better, at least in 547 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:12,639 Michelle Betos: my experience, you know, whether it was yeah, like the 548 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:16,120 Michelle Betos: stadiums like game day, like it just was such a rush, 549 00:26:16,160 --> 00:26:18,000 Michelle Betos: you know, I was. I played at Portland a lot 550 00:26:18,160 --> 00:26:19,600 Michelle Betos: a lot of my career, and I played at Seattle 551 00:26:19,640 --> 00:26:21,960 Michelle Betos: a lot of my career. So like having those rivalry 552 00:26:22,040 --> 00:26:25,520 Michelle Betos: games where it's like fans are booing and screaming, and 553 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:28,760 Michelle Betos: you know, the Portland Thorns fans were known for like 554 00:26:29,200 --> 00:26:32,080 Michelle Betos: talking so much trash behind your goal, but you're like, like, 555 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:34,400 Michelle Betos: you know, you're loving it, you know. Yeah, I think 556 00:26:34,440 --> 00:26:36,919 Michelle Betos: it was just honestly, the fans. Like I whenever I 557 00:26:36,960 --> 00:26:38,960 Michelle Betos: get a chance, I try to thank the fans because 558 00:26:39,080 --> 00:26:41,280 Michelle Betos: for me, it was the kids coming up, seeing them 559 00:26:41,400 --> 00:26:44,200 Michelle Betos: care and idolize us, and you know, the autographs after 560 00:26:44,240 --> 00:26:46,800 Michelle Betos: the game, and the conversations after the game, the you 561 00:26:46,800 --> 00:26:49,520 Michelle Betos: know Twitter messages at that time, being like hey, like 562 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:53,400 Michelle Betos: you made my daughter's night. You know, like having even 563 00:26:53,520 --> 00:26:57,560 Michelle Betos: just the smallest platform to do that was a reward 564 00:26:58,000 --> 00:27:00,320 Michelle Betos: and you are living a dream. You know, Like it's 565 00:27:00,359 --> 00:27:03,159 Michelle Betos: hard to really explain, but like I wanted. I was 566 00:27:03,200 --> 00:27:06,119 Michelle Betos: a pro athlete, you know, I was with the best 567 00:27:06,119 --> 00:27:09,080 Michelle Betos: of the best every single day, and that was the reward. 568 00:27:09,280 --> 00:27:11,600 Michelle Betos: You know. I was sitting next to these girls who 569 00:27:11,600 --> 00:27:14,200 Michelle Betos: had achieved everything in the game, and they were my teammates, 570 00:27:14,200 --> 00:27:16,960 Michelle Betos: they were my friends. Yeah, it's the people in the game, 571 00:27:17,160 --> 00:27:20,639 Michelle Betos: I think, the relationships and like, honestly, for me, it 572 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:24,080 Michelle Betos: was just this like drive of like how far can 573 00:27:24,119 --> 00:27:26,879 Michelle Betos: I go? What can I do? And and how can 574 00:27:26,920 --> 00:27:28,879 Michelle Betos: I help? You know, like how can I inspire? I 575 00:27:28,880 --> 00:27:31,920 Michelle Betos: think that's always been a huge driver of mine. And yeah, 576 00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:34,000 Michelle Betos: I think it was just always driving towards what it 577 00:27:34,040 --> 00:27:36,960 Michelle Betos: could be versus you know, what it necessarily was in 578 00:27:36,960 --> 00:27:37,480 Michelle Betos: the beginning. 579 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: First, one of the things that struck me the first 580 00:27:40,240 --> 00:27:42,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: time that I met all of you at the Championship 581 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:47,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: game was how physically strong everyone is and how and 582 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:49,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: how everyone carries themselves. 583 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:54,520 Speaker 3: Like I don't think you all realize how inspiring that. 584 00:27:54,560 --> 00:27:59,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: Is, but for women to be physically strong and unapologetic 585 00:27:59,600 --> 00:28:03,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: about it was incredibly inspiring for me. I was like, 586 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:05,879 Emily Tisch Sussman: I want my kids in here. I want everyone to 587 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:08,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: know about this, Like I want everyone to see these 588 00:28:08,119 --> 00:28:11,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: players on and off the field. And you know that 589 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:11,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: my son loves you. 590 00:28:12,760 --> 00:28:15,639 Michelle Betos: I love them. You're so cute, but I love that. 591 00:28:15,640 --> 00:28:18,080 Michelle Betos: That's the thing. Like the little boys, like I know 592 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,280 Michelle Betos: that's so That's when those are moments when I feel 593 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:22,560 Michelle Betos: like we've made it. You know, it's not just the 594 00:28:22,560 --> 00:28:24,000 Michelle Betos: little girls being like oh I want to be like 595 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:25,679 Michelle Betos: or it's like no little boys see like this is 596 00:28:25,720 --> 00:28:28,320 Michelle Betos: good soccer, Like this is cool. You know, this is 597 00:28:28,359 --> 00:28:30,399 Michelle Betos: something I want to do. You know, I've I've gotten 598 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,199 Michelle Betos: so many dms and whatever of like I played with 599 00:28:33,240 --> 00:28:36,240 Michelle Betos: you on FIFA and you know, like things like that, 600 00:28:36,320 --> 00:28:39,200 Michelle Betos: and it's like, yeah, that that's what it should be, 601 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:41,120 Michelle Betos: you know, respect for the game, you know, and I 602 00:28:41,160 --> 00:28:44,800 Michelle Betos: think our national team has historically been the most successful 603 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:48,280 Michelle Betos: national team and done so well on the world stage, 604 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:50,360 Michelle Betos: so I think it was always that too. It was 605 00:28:50,400 --> 00:28:52,160 Michelle Betos: like we like, we want to be the best league 606 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:54,200 Michelle Betos: in the world. We have the best players in the world, 607 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:56,400 Michelle Betos: you know, and obviously there are a lot of other 608 00:28:56,520 --> 00:28:59,160 Michelle Betos: very good leagues, but it was like we could see 609 00:28:59,160 --> 00:29:01,200 Michelle Betos: what we could be because we were watching our girls 610 00:29:01,240 --> 00:29:02,960 Michelle Betos: do it week in and week out or tournament and 611 00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:05,800 Michelle Betos: tournament out, you know. So yeah, I think that's yeah. 612 00:29:05,840 --> 00:29:06,960 Michelle Betos: I just think that's so cool. 613 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:10,280 Emily Tisch Sussman: It's when people ask us, like ask me and Carolyn, 614 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:12,320 Emily Tisch Sussman: you know, do you do this for your daughters, like 615 00:29:12,320 --> 00:29:15,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: we both have daughters and sons, and we're like, yes, 616 00:29:16,360 --> 00:29:20,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: but it's also for our sons. Yeah, because seeing women 617 00:29:20,080 --> 00:29:24,719 Emily Tisch Sussman: who are competitors, who are dedicated, who are strong, like 618 00:29:24,760 --> 00:29:26,959 Emily Tisch Sussman: that's something that we want our sons to see equally 619 00:29:27,000 --> 00:29:28,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: as much as our daughters, like our daughters. 620 00:29:28,320 --> 00:29:30,480 Speaker 3: Seplanting in our cases like don't. 621 00:29:31,680 --> 00:29:35,800 Michelle Betos: Yeah, yeah, no, it's amazing. Yeah, And like that was 622 00:29:35,840 --> 00:29:37,240 Michelle Betos: part of it too. That was part of the early 623 00:29:37,400 --> 00:29:39,800 Michelle Betos: like we had a platform and we were doing something 624 00:29:39,840 --> 00:29:43,400 Michelle Betos: about it, you know, like black lives matter, equality issues, 625 00:29:43,600 --> 00:29:47,040 Michelle Betos: Like I was around just these badass women who just 626 00:29:47,080 --> 00:29:49,160 Michelle Betos: stood up for things bigger than us, Like it was 627 00:29:49,240 --> 00:29:51,959 Michelle Betos: always about something bigger than us. Like I don't know, 628 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:55,240 Michelle Betos: it's just like being part of this league from you know, 629 00:29:55,360 --> 00:29:58,360 Michelle Betos: day one, it felt like being a part of something bigger. 630 00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:00,280 Michelle Betos: It was a movement, you know, and like look at 631 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:03,640 Michelle Betos: what women's sports have done, and like this generation now 632 00:30:03,720 --> 00:30:06,680 Michelle Betos: will benefit from what we've done and hopefully keep driving it. 633 00:30:06,760 --> 00:30:09,880 Michelle Betos: But like even my generation, like we sat on the 634 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:12,920 Michelle Betos: backs of giants, you know, like the ninety nine ers. 635 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:14,880 Michelle Betos: You know, I would say there's not a player in 636 00:30:14,920 --> 00:30:18,240 Michelle Betos: my generation that isn't in mouvet soccer on some level, 637 00:30:18,240 --> 00:30:20,360 Michelle Betos: because we watched the ninety nine ers just like bad 638 00:30:20,360 --> 00:30:22,680 Michelle Betos: as women doing something that people didn't think they should do, 639 00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:26,560 Michelle Betos: completely under resource like and then just went and killed it, 640 00:30:26,720 --> 00:30:28,800 Michelle Betos: you know, and brought people in the stadiums, you know, 641 00:30:28,960 --> 00:30:32,280 Michelle Betos: And so we had that inspiration in front of us, 642 00:30:32,280 --> 00:30:34,480 Michelle Betos: and we knew also what an inspiration we could be 643 00:30:34,480 --> 00:30:35,880 Michelle Betos: for the next generation for everyone. 644 00:30:36,600 --> 00:30:44,360 Speaker 3: July tenth, nineteen ninety nine, Pasadena, California. 645 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:53,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: And then she rips off her jersey Flex's sports brat. 646 00:30:51,920 --> 00:30:53,640 Speaker 4: Page of every magazine across the name. 647 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:55,760 Speaker 3: We won the World Cup at home in front of 648 00:30:56,120 --> 00:30:59,080 Speaker 3: a lot of people watching on TV and packed rosemult 649 00:30:59,120 --> 00:31:01,720 Speaker 3: Stadium and it was really cool. And that's when soccer 650 00:31:01,880 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 3: just started. By the USA Live with Morgan's Drinkings, He's 651 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:06,000 Speaker 3: trying to. 652 00:31:12,360 --> 00:31:15,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: Christine Loding is ready for the corner rhymes it far 653 00:31:15,920 --> 00:31:17,560 Emily Tisch Sussman: side headed, my wa bach. 654 00:31:20,560 --> 00:31:21,680 Michelle Betos: Real side leads. 655 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:26,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: It does feel like right now women's sports in general 656 00:31:26,320 --> 00:31:29,880 Emily Tisch Sussman: is surging. What do you think, like, what are the 657 00:31:29,920 --> 00:31:32,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: cultural conditions that have been created? 658 00:31:32,400 --> 00:31:33,320 Speaker 3: Like why right now? 659 00:31:33,440 --> 00:31:37,120 Michelle Betos: Basically, you know, I don't know, you know, like I 660 00:31:37,240 --> 00:31:39,840 Michelle Betos: just think that it's time. Like I think I don't 661 00:31:39,840 --> 00:31:41,720 Michelle Betos: know what makes it happen right now? You know, I 662 00:31:41,760 --> 00:31:44,360 Michelle Betos: feel like we're seeing it now. But it's kind of 663 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:47,880 Michelle Betos: like it's like the Iceberg analogy. Analogy, like the work 664 00:31:47,920 --> 00:31:51,920 Michelle Betos: has been done for years and years and years, and 665 00:31:51,960 --> 00:31:54,400 Michelle Betos: now it's peeking over the water and maybe now people 666 00:31:54,400 --> 00:31:56,320 Michelle Betos: are ready to receive it, but I think it's just 667 00:31:56,360 --> 00:31:59,400 Michelle Betos: been like in the works for so long. Like no 668 00:31:59,440 --> 00:32:05,880 Michelle Betos: one in my class of this league or before is surprised, like, yes, 669 00:32:06,040 --> 00:32:08,680 Michelle Betos: it's so different than when we started. But I'm not like, 670 00:32:08,720 --> 00:32:11,040 Michelle Betos: oh my god, like I can't believe this. I'm like, yeah, 671 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,880 Michelle Betos: of course, you know. And so I don't know why 672 00:32:15,160 --> 00:32:17,239 Michelle Betos: right now in this moment, but I just think, like 673 00:32:17,480 --> 00:32:19,680 Michelle Betos: when you look at the Caitlin Clarks and you know, 674 00:32:19,800 --> 00:32:23,240 Michelle Betos: it's the Sue Birds before that, it's the Diana Tarazzi's 675 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:26,040 Michelle Betos: like in my mind, you know, so like they've like 676 00:32:26,200 --> 00:32:29,239 Michelle Betos: the Abby Wombacks, the people before my generation, and then 677 00:32:29,280 --> 00:32:32,000 Michelle Betos: the people the Alex Morgan's like the people of my generation. 678 00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,200 Michelle Betos: Like I think they've done the work, and now it's 679 00:32:35,240 --> 00:32:38,120 Michelle Betos: like we're finally peeking over the water, you know, like 680 00:32:38,200 --> 00:32:41,000 Michelle Betos: it's finally like being recognized. But I just think it's 681 00:32:41,040 --> 00:32:43,920 Michelle Betos: been years and years in the making and it's just 682 00:32:44,120 --> 00:32:47,120 Michelle Betos: now coming to the surface. So that's my best answer. 683 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:50,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: We do think a part of the reaching like the 684 00:32:50,120 --> 00:32:54,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: next level of audience is is having them feel attached 685 00:32:54,440 --> 00:32:55,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: to the stories. 686 00:32:55,720 --> 00:32:58,360 Michelle Betos: I yeah, I think so, And I think I think 687 00:32:58,360 --> 00:33:02,320 Michelle Betos: it's just actually being having viewership you know, like when 688 00:33:02,360 --> 00:33:04,760 Michelle Betos: I was drafted, I was drafted on Twitter and I 689 00:33:04,800 --> 00:33:07,720 Michelle Betos: was sitting in my car like refreshing Twitter. Now they 690 00:33:08,320 --> 00:33:10,240 Michelle Betos: you know, now there's not a draft, but like the 691 00:33:10,320 --> 00:33:13,880 Michelle Betos: last draft was on TV and it was streamed, like 692 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:16,760 Michelle Betos: people have access. Like I think now the difference is 693 00:33:16,800 --> 00:33:19,720 Michelle Betos: like there's coverage of women's sports, so like maybe people 694 00:33:19,760 --> 00:33:21,960 Michelle Betos: would have been interested before, but they really couldn't even 695 00:33:22,000 --> 00:33:24,160 Michelle Betos: find it. Like I remember my family trying to find 696 00:33:24,200 --> 00:33:26,520 Michelle Betos: games and they're like, yeah, I'm on ESPN and I'm 697 00:33:26,560 --> 00:33:30,000 Michelle Betos: watching corn Hole, Like where's your game. I'm like, no, actually, 698 00:33:30,040 --> 00:33:32,800 Michelle Betos: we're you know, we're on Twitch this week, you know, 699 00:33:32,920 --> 00:33:35,440 Michelle Betos: and like no offense to Twitch, but it's like, no, 700 00:33:35,600 --> 00:33:39,040 Michelle Betos: we should be on ESPN over Cornhole, you know. Like 701 00:33:39,160 --> 00:33:42,720 Michelle Betos: I think it's just you know, actually brands coming in 702 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:45,920 Michelle Betos: and Amazon and everybody like coming in and being like 703 00:33:46,040 --> 00:33:48,920 Michelle Betos: this is a product worth watching. So now it's out there, 704 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:51,080 Michelle Betos: now people see it. Like there's so many people that 705 00:33:51,120 --> 00:33:53,720 Michelle Betos: were like, oh, like I just watched this women's game 706 00:33:53,760 --> 00:33:56,080 Michelle Betos: for the first time, like this is amazing. You know. 707 00:33:56,120 --> 00:33:59,560 Michelle Betos: It's like always been about getting them to see it. 708 00:34:00,200 --> 00:34:03,000 Michelle Betos: We were always confident like if you see it, you'll 709 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,160 Michelle Betos: come back. It's just a matter of getting them to 710 00:34:05,200 --> 00:34:06,880 Michelle Betos: do it first and getting people to buy in. And 711 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:10,680 Michelle Betos: obviously that's a process bigger, you know, above my pay 712 00:34:10,680 --> 00:34:13,520 Michelle Betos: grade in terms of things I understand. But I think 713 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:15,799 Michelle Betos: that's it is. They have access to it, they can 714 00:34:15,840 --> 00:34:18,560 Michelle Betos: see it, and I think it's hard not to appreciate. 715 00:34:18,640 --> 00:34:22,240 Michelle Betos: Like you said, like it's badass people, like bad as women, 716 00:34:22,280 --> 00:34:25,160 Michelle Betos: but bad as people like the girls that played with 717 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,920 Michelle Betos: the girls I'm coaching now, Like they're incredible, like incredible 718 00:34:29,000 --> 00:34:31,120 Michelle Betos: humans too. Like I think that's the thing about women. 719 00:34:31,160 --> 00:34:34,359 Michelle Betos: And maybe I'm biased, but like we have World Cup 720 00:34:34,400 --> 00:34:38,399 Michelle Betos: winners that are like badass moms. We have so many 721 00:34:38,440 --> 00:34:41,880 Michelle Betos: women in this league that are doing this full time, 722 00:34:42,200 --> 00:34:45,640 Michelle Betos: killing it on the field, and then like in law school, 723 00:34:45,719 --> 00:34:49,040 Michelle Betos: like they are you know, like they're starting movements, they're 724 00:34:49,040 --> 00:34:53,239 Michelle Betos: starting companies, they're like building a coffee shop. Like there's 725 00:34:53,360 --> 00:34:56,600 Michelle Betos: just like I used to be on the Players Association 726 00:34:56,640 --> 00:34:58,439 Michelle Betos: and I would sit in those meetings and be like, man, 727 00:34:58,560 --> 00:35:02,319 Michelle Betos: like we're awesome, like this group of women, Like we're 728 00:35:02,320 --> 00:35:05,319 Michelle Betos: playing sports and that's what we've chosen as like our 729 00:35:05,360 --> 00:35:08,200 Michelle Betos: avenue to express ourselves. But like I would look around 730 00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:10,000 Michelle Betos: that room or look around that zoom call and be 731 00:35:10,040 --> 00:35:12,759 Michelle Betos: like these women could do anything, and they are doing 732 00:35:12,840 --> 00:35:15,640 Michelle Betos: it for anything, you know, Like they are changing this league. 733 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:18,279 Michelle Betos: They will be business women in this league. They will 734 00:35:18,280 --> 00:35:21,400 Michelle Betos: be gms, they will be coaches, like they will be nutritionists, 735 00:35:21,440 --> 00:35:23,880 Michelle Betos: they will be strength coaches, or they will like completely 736 00:35:23,960 --> 00:35:26,160 Michelle Betos: lead this sector and go kill it wherever they go. 737 00:35:26,600 --> 00:35:28,880 Michelle Betos: So I do think, like you said, like it's about 738 00:35:28,880 --> 00:35:31,120 Michelle Betos: the like getting to know them as people too, Like 739 00:35:31,160 --> 00:35:33,360 Michelle Betos: I think that goes a long way, because like I 740 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:35,520 Michelle Betos: don't think I know one person in this league that's 741 00:35:35,560 --> 00:35:38,160 Michelle Betos: like only good at soccer. Like I'm constantly like, how 742 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:41,080 Michelle Betos: are these people good at everything? How is she so smart? Also? 743 00:35:41,440 --> 00:35:44,440 Michelle Betos: You know, yeah, they're just awesome. 744 00:35:46,640 --> 00:35:49,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: When we come back, Michelle digs into her decision to 745 00:35:49,640 --> 00:35:52,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: retire from professional soccer and the mixture of emotions that 746 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:56,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: comes with leaving behind a passion she works so hard 747 00:35:56,160 --> 00:35:59,399 Emily Tisch Sussman: on for so many years, and later on we get 748 00:35:59,400 --> 00:36:01,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: an update from Michelle on what it was like to 749 00:36:01,760 --> 00:36:04,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: come out of retirement to play for her former team. 750 00:36:04,680 --> 00:36:05,400 Speaker 3: Stay tuned. 751 00:36:15,480 --> 00:36:18,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: So that brings us into your pivot that you're pivot 752 00:36:18,719 --> 00:36:23,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: into coaching. So you were you were like physically training. 753 00:36:23,840 --> 00:36:27,760 Michelle Betos: Yes, I was it was very much a hard pivot. 754 00:36:28,400 --> 00:36:30,600 Michelle Betos: I would say. I think I started said this earlier 755 00:36:30,640 --> 00:36:33,000 Michelle Betos: in our conversation. I'm somebody who's like all landa or 756 00:36:33,040 --> 00:36:36,000 Michelle Betos: I'm out, And I always thought they would come a 757 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:38,520 Michelle Betos: time in soccer where I'm like, oh, like I don't 758 00:36:38,520 --> 00:36:41,880 Michelle Betos: love it anymore. I loved it and now now I don't. 759 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:46,239 Michelle Betos: Or I loved playing and now I don't. And over 760 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:48,880 Michelle Betos: the past couple of years, maybe me has been a 761 00:36:48,920 --> 00:36:51,440 Michelle Betos: little shakier and body has been a little worse, but 762 00:36:51,480 --> 00:36:54,719 Michelle Betos: I've been like, I still love this, Like I have 763 00:36:54,880 --> 00:36:58,120 Michelle Betos: joy every day. So what do I you know, when 764 00:36:58,239 --> 00:37:01,200 Michelle Betos: do I you know, like when it has to end sometime? 765 00:37:01,280 --> 00:37:04,799 Michelle Betos: Like when does that happen? And I think for me, honestly, 766 00:37:05,000 --> 00:37:08,560 Michelle Betos: the time I started even thinking about anything else was 767 00:37:08,680 --> 00:37:11,240 Michelle Betos: honestly getting into some of the mental performance coaching stuff 768 00:37:11,239 --> 00:37:13,919 Michelle Betos: that I've been doing, because I was like, I would 769 00:37:13,960 --> 00:37:16,520 Michelle Betos: get off a session with you know, a college athlete, 770 00:37:16,560 --> 00:37:19,760 Michelle Betos: a pro athlete, honestly, some of my teammates and be like, WHOA, 771 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:23,040 Michelle Betos: Like I just felt like in the flow and in 772 00:37:23,040 --> 00:37:24,759 Michelle Betos: the zone like I do on the field. I didn't 773 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:27,799 Michelle Betos: know I could experience that somewhere else, like oh wow, 774 00:37:27,920 --> 00:37:30,719 Michelle Betos: like helping that person just felt like making a great save. 775 00:37:30,920 --> 00:37:32,799 Michelle Betos: I didn't know I could feel that somewhere else, you know, 776 00:37:32,880 --> 00:37:35,440 Michelle Betos: And so that kind of started getting my wheels turning 777 00:37:36,160 --> 00:37:38,200 Michelle Betos: of like, oh, there's something else I really want, Like 778 00:37:38,239 --> 00:37:40,120 Michelle Betos: this has been my dream for so long, it's like 779 00:37:40,160 --> 00:37:43,080 Michelle Betos: what do you dream next? And honestly, there was a 780 00:37:43,120 --> 00:37:45,799 Michelle Betos: lot of me that was going to play at least 781 00:37:45,840 --> 00:37:47,799 Michelle Betos: another year, was like I still have more to give. 782 00:37:48,880 --> 00:37:52,440 Michelle Betos: And really what put me over the edge was seeing 783 00:37:52,840 --> 00:37:54,560 Michelle Betos: what an opportunity I had here. 784 00:37:56,760 --> 00:37:59,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: While I leave the hiring to my sister, I just 785 00:37:59,520 --> 00:38:02,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: know that they saw what we all see in Michelle, 786 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:05,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: a hard working, caring, and passionate person. 787 00:38:05,640 --> 00:38:08,120 Speaker 3: Michelle was offered a position as assistant. 788 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:11,479 Emily Tisch Sussman: Goalkeeper and is now coaching our seasoned players like top 789 00:38:11,520 --> 00:38:15,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: goalkeeper in the world and Katrin Berger and rising stars 790 00:38:15,200 --> 00:38:17,319 Emily Tisch Sussman: like Ryan Campbell and Shelby Hogan. 791 00:38:18,480 --> 00:38:21,279 Michelle Betos: To do what I'm doing now, a like, obviously I'm 792 00:38:21,400 --> 00:38:24,000 Michelle Betos: the assistant goalkeeper coach, so like Anne, obviously he's an 793 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:26,839 Michelle Betos: incredible goalkeeper, but Shelby and Ryan are also just like 794 00:38:27,400 --> 00:38:31,839 Michelle Betos: so exciting. I get like so excited talking about them 795 00:38:31,920 --> 00:38:34,279 Michelle Betos: because like it's so cool to see them now and 796 00:38:34,320 --> 00:38:37,200 Michelle Betos: see their futures like I can see it. I have 797 00:38:37,280 --> 00:38:39,239 Michelle Betos: been in this league enough to know like, oh, like 798 00:38:39,520 --> 00:38:41,600 Michelle Betos: there's something special there, and I'm really excited and I'm 799 00:38:41,800 --> 00:38:44,560 Michelle Betos: excited this is being broadcasted so that you know, in 800 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:46,520 Michelle Betos: five years I could be like I told you so. No, 801 00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:48,920 Michelle Betos: but like so that was part of it, but also 802 00:38:49,080 --> 00:38:51,840 Michelle Betos: just like part of coming in something I spoke to 803 00:38:51,920 --> 00:38:54,920 Michelle Betos: Yil about and obviously as captain last year, had a 804 00:38:54,960 --> 00:38:58,200 Michelle Betos: lot of conversations with Carolyn Is about like culture development 805 00:38:58,280 --> 00:39:01,040 Michelle Betos: and like growing this and like really supporting the players 806 00:39:01,040 --> 00:39:04,200 Michelle Betos: and like I just believe athletes can't be treated just 807 00:39:04,200 --> 00:39:06,920 Michelle Betos: as athletes. It's about like the holistic person and when 808 00:39:06,920 --> 00:39:08,759 Michelle Betos: you get when you have a person in the best 809 00:39:08,760 --> 00:39:11,399 Michelle Betos: well being and like best resources and whatever, like they're 810 00:39:11,440 --> 00:39:13,719 Michelle Betos: going to be the best athlete they can be. And 811 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:17,800 Michelle Betos: I think for me, the opportunity to have an impact 812 00:39:17,840 --> 00:39:20,520 Michelle Betos: on like the culture and work with the athletes individually, 813 00:39:20,719 --> 00:39:23,160 Michelle Betos: plus get to do the goalkeeping step, which I'm so 814 00:39:23,200 --> 00:39:25,520 Michelle Betos: passionate about, was like like kept me up at night. 815 00:39:25,800 --> 00:39:27,640 Michelle Betos: You know, I'd be like have a training session in 816 00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:29,840 Michelle Betos: the morning where I was supposed to be training for myself, 817 00:39:29,880 --> 00:39:33,920 Michelle Betos: but I'd be up at night, literally three o'clock, be like, 818 00:39:33,920 --> 00:39:36,239 Michelle Betos: like that's kind of a dream, and I didn't know 819 00:39:36,280 --> 00:39:39,040 Michelle Betos: if I would have another dream, you know. And I 820 00:39:39,080 --> 00:39:41,800 Michelle Betos: think for me, it's just like somebody asked me early 821 00:39:41,800 --> 00:39:44,000 Michelle Betos: on in my career, like what's your driver, what's your why? 822 00:39:44,120 --> 00:39:46,200 Michelle Betos: And I could list a million you know, my family 823 00:39:46,280 --> 00:39:49,399 Michelle Betos: and you know, finding out the but like, really, what 824 00:39:49,880 --> 00:39:51,719 Michelle Betos: it has always been for me is like I want 825 00:39:51,719 --> 00:39:54,040 Michelle Betos: to find my own version of greatness. Like I want 826 00:39:54,040 --> 00:39:56,520 Michelle Betos: to know how great I can be, so then I 827 00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:59,239 Michelle Betos: can help others find their own version of greatness. I 828 00:39:59,360 --> 00:40:02,040 Michelle Betos: have just been so lucky. I feel like they've been 829 00:40:02,120 --> 00:40:06,200 Michelle Betos: like hand placed by God or whatever everybody believes, universe whatever. 830 00:40:06,280 --> 00:40:08,160 Michelle Betos: But like for me, of like these people in my 831 00:40:08,239 --> 00:40:09,880 Michelle Betos: life that have come in at the right time and 832 00:40:09,920 --> 00:40:12,680 Michelle Betos: have been like a pathway to another version of myself, 833 00:40:12,719 --> 00:40:16,040 Michelle Betos: like a better version. And so for me, like I've 834 00:40:16,200 --> 00:40:18,320 Michelle Betos: always known I wanted to be that for other people, 835 00:40:18,880 --> 00:40:21,239 Michelle Betos: and so like to have the opportunity here to do 836 00:40:21,280 --> 00:40:23,440 Michelle Betos: that with these goalkeepers, who I think are really special, 837 00:40:23,440 --> 00:40:25,400 Michelle Betos: but also for this team as a whole, you know, 838 00:40:25,440 --> 00:40:28,040 Michelle Betos: for this organization as a whole. Like I'm not just 839 00:40:28,080 --> 00:40:30,600 Michelle Betos: saying this because she's your sister and your family. But 840 00:40:30,680 --> 00:40:32,520 Michelle Betos: like I love working with Carolyn, like she has such 841 00:40:32,800 --> 00:40:35,160 Michelle Betos: she's a badass. She's a dreamer, you know, like she 842 00:40:35,160 --> 00:40:38,040 Michelle Betos: has big visions and big goals. And came in not 843 00:40:38,120 --> 00:40:40,680 Michelle Betos: seeing what this was, but what it could be. And 844 00:40:41,040 --> 00:40:43,239 Michelle Betos: Yaielle was a former teammate of mine. You know, I 845 00:40:43,280 --> 00:40:45,239 Michelle Betos: know how she thinks, I know how she functions, and 846 00:40:45,239 --> 00:40:48,640 Michelle Betos: then you know, I just there's such an opportunity here. 847 00:40:48,680 --> 00:40:50,680 Michelle Betos: And I was like if I didn't take this, what 848 00:40:50,840 --> 00:40:52,920 Michelle Betos: I regret it? And you know, everything I've said like 849 00:40:52,920 --> 00:40:55,480 Michelle Betos: comes down to like regrets, and I was like, I 850 00:40:55,560 --> 00:40:58,320 Michelle Betos: think I would regret not taking this, And to be honest, 851 00:40:58,320 --> 00:41:01,360 Michelle Betos: I'm I sat with it for so long, waiting for 852 00:41:01,480 --> 00:41:05,320 Michelle Betos: some like light or sign or whatever, and then finally 853 00:41:05,360 --> 00:41:07,160 Michelle Betos: it was like I'm just doing it, Like I don't 854 00:41:07,200 --> 00:41:10,279 Michelle Betos: need something outside like I feel it, I'm doing it. 855 00:41:10,640 --> 00:41:12,880 Michelle Betos: So I did it on like a Tuesday night and 856 00:41:12,960 --> 00:41:16,120 Michelle Betos: came in for meetings on a Wednesday morning, And honestly, 857 00:41:16,680 --> 00:41:19,640 Michelle Betos: because I didn't have the time to truly process like 858 00:41:20,239 --> 00:41:23,520 Michelle Betos: grieve my playing career whatever, like I was, there have 859 00:41:23,520 --> 00:41:25,840 Michelle Betos: been parts of me that are like that were worried, 860 00:41:25,920 --> 00:41:27,640 Michelle Betos: like okay, like what is it going to feel like 861 00:41:27,640 --> 00:41:29,239 Michelle Betos: what is it gonna feel like the first time I'm 862 00:41:29,239 --> 00:41:30,960 Michelle Betos: on the fields and I'm not playing, I'm training, you know, 863 00:41:31,200 --> 00:41:33,319 Michelle Betos: I'm helping others, Like what's it going to feel like 864 00:41:33,360 --> 00:41:36,920 Michelle Betos: being in the environment. And there's definitely been adjustments and 865 00:41:37,360 --> 00:41:40,239 Michelle Betos: it's definitely a transition per but like there hasn't been 866 00:41:40,239 --> 00:41:42,680 Michelle Betos: a single day where I'm like, oof, I should have played. 867 00:41:43,040 --> 00:41:46,920 Michelle Betos: And honestly, the craziest thing to me is like there 868 00:41:46,920 --> 00:41:48,480 Michelle Betos: hasn't been a day where I'm on the field where 869 00:41:48,480 --> 00:41:50,880 Michelle Betos: I'm like, oh, like I wish I was still playing. 870 00:41:51,360 --> 00:41:53,600 Michelle Betos: And it's not because I don't love playing, but it's 871 00:41:53,880 --> 00:41:58,280 Michelle Betos: I really feel like I exhausted it. Like I left 872 00:41:58,320 --> 00:42:01,320 Michelle Betos: everything out Like from the day I said I would 873 00:42:01,480 --> 00:42:05,280 Michelle Betos: fifteen years ago to now, like I gave every single 874 00:42:05,280 --> 00:42:09,359 Michelle Betos: thing I could. I accomplished things I like people never 875 00:42:09,440 --> 00:42:12,279 Michelle Betos: thought I would. I achieved, you know, Like what did 876 00:42:12,320 --> 00:42:14,520 Michelle Betos: I want to walk? Like I wanted to walk away 877 00:42:14,520 --> 00:42:16,960 Michelle Betos: from this game. I wanted to be a champion, I 878 00:42:17,040 --> 00:42:19,880 Michelle Betos: wanted to win a shields. I've done those things, you know, 879 00:42:19,920 --> 00:42:21,880 Michelle Betos: Like there was a certain point in my last like 880 00:42:21,920 --> 00:42:23,400 Michelle Betos: year or two, I'm like what else am I chasing? 881 00:42:23,840 --> 00:42:25,480 Michelle Betos: Like I was goalkeeper over the year, I was on 882 00:42:25,520 --> 00:42:27,399 Michelle Betos: a Team of the year, Like what do I need? 883 00:42:27,480 --> 00:42:30,680 Michelle Betos: Still individually because like the reality of playing professional sports 884 00:42:30,880 --> 00:42:33,719 Michelle Betos: is even when your drivers are bigger than yourself, it's 885 00:42:33,880 --> 00:42:38,080 Michelle Betos: really selfish because you have to be every single day 886 00:42:38,080 --> 00:42:40,359 Michelle Betos: You're like what do I need to eat? What how 887 00:42:40,360 --> 00:42:42,000 Michelle Betos: do I need to sleep? What do I need for 888 00:42:42,080 --> 00:42:45,080 Michelle Betos: my recovery? What do I I? And that's how you 889 00:42:45,120 --> 00:42:49,200 Michelle Betos: do it well, you have to. By nature, I derive 890 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:51,799 Michelle Betos: so much joy from others, from giving to others, from 891 00:42:51,840 --> 00:42:54,640 Michelle Betos: helping others, Like and at a certain point, I'm like, 892 00:42:55,040 --> 00:42:57,360 Michelle Betos: what if I spent all this energy that I've invested 893 00:42:57,360 --> 00:43:00,919 Michelle Betos: in myself in helping other people? Seems like it could 894 00:43:00,920 --> 00:43:04,239 Michelle Betos: be really cool, you know, like and so like I 895 00:43:04,280 --> 00:43:07,399 Michelle Betos: don't know. It's just been honestly a new dream come 896 00:43:07,440 --> 00:43:09,800 Michelle Betos: true for me. And it was a hard pivot and 897 00:43:10,080 --> 00:43:13,319 Michelle Betos: it was scary, and there's still like a processing, you know, 898 00:43:13,400 --> 00:43:15,040 Michelle Betos: like I've had to be like what do I do 899 00:43:15,160 --> 00:43:17,480 Michelle Betos: for me now? Because actually now everything I do is 900 00:43:17,480 --> 00:43:20,600 Michelle Betos: for everybody else? So like do I still meditate? Do 901 00:43:20,640 --> 00:43:22,120 Michelle Betos: I still eat this way? Like I've told I was 902 00:43:22,120 --> 00:43:23,600 Michelle Betos: talking to Tirna the other day and she was like, 903 00:43:23,600 --> 00:43:25,320 Michelle Betos: how's it going or something, And I was like, sometimes 904 00:43:25,320 --> 00:43:27,360 Michelle Betos: I stare at food and I'm like, what do I 905 00:43:27,440 --> 00:43:30,239 Michelle Betos: need to eat? I don't know because I've like my 906 00:43:30,400 --> 00:43:34,120 Michelle Betos: operating systems are pretty different, you know, for fifteen years, 907 00:43:34,440 --> 00:43:37,600 Michelle Betos: thirty years, you know, I've operated in a certain way, 908 00:43:37,600 --> 00:43:39,640 Michelle Betos: and now I'm like, it's like I'm baffled at the 909 00:43:39,640 --> 00:43:42,960 Michelle Betos: smallest decisions. And that's a reality. Like I've talked to 910 00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:45,080 Michelle Betos: a lot of people have retired, and it's like, I 911 00:43:45,120 --> 00:43:48,200 Michelle Betos: actually don't know if there's enough like conversation and like 912 00:43:48,280 --> 00:43:51,520 Michelle Betos: support around that, because your whole life changes and you 913 00:43:51,520 --> 00:43:55,000 Michelle Betos: don't realize that. Like all our players right now, everything 914 00:43:55,040 --> 00:43:57,160 Michelle Betos: they do, even the things they do for their family, 915 00:43:57,200 --> 00:43:59,719 Michelle Betos: the things they do for fun, like always in the 916 00:43:59,760 --> 00:44:02,600 Michelle Betos: back of their mind, they're like, but I shouldn't be 917 00:44:02,640 --> 00:44:05,160 Michelle Betos: on my feet, but I need to be watching film, 918 00:44:05,160 --> 00:44:07,160 Michelle Betos: but I need to be doing this. Like it's it's 919 00:44:07,600 --> 00:44:11,400 Michelle Betos: like I've never gone on a vacation with anyone anywhere, 920 00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:14,840 Michelle Betos: or I have a googled gym first, what's the nearest 921 00:44:15,080 --> 00:44:17,919 Michelle Betos: field I can get to? So it's definitely something I think, 922 00:44:18,000 --> 00:44:21,480 Michelle Betos: like probably another conversation, but I do think there's like 923 00:44:21,600 --> 00:44:25,520 Michelle Betos: not enough support and like conversation around like how crazy 924 00:44:25,560 --> 00:44:28,320 Michelle Betos: a time that is, whether it's from pro even college athletes, 925 00:44:28,400 --> 00:44:30,799 Michelle Betos: Like they go through this rough period where they're like 926 00:44:31,280 --> 00:44:33,440 Michelle Betos: everything I was, I'm not anymore, So what does that 927 00:44:33,520 --> 00:44:36,600 Michelle Betos: even meant? But yeah, so like it was a very 928 00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:40,880 Michelle Betos: very hard pivot, and I'm kind of learning as I 929 00:44:40,960 --> 00:44:44,040 Michelle Betos: go in some ways. But also like I feel so 930 00:44:44,120 --> 00:44:47,600 Michelle Betos: much like peace and like alignment with like who I 931 00:44:47,640 --> 00:44:50,400 Michelle Betos: am and like my highest self like in what I'm doing, 932 00:44:50,440 --> 00:44:53,480 Michelle Betos: And that is a really cool experience, like being in 933 00:44:53,520 --> 00:44:56,320 Michelle Betos: Spain with the team and doing some of this culture stuff, 934 00:44:56,360 --> 00:44:59,320 Michelle Betos: working with the girls, helping them individually, helping them collectively. 935 00:44:59,440 --> 00:45:02,960 Michelle Betos: Like I feel that feeling of winning a game in 936 00:45:03,000 --> 00:45:05,680 Michelle Betos: the ninetieth minute, of making a big save, like and 937 00:45:05,760 --> 00:45:07,640 Michelle Betos: I just really didn't know if I could ever have 938 00:45:07,719 --> 00:45:10,879 Michelle Betos: that again. So like I'm honestly so grateful for it. 939 00:45:11,600 --> 00:45:14,840 Speaker 3: When you talk about culture building piece, what are some 940 00:45:14,920 --> 00:45:18,040 Speaker 3: of those things that you're striving for and how are 941 00:45:18,080 --> 00:45:19,040 Speaker 3: you implementing it? 942 00:45:19,760 --> 00:45:24,120 Michelle Betos: So I honestly think culture is so important because I 943 00:45:24,200 --> 00:45:31,040 Michelle Betos: think that culture either maximizes potential or detracts from potential. 944 00:45:31,080 --> 00:45:33,120 Michelle Betos: That is my experience in sports. So I think the 945 00:45:33,200 --> 00:45:36,279 Michelle Betos: reason I'm so passionate about it is because it's another way. Ay, 946 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:39,560 Michelle Betos: I think people should have joy and positive well being 947 00:45:39,680 --> 00:45:42,640 Michelle Betos: as a general standard obviously, but also just from my 948 00:45:42,960 --> 00:45:47,640 Michelle Betos: competitive mindset, like I'm so obsessed with optimizing and maximizing potential, 949 00:45:47,760 --> 00:45:49,560 Michelle Betos: and I think this is a way to do it, 950 00:45:49,760 --> 00:45:52,040 Michelle Betos: you know. So like from the human standpoint, it's like 951 00:45:52,040 --> 00:45:54,560 Michelle Betos: taking care of people. I think people first, whatever, but 952 00:45:54,600 --> 00:45:59,440 Michelle Betos: I also think holistic development and holistic care actually brings 953 00:45:59,440 --> 00:46:01,759 Michelle Betos: out the best versions of individuals, which brings out the 954 00:46:01,760 --> 00:46:04,319 Michelle Betos: best version of the team. And so it's why I'm 955 00:46:04,320 --> 00:46:07,520 Michelle Betos: so passionate about it. And then kind of so I've 956 00:46:07,520 --> 00:46:10,000 Michelle Betos: been working with Premier Sports Psychology, which is a group 957 00:46:10,080 --> 00:46:12,640 Michelle Betos: that Gotham has brought on to kind of work on 958 00:46:12,719 --> 00:46:15,840 Michelle Betos: this facet of things, and it's a They've been amazing 959 00:46:16,120 --> 00:46:19,640 Michelle Betos: and we've kind of broken it down into phases. So 960 00:46:19,920 --> 00:46:23,520 Michelle Betos: phase one, which is like was the Spain trip Florida 961 00:46:23,600 --> 00:46:26,640 Michelle Betos: kind of all of preseason was just building a foundation 962 00:46:26,960 --> 00:46:31,719 Michelle Betos: because when you have trust and vulnerability and connections and 963 00:46:31,760 --> 00:46:36,399 Michelle Betos: relationships as a foundation, everything else is easier. So when 964 00:46:36,440 --> 00:46:39,480 Michelle Betos: we inevitably have a hard time this season, that base 965 00:46:39,560 --> 00:46:42,279 Michelle Betos: is there. When we have to have hard conversations which 966 00:46:42,400 --> 00:46:43,160 Michelle Betos: we will have to have. 967 00:46:43,640 --> 00:46:45,600 Emily Tisch Sussman: That base is there, and by the way, I think 968 00:46:45,680 --> 00:46:48,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: normalizing the fact that all of those things will happen, like, 969 00:46:48,680 --> 00:46:51,160 Emily Tisch Sussman: don't be surprised when you have a hard day, when 970 00:46:51,239 --> 00:46:54,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: you have a hard conversation, they will happen thousand percent. 971 00:46:55,239 --> 00:46:58,520 Michelle Betos: Yeah, they're in any season, in the most perfect locker room, 972 00:46:58,520 --> 00:47:01,279 Michelle Betos: in the most perfect team that has ever existed, there 973 00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:04,000 Michelle Betos: is a herd. There are hard times, there are hard days, 974 00:47:04,120 --> 00:47:08,360 Michelle Betos: there are hard periods, like pro sports are really hard. 975 00:47:08,960 --> 00:47:10,759 Michelle Betos: It is a blessing to get to do this. But 976 00:47:10,800 --> 00:47:13,640 Michelle Betos: I think that some people, probably on the outside, don't 977 00:47:13,640 --> 00:47:17,200 Michelle Betos: realize like how mentally challenging it is to do this 978 00:47:17,280 --> 00:47:22,120 Michelle Betos: every day. It is this weird profession where your joy 979 00:47:22,160 --> 00:47:25,640 Michelle Betos: and your hobbies and your passion actually become your job. 980 00:47:26,080 --> 00:47:29,200 Michelle Betos: You don't have other hobbies or passions because the ones 981 00:47:29,239 --> 00:47:31,439 Michelle Betos: you would choose are actually your job. But you can't 982 00:47:31,480 --> 00:47:34,640 Michelle Betos: keep doing those because you can't do so much of that. 983 00:47:34,880 --> 00:47:37,480 Michelle Betos: You have to find Like for me, I like literally 984 00:47:37,520 --> 00:47:39,720 Michelle Betos: would like do the most wild things to just find 985 00:47:39,760 --> 00:47:41,360 Michelle Betos: what else I like. But if you ask me what 986 00:47:41,400 --> 00:47:43,040 Michelle Betos: I wanted to do on a day, I'd be like, 987 00:47:43,040 --> 00:47:44,960 Michelle Betos: I want to play soccer or I want to play basketball, 988 00:47:45,280 --> 00:47:47,000 Michelle Betos: but that's actually my job and I need to take 989 00:47:47,000 --> 00:47:49,320 Michelle Betos: a step away from that. But also like it becomes 990 00:47:49,320 --> 00:47:51,960 Michelle Betos: your identity, it becomes what people know you as. Like 991 00:47:52,600 --> 00:47:56,200 Michelle Betos: it is. So it's a really really difficult individual journey. 992 00:47:56,560 --> 00:48:03,600 Michelle Betos: So having twenty six women on really difficult individual journeys 993 00:48:03,640 --> 00:48:07,840 Michelle Betos: part of a bigger, really difficult collective journey. Because winning, 994 00:48:08,160 --> 00:48:10,920 Michelle Betos: in the end of asel is probably the hardest thing 995 00:48:10,960 --> 00:48:14,560 Michelle Betos: to do, like in terms of compared to other leagues, 996 00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:18,440 Michelle Betos: like the competitive nature of the top team to the 997 00:48:18,440 --> 00:48:21,960 Michelle Betos: bottom league doesn't exist anywhere else. There's no league in 998 00:48:22,000 --> 00:48:25,680 Michelle Betos: the world where on any given day anyone can win. 999 00:48:26,560 --> 00:48:29,520 Michelle Betos: So it is we are facing one of the hardest 1000 00:48:29,560 --> 00:48:32,759 Michelle Betos: challenges you can face, I think, as like as in 1001 00:48:32,800 --> 00:48:35,440 Michelle Betos: terms of a profession. So yes, it will be hard, 1002 00:48:35,520 --> 00:48:38,279 Michelle Betos: it will be really hard, and everything is hard, but 1003 00:48:38,320 --> 00:48:42,400 Michelle Betos: there's also such great reward, Like winning every game, winning 1004 00:48:42,640 --> 00:48:45,080 Michelle Betos: feels so good because you know it's been like it's 1005 00:48:45,120 --> 00:48:47,800 Michelle Betos: a challenge. It's really a challenge, and it's taken everybody 1006 00:48:47,840 --> 00:48:50,600 Michelle Betos: to do it. And now phase two we're moving into 1007 00:48:50,640 --> 00:48:54,440 Michelle Betos: like kind of really naming our culture, our mission, our values, 1008 00:48:54,920 --> 00:48:58,239 Michelle Betos: and that's something Carolyn and like the ownership group has 1009 00:48:58,280 --> 00:49:00,920 Michelle Betos: done from the top down. But what's going to be 1010 00:49:00,960 --> 00:49:02,880 Michelle Betos: really important in this is part of phase two is 1011 00:49:02,880 --> 00:49:05,680 Michelle Betos: then presenting those things they're meeting with our leadership group 1012 00:49:05,680 --> 00:49:08,839 Michelle Betos: and a few from staff to really own what does 1013 00:49:08,880 --> 00:49:11,160 Michelle Betos: that mean to Gotham twenty twenty five, because that's the 1014 00:49:11,239 --> 00:49:14,000 Michelle Betos: reality too, is like you could have a list of 1015 00:49:14,040 --> 00:49:17,000 Michelle Betos: words or values on a paper and what that means 1016 00:49:17,040 --> 00:49:18,680 Michelle Betos: to you is different than what it means to me. 1017 00:49:19,200 --> 00:49:22,040 Michelle Betos: But within a team, what is so important is that 1018 00:49:22,360 --> 00:49:25,520 Michelle Betos: it becomes what does that mean to us? So as 1019 00:49:25,600 --> 00:49:28,799 Michelle Betos: we go through that this is the club, this is 1020 00:49:28,840 --> 00:49:30,759 Michelle Betos: what our standards are, and this is who we have 1021 00:49:30,800 --> 00:49:32,440 Michelle Betos: to be because we're part of this club. But like, 1022 00:49:32,920 --> 00:49:34,920 Michelle Betos: what does that mean to you? Mandy? What does that 1023 00:49:34,960 --> 00:49:36,719 Michelle Betos: mean to you? Shelby? What does that mean to you? 1024 00:49:36,840 --> 00:49:39,239 Michelle Betos: Tier Net, Like how do you see this? What does 1025 00:49:39,280 --> 00:49:42,279 Michelle Betos: this behavior look like? And really identifying like what it 1026 00:49:42,360 --> 00:49:44,000 Michelle Betos: means to be part of Gotham and what it means 1027 00:49:44,040 --> 00:49:46,040 Michelle Betos: to be part of Gotham this year, and what we 1028 00:49:46,120 --> 00:49:48,480 Michelle Betos: expect from each other, how we hold each other accountable 1029 00:49:48,480 --> 00:49:50,520 Michelle Betos: and then kind of the next layer of that is 1030 00:49:50,760 --> 00:49:53,360 Michelle Betos: when it's not happening because we are humans and we 1031 00:49:53,400 --> 00:49:55,120 Michelle Betos: are going to mess up and we are going to 1032 00:49:55,160 --> 00:49:58,600 Michelle Betos: notlold those values one day because that's what happens. How 1033 00:49:58,600 --> 00:50:01,520 Michelle Betos: do we handle that person, How do we support that person? 1034 00:50:01,600 --> 00:50:04,280 Michelle Betos: How do we approach that person? Maybe for this person 1035 00:50:04,480 --> 00:50:06,840 Michelle Betos: it's this way, but maybe for this person it's not. 1036 00:50:07,040 --> 00:50:09,160 Michelle Betos: So then we go back to the relationships we've developed 1037 00:50:09,200 --> 00:50:11,960 Michelle Betos: and things we've learned about each other, like, oh, so 1038 00:50:12,080 --> 00:50:15,200 Michelle Betos: and so really likes a text, you know, maybe this 1039 00:50:15,239 --> 00:50:17,799 Michelle Betos: person really likes just a direct conversation. Maybe this person 1040 00:50:17,840 --> 00:50:19,600 Michelle Betos: wants to be left alone, And then next day we 1041 00:50:19,640 --> 00:50:22,000 Michelle Betos: address it. So that's that's kind of where we are. 1042 00:50:22,040 --> 00:50:23,840 Michelle Betos: And then the rest of the season will really be 1043 00:50:23,880 --> 00:50:27,000 Michelle Betos: about maintenance and growing those things, and when those things 1044 00:50:27,000 --> 00:50:29,239 Michelle Betos: are challenged, what we come back to. It's all about this, 1045 00:50:29,400 --> 00:50:32,799 Michelle Betos: Like the foundation we build is everything, and then from 1046 00:50:32,800 --> 00:50:35,480 Michelle Betos: there it's maintenance and you know, visiting things and maybe 1047 00:50:35,520 --> 00:50:38,839 Michelle Betos: tweaking things as we go. But like, who are we 1048 00:50:38,880 --> 00:50:40,239 Michelle Betos: going to be and who are we going to say 1049 00:50:40,280 --> 00:50:42,360 Michelle Betos: at the end of this season, no matter the result, 1050 00:50:42,440 --> 00:50:44,880 Michelle Betos: no matter what happens, but hopefully we're standing on a 1051 00:50:44,880 --> 00:50:47,600 Michelle Betos: podium and we're like, this is who we are and 1052 00:50:47,640 --> 00:50:50,120 Michelle Betos: this is who we were when times were the hardest, 1053 00:50:50,200 --> 00:50:52,440 Michelle Betos: and this is who we were when things were the best. 1054 00:50:52,640 --> 00:50:54,600 Michelle Betos: And if you can get a team to be the 1055 00:50:54,640 --> 00:50:59,279 Michelle Betos: same thing in those times, like I think that's how 1056 00:50:59,280 --> 00:51:01,680 Michelle Betos: you maximize them. That is how you get the best. 1057 00:51:01,760 --> 00:51:04,560 Michelle Betos: And it's obviously way easier said than done, and you know, 1058 00:51:04,600 --> 00:51:06,560 Michelle Betos: you have a goal and a plan and plans change, 1059 00:51:06,640 --> 00:51:09,919 Michelle Betos: but like that is our approach and that is something 1060 00:51:09,960 --> 00:51:13,319 Michelle Betos: I'm like so so grateful to be a part of. Then, yeah, 1061 00:51:13,719 --> 00:51:14,680 Michelle Betos: it's really exciting. 1062 00:51:14,719 --> 00:51:19,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: Honestly, what do you want for Gotham and what do 1063 00:51:19,040 --> 00:51:19,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: you want for the league? 1064 00:51:20,239 --> 00:51:23,160 Speaker 3: Like what it will be markers of success for Gotham? 1065 00:51:23,200 --> 00:51:27,439 Michelle Betos: I want. I want us to play ourselves soccer every 1066 00:51:27,440 --> 00:51:30,120 Michelle Betos: single week, and I want us to play bravely and 1067 00:51:30,160 --> 00:51:34,520 Michelle Betos: fearlessly and together. I think if we can be united 1068 00:51:34,560 --> 00:51:38,880 Michelle Betos: and everything we do play without fear, that it's going 1069 00:51:38,960 --> 00:51:44,640 Michelle Betos: to bring joy and it's going to be exciting and 1070 00:51:44,719 --> 00:51:48,440 Michelle Betos: like rewarding and I just want, yeah, like if I 1071 00:51:48,480 --> 00:51:51,160 Michelle Betos: could ask the group like anything, it would just do 1072 00:51:51,320 --> 00:51:54,840 Michelle Betos: everything fearlessly and together. And it's a broad statement, but 1073 00:51:55,000 --> 00:51:56,920 Michelle Betos: like I think if we can do that week in 1074 00:51:57,000 --> 00:51:58,680 Michelle Betos: and week out, that's when the big things, you know, 1075 00:51:58,719 --> 00:52:00,680 Michelle Betos: the little things lead to the big things. And so 1076 00:52:00,719 --> 00:52:03,239 Michelle Betos: if that's who we are every week, in everything, in 1077 00:52:03,280 --> 00:52:05,840 Michelle Betos: every training, I think that's who we end up being. 1078 00:52:06,520 --> 00:52:09,160 Michelle Betos: I would love to see like bigger picture. I would 1079 00:52:09,160 --> 00:52:11,560 Michelle Betos: love to see more fans in the stands, you know, 1080 00:52:11,640 --> 00:52:13,239 Michelle Betos: like get more people to see it because I think 1081 00:52:13,239 --> 00:52:15,560 Michelle Betos: they'll love it, which we started to see already last 1082 00:52:15,640 --> 00:52:17,759 Michelle Betos: year we were breaking records, Like can we keep getting 1083 00:52:17,800 --> 00:52:19,719 Michelle Betos: them there? Can we make it a great time for them? 1084 00:52:19,800 --> 00:52:22,120 Michelle Betos: Can we make it enjoyable? Can you know? Can we 1085 00:52:22,160 --> 00:52:23,920 Michelle Betos: win a shields? Can we win a championship? Like? I 1086 00:52:23,960 --> 00:52:26,680 Michelle Betos: think those things are always there to me, I almost 1087 00:52:26,680 --> 00:52:29,799 Michelle Betos: think it's kind of frivolous to to say those things, 1088 00:52:29,800 --> 00:52:31,960 Michelle Betos: because no one's in this league. If you don't want 1089 00:52:32,000 --> 00:52:34,040 Michelle Betos: to achieve those things, I don't think you end up 1090 00:52:34,080 --> 00:52:36,279 Michelle Betos: in this league. But of course that's what we want. 1091 00:52:36,320 --> 00:52:40,239 Michelle Betos: But I want people to feel like really proud, like 1092 00:52:40,400 --> 00:52:42,359 Michelle Betos: really proud to be part of this team, really proud 1093 00:52:42,400 --> 00:52:44,799 Michelle Betos: of what we've done, really proud of who they've been individually. 1094 00:52:44,960 --> 00:52:48,160 Michelle Betos: Like that's that's just something I want for each player 1095 00:52:48,640 --> 00:52:50,920 Michelle Betos: for the league. Yeah, I mean I think it's the 1096 00:52:50,960 --> 00:52:53,440 Michelle Betos: same I think you know, in I think the talent 1097 00:52:53,520 --> 00:52:57,400 Michelle Betos: level is just like every year flying off the charts, 1098 00:52:57,440 --> 00:52:59,440 Michelle Betos: like it's just getting better and better. So I want 1099 00:52:59,440 --> 00:53:01,480 Michelle Betos: to continue to see that because it's exciting and we 1100 00:53:01,520 --> 00:53:04,200 Michelle Betos: want to be the best league in the world. I think, 1101 00:53:04,800 --> 00:53:07,440 Michelle Betos: you know what I think is like a real marker 1102 00:53:07,680 --> 00:53:11,120 Michelle Betos: of how special this league has become and I think 1103 00:53:11,160 --> 00:53:14,000 Michelle Betos: will continue to be. Is it used to be everyone 1104 00:53:14,080 --> 00:53:16,000 Michelle Betos: played in this league to try to be on the 1105 00:53:16,080 --> 00:53:19,920 Michelle Betos: national team. That was the end goal. It was like 1106 00:53:20,080 --> 00:53:22,319 Michelle Betos: the NWSL was like, Oh, if I play well enough 1107 00:53:22,320 --> 00:53:24,799 Michelle Betos: in the NWSL, get called to the national team. And 1108 00:53:24,880 --> 00:53:28,520 Michelle Betos: I think probably last year, maybe even the year before, 1109 00:53:28,600 --> 00:53:30,160 Michelle Betos: So the first time I feel like I've seen players 1110 00:53:30,160 --> 00:53:32,360 Michelle Betos: in this league be like it's enough to play in 1111 00:53:32,400 --> 00:53:35,400 Michelle Betos: the NWSL, Like it's actually bad ass to play in 1112 00:53:35,400 --> 00:53:37,080 Michelle Betos: the NWSL, And if all I ever do in my 1113 00:53:37,120 --> 00:53:39,880 Michelle Betos: career is playing the NWSL, like, that's amazing. 1114 00:53:41,480 --> 00:53:44,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: Before we head into our closing question, I got the 1115 00:53:44,520 --> 00:53:48,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: exclusive with Michelle to hear her side of her experience 1116 00:53:48,120 --> 00:53:54,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: coming out of retirement to play again for Gotham FC. So, Michelle, 1117 00:53:54,480 --> 00:53:57,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: we are back here for an update since we last 1118 00:53:57,440 --> 00:53:58,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: had the interview. 1119 00:53:58,160 --> 00:54:00,960 Speaker 3: Because your whole story and. 1120 00:54:01,000 --> 00:54:03,800 Emily Tisch Sussman: That you were a player you prohiboitted to being a coach, 1121 00:54:04,480 --> 00:54:06,279 Emily Tisch Sussman: and we have an epilogue. 1122 00:54:06,920 --> 00:54:10,360 Michelle Betos: Yes, it has been quite a rollercoaster ride and definitely 1123 00:54:10,360 --> 00:54:12,440 Michelle Betos: not something I predicted in our first conversation. 1124 00:54:12,800 --> 00:54:14,240 Speaker 4: Yeah, where do we start? 1125 00:54:14,400 --> 00:54:18,200 Michelle Betos: Honestly, have loved coaching the goalkeepers been something that's really 1126 00:54:18,320 --> 00:54:20,759 Michelle Betos: really special to me. And you know, for so much 1127 00:54:20,719 --> 00:54:22,680 Michelle Betos: of my life I fought really hard to be a 1128 00:54:22,680 --> 00:54:25,440 Michelle Betos: professional soccer player and give everything I had and you know, 1129 00:54:25,480 --> 00:54:28,160 Michelle Betos: be valuable to the team. And then you know, probably 1130 00:54:28,200 --> 00:54:29,920 Michelle Betos: in the moment where that was the thing I was 1131 00:54:29,960 --> 00:54:34,600 Michelle Betos: fighting for the least, it happened again. I was in 1132 00:54:34,640 --> 00:54:38,879 Michelle Betos: a session one day and was, you know, just going 1133 00:54:38,880 --> 00:54:40,960 Michelle Betos: through our normal things, training our goalkeepers, and then all 1134 00:54:40,960 --> 00:54:43,880 Michelle Betos: of a sudden, one of our goalkeepers, Shelby, grabs her 1135 00:54:43,920 --> 00:54:48,120 Michelle Betos: thumb after making a great save actually, and you know, 1136 00:54:48,160 --> 00:54:49,960 Michelle Betos: I was a little concerned, but I'm like, okay, it's okay, 1137 00:54:50,040 --> 00:54:52,319 Michelle Betos: Like I've messed up all my fingers, so I was like, 1138 00:54:52,360 --> 00:54:54,200 Michelle Betos: oh yeah, another one bites the dust. And then a 1139 00:54:54,200 --> 00:54:57,759 Michelle Betos: couple of minutes later, Ryan, our rookie goalkeeper, lands and 1140 00:54:57,920 --> 00:54:59,200 Michelle Betos: kind of grabs her shoulder. 1141 00:54:58,920 --> 00:55:00,960 Speaker 4: And then walks out, and I'm like, she's you know, 1142 00:55:01,280 --> 00:55:01,719 Speaker 4: that might. 1143 00:55:01,719 --> 00:55:03,960 Michelle Betos: Hurt, but she's tough, not a big deal kind of 1144 00:55:03,960 --> 00:55:07,160 Michelle Betos: finish the session, go into lunch. The girls are making 1145 00:55:07,239 --> 00:55:11,640 Michelle Betos: jokes about how I'm gonna have to like has anyone 1146 00:55:11,680 --> 00:55:12,719 Michelle Betos: ever come out of retirement? 1147 00:55:12,800 --> 00:55:13,040 Speaker 4: Whatever? 1148 00:55:13,080 --> 00:55:15,239 Michelle Betos: And I'm just laughing it off, like totally thinking it's 1149 00:55:15,239 --> 00:55:17,560 Michelle Betos: a joke. And then I'm driving back over to the 1150 00:55:17,560 --> 00:55:19,480 Michelle Betos: facility and I get a call from Wan and he's like, 1151 00:55:19,520 --> 00:55:22,000 Michelle Betos: where are you And I'm like, uh, yeah, on my way, 1152 00:55:22,080 --> 00:55:23,600 Michelle Betos: like I thought our meeting was later. He's like, I 1153 00:55:23,600 --> 00:55:25,040 Michelle Betos: have to speak to you right away, and I was like, 1154 00:55:25,120 --> 00:55:26,840 Michelle Betos: oh my god, like what happens? 1155 00:55:27,520 --> 00:55:28,640 Speaker 4: And so I walk in. 1156 00:55:29,000 --> 00:55:31,680 Michelle Betos: I see Shelby in a thumb splint with her hand 1157 00:55:31,760 --> 00:55:35,360 Michelle Betos: in the air, Ryan in a sling, and I just 1158 00:55:35,440 --> 00:55:37,920 Michelle Betos: look at them and I look at Wan and I'm like, 1159 00:55:38,719 --> 00:55:42,520 Michelle Betos: oh my god. And he says, so we have a situation. 1160 00:55:43,239 --> 00:55:46,040 Michelle Betos: We need you to be available on Sunday. And I 1161 00:55:46,080 --> 00:55:49,120 Michelle Betos: was like, as a player, and you know, the rest 1162 00:55:49,200 --> 00:55:51,239 Michelle Betos: is kind of history. They said, you know, just for 1163 00:55:51,320 --> 00:55:53,440 Michelle Betos: this weekend. You know, we think they'll be okay, but 1164 00:55:53,480 --> 00:55:56,840 Michelle Betos: they're not going to be available for Sunday. So I 1165 00:55:56,840 --> 00:55:59,840 Michelle Betos: think the business side was advertising is one night only. 1166 00:56:00,320 --> 00:56:04,239 Michelle Betos: Slowly that conversation then the following day became oh maybe 1167 00:56:04,239 --> 00:56:06,320 Michelle Betos: you can just be a goalkeeper on the away trip. 1168 00:56:06,360 --> 00:56:08,279 Michelle Betos: And you know, basically I spent the next month being like, 1169 00:56:08,320 --> 00:56:10,400 Michelle Betos: am I a coach or am I a player today? 1170 00:56:10,880 --> 00:56:14,200 Michelle Betos: Eventually I had to relinquish my coaching like duties because 1171 00:56:14,239 --> 00:56:16,160 Michelle Betos: you know, it was league policy you couldn't do both. 1172 00:56:16,920 --> 00:56:20,720 Michelle Betos: So I was, I guess technically fired and a player 1173 00:56:21,239 --> 00:56:24,640 Michelle Betos: living the player's life again. And then a month later, 1174 00:56:24,719 --> 00:56:27,520 Michelle Betos: which was already I think this is the craziest part. 1175 00:56:27,560 --> 00:56:29,120 Michelle Betos: That was supposed to be a day that we were 1176 00:56:29,160 --> 00:56:32,880 Michelle Betos: celebrating my retirement from the year before actually ended up 1177 00:56:32,920 --> 00:56:33,160 Michelle Betos: being a. 1178 00:56:33,200 --> 00:56:34,680 Speaker 4: Day I was available to go in the game. 1179 00:56:35,400 --> 00:56:39,680 Michelle Betos: So that was crazy, and that was actually truly Alcolm, 1180 00:56:39,719 --> 00:56:42,600 Michelle Betos: would my last day ever playing. I am really praying 1181 00:56:42,600 --> 00:56:45,239 Michelle Betos: our goalkeepers continue to stay healthy and doing really well. 1182 00:56:45,320 --> 00:56:47,000 Michelle Betos: So yeah, so I went through a little bit of 1183 00:56:47,000 --> 00:56:50,560 Michelle Betos: a transition to a transition, and you know, back now 1184 00:56:51,160 --> 00:56:53,880 Michelle Betos: on the staff side of things, what did that feel 1185 00:56:53,920 --> 00:56:56,759 Michelle Betos: like to be a player again? It was such a whirlwind, 1186 00:56:56,880 --> 00:56:59,560 Michelle Betos: you know, obviously, transitioning out of a fifteen year career. 1187 00:56:59,719 --> 00:57:02,719 Michelle Betos: I was already you know, every day like rethinking all 1188 00:57:02,760 --> 00:57:04,359 Michelle Betos: my routines. I think I said that the last time 1189 00:57:04,360 --> 00:57:06,359 Michelle Betos: we talk, you know, like what do I eat? How 1190 00:57:06,360 --> 00:57:08,200 Michelle Betos: do I work out? You know? And I was finally, 1191 00:57:08,239 --> 00:57:10,120 Michelle Betos: you know, I thought getting the hang of it, you know, 1192 00:57:10,200 --> 00:57:11,759 Michelle Betos: and then all of a sudden, I was like, okay, 1193 00:57:11,800 --> 00:57:15,200 Michelle Betos: I need to revert, Like I remember Wan, so Wan 1194 00:57:15,280 --> 00:57:16,120 Michelle Betos: had that conversation with me. 1195 00:57:16,160 --> 00:57:17,160 Speaker 4: I had to go get a physical. 1196 00:57:17,240 --> 00:57:19,320 Michelle Betos: There's a picture I think of me, Ryan and Shelby 1197 00:57:19,480 --> 00:57:23,520 Michelle Betos: in the medical room. They're getting their hands and shoulders 1198 00:57:23,560 --> 00:57:25,960 Michelle Betos: checked out, and I'm getting my physical. 1199 00:57:26,320 --> 00:57:28,360 Speaker 4: The doctor asked me, oh, is this your first season? 1200 00:57:28,480 --> 00:57:30,920 Michelle Betos: And I'm like, no, no, no, this is actually my 1201 00:57:31,080 --> 00:57:34,160 Michelle Betos: sixteenth I think now. But then I went home and I, 1202 00:57:34,280 --> 00:57:35,880 Michelle Betos: you know, my head was spinning, like I was trying 1203 00:57:35,880 --> 00:57:37,440 Michelle Betos: to talk to my girlfriend about what happened. I'm like, 1204 00:57:37,560 --> 00:57:39,080 Michelle Betos: I think I need to get recovery. So I like 1205 00:57:39,120 --> 00:57:41,720 Michelle Betos: pull out my old my getting my norma tex. I'm like, 1206 00:57:41,840 --> 00:57:43,720 Michelle Betos: how does somebody all of a sudden get ready in 1207 00:57:43,720 --> 00:57:46,080 Michelle Betos: twenty four hours to play in a professional game. And 1208 00:57:46,160 --> 00:57:48,760 Michelle Betos: so tried to find this combination of taking out my 1209 00:57:48,760 --> 00:57:51,400 Michelle Betos: old habits, you know, so I had to relearn what 1210 00:57:51,440 --> 00:57:54,160 Michelle Betos: I tried to unlearn. It was wild, you know, and 1211 00:57:54,320 --> 00:57:56,840 Michelle Betos: just kind of like this like what am I doing 1212 00:57:56,840 --> 00:57:58,600 Michelle Betos: every day? And you know, in some ways, I was 1213 00:57:58,680 --> 00:58:00,479 Michelle Betos: like still in training, you know, trying to help Anne 1214 00:58:00,520 --> 00:58:02,080 Michelle Betos: or whatever the other goalkeepers are. But then all of 1215 00:58:02,080 --> 00:58:03,480 Michelle Betos: a sudden I get in small side and it was 1216 00:58:03,520 --> 00:58:05,080 Michelle Betos: like the drug hit again, you know, like oh I 1217 00:58:05,080 --> 00:58:07,600 Michelle Betos: gotta win, you know, or like oh no, like you know, 1218 00:58:07,720 --> 00:58:09,760 Michelle Betos: I've had like withdrawals and now I'm in it, and 1219 00:58:09,760 --> 00:58:11,280 Michelle Betos: all of a sudden, I'm like crazy again. 1220 00:58:11,360 --> 00:58:11,520 Speaker 4: You know. 1221 00:58:11,600 --> 00:58:13,920 Michelle Betos: I thought I was done with this, so yeah, So 1222 00:58:13,960 --> 00:58:16,280 Michelle Betos: it was really just like I felt like I was 1223 00:58:16,320 --> 00:58:18,920 Michelle Betos: like outside my body observing for most of it. You know, 1224 00:58:19,040 --> 00:58:21,439 Michelle Betos: when I was even talking to our mental performance coach 1225 00:58:21,440 --> 00:58:23,240 Michelle Betos: and I was like, I'm kind of using this as 1226 00:58:23,240 --> 00:58:25,600 Michelle Betos: like an experiment, you know, like everything I'm telling them 1227 00:58:25,720 --> 00:58:27,080 Michelle Betos: like now I'm I'm back in it. 1228 00:58:27,120 --> 00:58:29,520 Speaker 4: You know, Like everything I was doing, I. 1229 00:58:29,440 --> 00:58:32,280 Michelle Betos: Was like cognizant in a different way, like I'm asking 1230 00:58:32,360 --> 00:58:34,080 Michelle Betos: Ryan to do this, I'm asking Shelby do this, I'm 1231 00:58:34,120 --> 00:58:36,320 Michelle Betos: asking Ann to do this, so now like I better 1232 00:58:36,360 --> 00:58:39,760 Michelle Betos: do it, you know, like I'm playing, I'm mentally physically 1233 00:58:39,880 --> 00:58:42,640 Michelle Betos: like everything I'm asking of them like I'm now modeling 1234 00:58:42,680 --> 00:58:45,320 Michelle Betos: to them, even how I respond to obviously not being 1235 00:58:45,320 --> 00:58:47,080 Michelle Betos: as good as I want to, because I've been retired 1236 00:58:47,160 --> 00:58:50,280 Michelle Betos: for you know, at least six months or so. So yeah, 1237 00:58:50,320 --> 00:58:52,120 Michelle Betos: it was just honestly such a whirlwind and something I 1238 00:58:52,160 --> 00:58:55,960 Michelle Betos: was observing. And obviously I would like, never ever, ever 1239 00:58:56,040 --> 00:58:58,200 Michelle Betos: wish that our goalkeepers were injured, and I'm like so 1240 00:58:58,240 --> 00:59:01,200 Michelle Betos: grateful they're doing well again. But I think in some 1241 00:59:01,240 --> 00:59:03,840 Michelle Betos: way it was cathartic in terms of just like closure, 1242 00:59:04,080 --> 00:59:05,919 Michelle Betos: you know, Like I was talking to Jalen, I think, 1243 00:59:05,960 --> 00:59:07,800 Michelle Betos: and she was like, it's cool because you know you're 1244 00:59:07,840 --> 00:59:09,400 Michelle Betos: doing it for the last time, you know. When I 1245 00:59:09,440 --> 00:59:12,040 Michelle Betos: was finishing my season last year, I like had in 1246 00:59:12,080 --> 00:59:13,880 Michelle Betos: the back of my mind that I was going to retire, 1247 00:59:13,920 --> 00:59:15,160 Michelle Betos: but it wasn't like I knew, you know. 1248 00:59:15,160 --> 00:59:15,960 Speaker 4: I wasn't like, oh, this is. 1249 00:59:15,960 --> 00:59:18,480 Michelle Betos: My last practice ever, this is my last game ever, 1250 00:59:18,600 --> 00:59:19,840 Michelle Betos: you know, And so it was kind of like this 1251 00:59:19,960 --> 00:59:22,880 Michelle Betos: time of like like I remember driving to my retirement 1252 00:59:22,920 --> 00:59:26,320 Michelle Betos: game and being like, okay, like it's done. And I 1253 00:59:26,320 --> 00:59:28,600 Michelle Betos: think the coolest thing for me was like it was 1254 00:59:28,680 --> 00:59:31,960 Michelle Betos: like an old relationship that served me but didn't serve 1255 00:59:32,000 --> 00:59:32,600 Michelle Betos: me anymore. 1256 00:59:32,720 --> 00:59:36,280 Speaker 4: Like I was like I loved this, Like I love this. 1257 00:59:36,400 --> 00:59:38,959 Michelle Betos: But I'm done, you know, Like I really am done, 1258 00:59:38,960 --> 00:59:40,840 Michelle Betos: Like I don't need this in the same way, and 1259 00:59:41,680 --> 00:59:43,640 Michelle Betos: just so much like gratitude like for what I was 1260 00:59:43,680 --> 00:59:45,720 Michelle Betos: able to do, and like sometimes it's nostalgic, you know, 1261 00:59:45,800 --> 00:59:47,200 Michelle Betos: like I look at the younger ones, I'm like, oh, 1262 00:59:47,240 --> 00:59:49,680 Michelle Betos: I like I remember being at the you know, the bottom, 1263 00:59:49,760 --> 00:59:51,959 Michelle Betos: just chasing, you know, and like this big dream ahead 1264 00:59:52,000 --> 00:59:53,320 Michelle Betos: of me. And you know, I think it just gave 1265 00:59:53,360 --> 00:59:55,960 Michelle Betos: me this month to like really sit and reflect and 1266 00:59:56,480 --> 00:59:58,800 Michelle Betos: be like what, wow, I did it. You know, I 1267 00:59:58,880 --> 01:00:00,960 Michelle Betos: did it in so many ways. And I didn't reach 1268 01:00:01,000 --> 01:00:04,080 Michelle Betos: every goal or anything like that, but like what a journey. 1269 01:00:04,120 --> 01:00:06,840 Michelle Betos: And I think because I made the transition so quick 1270 01:00:06,840 --> 01:00:09,800 Michelle Betos: from playing to coaching, I never really sat and processed. 1271 01:00:10,520 --> 01:00:13,480 Michelle Betos: And yeah, I'm just like so grateful for that time 1272 01:00:13,520 --> 01:00:16,000 Michelle Betos: now because I was like, yeah, I just got to 1273 01:00:16,120 --> 01:00:19,120 Michelle Betos: do it differently, have hindsight, like be removed from it 1274 01:00:19,200 --> 01:00:20,560 Michelle Betos: and be like, yeah, I'm done. 1275 01:00:20,720 --> 01:00:23,920 Speaker 4: You know, I'm done, and I'm so grateful, you know. 1276 01:00:23,960 --> 01:00:25,560 Michelle Betos: And I thought I thought that you would have to 1277 01:00:25,600 --> 01:00:27,640 Michelle Betos: Like I just thought that I would like either stop 1278 01:00:27,720 --> 01:00:29,680 Michelle Betos: loving it one day. And it's not that I don't 1279 01:00:29,720 --> 01:00:31,880 Michelle Betos: love it anymore, it's just that was like an older 1280 01:00:31,960 --> 01:00:35,480 Michelle Betos: version of me and it served me so well and 1281 01:00:35,560 --> 01:00:38,040 Michelle Betos: now like I'm exactly where I'm meant to be, and 1282 01:00:38,080 --> 01:00:39,560 Michelle Betos: I think so, I think it was just such. 1283 01:00:39,400 --> 01:00:42,280 Speaker 4: A cool, cathartic, like reflective time. 1284 01:00:42,680 --> 01:00:44,800 Michelle Betos: Again, not something I would like wish for, but yeah, 1285 01:00:44,840 --> 01:00:46,760 Michelle Betos: really really special in that sense. And then just to 1286 01:00:46,800 --> 01:00:49,680 Michelle Betos: get to celebrate with my family and everybody like that, 1287 01:00:49,760 --> 01:00:51,200 Michelle Betos: and just I don't. 1288 01:00:50,960 --> 01:00:51,920 Speaker 4: Know if you were there at it. 1289 01:00:51,960 --> 01:00:53,160 Michelle Betos: I think you were there at the game, but like 1290 01:00:53,240 --> 01:00:55,280 Michelle Betos: all my friends and family that had my jerseys from 1291 01:00:55,360 --> 01:00:58,560 Michelle Betos: throughout all the years, from like rec soccer to every 1292 01:00:58,600 --> 01:01:00,720 Michelle Betos: pro team I ever played, and I remember just standing 1293 01:01:00,760 --> 01:01:01,480 Michelle Betos: there for one second. 1294 01:01:01,480 --> 01:01:03,120 Speaker 4: I was standing next to my mom in the field. 1295 01:01:02,840 --> 01:01:06,480 Michelle Betos: And like like holy shit, what a journey, like so 1296 01:01:06,600 --> 01:01:10,040 Michelle Betos: many countries, so many teams, like so many trials, like 1297 01:01:10,200 --> 01:01:14,360 Michelle Betos: so much craziness, like highs that I could like again 1298 01:01:14,440 --> 01:01:17,360 Michelle Betos: like drug you know, like things that like I could 1299 01:01:17,360 --> 01:01:19,760 Michelle Betos: have never imagined and like lows that test to me 1300 01:01:19,960 --> 01:01:23,680 Michelle Betos: like so much. But it was just seriously like it 1301 01:01:23,720 --> 01:01:26,840 Michelle Betos: was so cool, you know, and it was just so yeah, it. 1302 01:01:26,840 --> 01:01:27,560 Speaker 4: Was just like amazing. 1303 01:01:27,600 --> 01:01:30,160 Michelle Betos: It was such a cool experience, so a whirlwind and 1304 01:01:30,200 --> 01:01:32,360 Michelle Betos: wild and you know, I don't think for the week 1305 01:01:32,560 --> 01:01:35,840 Michelle Betos: of heart the faint of heart, but uh yeah, really cool. 1306 01:01:36,360 --> 01:01:38,760 Emily Tisch Sussman: Do you think your perspective on coaching now is a 1307 01:01:38,760 --> 01:01:40,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: little bit different than you went back for a month? 1308 01:01:41,160 --> 01:01:41,800 Speaker 4: Yeah, I think so. 1309 01:01:42,080 --> 01:01:44,800 Michelle Betos: I think first I have a better appreciation for it. 1310 01:01:44,880 --> 01:01:48,000 Michelle Betos: I already appreciated it, but it was like, I think 1311 01:01:48,040 --> 01:01:50,240 Michelle Betos: one of the saddest things for me retiring was that 1312 01:01:50,280 --> 01:01:52,680 Michelle Betos: I like wouldn't have a team anymore, right, Like I've 1313 01:01:53,200 --> 01:01:54,800 Michelle Betos: I've only ever made friends with your team. 1314 01:01:54,840 --> 01:01:56,840 Speaker 4: I still am like, how do adults make friends? 1315 01:01:56,880 --> 01:01:59,560 Michelle Betos: Like my whole life, I've been part of this group 1316 01:01:59,600 --> 01:02:01,200 Michelle Betos: that we're all we all have this in common and 1317 01:02:01,200 --> 01:02:04,080 Michelle Betos: we love to do this, and oh, here's twenty best friends. 1318 01:02:04,120 --> 01:02:06,120 Michelle Betos: Here's twenty people I'm gonna spend my days with, you know. 1319 01:02:06,200 --> 01:02:08,880 Michelle Betos: And when I retired, I think that was the thing 1320 01:02:08,920 --> 01:02:11,280 Michelle Betos: I was gonna mourn the most. And then I think 1321 01:02:11,320 --> 01:02:14,360 Michelle Betos: I realized, like I missed my team when I went 1322 01:02:14,400 --> 01:02:16,919 Michelle Betos: to being a player, Like the staff is my team, 1323 01:02:17,040 --> 01:02:19,200 Michelle Betos: you know, like you still have teams in you Like 1324 01:02:19,240 --> 01:02:21,720 Michelle Betos: I missed, you know, the banter in here. I missed 1325 01:02:21,760 --> 01:02:23,920 Michelle Betos: working together for something and of course like I had 1326 01:02:23,920 --> 01:02:24,600 Michelle Betos: it with the players. 1327 01:02:24,680 --> 01:02:26,160 Speaker 4: It's different dynamic now. 1328 01:02:26,000 --> 01:02:28,240 Michelle Betos: But yeah, I think it just made me like appreciate 1329 01:02:28,280 --> 01:02:29,680 Michelle Betos: like the new phase of my life. 1330 01:02:29,720 --> 01:02:31,840 Speaker 4: I think also, you know, when you're. 1331 01:02:31,640 --> 01:02:34,360 Michelle Betos: Coaching, you're like you're telling people to do something, but 1332 01:02:35,320 --> 01:02:38,400 Michelle Betos: it's so easy to forget how much stress and tens 1333 01:02:38,520 --> 01:02:40,320 Michelle Betos: and whatever. So if I'm saying, hey, Shelby, like just 1334 01:02:40,320 --> 01:02:42,320 Michelle Betos: play that ball there, like it's so easy, then I'm 1335 01:02:42,360 --> 01:02:43,840 Michelle Betos: in her shoes and I'm like, oh, yeah, it's not 1336 01:02:43,880 --> 01:02:45,560 Michelle Betos: that easy because I'm being pressed in stuff, you know, 1337 01:02:45,560 --> 01:02:47,280 Michelle Betos: And I've played long enough to know that. But I 1338 01:02:47,320 --> 01:02:50,400 Michelle Betos: do think it just gives you perspective. I think it 1339 01:02:50,480 --> 01:02:54,000 Michelle Betos: really is just I'm really grateful for the chapter I min. 1340 01:02:54,520 --> 01:02:57,360 Michelle Betos: I'm a rookie again in some ways, and I think 1341 01:02:57,400 --> 01:02:59,720 Michelle Betos: that's fun. Like, you know, I think that's the parts 1342 01:02:59,720 --> 01:03:00,480 Michelle Betos: of my career. 1343 01:03:00,280 --> 01:03:02,520 Speaker 4: That I get nostalgic about. I was saying, like I 1344 01:03:02,560 --> 01:03:03,280 Speaker 4: missed the chase. 1345 01:03:03,320 --> 01:03:05,000 Michelle Betos: I me. I miss being at the beginning and having 1346 01:03:05,040 --> 01:03:06,840 Michelle Betos: so much ahead of me and having no idea how 1347 01:03:06,880 --> 01:03:09,000 Michelle Betos: it was all gonna end up, but like, you know, 1348 01:03:09,080 --> 01:03:11,640 Michelle Betos: just forging forward every day however I knew I could. 1349 01:03:11,640 --> 01:03:13,040 Speaker 4: And now I'm like at the beginning of. 1350 01:03:13,040 --> 01:03:14,600 Michelle Betos: A new chapter and I don't know where it's gonna go, 1351 01:03:14,720 --> 01:03:16,920 Michelle Betos: you know. I'm doing the culture side of things. I'm 1352 01:03:16,960 --> 01:03:19,240 Michelle Betos: so passionate about that. I'm getting my master's in applied 1353 01:03:19,240 --> 01:03:21,280 Michelle Betos: sports like to do like mental performance, and I'm coaching 1354 01:03:21,280 --> 01:03:23,960 Michelle Betos: goalkeepers that I like, I knew I would like it. 1355 01:03:24,040 --> 01:03:25,480 Michelle Betos: I knew I would really like it. I did know 1356 01:03:25,520 --> 01:03:28,400 Michelle Betos: I would like love it. Like the other day Ryan 1357 01:03:28,440 --> 01:03:30,080 Michelle Betos: made a save in training and I'm like, it is 1358 01:03:30,280 --> 01:03:32,480 Michelle Betos: weird how much joy I have, Like you know, I 1359 01:03:32,520 --> 01:03:34,040 Michelle Betos: was telling her that, like I just love it. I 1360 01:03:34,080 --> 01:03:36,479 Michelle Betos: love being part of their journeys, like I love seeing 1361 01:03:36,560 --> 01:03:38,040 Michelle Betos: them grow, I love testing themselves. 1362 01:03:38,120 --> 01:03:39,760 Speaker 4: I love helping them go on the journey that I 1363 01:03:39,800 --> 01:03:40,440 Speaker 4: got to go on. 1364 01:03:40,520 --> 01:03:43,160 Michelle Betos: You know. Of course it's about like what they want 1365 01:03:43,200 --> 01:03:45,680 Michelle Betos: to achieve, but more just like go see what you're 1366 01:03:45,680 --> 01:03:48,320 Michelle Betos: made of, Like you have no idea yet, like Ray, 1367 01:03:48,400 --> 01:03:49,880 Michelle Betos: you have no idea, I shall we have no idea. 1368 01:03:49,880 --> 01:03:52,400 Michelle Betos: And then like watching Anne like a proud mom at 1369 01:03:52,400 --> 01:03:56,160 Michelle Betos: the Euros, like it's like a joy and like just 1370 01:03:56,160 --> 01:03:58,160 Michelle Betos: like a pride that like you don't know when you're 1371 01:03:58,200 --> 01:04:01,120 Michelle Betos: true when you're playing, and it's like knowing these people, 1372 01:04:01,120 --> 01:04:02,840 Michelle Betos: seeing what they put in day in, day out, and 1373 01:04:03,000 --> 01:04:04,840 Michelle Betos: you know, trying to play a small part in their journey. 1374 01:04:04,840 --> 01:04:07,000 Michelle Betos: It's so cool to see them succeed and to grow 1375 01:04:07,040 --> 01:04:09,000 Michelle Betos: and learn and overcome adversity. 1376 01:04:09,200 --> 01:04:10,240 Speaker 4: So yeah, so I'm just. 1377 01:04:10,200 --> 01:04:12,320 Michelle Betos: Really grateful and I'm you know, I'm a rookie again, 1378 01:04:12,320 --> 01:04:14,560 Michelle Betos: which is fun, makes me feel young again. 1379 01:04:14,720 --> 01:04:16,600 Speaker 4: But yeah, it's been it's been really cool. 1380 01:04:17,160 --> 01:04:18,840 Michelle Betos: Well, thank you, Michelle, thanks for coming back. 1381 01:04:18,720 --> 01:04:20,480 Speaker 4: On for your rook day. Thank you, thank you for 1382 01:04:20,520 --> 01:04:21,480 Speaker 4: having me and Willew. 1383 01:04:24,440 --> 01:04:26,760 Speaker 3: Now back to our regularly scheduled programming. 1384 01:04:28,720 --> 01:04:31,480 Emily Tisch Sussman: This is something that I ask of all of our guests, 1385 01:04:31,520 --> 01:04:34,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: but what is something that It could be something we discussed, 1386 01:04:34,920 --> 01:04:37,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: could be something else, but something that at the time 1387 01:04:37,640 --> 01:04:40,200 Emily Tisch Sussman: you thought was a real low point, like a negative, 1388 01:04:40,680 --> 01:04:42,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: and now you see it as having really positioned and 1389 01:04:43,000 --> 01:04:44,240 Emily Tisch Sussman: launched you to where you are now. 1390 01:04:45,200 --> 01:04:51,120 Michelle Betos: Yeah, I would say every single injury, every time I 1391 01:04:51,160 --> 01:04:54,960 Michelle Betos: didn't play or wasn't starting, every time I was in 1392 01:04:55,000 --> 01:04:58,360 Michelle Betos: a hard position I as a player, like didn't get 1393 01:04:58,400 --> 01:04:59,920 Michelle Betos: what I want. Basically every time as a player to 1394 01:05:00,080 --> 01:05:03,320 Michelle Betos: get what I want, whether it was injury or playing time, 1395 01:05:04,000 --> 01:05:09,000 Michelle Betos: I in those moments, you know, questioned life, question God, 1396 01:05:09,200 --> 01:05:11,920 Michelle Betos: questioned to everything you know, like how could this happen 1397 01:05:11,960 --> 01:05:14,960 Michelle Betos: to me? This is awful? And playing for as long 1398 01:05:15,000 --> 01:05:16,520 Michelle Betos: as I've did, I've had a lot of those hard 1399 01:05:16,520 --> 01:05:21,120 Michelle Betos: blow moments. But what I have seen is the ability 1400 01:05:21,160 --> 01:05:27,240 Michelle Betos: for me to empathize and truly understand players is at 1401 01:05:27,320 --> 01:05:29,160 Michelle Betos: a level that I don't think most people will have 1402 01:05:29,240 --> 01:05:31,480 Michelle Betos: because I can literally look at every single player. I 1403 01:05:31,480 --> 01:05:33,320 Michelle Betos: can look at every player and a roster and be like, 1404 01:05:34,000 --> 01:05:36,400 Michelle Betos: I have been there too. I have been through this 1405 01:05:36,520 --> 01:05:40,080 Michelle Betos: exact situation, and this is what helped me. This is 1406 01:05:40,120 --> 01:05:41,640 Michelle Betos: how I got out of it, or this is how 1407 01:05:41,680 --> 01:05:43,720 Michelle Betos: I reframed it, or this is how I dealt with it, 1408 01:05:43,840 --> 01:05:46,160 Michelle Betos: or this is how I used it to propel me forward. Like, 1409 01:05:46,840 --> 01:05:49,920 Michelle Betos: I feel pretty confident that there are very few people 1410 01:05:50,440 --> 01:05:53,760 Michelle Betos: that I will come across in this role that I'm like, WHOA, 1411 01:05:53,920 --> 01:05:56,760 Michelle Betos: I totally can't like, I'm sorry, but I really can't 1412 01:05:56,840 --> 01:06:00,680 Michelle Betos: understand that. Like, I can just see so clearly that 1413 01:06:00,840 --> 01:06:03,960 Michelle Betos: all of the like hardships and trials and tribulations of 1414 01:06:03,960 --> 01:06:08,640 Michelle Betos: my career have prepared me so well to help others. 1415 01:06:09,160 --> 01:06:11,840 Michelle Betos: And I think no one needs that much help when 1416 01:06:11,840 --> 01:06:14,000 Michelle Betos: they're on top of the world, you know, right like 1417 01:06:14,080 --> 01:06:18,440 Michelle Betos: they're they're good. But it's within this career. If you 1418 01:06:18,480 --> 01:06:23,080 Michelle Betos: play long enough, everyone will be benched. Everyone will get injured, 1419 01:06:23,160 --> 01:06:25,960 Michelle Betos: everyone will have a hard time, and I can be 1420 01:06:26,080 --> 01:06:28,440 Michelle Betos: there for them, and I can understand it and I 1421 01:06:28,480 --> 01:06:31,080 Michelle Betos: can know and like, through those times in my career, 1422 01:06:31,120 --> 01:06:33,440 Michelle Betos: the one thing I will say is I always I 1423 01:06:33,480 --> 01:06:36,560 Michelle Betos: had my pity parties. I went through it. But I also, 1424 01:06:36,760 --> 01:06:40,520 Michelle Betos: like always like tried to look forward and be like, 1425 01:06:40,560 --> 01:06:42,040 Michelle Betos: who do I want to say I was in this 1426 01:06:42,120 --> 01:06:44,800 Michelle Betos: situation when I didn't play, when I was injured. I 1427 01:06:44,840 --> 01:06:47,160 Michelle Betos: always framed it from like, who do I want to 1428 01:06:47,160 --> 01:06:49,320 Michelle Betos: say I was in a year from now when I 1429 01:06:49,360 --> 01:06:51,000 Michelle Betos: talk to somebody about this, when I look at my 1430 01:06:51,040 --> 01:06:53,120 Michelle Betos: mom and talk to her about it, And so that 1431 01:06:53,280 --> 01:06:55,280 Michelle Betos: is always the advice I give to these people, and 1432 01:06:55,320 --> 01:06:58,840 Michelle Betos: like it gives you such a different perspective of like, okay, 1433 01:06:58,880 --> 01:07:00,840 Michelle Betos: like things aren't going my way? Who am I as 1434 01:07:00,880 --> 01:07:03,240 Michelle Betos: a teammate? Who am I as a person? Like am 1435 01:07:03,280 --> 01:07:06,600 Michelle Betos: I resilient? Am I dedicated? Do I find a new 1436 01:07:06,640 --> 01:07:08,640 Michelle Betos: way to get better so I can get on the 1437 01:07:08,640 --> 01:07:11,560 Michelle Betos: field or physically heal or whatever. So I think I 1438 01:07:11,560 --> 01:07:13,800 Michelle Betos: think it's just all those moments, the moments that feel 1439 01:07:13,840 --> 01:07:17,000 Michelle Betos: like the hardest of my career were actually ones that 1440 01:07:17,040 --> 01:07:19,760 Michelle Betos: like teed me up perfectly to be doing what I'm 1441 01:07:19,800 --> 01:07:22,040 Michelle Betos: doing now and hopefully do for a long time. 1442 01:07:24,520 --> 01:07:28,080 Emily Tisch Sussman: Michelle is continuing to use her incredible experience and outlook 1443 01:07:28,120 --> 01:07:31,680 Emily Tisch Sussman: on life as assistant goalkeeper coach for Gotham FC, and 1444 01:07:31,720 --> 01:07:34,640 Emily Tisch Sussman: she never stops learning. She's also getting her masters in 1445 01:07:34,680 --> 01:07:35,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: sports psychology. 1446 01:07:36,160 --> 01:07:37,200 Speaker 3: They just started up. 1447 01:07:37,160 --> 01:07:40,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: The second half of the NWSL season, so be sure 1448 01:07:40,160 --> 01:07:42,920 Emily Tisch Sussman: to follow at Gotham FC for updates and come to 1449 01:07:42,960 --> 01:07:45,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: a match to cheer us on. To keep up with 1450 01:07:45,200 --> 01:07:47,840 Emily Tisch Sussman: Michelle and everything she's doing, you can follow her on 1451 01:07:47,880 --> 01:07:49,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: Instagram at Michelle Betos. 1452 01:07:49,920 --> 01:07:50,800 Speaker 3: Talk to you next week. 1453 01:07:52,360 --> 01:07:55,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: Thanks for listening to this episode of She Pivots. I 1454 01:07:56,000 --> 01:07:58,400 Emily Tisch Sussman: hope you enjoyed it, and if you did, leave us 1455 01:07:58,440 --> 01:08:01,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: a rating and tell your friends about. To learn more 1456 01:08:01,760 --> 01:08:05,360 Emily Tisch Sussman: about our guests, follow us on Instagram at she Pivots 1457 01:08:05,400 --> 01:08:08,440 Emily Tisch Sussman: the Podcast, or sign up for our newsletter where you 1458 01:08:08,440 --> 01:08:12,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: can get exclusive behind the scenes content on our website 1459 01:08:12,160 --> 01:08:18,960 Emily Tisch Sussman: at she pivots Thepodcast dot com. This episode was produced 1460 01:08:18,960 --> 01:08:22,839 Emily Tisch Sussman: and edited by Emily Atavelosk, with sound editing and mixing 1461 01:08:22,880 --> 01:08:27,040 Emily Tisch Sussman: from Nina Pollock, Audio production and social media by Hannah Cousins, 1462 01:08:27,360 --> 01:08:31,120 Emily Tisch Sussman: Research by Christine Dickinson, and logistics and planning by Emma 1463 01:08:31,200 --> 01:08:32,679 Emily Tisch Sussman: Stopic and Kendall Krupkin. 1464 01:08:33,439 --> 01:08:35,519 Speaker 3: She Pivots is proud to be a part of the 1465 01:08:35,560 --> 01:08:37,240 Speaker 3: iHeart podcast network. 1466 01:08:38,600 --> 01:08:40,720 Emily Tisch Sussman: I endorse she Pivots