March 19, 2025 • 27 mins
This week, we have something extra special for you. We’re dropping not one, but two incredible episodes from the "Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls" podcast right here in our feed.
The first is with the one and only Yael Averbuch West, the General Manager of Gotham FC and former U.S. National Team soccer player. I had the pleasure of narrating her inspiring story about breaking records and changing the face of women's soccer. Then, you’ll hear my conversation with Keira about my own story and background. I hope you enjoy!
If you love stories about women making bold moves and rewriting the rules, then you are going to love what Rebel Girls is all about. Listen and subscribe now wherever you get your podcasts!
Be sure to subscribe, leave us a rating, and share with your friends if you liked this episode!
She Pivots was created by host Emily Tisch Sussman to highlight women, their stories, and how their pivot became their success. To learn more about Rebel Girls, follow us on Instagram @ShePivotsThePodcast or visit shepivotsthepodcast.com.
Support the show: https://www.shepivotsthepodcast.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:10):
Welcome back to She Pivots, the podcast where we talk
with women who dare to pivot out of one career
and into something new and explore how their personal lives
impacts these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. Today
We've got something extra special for you. We're dropping not one,
(00:33):
but two incredible episodes from good Night Stories for Rebel
Girls right here in our feed. One from the one
and only yah el Aberbush West, the general manager of
Gotham FC and former US national team soccer player, where
I got to narrate her incredible story. Then you'll hear
my conversation with Kira about me and my background. If
(00:56):
you love the stories we share about women making bold
moves and rewriting the rules, then you are going to
love what Rebel Girls is all about. So if you
haven't heard of them, let me introduce you. Rebel Girls
is on a mission to raise the most confident, inspired
generation of girls. They create books, video content, events, apps,
(01:17):
and of course a podcast. All are designed to equip
girls with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive
and inspire them to dream bigger. With the community of
thirty eight million self identified rebel girls in over one
hundred and fifteen countries. They're making a huge impact, and
now they're taking that mission to the world of sports.
(01:40):
Enter Rebel Girls Sport, their newest vertical that's all about
celebrating women athletes and building a space where girls can
see themselves in sports, build confidence and become lifelong fans.
Because let's be real, the world of sports hasn't always
made space for women the way it should. In fact,
(02:00):
are two times more likely than boys to drop out
of sport by the age of fourteen. I love what
Rebel Girls is doing, and Gotham FC has created our
own initiative to address this exact issue. We created Keep
Her in the Game, which offers curated resources and programs
to empower youth players on and off the field. And
that brings us to today's special episodes. First, you'll hear
(02:23):
an amazing episode featuring the incredible story of Yael. The
episode is narrated by Yours Truly and is one of resilience,
leadership and paving the way for the next generation of
women's soccer. Then I sit down with Kira, a Rebel Girl,
for a get to know episode where I share a
bit about my own pivot story, what sports means to me,
(02:45):
and why I'm so passionate about lifting up women's voices.
If you love what you hear today, make sure to
check out good Night's Stories for Rebel Girls for more
inspiring episodes featuring fearless women breaking barriers in sports, business, science,
and beyond. You can find them wherever you get your podcasts,
including a video version on Rebel Girls YouTube channel. All right,
(03:08):
let's get into it. It was game day, and yeah
Elle Aberbush was wrestling with the usual nervous energy before
a match, a midfielder for the University of North Carolina
(03:31):
tar Heels women's soccer team. Yeah, Elle knew the game
inside and out. She tried to push the self doubt
out of her mind. Yeah, you've got this, You've got this.
The tar Heels were playing their fifth game of the season.
The winning team would inch a little closer to the
Women's College Cup, a prestigious title in college sports. Yeah.
(03:57):
Elle squinted in the sunshine, the ball waiting patiently at
the midfield stripe. Then she took a few quick steps
and damn, a powerful kick. The ball soared through the air.
One second two seconds it floated over the heads of
(04:19):
the astonished defenders three seconds and then over the outstretched
hands of the goalie and into the net four seconds goal.
And just like that, in four seconds, Yea l Aberbush
had set a record for the fastest goal ever scored
(04:42):
and the NCAA Women's Soccer cheers from her teammates and
the crowd rose through the air, beaming in triumph. Yeah,
Elle knew she wanted to keep setting records and scoring goals.
She wanted to be the best soccer player in the world.
(05:12):
I'm Emily Tish Sussman, co owner of the soccer team
Gotham FC and host of the she Pivots podcast. And
this is good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, a fairytale
podcast about the real life rebel women who inspire us.
On this episode, yah Elle Aberbush, West, professional soccer player,
(05:34):
Gotham general manager and leader in women's sports competition was
always a part of yah Elle Aberbush's life. She put
her full attention on everything she did, even if it
was just coloring at school with her friends. Growing up
(05:57):
twenty miles from New York City in montgree in New Jersey,
she and her little sister, Shierra watched their parents train
for their next big run, and listened to their dad's
stories about being an Olympic marathon qualifier. Yeah Elle was
a serious kid, so when a friend introduced her to
soccer when she was seven, she naturally became very serious
(06:19):
about that too. But soccer, with all its running and strategy,
was also really fun. She joined the soccer team in
her town and soon it was all she could think about.
Once the referee blew the whistle. She was often running,
dribbling the ball down the fields, dodging opponents from all sides,
(06:42):
eyeing the goal, and kicking the ball so powerfully that
it sent ripples through the net. Even from her earliest games,
yeah Elle caught people's attention with her skill. She liked
being on a team and helping the group win. But
for Yaelle, training as a team sport, she liked to
practice on her own, away from the group, whether on
(07:06):
a field or in the streets. Being alone meant that
she could focus solely on improving her technique. She was
a lone wolf, and she liked it that way. After
two years of learning the game, yeah Elle knew what
she wanted to be when she grew up. She wanted
to play for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels,
(07:29):
known as UNC. This was the best college soccer team
in the country. Being on that team would be her
ticket to her ultimate goal, playing professional soccer for the
US women's national team. By the time she was eleven,
(07:50):
yeah Elle was the only girl on an all boys team.
The group was fast and a little rough, but yeah
Elle didn't back down. The struggle made her even more
serious and focused. I need to keep doing things that
feel really challenging, yah Elle thought to herself. That's how
I'm going to be the best. She spent her summer
(08:13):
vacations at soccer camp, training from dawn till dusk. Then
when it was quiet, she'd write down everything she'd learned
that day, every play, every strategy. It all went into
her journal. When she got back home, she'd pull out
her notes and practice what she'd learned at camp. One day,
(08:36):
she thought to herself, all this practice is going to
pay off. I just have to work a little harder. Finally,
after nearly ten years of playing on traveling in national teams,
(08:57):
and training on her own, eighteen year old yeah Elle
got the biggest news of her life. The UNC Tar
heels wanted her. She made the team, she would be
number seventeen, playing midfield. She had accomplished the first of
her two biggest goals, but when yeah Elle got to
(09:21):
UNC and started training, she was in for a shock.
She was good, but her new team was even faster
than she expected. For the first time, she couldn't always
keep up and something was happening. Yeah Elle was used
to training alone, away from the group. Now she was
(09:43):
training with the team. One day, her younger teammate, Casey,
asked her if they could train together on free kicks.
Yeah Elle shrugged and agreed, even though she'd much rather
practice free kicks on her own. She and Casey he
started meeting every week, kicking the ball over and over
(10:04):
trying to hit a two inch red flag hanging from
the corner of the net. Hitting that tiny flag was
not easy. They agreed that whoever hit it during practice
would automatically win. Little by little, yea Elle started to
look forward to free kicks with Casey. It was fun
to hang out and train before the rest of the
(10:26):
team showed up, and it felt good to encourage Casey
and give her pointers. With ya Elle's help, Casey got
better and better at hitting that red flag. Weeks passed
and finally it was game day again. This time the
(10:47):
UNC Tar Heels were playing the Notre Dame, fighting Irish.
As the minutes clicked by, the game seemed to be
slipping away from yeah Ell and her team meets. It
was Tar Heels zero eating Irish one. Then Casey got
a free kick. All their free kick sessions raced through
(11:08):
ya Elle's mind. Casey knew this kick like the back
of her hand, but could she make it? Casey eyed
the ball, then a powerful kick and swush into the
back corner of the net, exactly where the red flag hung.
(11:28):
Pure joy a rough inside of ya Elle. She'd never
known this kind of camaraderie. She screamed at the top
of her lungs and took off running, happy, tears blurring
her vision as she jumped a join the pile of
her teammates. That goal was the push they needed. The
(11:48):
Tar Heels went home victorious that day, winning two to one.
As a hardworking United team. Casey even snags the red
flag for Yea to keep as a reminder of their
perfect goal. Now for a quick break. During yeah Elle's
(12:15):
four years at UNC, the Tar heels, racked up awards
and won two national championships, and she set personal records too.
Like the four second goal. Yeah Lle was known for
her solid, consistent play and set another record as a
starting player in one hundred and five consecutive games. She
(12:36):
even got to play with the US women's national team
at a big tournament in China. With all this success,
yeah Elle was on her way to achieving her second
life goal, playing for the US women's national team full time.
After college, yeah Elle was drafted to her first professional
(13:00):
women's soccer team, Skyblue FC, based in New Jersey. Returning
to her home state, she felt like she'd come full circle,
but not for long. Yeahelle played with sky Blue for
a few seasons, and then in twenty ten, her second
major dream became a reality. Yeah Elle was drafted as
(13:23):
a permanent member of the US women's national team. Everything
she'd worked for had finally paid off. As much as
she wanted to enjoy it, there was something that continued
(13:43):
to nag at yah Elle. Sure she was competing with
the best soccer teams across the US and the world,
but she knew she wasn't yet the best player on earth.
She was too ambitious to be satisfied, kept pushing herself
to do more. The stress of the game and her
(14:05):
own high expectations were fraying her nerves. Yeah Elle's body
started responding to the stress in negative ways. She developed
ulcerative colitis, a painful illness that made her stomach very
uncomfortable and unpredictable. She had to go to the bathroom frequently,
sometimes in the middle of games, and often felt too
(14:28):
sick to play. Still, she kept pushing herself harder and faster.
She signed on to play with a new team in Seattle,
but the pain of her illness was too much to bear.
After just one game with the team, yeah Elle knew
she had reached her breaking point. She would have kept
(14:49):
fighting forever, working to be the best, no matter the pain,
but her body did what her mind would not let
her do. She had no choice but to stop, whether
she wanted to or not. It was time to walk
off the field as a player and take care of
her health. So yeah Elle had to embrace a new challenge,
(15:20):
listening to her body and learning how to manage stress.
She got the care that she needed for her ulcerative colitis,
even getting major surgery to remove her large intestine. It
was a difficult road, but she finally felt well again. Still,
she couldn't leave soccer behind entirely. Yeah, Elle found new
(15:44):
ways to lead and put her independent spirit to work,
creating her own business and a training app called technev Football.
Knowing the struggles of athletes, she also started the National
Women's Soccer Lead Players Association to protect players and ensure
they're treated fairly. Then, her incredible career as a player,
(16:09):
business owner and mentor to other players made her the
perfect candidate for another job, general manager for the New York,
New Jersey soccer team Gotham FC formerly known as Sky BLUEFC.
After a life on the road, Yaelle came back to
(16:32):
lead her home team as the general manager. She works
closely with the coaches and the team, strategizing and guiding,
motivating and supporting, and other parts of her life blossomed
around soccer too. She married a fellow player and together
they're raising two children. Though she's no longer on the
(17:00):
field herself, yet Elle will always be a player in
her heart and in her soccer journals. Her whole life,
yet Elle had been documenting her training, her thoughts, and
her dreams Through it all, one lesson stands out. The
training she did on her own made her a better player,
(17:24):
but the most fulfilling moments were sharing the joy of
soccer with others on the field and off, and that
is the greatest victory of all. This podcast is a
(17:49):
production of Rebel Girls. It's based on the book series
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. The episode was narrated
by me Emily ties Sussman. It was produced and directed
by Hailey Dapkis, with sound design and mixing by Mumble Media.
The story is written by Gina Godzill, back checking by
Sharon Lucas. Our intern was Arianna Griffiths. Our executive producers
(18:14):
were Joy Smith and Jess Wolf. Original theme music was
composed and performed by Elektra Barjockey. A special thanks to
ya El Aberbush West and the whole Rebel Girls team
who made this podcast possible. Until next time, Stay Rebel.
(18:38):
When we come back, I chat with Kira about my background.
This is good Night Stories.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
For Rebel Girls, Hi Rebels. This is good Night's George
for Rebel Girls. The interview.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I'm your host, Kira, and today we're here talking to
Emily Tish Sessman. She's a professional podcast host and Gotham
FC women's soccer team co owner.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Thanks for bringing here, Emily. Can you please introduce yourself.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Hi, my name is Emily Tisch Sessman. I'm a co
owner of Gotham FC women's soccer team. I'm a podcast
host of a show called She Pivots, and I'm a
mom with three little kids.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
So, in the past, you describe yourself as a sports enthusiast.
What's your favorite sport to watch your play?
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Well, I'm actually not great at playing sports myself, So
when I say I'm a sports enthusiast, it's because I
really just like to watch them. I can pretty much
get into anything overall. My favorite sports I like to
watch women's soccer and NFL. Those are my two favorites.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Nice, I'm actually a soccer player myself. What made you
want to get involved with women's soccer in the first place.
Was wanting to inspire daughters part of your motivation?
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Well, there's so much any reasons, but it's my daughter's
who I want to be inspired. But it's also my son.
My son cares and matters equally as much as my daughters,
as seeing these incredible athletes that are young women, that
are good people, that are strong, that are confident. The
first time I was ever around the team, I was
really just struck by how physically strong they are and
(20:20):
how not apologetic they are for their physical strength. They
have worked hard for this and they earned it and
they know it. That inspires me. I hope it inspires
my daughter, but I also hope it inspires my son.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
The Gotham players are amazing.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
How could anyone watching not be inspired?
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Do you have any stories to highlight the love the
Gotham soccer team has for each other.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Two seasons ago, our team was dead last in the
whole league, the last team in the league. And then
last year our team was doing okay, we were sort
of in the middle, we were ranked six, and then
our team captain Ali Krieger went through something incredibly personally
difficult and the team totally rallied around her, and the
team just built momentum from that, and they all kept saying,
(21:04):
we're doing it for Ali, We're doing it for Ali.
And Allie had already announced her retirement, so she knew
that whatever her last game was going to be her
last game ever. And even though we were ranked six,
they made it to the semi finals, one made it
to the playoffs, one made it to the championship and.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
One that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Speaking of the team, you brought us the story of
soccer player and Gotham FC general manager ya Elle everbuch West.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Elle was an extremely talented and committed player, scoring the
fastest goal ever, scored an NC doublea women's soccer and
playing on the US national women's team for seven years.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
What does her story mean to you?
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Even before knowing exactly how hard ya Elle had worked
to get to every stage of being an incredible soccer player,
I could just feel her passion like I could just
tell there was so much behind it. She has such
a steady hand, She cares so much about the players,
so much about the game. It really is inspiring to
be around Y'aelle. So I was really excited to be
(22:07):
able to bring her story to Rebel Girls and work
with you guys to get dig a little deeper and
find out has she always been this way? And the
answer is yes, she always has been. But her four
second goal that I did not know that is incredible.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Incredible and record breaking.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Women athletes often have a harder time getting sponsorships or
brand deals.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
How does owning a.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Women's team differ from owning a men's sports team?
Speaker 1 (22:32):
So, in particular, owning a women's team means that there's
a lot of opportunity and a lot of space. Unfortunately,
none of the leagues have been treated with the respect
and the sponsorships that they have. But it means that
I can take my life mission, my life work of
uplifting women and bring them into new spaces and bring
them into a sports space now for the first time.
(22:55):
Even on my podcast, I spend my time telling stories
of women who have overcome big things and done big things,
and it's incredible to get to apply that same energy
to younger women who are forging their way but also
breaking barriers because the sport has just not hit the
potential yet, but we know that it can and we're
working on it.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Oh yeah, that's a perfect segue. Can you tell us
more about your podcast, she Pivots and the work you
do to elevate female voices.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
I host a podcast that I created called she Pivots,
where I interview women who have changed their lives in
a very drastic way. The way that I started the
show is because it happened to me. I spent about
fifteen years as a federal political strategist, and then I
had three kids in three years, and it turns out
those two things are not very conducive. So I was
(23:44):
worried that my identity was gone. I needed to hear
stories of people who had done something maybe similar, but
something even harder to be able to know that I
was going to be okay.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Your show is all about making necessary changes and starting fresh.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
What something girls can do to figure out who they
want to be.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
The best thing that girls can do to be able
to figure out who they are in the world is
to be themselves. Be yourself and try it in a
couple of new spaces, and then you figure out what
feels good and what feels right. Try out for a
sports team, try out for the theater, try out working
in the place in town that you've always wanted to try.
Just try things and bring your whole self to it. Like,
(24:24):
don't hold yourself back because you're worried that you might
not fit in. Quite frankly, you won't fit in everywhere.
But the only way that you're going to feel good
about it is if you've tried, and then you might
surprise yourself.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
I love that trying new things led me to hosting
this interview. If you could go back in time, do
you have any advice for your ten year old self.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
I think the advice that I would give my ten
year old self is that what makes you feel unusual
right now will make you feel unusual in a great
way when you get older. It just takes a little
while to figure it out.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
And I've got so many of the greatest rebbles history
fell unusual at one point or another. On that note, Emily,
what makes you a rebel girl?
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Well, I'm a mom with purple hair, so I think
I started there. I think I started at a pretty
high bar of being a rebel girl. What makes me
a rebel girl, I think is that I embrace what
really brings me joy, and I embrace what really drives me,
and I don't get too bogged down what other people
think about it. And actually that's been able to give
(25:27):
me a ton of joy.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Purple hair and embracing joy. Write that down, rebels. Thanks
for sharing your story.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
With us, Emily, thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
And thank you for listening.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Catch you next time, and stay rebel This podcast is
a production of Rebel Girls. It's based on the book
series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
This episode was produced and directed by Hailey Dapkis, with.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Sound design and mixing by John Marshall Media. It was
hosted by me Kira Joyce Smith was our executive producer.
Original theme music was composed and performed by Aleccha bar Jockey.
A special thanks to Emily Tish Sussman and the whole
Rebel Girls team who made this podcast possible. Until next time,
Stay rebel.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Thank you so much for listening to this special she
Pivots episode featuring good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. Be
sure to visit their feed and subscribe. You can also
follow them on Instagram at Rebel Girls Talk to you
next week. Thanks for listening to this episode of she Pivots.
I hope you enjoyed it and if you did, leave
(26:55):
us a rating and tell your friends about us. To
learn more about our guests, follow us on Instagram at
she Pivots the Podcast, or sign up for our newsletter
where you can get exclusive behind the scenes content on
our website at she pivots thepodcast dot com. Special thanks
to the she Pivots team executive producer Emily eda Velosik,
(27:17):
Associate producer and social media connoisseur Hannah Cousins, Research director
Christine Dickinson, Events and Logistics coordinator Madeline Sonovak, and audio
editor and mixer Nina pollock I endorse she Pivots
Welcome back to She Pivots, the podcast where we talk
with women who dare to pivot out of one career
and into something new and explore how their personal lives
impacts these decisions. I'm your host, Emily Tish Sussman. Today
We've got something extra special for you. We're dropping not one,
(00:33):
but two incredible episodes from good Night Stories for Rebel
Girls right here in our feed. One from the one
and only yah el Aberbush West, the general manager of
Gotham FC and former US national team soccer player, where
I got to narrate her incredible story. Then you'll hear
my conversation with Kira about me and my background. If
(00:56):
you love the stories we share about women making bold
moves and rewriting the rules, then you are going to
love what Rebel Girls is all about. So if you
haven't heard of them, let me introduce you. Rebel Girls
is on a mission to raise the most confident, inspired
generation of girls. They create books, video content, events, apps,
(01:17):
and of course a podcast. All are designed to equip
girls with the knowledge and tools they need to thrive
and inspire them to dream bigger. With the community of
thirty eight million self identified rebel girls in over one
hundred and fifteen countries. They're making a huge impact, and
now they're taking that mission to the world of sports.
(01:40):
Enter Rebel Girls Sport, their newest vertical that's all about
celebrating women athletes and building a space where girls can
see themselves in sports, build confidence and become lifelong fans.
Because let's be real, the world of sports hasn't always
made space for women the way it should. In fact,
(02:00):
are two times more likely than boys to drop out
of sport by the age of fourteen. I love what
Rebel Girls is doing, and Gotham FC has created our
own initiative to address this exact issue. We created Keep
Her in the Game, which offers curated resources and programs
to empower youth players on and off the field. And
that brings us to today's special episodes. First, you'll hear
(02:23):
an amazing episode featuring the incredible story of Yael. The
episode is narrated by Yours Truly and is one of resilience,
leadership and paving the way for the next generation of
women's soccer. Then I sit down with Kira, a Rebel Girl,
for a get to know episode where I share a
bit about my own pivot story, what sports means to me,
(02:45):
and why I'm so passionate about lifting up women's voices.
If you love what you hear today, make sure to
check out good Night's Stories for Rebel Girls for more
inspiring episodes featuring fearless women breaking barriers in sports, business, science,
and beyond. You can find them wherever you get your podcasts,
including a video version on Rebel Girls YouTube channel. All right,
(03:08):
let's get into it. It was game day, and yeah
Elle Aberbush was wrestling with the usual nervous energy before
a match, a midfielder for the University of North Carolina
(03:31):
tar Heels women's soccer team. Yeah, Elle knew the game
inside and out. She tried to push the self doubt
out of her mind. Yeah, you've got this, You've got this.
The tar Heels were playing their fifth game of the season.
The winning team would inch a little closer to the
Women's College Cup, a prestigious title in college sports. Yeah.
(03:57):
Elle squinted in the sunshine, the ball waiting patiently at
the midfield stripe. Then she took a few quick steps
and damn, a powerful kick. The ball soared through the air.
One second two seconds it floated over the heads of
(04:19):
the astonished defenders three seconds and then over the outstretched
hands of the goalie and into the net four seconds goal.
And just like that, in four seconds, Yea l Aberbush
had set a record for the fastest goal ever scored
(04:42):
and the NCAA Women's Soccer cheers from her teammates and
the crowd rose through the air, beaming in triumph. Yeah,
Elle knew she wanted to keep setting records and scoring goals.
She wanted to be the best soccer player in the world.
(05:12):
I'm Emily Tish Sussman, co owner of the soccer team
Gotham FC and host of the she Pivots podcast. And
this is good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, a fairytale
podcast about the real life rebel women who inspire us.
On this episode, yah Elle Aberbush, West, professional soccer player,
(05:34):
Gotham general manager and leader in women's sports competition was
always a part of yah Elle Aberbush's life. She put
her full attention on everything she did, even if it
was just coloring at school with her friends. Growing up
(05:57):
twenty miles from New York City in montgree in New Jersey,
she and her little sister, Shierra watched their parents train
for their next big run, and listened to their dad's
stories about being an Olympic marathon qualifier. Yeah Elle was
a serious kid, so when a friend introduced her to
soccer when she was seven, she naturally became very serious
(06:19):
about that too. But soccer, with all its running and strategy,
was also really fun. She joined the soccer team in
her town and soon it was all she could think about.
Once the referee blew the whistle. She was often running,
dribbling the ball down the fields, dodging opponents from all sides,
(06:42):
eyeing the goal, and kicking the ball so powerfully that
it sent ripples through the net. Even from her earliest games,
yeah Elle caught people's attention with her skill. She liked
being on a team and helping the group win. But
for Yaelle, training as a team sport, she liked to
practice on her own, away from the group, whether on
(07:06):
a field or in the streets. Being alone meant that
she could focus solely on improving her technique. She was
a lone wolf, and she liked it that way. After
two years of learning the game, yeah Elle knew what
she wanted to be when she grew up. She wanted
to play for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels,
(07:29):
known as UNC. This was the best college soccer team
in the country. Being on that team would be her
ticket to her ultimate goal, playing professional soccer for the
US women's national team. By the time she was eleven,
(07:50):
yeah Elle was the only girl on an all boys team.
The group was fast and a little rough, but yeah
Elle didn't back down. The struggle made her even more
serious and focused. I need to keep doing things that
feel really challenging, yah Elle thought to herself. That's how
I'm going to be the best. She spent her summer
(08:13):
vacations at soccer camp, training from dawn till dusk. Then
when it was quiet, she'd write down everything she'd learned
that day, every play, every strategy. It all went into
her journal. When she got back home, she'd pull out
her notes and practice what she'd learned at camp. One day,
(08:36):
she thought to herself, all this practice is going to
pay off. I just have to work a little harder. Finally,
after nearly ten years of playing on traveling in national teams,
(08:57):
and training on her own, eighteen year old yeah Elle
got the biggest news of her life. The UNC Tar
heels wanted her. She made the team, she would be
number seventeen, playing midfield. She had accomplished the first of
her two biggest goals, but when yeah Elle got to
(09:21):
UNC and started training, she was in for a shock.
She was good, but her new team was even faster
than she expected. For the first time, she couldn't always
keep up and something was happening. Yeah Elle was used
to training alone, away from the group. Now she was
(09:43):
training with the team. One day, her younger teammate, Casey,
asked her if they could train together on free kicks.
Yeah Elle shrugged and agreed, even though she'd much rather
practice free kicks on her own. She and Casey he
started meeting every week, kicking the ball over and over
(10:04):
trying to hit a two inch red flag hanging from
the corner of the net. Hitting that tiny flag was
not easy. They agreed that whoever hit it during practice
would automatically win. Little by little, yea Elle started to
look forward to free kicks with Casey. It was fun
to hang out and train before the rest of the
(10:26):
team showed up, and it felt good to encourage Casey
and give her pointers. With ya Elle's help, Casey got
better and better at hitting that red flag. Weeks passed
and finally it was game day again. This time the
(10:47):
UNC Tar Heels were playing the Notre Dame, fighting Irish.
As the minutes clicked by, the game seemed to be
slipping away from yeah Ell and her team meets. It
was Tar Heels zero eating Irish one. Then Casey got
a free kick. All their free kick sessions raced through
(11:08):
ya Elle's mind. Casey knew this kick like the back
of her hand, but could she make it? Casey eyed
the ball, then a powerful kick and swush into the
back corner of the net, exactly where the red flag hung.
(11:28):
Pure joy a rough inside of ya Elle. She'd never
known this kind of camaraderie. She screamed at the top
of her lungs and took off running, happy, tears blurring
her vision as she jumped a join the pile of
her teammates. That goal was the push they needed. The
(11:48):
Tar Heels went home victorious that day, winning two to one.
As a hardworking United team. Casey even snags the red
flag for Yea to keep as a reminder of their
perfect goal. Now for a quick break. During yeah Elle's
(12:15):
four years at UNC, the Tar heels, racked up awards
and won two national championships, and she set personal records too.
Like the four second goal. Yeah Lle was known for
her solid, consistent play and set another record as a
starting player in one hundred and five consecutive games. She
(12:36):
even got to play with the US women's national team
at a big tournament in China. With all this success,
yeah Elle was on her way to achieving her second
life goal, playing for the US women's national team full time.
After college, yeah Elle was drafted to her first professional
(13:00):
women's soccer team, Skyblue FC, based in New Jersey. Returning
to her home state, she felt like she'd come full circle,
but not for long. Yeahelle played with sky Blue for
a few seasons, and then in twenty ten, her second
major dream became a reality. Yeah Elle was drafted as
(13:23):
a permanent member of the US women's national team. Everything
she'd worked for had finally paid off. As much as
she wanted to enjoy it, there was something that continued
(13:43):
to nag at yah Elle. Sure she was competing with
the best soccer teams across the US and the world,
but she knew she wasn't yet the best player on earth.
She was too ambitious to be satisfied, kept pushing herself
to do more. The stress of the game and her
(14:05):
own high expectations were fraying her nerves. Yeah Elle's body
started responding to the stress in negative ways. She developed
ulcerative colitis, a painful illness that made her stomach very
uncomfortable and unpredictable. She had to go to the bathroom frequently,
sometimes in the middle of games, and often felt too
(14:28):
sick to play. Still, she kept pushing herself harder and faster.
She signed on to play with a new team in Seattle,
but the pain of her illness was too much to bear.
After just one game with the team, yeah Elle knew
she had reached her breaking point. She would have kept
(14:49):
fighting forever, working to be the best, no matter the pain,
but her body did what her mind would not let
her do. She had no choice but to stop, whether
she wanted to or not. It was time to walk
off the field as a player and take care of
her health. So yeah Elle had to embrace a new challenge,
(15:20):
listening to her body and learning how to manage stress.
She got the care that she needed for her ulcerative colitis,
even getting major surgery to remove her large intestine. It
was a difficult road, but she finally felt well again. Still,
she couldn't leave soccer behind entirely. Yeah, Elle found new
(15:44):
ways to lead and put her independent spirit to work,
creating her own business and a training app called technev Football.
Knowing the struggles of athletes, she also started the National
Women's Soccer Lead Players Association to protect players and ensure
they're treated fairly. Then, her incredible career as a player,
(16:09):
business owner and mentor to other players made her the
perfect candidate for another job, general manager for the New York,
New Jersey soccer team Gotham FC formerly known as Sky BLUEFC.
After a life on the road, Yaelle came back to
(16:32):
lead her home team as the general manager. She works
closely with the coaches and the team, strategizing and guiding,
motivating and supporting, and other parts of her life blossomed
around soccer too. She married a fellow player and together
they're raising two children. Though she's no longer on the
(17:00):
field herself, yet Elle will always be a player in
her heart and in her soccer journals. Her whole life,
yet Elle had been documenting her training, her thoughts, and
her dreams Through it all, one lesson stands out. The
training she did on her own made her a better player,
(17:24):
but the most fulfilling moments were sharing the joy of
soccer with others on the field and off, and that
is the greatest victory of all. This podcast is a
(17:49):
production of Rebel Girls. It's based on the book series
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. The episode was narrated
by me Emily ties Sussman. It was produced and directed
by Hailey Dapkis, with sound design and mixing by Mumble Media.
The story is written by Gina Godzill, back checking by
Sharon Lucas. Our intern was Arianna Griffiths. Our executive producers
(18:14):
were Joy Smith and Jess Wolf. Original theme music was
composed and performed by Elektra Barjockey. A special thanks to
ya El Aberbush West and the whole Rebel Girls team
who made this podcast possible. Until next time, Stay Rebel.
(18:38):
When we come back, I chat with Kira about my background.
This is good Night Stories.
Speaker 2 (18:48):
For Rebel Girls, Hi Rebels. This is good Night's George
for Rebel Girls. The interview.
Speaker 3 (18:56):
I'm your host, Kira, and today we're here talking to
Emily Tish Sessman. She's a professional podcast host and Gotham
FC women's soccer team co owner.
Speaker 2 (19:11):
Thanks for bringing here, Emily. Can you please introduce yourself.
Speaker 1 (19:15):
Hi, my name is Emily Tisch Sessman. I'm a co
owner of Gotham FC women's soccer team. I'm a podcast
host of a show called She Pivots, and I'm a
mom with three little kids.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
Awesome.
Speaker 3 (19:27):
So, in the past, you describe yourself as a sports enthusiast.
What's your favorite sport to watch your play?
Speaker 1 (19:33):
Well, I'm actually not great at playing sports myself, So
when I say I'm a sports enthusiast, it's because I
really just like to watch them. I can pretty much
get into anything overall. My favorite sports I like to
watch women's soccer and NFL. Those are my two favorites.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Nice, I'm actually a soccer player myself. What made you
want to get involved with women's soccer in the first place.
Was wanting to inspire daughters part of your motivation?
Speaker 1 (19:59):
Well, there's so much any reasons, but it's my daughter's
who I want to be inspired. But it's also my son.
My son cares and matters equally as much as my daughters,
as seeing these incredible athletes that are young women, that
are good people, that are strong, that are confident. The
first time I was ever around the team, I was
really just struck by how physically strong they are and
(20:20):
how not apologetic they are for their physical strength. They
have worked hard for this and they earned it and
they know it. That inspires me. I hope it inspires
my daughter, but I also hope it inspires my son.
Speaker 3 (20:33):
The Gotham players are amazing.
Speaker 2 (20:35):
How could anyone watching not be inspired?
Speaker 3 (20:38):
Do you have any stories to highlight the love the
Gotham soccer team has for each other.
Speaker 1 (20:43):
Two seasons ago, our team was dead last in the
whole league, the last team in the league. And then
last year our team was doing okay, we were sort
of in the middle, we were ranked six, and then
our team captain Ali Krieger went through something incredibly personally
difficult and the team totally rallied around her, and the
team just built momentum from that, and they all kept saying,
(21:04):
we're doing it for Ali, We're doing it for Ali.
And Allie had already announced her retirement, so she knew
that whatever her last game was going to be her
last game ever. And even though we were ranked six,
they made it to the semi finals, one made it
to the playoffs, one made it to the championship and.
Speaker 2 (21:21):
One that's amazing.
Speaker 3 (21:23):
Speaking of the team, you brought us the story of
soccer player and Gotham FC general manager ya Elle everbuch West.
Speaker 2 (21:32):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:32):
Elle was an extremely talented and committed player, scoring the
fastest goal ever, scored an NC doublea women's soccer and
playing on the US national women's team for seven years.
Speaker 2 (21:42):
What does her story mean to you?
Speaker 1 (21:45):
Even before knowing exactly how hard ya Elle had worked
to get to every stage of being an incredible soccer player,
I could just feel her passion like I could just
tell there was so much behind it. She has such
a steady hand, She cares so much about the players,
so much about the game. It really is inspiring to
be around Y'aelle. So I was really excited to be
(22:07):
able to bring her story to Rebel Girls and work
with you guys to get dig a little deeper and
find out has she always been this way? And the
answer is yes, she always has been. But her four
second goal that I did not know that is incredible.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Incredible and record breaking.
Speaker 3 (22:23):
Women athletes often have a harder time getting sponsorships or
brand deals.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
How does owning a.
Speaker 3 (22:29):
Women's team differ from owning a men's sports team?
Speaker 1 (22:32):
So, in particular, owning a women's team means that there's
a lot of opportunity and a lot of space. Unfortunately,
none of the leagues have been treated with the respect
and the sponsorships that they have. But it means that
I can take my life mission, my life work of
uplifting women and bring them into new spaces and bring
them into a sports space now for the first time.
(22:55):
Even on my podcast, I spend my time telling stories
of women who have overcome big things and done big things,
and it's incredible to get to apply that same energy
to younger women who are forging their way but also
breaking barriers because the sport has just not hit the
potential yet, but we know that it can and we're
working on it.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Oh yeah, that's a perfect segue. Can you tell us
more about your podcast, she Pivots and the work you
do to elevate female voices.
Speaker 1 (23:23):
I host a podcast that I created called she Pivots,
where I interview women who have changed their lives in
a very drastic way. The way that I started the
show is because it happened to me. I spent about
fifteen years as a federal political strategist, and then I
had three kids in three years, and it turns out
those two things are not very conducive. So I was
(23:44):
worried that my identity was gone. I needed to hear
stories of people who had done something maybe similar, but
something even harder to be able to know that I
was going to be okay.
Speaker 3 (23:54):
Your show is all about making necessary changes and starting fresh.
Speaker 2 (23:58):
What something girls can do to figure out who they
want to be.
Speaker 1 (24:02):
The best thing that girls can do to be able
to figure out who they are in the world is
to be themselves. Be yourself and try it in a
couple of new spaces, and then you figure out what
feels good and what feels right. Try out for a
sports team, try out for the theater, try out working
in the place in town that you've always wanted to try.
Just try things and bring your whole self to it. Like,
(24:24):
don't hold yourself back because you're worried that you might
not fit in. Quite frankly, you won't fit in everywhere.
But the only way that you're going to feel good
about it is if you've tried, and then you might
surprise yourself.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
I love that trying new things led me to hosting
this interview. If you could go back in time, do
you have any advice for your ten year old self.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
I think the advice that I would give my ten
year old self is that what makes you feel unusual
right now will make you feel unusual in a great
way when you get older. It just takes a little
while to figure it out.
Speaker 2 (24:56):
That's right.
Speaker 3 (24:57):
And I've got so many of the greatest rebbles history
fell unusual at one point or another. On that note, Emily,
what makes you a rebel girl?
Speaker 1 (25:06):
Well, I'm a mom with purple hair, so I think
I started there. I think I started at a pretty
high bar of being a rebel girl. What makes me
a rebel girl, I think is that I embrace what
really brings me joy, and I embrace what really drives me,
and I don't get too bogged down what other people
think about it. And actually that's been able to give
(25:27):
me a ton of joy.
Speaker 2 (25:28):
Purple hair and embracing joy. Write that down, rebels. Thanks
for sharing your story.
Speaker 1 (25:33):
With us, Emily, thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:38):
And thank you for listening.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
Catch you next time, and stay rebel This podcast is
a production of Rebel Girls. It's based on the book
series Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls.
Speaker 2 (26:00):
This episode was produced and directed by Hailey Dapkis, with.
Speaker 3 (26:04):
Sound design and mixing by John Marshall Media. It was
hosted by me Kira Joyce Smith was our executive producer.
Original theme music was composed and performed by Aleccha bar Jockey.
A special thanks to Emily Tish Sussman and the whole
Rebel Girls team who made this podcast possible. Until next time,
Stay rebel.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
Thank you so much for listening to this special she
Pivots episode featuring good Night Stories for Rebel Girls. Be
sure to visit their feed and subscribe. You can also
follow them on Instagram at Rebel Girls Talk to you
next week. Thanks for listening to this episode of she Pivots.
I hope you enjoyed it and if you did, leave
(26:55):
us a rating and tell your friends about us. To
learn more about our guests, follow us on Instagram at
she Pivots the Podcast, or sign up for our newsletter
where you can get exclusive behind the scenes content on
our website at she pivots thepodcast dot com. Special thanks
to the she Pivots team executive producer Emily eda Velosik,
(27:17):
Associate producer and social media connoisseur Hannah Cousins, Research director
Christine Dickinson, Events and Logistics coordinator Madeline Sonovak, and audio
editor and mixer Nina pollock I endorse she Pivots
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