‘Well, this is me and take it or leave it.’ ...future fridays

This line stuck with me, describing how this soccer phenom dealt with the disappointment of being cut from the winning 2015 World Cup champions:
"Once I decided to invest in myself as a player and a person, from that moment on, I felt like I was invincible."

I also loved her take on the fight for Equal Pay in the soccer world. Here are some excerpts:


You were the last cut from the 2015 team — and they ended up winning the World Cup. That couldn’t have been easy. How did you get through it? What did you learn?
The biggest lesson from 2015 was that all I can do is control my attitude and how I feel about myself. Honestly, for a little bit, I started to doubt myself. Whenever that happens, no good can come from it, so these last four years have really been about me trying hard to never doubt myself, not even for one moment, and always remembering that if I stay the course I will end up where I want to be.

That obviously makes complete sense, but it’s very hard to get to that place. How did you get there?
I had so much support. I never felt alone. People were always reaching out to me, and my parents were making sure I was okay and reinforcing that I’m a good player and missing out on this one opportunity doesn’t mean that I’m not. You know, it’s just one thing that didn’t go my way. They kept making sure I was paying attention to what was next in store, versus hanging my head and staying in the moment that I really didn’t need to stay in. Obviously fast-forward four years, and I’m able to be a part of this World Cup and it’s just awesome. I tell people it wasn’t easy, but when you really, truly value yourself, nothing can penetrate that. It sounds so clichéd but it’s true. Once I decided to invest in myself as a player and a person, from that moment on, I felt like I was invincible.
[...]

You are involved in the pending lawsuit against the U.S. Soccer Federation demanding equal pay for women, claiming you are compensated less than the men’s team even though the demands are the same and women’s team has been significantly more successful. [The USWNT has won three World Cup titles, and is favored to win this year, while the men’s team didn’t qualify to compete in the 2018 World Cup.] Can you talk about what that means to you?
It’s really important for women to feel like, ‘I have a voice and I’m not going to remain silent just because I don’t want to ruffle feathers.’ It goes beyond soccer players. It goes to any female in society who’s feeling like, ‘Oh, for a long time I’ve kept my mouth shut. I go to work, and if I feel under appreciated, I just bite the bullet and move onto the next day.’ We’re in a new era now where women are no longer happy with that arrangement. We’re putting in the same hours, and we’re sacrificing the same things, if not more. And it’s important for women across the world, whatever profession they’re in, to stand up for what they believe in and continue the fight. Even if there’s no progress with the lawsuit at this moment, there will be in the future, I’m sure of it.
[...]

I love how your team wore the names of inspiring women on their jerseys for the SheBelieves Cup earlier this year. Why did you choose Serena Williams?

For a lot of people, it’s so easy to see her and be like, ‘Wow, what an amazing athlete. She dominates her sport.’ But for me, she’s more. She has broken down so many barriers of what it means to be beautiful. To be a strong, defined woman and still feel like, ‘Hey, I’m feminine’ — that was something I had to go through as well. I have really big hamstrings, and I’ve always been told, ‘Wow, your lower body’s really strong. Not a lot of girls have legs that look like yours.’ At that point, I had to redefine what beauty was to me. It’s not someone thinking that women shouldn’t have strong legs, but it’s that there’s beauty in strength. That’s exactly what Serena embodies, and even though we don’t play the same sport, I feel like what she’s accomplished has really inspired me. Whatever negative press she gets from the media, she’s like, ‘Well, this is me and take it or leave it.’ I feel like that is just complete badass.

via {cup of jo}