ORLANDO, Fla. — Orlando Pride goalkeeper Erin McLeod has gone through a lot during the past year.
The Canadian national team member celebrated winning Olympic gold this past summer in Tokyo, all while her club team was going through a significant transition on the coaching side. Former coach Marc Skinner left abruptly for Manchester United, and the team brought in interim coach Becky Burleigh, all while McLeod was on the other side of the world.
Behind the scenes, the Pride also were going through an ownership transition with the Wilf family buying the club from Flavio Augusto da Silva.
On the field, questions were raised about abuse in women’s soccer and how NWSL had mishandled those allegations.
It made for a stressful year.
“I was pretty fried emotionally, physically, everything at the end of that season,” McLeod said. “A lot of people were.”
After all of that turmoil, McLeod helped stabilize the Pride and the league. She was involved in the discussions for the landmark collective bargaining agreement between the union and NWSL that passed in early February.
“The CBA has offered even more stability, and that is something I’m incredibly proud of,” she said. “I was part of that, and when you have players that are not worried about getting food on their tables and where they’re sleeping at night, their performance goes straight up. So for me, I’m not just excited for this club but to see this league really prosper and kick ass this season.”
In the U.S., February also marked the settlement of the equal pay lawsuit for the US Women’s National Team, finally bringing a six-year legal battle to a close.
McLeod, who’s been vocal for similar reasons in her native Canada, hopes this decision entices other countries to follow suit.
“The message it sends to the young people in the country, that alone is what it’s all worth, you know? It is important for young girls and boys to recognize that their true equality is possible,” McLeod said.
“What I have a hard time with is that we don’t have a league in Canada. We talk about how we’re this progressive nation and you turn on the TV and you’re only watching men’s professional sports. That is a problem for all young people. I definitely think we have to look closely at what’s happening with the Canadian Soccer Association. The commitment they’re making to both sides is really important.”
Since returning from the Olympics, McLeod and her teammates from the national team have been outspoken about it. The CBA negotiations and the abuse scandals in NWSL also have inspired the Canadian women to take action in regards to their own federation.
“We have to keep pushing it until something’s done,” McLeod said. “That’s the cool thing when you start standing up for one thing, like other people kind of like ‘Oh, this isn’t right.’
“To continue to talk about these things, what does gender equity, what is equality, what does that really look like? We have to continue to push our federation. You look at our board that’s 80 percent white men, and those are the people making decisions for our federation, and I’m sorry, but you about that talk about diversity and inclusion and equity and you have to have the right people in the room to even start that conversation.”
In the meantime, McLeod is focused on the Pride. With so many star players from last year gone, she understands that it might take time to get used to the new faces. She is hopeful that the team’s message remains constant.
“Sport is a vehicle. This is so much more. Sport teaches you to connect with others, get the most out of others, to work hard,” she said. “It’s so important to get so many people out to support, not just what we’re doing here but what sport brings to young people but also just to be a part of something.
“What I love about women’s sports, in particular, is you can find autographs, and you can meet these people, and they’re real people, and they’re relatable. And in that moment, these young people think, ‘OK, I can play pro.’ That’s such an important message for young people with big dreams.”
