Hey Everyone, or Hej as they say in Sweden. Summer is in session! Jordyn is sun burnt back in the gym already and Sam scored her first goal as a professional! School may be out but soccer never sleeps! The highlight, of Episode 8 is an incredible interview with Ella Masar, assistant coach of the Chicago Red Stars. Ella shares her incredible journey from being a low-profile recruit in Urbana, Illinois to an acclaimed professional soccer player. She discusses the ups and downs of her career, from struggling in college to triumphs in the WPS and NWSL, as well as her experiences playing in Europe. The conversation covers extensive ground on the challenges and rewards of an international soccer career, the impact of women's football in different countries, and the importance of hard work and perseverance. Masar also reflects on her transition to coaching and the remarkable growth of the NWSL, aiming to inspire young female athletes worldwide.
Please subscribe to the BIG LIFE wherever you love to listen.
Subscribe to Girls Soccer Network's GSN Newsletter to stay posted about upcoming episodes.
Find Jordyn and Sam on their Insta's @sam.cary @jordyn_wickes
Follow us on Instagram (@girlssoccernetwork)
Follow us on Twitter @girlssoccernet
Subscribe to our YouTube channel @girlssoccernetwork6137
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:04):
Hi, everyone, and welcome back. We are here with The Big Life.
I'm going to stop doing an episode count.
I have no idea at this point, but it is summertime.
The sun is out in both Michigan and in Sweden. We're doing well. Jordan, how are you?
I'm good. Sun is definitely out. We took a little trip, me and my roommates,
down to Holland, Michigan, and I got burnt. I am toasty.
(00:27):
I was I was going to say, I'm not going to lie. I don't want to call you out,
but you're looking a little red on the screen.
Yeah, a little tomato-y. And then I had to go to Lyft today,
and I've never been more humbled.
Like the 45-pound bar on my chest, I was like, I can't do it.
Like tears were nearly down there. I was like, I just spurned.
Spurned like a tomato. Not doing well there.
(00:48):
Are there a lot of girls on your team back in Michigan already starting to do
training together? Or how many do you have back right now?
We don't really have anyone. one i'm pretty much the
only one here back full time on our team people will come and go occasionally
but our report date isn't until i don't even know like a couple days after fourth
of july whatever that start of the week is and then everyone will be back for
(01:09):
team trainings awesome and that's a bit different than last year right so how's
the team adjusting to that or am i wrong,
no it's about the same yeah after fourth of july come back up i'm just crazy
you know don't don't Acknowledge me.
We didn't have any cool international trips like Iowa did this year. That's crazy.
I was like, guys, where's the stop in Sweden? You're going to go to Iceland.
(01:30):
You don't want to just come all the way to Europe? We just had to stop there.
Apparently, they didn't want to hang out with me, but I guess that's fair. Fair enough.
There's been some pretty cool stuff happening in Sweden. I heard one Miss Sam
Carey may or may not have scored a goal.
I know the shock in your voice was the shock in mine too when it happened.
I had to take out a page of Jordan Winkes' book and become dominant in my aerial game.
(01:54):
Apparently, it's taken me long enough to start being able to do it.
No, it was really cool. Honestly, I think the moment that we had as a group
and with the group will go down
as one of my favorite moments of my soccer career at the end of the day.
So a little bit of backstory on the game. This is like this game has been talked
(02:14):
about as soon as I came to Sweden. It was the Norshipping-Lindshipping game.
So Lindshipping is a town 30 minutes from Norshipping.
So we live in the same region.
So basically the same state. So like this derby means everything.
And because this is Norshipping's second year in the Damalsvanskin,
this will be the third time they've played each other in the Damalsvanskin.
(02:36):
And last year they lost and tied. So they've never beaten this team.
And this team got third place in the league last year so
they're a very good team with a bunch of very talented players and
so yeah I really didn't know what I was getting myself into
except that as a derby game I think there was over 5,000 like 5,500 fans that
filled the stadium for the game so most biggest crowd that I had ever played
(02:59):
in front of and European football crowd man it's crazy like they're screaming
the whole game they're chanting the whole game the crowd was absolutely electric
to be able to play in front of.
So to do that. And then, yeah, I found myself.
The cool thing about the group is we have a lot of very good people in the air
and they've chosen me as one of them, which is pretty cool because that's just
a place I've never really been.
(03:19):
And in my career, I've always been the one taking the set pieces, frankly.
So we have the three heavy hitters in the air. And so most people,
you know, man, mark them and forget about the American on the back post.
And I came close to scoring in the first half and I was like,
I, this defender is not marking me well, like I can do something here.
And one of my best friends here takes the corner kicks. And I went up to her
halftime and I was like, hit me on the back post. Like I can get this in.
(03:43):
And sure enough, in the 49th minute, so right after half, she sends a perfect
ball. And I got over on top of my defender and put one in the back of the net.
And I think just like that moment celebrating, it was the first goal that North
shipping had ever scored on Lynn shipping.
We ended up winning the game, won nothing in the Derby game.
It was such a moment to see
how much women's football can mean to this town and the
(04:05):
impact of women's football so i mean i
won't lie it's going into international break so we
had you know basically a weekend off of games we didn't play for another two
weeks so the team afterwards like we're celebrating this like this is big and
we went you know downtown to go get restaurant go to a restaurant and you know
kind of get a couple drinks whatever and you would walk downtown and And people
(04:27):
were stopping me and I wasn't wearing anything nor shipping.
There's no way of like identifying myself besides probably hearing my voice.
And they're like, oh my God, you're the American. Oh my God.
Like the Derby queen is here. And I was like, what?
And like that became my nickname, the Derby queen.
We get to the bar, there's people out wearing our jerseys.
(04:47):
I've never seen a random stranger in a Sam Carey jersey until that moment.
And you're at the bar and everyone's coming up to our table and,
you know, buying us drinks and celebrating and clapping and giving us hugs.
And just, it was a truly moment. Like I felt, frankly, I felt like a celebrity.
I felt, you know, like how we treat male athletes in the U.S.
(05:08):
I've never gotten that feeling before.
And to just see how much this meant. and like I was walking around town.
I still will walk around town and I have people stop me. Oh my God,
you're the one that scored against Lynn Shipping. You're the American.
My name was trending on Twitter in North Shipping.
So like just little things, like it was just such a surreal moment to see what
women's football can be.
(05:30):
And for me, you know, basically leaving Sweden and I'll talk about it in this
week's episode and taking the leap of faith and frankly betting on myself and
taking that chance on myself.
It was a moment where I was like, holy shit, this paid off. and this is worth
it. And yeah, it's definitely the pinnacle of my soccer career.
Oh, my God. That is so incredible. And I love hearing that because a lot of
(05:52):
times there's kind of a misconception and there's levels to pro soccer, right?
Like anything else. But when you come from a Big Ten, a well-funded program
in school and things like that, sometimes it can feel like a step down going to the pro level.
But to see like everyone wearing your jersey
and going out and knowing you by your name like you don't get that in
college soccer like that's that's an upgrade like that
(06:13):
is amazing and that's what pro life and being a pro
athlete should feel like and should look like and thanks for
representing us americans well over there in sweden i've had a couple people
tell me i broke the american stereotype for them so i'm happy to do that and
yeah it's crazy even like the knowledge of women's football that they have in
sweden even at a certain point i was they had a men's game a couple of days
(06:35):
later and I was walking to go to the men's game.
And I mean, I live five feet away from the arena. Like I see it from my patio.
And I think by the time I left my apartment to the time I got to my seat,
I had over seven people stop me and just, oh my God, you're Sam Carrier.
What a big win on Saturday or all this stuff.
And one guy stopped me and he's like, I am so happy I finally get to meet you.
(06:56):
I was like, oh, like, thank you.
Like, and he's like, no, I've been wanting to like tell you,
you remind me so much of an American footballer that I used to watch.
And he's like, do you know American football history?
And I was like, yeah. And he's like, you remind me of Michelle Akers.
And that's someone that I looked up to for ages, captain, throughout the early
(07:17):
days of the US Women's National Team.
And he's like, just the heart and the soul that you put on the field.
We can all see how much you care and all the energy you bring.
And we love you in this town.
But why does a random Swedish man know no history of the U S women's national
team, probably more than I would even say some people listen to this podcast.
Don't know who Michelle Aker is.
And so to be able to like, see how much these people and like Swedes and Europeans
(07:41):
are invested in the women's game. It was just a really eyeopening experience for me.
Yeah. Yeah. That is, I'm so proud. Congratulations. Like that's so incredible.
How was the husband? I can imagine.
That was like part of the joke was like, okay, we like needed to have a camera
on Sam when she scored, but we also needed to have the camera on Trey.
I think Trey was going a little crazy. They have all like our family and like
(08:04):
a sweet box in the sweet style box in the stadium when we play.
And he apparently was going quite nuts up there. So it was, it was definitely a proud husband moment.
Oh, so cute. What an amazing, amazing time over in Sweden. I'm a little jealous
here. Like it's summertime.
I'm here just in Michigan hanging out like no games, nothing really happening.
(08:25):
And here you are living up the big life. What can we say? It's the big life.
And speaking of, we have an absolutely incredible guest that I'm honestly beyond
honored to have had on this podcast.
Jordan, unfortunately, wasn't able to join us for the interview,
but this interview with Ella Masser is truly one of my favorites that we've done on this podcast.
(08:45):
The way that she talks so openly about her journey, both in the highs and the
lows, and the way that her journey from the Big Ten has taken her to the now
assistant coach of the Chicago Red Stars,
I think it's one that every footballer and every story can get something out of.
She's had so many different experiences as a player in college, as a pro, as a coach.
(09:07):
And I think there's a lot to relate to.
And I think the best thing we talk about is we talk about European versus playing
overseas as a professional.
We talk about the experiences and the change of women's sports,
seeing the NWSL from the very beginning to where it's at now.
And we talked about the highs and lows and that brought with some of the issues
that have happened in the NWSL over the last couple of years.
(09:28):
And so truly an amazing guest.
Ella, we are so, so thankful for having you on and spending an hour of your
time with me. I was trying not to fangirl while talking to you.
So without further ado, everyone, Ella Masser.
All right, Sakarisas, and we are here with the one and only Ella Masser,
assistant coach of the Chicago Red Stars, and honestly, such a remarkable story
(09:49):
that I loved getting to look into this week.
Originated in Urbana, Illinois, from the Big Ten, University of Illinois.
Ella, thank you so much for coming on with us today.
Anytime, Sam. I'm happy to be here. Awesome. Well, let's get right into it.
First of all, I'm happy to meet you again. We had
a brief interaction we were just joking off about off air
(10:10):
so it's nice to actually get to know more of your story
and how you got to be everywhere where you are today so i mentioned yeah i don't
know we've we've actually met twice oh and the first one actually it was at
the convention as well but i was with rade and mother walk yes and that was
i think it was the day before,
(10:31):
or the morning of and i was like rade i'm like is that sam and he's like yeah
and you know you have this structure.
And I was like, oh, she's going to go draft. So I immediately went back into
our draft room in Chicago.
I was like, guys, I just walked by Sam Carey. Her mom was great.
Very kind human beings. Let's look into it again.
And then unfortunately, I mean, good for Louisville. Bev got you.
(10:51):
But I know we had a brief interaction. Just stay patient. But,
I think our paths will cross again, maybe one day, even if it's me coming to
Sweden. But it was, you have the Iowa, you know, the central,
the Bourne, the Midwest.
Absolutely. I had to talk to you for that. Thank you. And no,
we were just talking and we'll get more into it in the air.
But your journey took you through Sweden. So we exchanged a bit of our Swedish,
(11:15):
yours being a bit more further along than myself.
But no, I'm so, so excited to talk to you about your journey and especially
how it took you everywhere across the world. You start native of Urbana, Illinois.
You decide to go to the University of Illinois and play in the Big Ten.
Can you talk a bit about what that decision was for you?
Yeah, and I think it's actually quite important because I actually have a niece
(11:35):
here in Chicago that is growing up in the Clips, the big-time powerhouses,
and we kind of like go back and forth in my story because, you know,
being from the cornfields, you don't actually get that much access unless you're
going to be willing to drive up.
And, you know, my parents didn't, or we didn't come from a lot.
So I had Champaign-Urbana and I had Little Atlanta Soccer Club and we didn't travel.
(11:57):
Like my niece is U15 Eclipse and she's been to Florida like six times and they're
going out to Seattle for a week. And that's a whole different world that I never experienced.
But I also think it's actually kind of why I had the career that I did because
I played two or three sports.
Knock on wood, it was the reason I didn't have any injuries was because I grew up playing basketball.
I did track and I got to train the different battle movements and I got to really train choose my path.
(12:22):
And when Janet started calling, I'll never forget, she wrote a hand letter.
I don't even know if you guys still do that or if it's allowed.
I have no idea the state age, but she wrote a hand letter and she's like, listen, I can't.
And then I went and met her and she's like, listen, I can't give any money,
but I promise if you come to the school, like I'm going to give you every opportunity.
And she's like, I can give you a recruited walk on spot.
(12:43):
And again, we didn't come from a lot. So it kind of worked out financially to
do that. And I ended up getting a full ride in my junior year,
but I just knew when I went on campus, I don't know if you had the same thing,
but you go on campus, you're like, oh, this is it.
And that one and the rest was history. So let's talk about about that,
because there's a lot of girls that struggle with the college age of kind of
(13:04):
this process of college soccer.
And, you know, you don't walk in and you're a starter on a full scholarship
your first day, your freshman year.
And if you are, you're an extremely, extremely rare minority.
So you go from walk on to Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
Can you talk a bit about that journey throughout your college years of what that took?
I will tell you that, you know, how you can do you guys start a lot earlier now.
(13:26):
Or you did in college, but you know how you can do like the workouts with the
team like two weeks before.
Yeah. So I'll never forget. I did cones, you know, five, 10, 15, 20, 25.
I did it with our goalkeeper and she beat me.
This was two weeks walking into about, or I'm going to go and,
you know, you go from local being decent. And all of a sudden we had like a
Canadian international.
(13:47):
We had like two or three people from pride clips. You have all these people
that are kind of top of the country back then.
And then you go in and I'm like, okay, I'm so fit. I'm ready to do this.
And then the goalkeeper beats me.
That's where I was coming in. Now I passed the fitness test barely, but it was just a grind.
Like I had all the physical, but I never really honed in on my skills.
So technically I think I could juggle the ball like 10 times,
(14:09):
but I had everything and I loved it. And so these players that came in,
like Gatorade Player of the Year that have been doing this since they were 12,
you know, you could see that it was just like it's their first time away from the family.
They had a little bit more freedom and you could just see the love kind of change.
But I don't even blame them because they've been pushed for so hard.
They've been going to all these different tournaments.
(14:29):
Like we talk about it now, like my niece did track instead of soccer.
And that's like very unheard of. She's like in the youth national team pools.
And I was like, this is great for you because you missed the game.
At 15 years old, I'm telling my niece she misses a game.
So there's different avenues. But for me, it was just I had everything I need athletically.
And then I just needed to kind of hone in and really get into like,
(14:51):
I'm just a footballer or a soccer player.
And Janet guided me in a lot of stubborn mentality and luck,
to be fair. Yeah, that's awesome.
And so the fact that I can speak about Janet and you still know who she is,
is 25 years credit to her career. Well, Janet actually recruited me to the University
of Illinois back in 2016.
(15:13):
And that program is incredibly well-legacy to be. So that's amazing.
So we talk about college soccer being such a foundation for what's the future
for any college athlete, whether they're going into athletics or not.
Looking back on your college career, are there any moments that stick out to
(15:33):
you, either good or bad that you feel like helped shape your future even more?
Wow, you're asking me to go back a lot of years here, Sam. Yeah, um...
And I think my conversations with Janet, that was always because I remember
I came in and even though I knew my place, I kind of had my ego a little bit ahead of me.
But I was also lucky that I was a forward. So I would get my 10,
15 minutes and then the subbing, you get a little bit more time to kind of develop and adapt.
(15:59):
And then I tell the story, but it was it was kind of like in my sophomore year.
I'll never forget. I had to do summer school and I was training,
I think, in Chicago. They had like a W League team. So I'd get up at 6 a.m.
I don't know why I did this looking back, but like my family instilled hard
work and that kind of stuff. And I knew this was kind of like my make it or
break it. Janet had given me a full ride.
(16:20):
So my sophomore year going into my junior year, I get up at six.
I would go do my run and then I'd work at the stadium, which is I don't know
if they had this in Iowa, but I was with like football boys and wrestlers.
And we'd be bolting, but it was like 15 bucks an hour. So we're laughing.
Yeah. And I would do that eight to 12. And then to keep my scholarship in the
summer, I did summer school from like 12 to three. eat. And then at three o'clock,
(16:42):
four times a week, I would make two hour drive up to Chicago to train five to
seven. Then I'd come back home and I'd do it again.
And I did this, what seemed like an eternity, but in reality,
it was probably like eight weeks, maybe 12.
But I did that. And when I was playing, all these girls were coming back from,
it was like Purdue players, Penn State players.
Like it was just kind of a summer W league team. So I got that experience and.
(17:05):
Maybe that hard work. And it just all came in to the right timing.
But I say the story is that it was my junior year. We're playing Penn State there.
You know, we, everybody hates Penn State. It's still not the same. Yeah.
It's classic. And we're playing Penn State at home. And they,
I think they were like eighth in the country and Alyssa Nair,
funny enough, was in the goal, Allie Krieger.
And we were down, I think two zero at halftime. And we came back and I scored
(17:28):
either two goals or three and we won three, two.
And we were probably like 18th, 19th in the country.
And then of course, Paula Wilkin to the Wisconsin now comes up to Janet.
She's like, who's the transfer kid.
And I had been at Illinois for two years before that, you know?
So, and it was the end of my, it was like October.
So it was the ending of the games. And I just had a really good,
(17:49):
and that's what catapulted me into the youth national teams.
After that, I got called in your 23s and then my one famous cap.
And I say famous because it's only one cap for the U S so it's just like everything kind of lined up.
And again, I think you need luck in this career, but everything lined up to that moment.
Yeah, absolutely. So taking you back a little bit less of a journey,
(18:10):
you go from this extremely decorated college athlete from such humble roots
and become a professional soccer player.
And one of the coolest things I think about your journey is it shows so many
different aspects of what a professional journey can be, especially going back
to the time that you were doing this.
You know, back in 2008, there's not a ton of professional options in the world.
(18:33):
So can you talk about what that first leap going from college to your rookie
professional year was kind of
like, especially having a different set of options that girls do have now?
Yeah, because I'll never forget. I used my, again, I worked after that and we
knew the rumor was that the league was coming in in 2009, but I graduated 2008.
(18:54):
So I had this kind of like six months kind of awkward. And back then we didn't
really have agents, but we had agents.
And my agent just happened to be Rachel Buehler's agent.
And I bought a car, went out to DC because DC was supposedly going to have a team into the league.
And Jim Gabarro was there and you had like Christy Welsh, you had Lori Lindsay,
all these, these, these players that have been somehow competing and playing
(19:17):
the last five or six years with no league.
And then I get a call from Norway to come over. And the funny thing about that
is that in Norway because when I played we only did six months so it's like
February March until August and then you had like August to November and that
was like a great time to lead into Norway so I played with DC which was unprofessional
(19:38):
like I lived with the host family,
just showed up and went and trained with all these great players but everybody
knew the league was coming and then I went over in August and funny enough I
get drafted ninth overall I'll never forget it. I'm like sitting down, we hear nothing.
And then ironically, it's Emma Hayes and Denise Reddy who are now the U.S.
National team coaches. And I got drafted ninth and that kind of just,
(20:00):
spiral this incredible journey. But again, we did it for six months out of the year.
I think I was, I say this story, but in 2015, when I was the captain of Houston, so I got drafted in 2009.
Now go to 2015, the WPS folded NWSL.
2015, I was making $21,000 and I was the captain of Carly Lloyd.
(20:21):
So like, and now I see the growth, the consistent, this incredible up and down journey.
And I can't say it enough, like hard work, stubbornness, but you have to have luck.
And I just always, whenever I thought, okay, this is my time,
I'm going to take a step back.
Something comes back and I was like, okay, I'm not, it's not done yet for whatever
reason. Yeah, absolutely. So, okay.
(20:42):
Jumping all over. I think one of the coolest things looking at the navigation
of the U S soccer system as it pertains to women has been the WPS folding a new league starting.
I think it was the W USA into the WPS into the NWSL.
What has it been like for you to be able, you talk about that story of rookies
now making more than your captain contract, seeing the growth that the NWSL
(21:05):
now has, what is that like for you as a player that's been there from the beginning?
Well, we always joke with my age is that, you know, I'm 38, but we're like,
if we're five years younger, like that's just like, that's how much of,
it seems like such a little gap, but it's actually, it's ginormous. It's massive.
So, and now, you know, the players, it's kind of full circle because now I'm
back in Chicago and I was playing at Benedictine. Now they're,
(21:27):
you know, they're living downtown in these high rise apartments and we get to
play and we're going to Wrigley next week.
And it's a really cool moment. Like it's inspirational.
These girls, and I say girls because of like the age gap, even though there's
still some that kind of cross paths, but I think it's inspirational.
It's exciting to be a part of that.
But I, if you look back and you said, okay, would you had this back then?
(21:48):
Would you change your career of going overseas and experience all this?
Absolutely not. All right. Well, that's a perfect segue for me. Thank you.
Your career took you all over the world, which is one of the coolest things
about the game of soccer is that it's such a worldly language in so many ways.
And you go to Norway, you've played in Sweden, you've played in Germany.
(22:11):
Can you talk a bit about your experience playing abroad?
Again, when I played, and I'm speaking like I'm 50, but we didn't do it for the money.
You can see this is my coaching badge from FIFA, like my UEFA.
And I was only in Sweden a year and a half, but I knew that if I could try to
learn a language, you never knew how that would come back.
(22:32):
And I think I was in Europe for such a long time, so from 2016 and in and out
with Norway until 2022, that I knew if I could just grasp a little bit,
that it will come back. And this got me that.
You know, a year and a half coming back, you get your personal number.
It allowed me to do my UFA with some of the greats of all time, Sweden.
Like that was just what we were accustomed to. And I love languages.
(22:55):
So, you know, I got to go Norway. I got to go Sweden. I got to go Denmark.
He moved down to Germany. And then I got to experience Spain in a different
way. But again, one year you start to understand the language.
Next year you start to speak it. And then you just get to adapt this culture
and the biggest growth of it or the coolest part. And you get to be there with your husband.
I got to be there with other Americans. And you said there's other Americans
(23:17):
there, but you get to learn so much about yourself because you're so removed from your comfort zone.
And that to me is any young player, I would say, you guys got to go to Europe,
go to Europe, play, understand the tactics. It's so different.
And you will a hundred percent come back. The league will be here.
It will come back a stronger player.
And maybe that's a little bit not endorsing the NWSL.
(23:38):
I'm very thankful for it. But I think for players that are on the fringe or
coming straight out of college, go into, go cheer up, like hats off to you, Sam, honestly.
Well, thank you. As someone who is literally sitting in the Swedish Migration
Services about 90 minutes ago, getting a personal number, that was extremely,
extremely interesting.
Coffee in the morning. Congratulations.
(24:00):
My gosh, that's very, but I'm telling you that number to do taxes,
like you're going to have a pension now.
I was there for a year and a half and I can still go back to Sweden when I'm
65 and I can get my pension.
It will be like three bucks, but I'm going to be doing it. You know, know there's a
lot of positive about Sweden I love it
oh my gosh and even we're going and playing Rosengarden next
(24:20):
week so I'm like all right I'll be in Malmo I gotta ask Ella where like the
hidden spots are in Malmo I love Malmo
it's I mean I always joke like when I went there 2016 Marta was there and Marta
would show up in her Lexus sponsored by the club and I would ride in on my bike
with like snow and my eyelashes but it was such a good time like I've had I
(24:43):
would go back to a mama in a heartbeat.
Like, I think it's incredible what they've done and hopefully they stay in the
league. And I think they're top of the table now, right? Yeah,
they're top of the table right now.
They're the team to beat right now. So it'll be fun going down and playing them.
But yeah, they're looking real good this year. Yeah.
So all of that being said, you talked about the tactics being a bit different
in European versus NWSL, just like the learning of football itself.
(25:04):
Can you go a bit more into detail about the differences that you felt as a player
kind of from overseas, also being in the NWSL?
I think like Sweden, and again, I know a little bit more about Sweden because
I did my licensing there.
And so then you really get to break down about the tactics and the systems and what they believe in.
But I think if you look at Sweden defenders from top down, I mean,
(25:26):
there's some of the best in the world. Magdalena Eriksson, Amanda Illestad, Lina Sembrent.
I mean, you can talk about Sager, who is still chucking along at Rosengarten.
You know, like these players are kind of the foundation because they look at
the structure when they're kids.
It's not about strength. It's not about, you know, it's about having fun,
but they're learning their very basics of like a 4-4-2 and stepping.
(25:47):
And so you don't have to go in and implement that as a coach.
And they grew up loving soccer. Like they watch football. They,
you know, nosh up. And if you go to Hammerby, it's like in your blood.
So and now everybody can watch women's football. And before it was just men.
So I think it's just we have probably about 15, 20 years to catch up to have the same influence.
(26:07):
Like young girls are coming and watching our games. Like Sarah Griffith,
you know, she shows a picture of when I was there. And she came in and that
was kind of a surreal moment.
But it's not in your blood because you have the Bears. You have the Bulls.
You have the Blackhawks.
So I just think it's what you do on a Saturday and Sunday. You bring your daughter
out to watch football and that's where we need to be and get.
And like, you know, Norrköping, I don't know how big it is, but I'm sure you
(26:30):
could take your bike and get anywhere in the city. Oh yeah, absolutely.
And they have a women's team and they have a men's team that play.
So it's just like, it's a pride thing that allows you to be involved in football
without knowing that you're involved in football.
Yeah, no, that's such a cool point. Right. So one of the really unique things
about your playing career is how you've seen so many different situations unfold
(26:51):
and evolve in the terms of politics, in terms of football, in terms of all these things.
Can you talk a bit about your experience at Magic Jack and having the confidence
to hold your ground and be the confident person you are?
I wasn't confident back then, Tim. I gotta tell you, that was probably one of
the hardest times in my career.
And you know, I was lucky. There was some greats. You had Abby,
(27:13):
you had Hope, you had Christy Rampone, you had Megan Rapinoe, you had Marion Domi.
And I think I learned a lot on both sides. Like I learned how to stick to my
guns because I knew that these players were being treated unfairly.
And I also knew in a way to do that, that I didn't, I wasn't Abby.
I wasn't a Kristen Press, you know, but I was someone that earned my rights.
And I had, again, I grew up in a very good environment where my dad and my mom
(27:38):
taught me to stick to my guns and I wanted to play and I wanted to do it the right way.
And it was just such, sometimes I say stories about it to like Nikki Marshall,
who used to play. And she's like, did that really happen?
Or Becky Salber. And she's like, I think so.
I'm like, I don't really remember because there's just so many interesting moments
that didn't seem real, but it's just, you know, like, you know what you have to do.
(27:59):
And at that time I thought it cost me my career, but then if you do the right thing,
you know I come home from Magic Jack I get let go
for having this conversation of what I thought was standing
up for a player now I didn't do it all in the right way by any
means but I knew what I I had to do and then I came home when I was training
here and then all of a sudden my agent calls and say hey PSG wants you or go
(28:22):
try out and then it was me and Allie Long sitting in Paris and you know the
career Allie Long had and it was just like this whole moment of okay I did do the right thing.
I was completely at the bottom. I thought I had nowhere to go.
I was just training with guys back here.
There was no outlook. This is my time. It was one of these moments where you talk about, I was done.
And I was angry, Sam. Like, honestly, I was angry. And it took until, when did Abby write me?
(28:47):
Abby wrote me, I think two years ago.
So Magic Jack was 2011. Now it's 2022. So 10, 11 years for her to write me and
say, hey, you know what? You were right.
Do you want to have this conversation, I want to apologize. And I've never really
talked about that in public, but it took that long to kind of come around and
all these kinds of movements to come around to get that, not vindication,
(29:09):
but to say, Hey, you know what? You did a good job.
And again, I made mistakes as well, but that was kind of the big surreal moment.
And it was just enough time had passed that I said, Abby, I really appreciate
it, but I'm good. I wish you the best.
And, and we move on because life is all about,
I don't know, this is probably more mom talk than anything, thing but you know
it's just about riding those waves absolutely absolutely so you have an amazing
(29:33):
playing career what is the biggest high that you felt during your professional playing career.
I think you touched on it a bit before, but I had a very unconventional pro career.
I went Captain Houston Dash, which was a great experience, but new at that point
in time for my family and where I was personally.
I was tired of going into debt to be a professional player. Came over to Sweden,
(29:56):
had to try out by myself, had to shut my ego down.
Came in as an outside back to Rosengard. And then somebody got injured and then
I just had luck because I had these two, like, Lika Martins.
I had Marta like I had these two players just feeding me balls and you know
broke my nose six times scoring goals like that was just my mentality and you
(30:17):
had a little bit of the brassness from America and then from that like my dream
was always to play for the U.S.
Which I got my one cap and then it was to be in a Champions League final like
to win it of course because if you don't do national team that's like your biggest
honor and I got that so I 32 years old which is so unconventional,
Wolfsburg calls and say, hey, do you want to come?
(30:38):
And then all of a sudden, six months later, I'm in Kiev and I'm playing in a
Champions League final.
And I'm a part of this, you know, one of the best clubs in the world,
Wolfsburg. And that to me was a moment of, hey, I made it.
All the ups and downs, like I'm sitting there 32-33 without a national team,
which is very unique because there's 11 national team captains and I'm sitting there on my own.
(31:02):
No one's supporting me really from the U.S. kind of fell off in that little
regard and then I'm here and you know Morgan Bryan's on the other team and she's
in the stands like it was just a really.
Unique moment but it was one where I said you did it kid and I say that because
I talk about like I lost my dad and all that kind of stuff and it was just it
didn't have to happen like that and it did for whatever reason and I am so thankful
(31:25):
that it did absolutely that's an amazing story so your
banker and you pivot was coaching always the next step in your brain.
I think because I went from recruited walk-on, full ride, drafted,
didn't make it, PSG, national team, on the bench, superstar,
(31:49):
no one cares.
Because I did all these different stages in my career,
I'm always convinced, and in all these different countries, like I lived in eight countries,
I want to know if it's possible wherever you
are in the world that you can get a group of women to all
believe in buy-in and whether you're Malpue or
(32:09):
if you're you know a kid that just came
out of college how can you guys get you all to
believe in one thing and that I haven't answered
it yet but that was kind of always why because I want you to never feel invisible
but I want to be the superstar to believe in the kid that feels invisible and
that is gave me a couple more years but that is why I knew I love coaching because
(32:32):
like you said you don't have to speak the language to see how much it unites the world,
and it allowed me to see the world so it's just my way of trying to give back
but adapting to american culture again compared to being in spain or sweden
or germany it's it's been tough i'll say that it's been tough what do you see the biggest changes as.
(32:52):
I just feel bad because of being someone from the NWSL when we were here to
see about all this turmoil these kids have gone through.
I think it's like in Europe, and we've talked about it before,
but like you want to go and I want to say, OK, Sam, where'd you come from?
What's your story? How did your parents push you? How can I help?
Because I need to understand you as a player, because maybe you say,
(33:15):
hey, Ella, I only respond to when people yell at me.
Well, we have to build that respect, obviously. But then I know I can be a little
bit tougher on Sam. In video sessions, I can be a little bit tougher.
And these other people that have this very broad shoulders and they seem like
they can take it, maybe they've only been battered their whole career.
And you can't do that. You have to be more, hey, how can I help?
(33:38):
Have more private conversations.
How can I be of service? What do you need after training? What do you need?
Do I need to send you clips? And that to me is, I love that,
figuring out that human connection.
But again, in Spain, I would go talk to the parents. I would go take a coffee with that player.
And here, because of, unfortunately, what has been broken, even as an old player,
(34:01):
we're still trying to fix it.
So everything has to be very tight-knit and very structured and that kind of
stuff. And it's going to take some time, but that's what I kind of have had
to take a step back and say, okay, there's a history that we're learning.
And so I can't get that close to the player yet, but I want to be.
And it takes time and it takes energy and it takes a lot of trust because unfortunately
(34:24):
these girls have had a lot of trust broken.
If that makes sense. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. So your coaching career first
starts in Kansas City and then brings you back this year, back to Chicago,
kind of, you know, where you all started.
What does it mean for you to be back in Chicago doing the whole thing now as
a coach versus the young girl who went to be a walk-on?
(34:46):
Yeah, it's definitely like a full circle. I mean, I'm, I'm lucky family wise.
I mean, Chicago will always be more like I, Kansas is a great club.
You know, they're doing everything the right way. They're really building it,
but it will never be Chicago to me because my homies here, like my family's here.
They were the club that invested in me and that's
kind of why I wanted to come back
(35:09):
to help build it and it was just very happy like exciting times
with Laura coming in the rickets and then all this kind of growth but for me
to play at Wrigley Field like this is what we did like this is why we did it
this is why we started in 2008 playing at Benedictine like this is kind of full
real moment and the only thing that will be sweeter is when we bring a championship
home and I and I say we because I don't know if I will be here.
(35:31):
I don't know if I'm not. But when Chicago brings a championship home,
then I know I will be a part of it and celebrating it in every way,
shape, and form. Absolutely.
So with all that being said, can you talk a bit about the team this year?
There's been so much excitement. You have this game at Wrigleyville next week.
So much going on within the NWSL and competition. How do you feel about the
squad you guys have right now?
(35:53):
I would say we're, to be candid, we're probably in like the first year of a
three or four year program, like build.
Like we did a lot of work in the off season to kind of build the base of where we want to be.
And we have every time, anytime you have, let's be real, anytime you have Mal
Swanson back, you can win a game. I mean, she's just that electric.
I've never, you know, I've coached Lynn Williams, who was just brass and hard
(36:16):
and could be a tight end in the NFL.
And then you have Mal who kind of just floats
but I've never seen a finisher with her her
ability you know she shows up she does your job and she's
just a great human being and Linwood as well
but it's just like the fluidity and how easy Mal makes it I've never seen that
as a as a player or as a coach so I think anytime you have that and then you
(36:39):
have a listed goal so you're and then you have Sam Staub who just got called
national team I'm a huge fan of Cuica I think she's never gotten and the respect that she has deserved.
Like, I think she's one of the best center backs in the world.
One of the best feet, that's for sure. Probably best at outside back,
but like our Carrie Recaro, like our middle's strong.
So if you have your middle strong, I think you can, anything's possible,
(37:01):
but we're still in year one.
And so it's going to be this up and down roller coaster, but we know that if
we can get in that top six to eight teams, you saw it last year,
Gotham was six. They came and they won the championship.
We were Kansas City. we were sixth and then we got into the final with Portland
my first year so that is kind of probably our focus our reality now anything
(37:22):
can happen but if we can get into the playoffs anything can happen and that's
kind of where I think our mentality is.
Can you talk a bit about the balance of being coach and also mom now you know
with the newborn with all that how has that balance been for you to discover?
It's, it's humbling. I mean, to be very, I mean, I keep saying candid,
(37:43):
but I mean, you go from, I haven't had a break in three years coaching.
You know, you want to give everything. Last year was like very intense because
we had a shift of management. We had a shift of ownership. We had a shift of coaching.
So you kind of were doing everything in the off season. So you never got to
kind of catch your breath. path.
And then you go into this where I have to take, you don't have to take,
(38:03):
but you're taking this maternity leave.
And you know, it's such an important time to be with your son,
which is, can't even hold his head up. And we have a four-year-old as well.
And you're trying to be this mom and show him that you want to work,
but then you take a step away from the game and you're kind of trying to find
this balance of mom or work or mom or work.
And it's a different type of guilt because you want to be there for the players,
(38:24):
but you have to take this time.
So I've still been watching the games and sending clips and and
being involved but it's humbling you know
it's very humbling this this world goes quick and this
in this business it goes even quicker so you're just trying to
find the balance and I'm sure it's going to be a roller coaster you know coming
back and then traveling with him and not traveling with them you miss it there's
(38:46):
like an ache of missing this time but at the same time there's I have such a
passion still to try to help these and so invested in the team that you just
have to go day by day and hold on to the good.
And, you know, there's going to be days that are hard and you don't understand
what's going on, but your mom will tell you and the young women that are our
parents here that you never get more than you can handle. And that's why I just keep telling myself.
(39:10):
So looking back on your soccer story, there's so much that's so,
I feel like any player can connect with a certain part of your story in some way.
This is a huge broad question, but looking back on the game and what it's given
you, what is one of the best things that you'll take from the game of soccer
in your experience? Oof.
I mean, because of the way my career was, my family is involved in this.
(39:34):
And I say my family because my best group of friends are the women that I've met on this road.
So Sada Bjork, who played in Juventus, and I met in Rosengard,
then we went to Wolfsburg.
Pernilla Harder, like Mary Erks, like these players that I had a very short encounter.
And for whatever reason, we've kept in contact for five or six years.
(39:56):
Like these are people that I will be spending the next 40, 50 years with because
they were there through the hardest times in my life personally.
And they just find a way to be your family. And that's something that I will,
people are like, do you miss the game? I miss the locker room.
And you'll understand that when you're done. And that's just those experiences.
(40:16):
They stay with you for life. And again, I had some hard times in my career and
these women stood up and fought for me and were by my side.
And even now, I know I can call them whenever I need and they'll be with me.
And that's probably something that I'll always take with me.
Well, Ella, thank you again so much for coming on and sharing your story.
It truly is a remarkable one that I'm happy and honored that I get to help tell
(40:40):
with Girls Soccer Network.
Is there anything that you feel like I missed or that you want to tell our audience about yourself?
I think I have one question for you. Why did you go? You get drafted.
You get a taste of NWSL. You're a kid from Iowa, kind of against that.
You get this opportunity.
And then you go to Sweden. Why?
(41:00):
My biggest thing was I wanted a challenge that I wanted a real opportunity to
see myself get better and have that opportunity to develop it.
And so I am so, so grateful with my time at Louisville and every,
the exposure I got there, but when North shipping called and they said they
needed a left back and that I had a really good chance of being on the field.
(41:21):
I know that getting minutes and
being on the field is how I'm going to get better at the end of the day.
Training's great, but I have to put myself in an environment where I'm going
to get exposed to then learn. And I knew that that would be in Sweden.
Was that hard for you to leave home to do that? Yeah, it was a 36-hour decision.
It was very quick. I'm in Louisville. I'm in Columbia with Louisville.
(41:42):
I am leaving Columbia to spend 12 hours in St. Louis to move to Sweden.
And so there was a lot of uncertainty about if my husband was going to be able
to join, saying goodbye to family, but it was a leap of faith that I'm more
than confident paid off.
So I think that's when you look back at my journey and everything you just said,
like you don't know why or the feeling, but it's something if you can learn
(42:06):
to trust your gut and to bet on yourself,
it will work out how it's always supposed to.
And that's that sums it up. Like it's just you can't explain it.
You can't talk about it. You can't say why you just look back when you're done
with your pro career and you go, okay, whatever, whatever you believe in or whatever. I was guided.
I was in the right place at the right time. And because of my hard work, it all paid off.
(42:30):
Absolutely. Well, dang. Okay. Like that's what I needed to hear. All right.
Like over overseas is it's such a hard journey.
It is. It's such a hard journey, a new culture, like even Sweden where everybody
speaks English, like it is.
So you said you got to stay with it three months, six months.
And you know, every game you're just putting yourself out there.
You're fighting for your team, but you're doing what's best for you.
(42:51):
And lucky for you, you get your husband with you. I mean, it's just going to
be a time as a young couple and And as a young American trying to find your
way, you're in exactly the right spot.
I don't know you minus this conversation, but I'm telling you,
you're doing the right thing for your career because you bet on yourself.
Thank you so much. And thank you again so much for coming on. We're so, so grateful.
(43:12):
Anytime. Anything for Jen, you know? All right. Once again, thank you so much,
Ella, for that podcast interview.
I am so honestly grateful to have spent that much time with you,
getting to hear about your story, talking about everything.
For all of our Socceristas, I really hope you got something out of that.
Give Ella a follow on social media.
Tune into the Chicago Red Stars game at Wrigley Field on June 8th,
(43:36):
and so much other exciting things happen in the NWSL.
As always, stay in touch with Girls Soccer Network, with Sam Carey and Jordan
Wickus on social media, and we are always here to answer questions,
stay in contact with you, and help in any way we possibly can.
Once again, thanks for everything, and soccer on.
Hi, everyone, and welcome back. We are here with The Big Life.
I'm going to stop doing an episode count.
I have no idea at this point, but it is summertime.
The sun is out in both Michigan and in Sweden. We're doing well. Jordan, how are you?
I'm good. Sun is definitely out. We took a little trip, me and my roommates,
down to Holland, Michigan, and I got burnt. I am toasty.
(00:27):
I was I was going to say, I'm not going to lie. I don't want to call you out,
but you're looking a little red on the screen.
Yeah, a little tomato-y. And then I had to go to Lyft today,
and I've never been more humbled.
Like the 45-pound bar on my chest, I was like, I can't do it.
Like tears were nearly down there. I was like, I just spurned.
Spurned like a tomato. Not doing well there.
(00:48):
Are there a lot of girls on your team back in Michigan already starting to do
training together? Or how many do you have back right now?
We don't really have anyone. one i'm pretty much the
only one here back full time on our team people will come and go occasionally
but our report date isn't until i don't even know like a couple days after fourth
of july whatever that start of the week is and then everyone will be back for
(01:09):
team trainings awesome and that's a bit different than last year right so how's
the team adjusting to that or am i wrong,
no it's about the same yeah after fourth of july come back up i'm just crazy
you know don't don't Acknowledge me.
We didn't have any cool international trips like Iowa did this year. That's crazy.
I was like, guys, where's the stop in Sweden? You're going to go to Iceland.
(01:30):
You don't want to just come all the way to Europe? We just had to stop there.
Apparently, they didn't want to hang out with me, but I guess that's fair. Fair enough.
There's been some pretty cool stuff happening in Sweden. I heard one Miss Sam
Carey may or may not have scored a goal.
I know the shock in your voice was the shock in mine too when it happened.
I had to take out a page of Jordan Winkes' book and become dominant in my aerial game.
(01:54):
Apparently, it's taken me long enough to start being able to do it.
No, it was really cool. Honestly, I think the moment that we had as a group
and with the group will go down
as one of my favorite moments of my soccer career at the end of the day.
So a little bit of backstory on the game. This is like this game has been talked
(02:14):
about as soon as I came to Sweden. It was the Norshipping-Lindshipping game.
So Lindshipping is a town 30 minutes from Norshipping.
So we live in the same region.
So basically the same state. So like this derby means everything.
And because this is Norshipping's second year in the Damalsvanskin,
this will be the third time they've played each other in the Damalsvanskin.
(02:36):
And last year they lost and tied. So they've never beaten this team.
And this team got third place in the league last year so
they're a very good team with a bunch of very talented players and
so yeah I really didn't know what I was getting myself into
except that as a derby game I think there was over 5,000 like 5,500 fans that
filled the stadium for the game so most biggest crowd that I had ever played
(02:59):
in front of and European football crowd man it's crazy like they're screaming
the whole game they're chanting the whole game the crowd was absolutely electric
to be able to play in front of.
So to do that. And then, yeah, I found myself.
The cool thing about the group is we have a lot of very good people in the air
and they've chosen me as one of them, which is pretty cool because that's just
a place I've never really been.
(03:19):
And in my career, I've always been the one taking the set pieces, frankly.
So we have the three heavy hitters in the air. And so most people,
you know, man, mark them and forget about the American on the back post.
And I came close to scoring in the first half and I was like,
I, this defender is not marking me well, like I can do something here.
And one of my best friends here takes the corner kicks. And I went up to her
halftime and I was like, hit me on the back post. Like I can get this in.
(03:43):
And sure enough, in the 49th minute, so right after half, she sends a perfect
ball. And I got over on top of my defender and put one in the back of the net.
And I think just like that moment celebrating, it was the first goal that North
shipping had ever scored on Lynn shipping.
We ended up winning the game, won nothing in the Derby game.
It was such a moment to see
how much women's football can mean to this town and the
(04:05):
impact of women's football so i mean i
won't lie it's going into international break so we
had you know basically a weekend off of games we didn't play for another two
weeks so the team afterwards like we're celebrating this like this is big and
we went you know downtown to go get restaurant go to a restaurant and you know
kind of get a couple drinks whatever and you would walk downtown and And people
(04:27):
were stopping me and I wasn't wearing anything nor shipping.
There's no way of like identifying myself besides probably hearing my voice.
And they're like, oh my God, you're the American. Oh my God.
Like the Derby queen is here. And I was like, what?
And like that became my nickname, the Derby queen.
We get to the bar, there's people out wearing our jerseys.
(04:47):
I've never seen a random stranger in a Sam Carey jersey until that moment.
And you're at the bar and everyone's coming up to our table and,
you know, buying us drinks and celebrating and clapping and giving us hugs.
And just, it was a truly moment. Like I felt, frankly, I felt like a celebrity.
I felt, you know, like how we treat male athletes in the U.S.
(05:08):
I've never gotten that feeling before.
And to just see how much this meant. and like I was walking around town.
I still will walk around town and I have people stop me. Oh my God,
you're the one that scored against Lynn Shipping. You're the American.
My name was trending on Twitter in North Shipping.
So like just little things, like it was just such a surreal moment to see what
women's football can be.
(05:30):
And for me, you know, basically leaving Sweden and I'll talk about it in this
week's episode and taking the leap of faith and frankly betting on myself and
taking that chance on myself.
It was a moment where I was like, holy shit, this paid off. and this is worth
it. And yeah, it's definitely the pinnacle of my soccer career.
Oh, my God. That is so incredible. And I love hearing that because a lot of
(05:52):
times there's kind of a misconception and there's levels to pro soccer, right?
Like anything else. But when you come from a Big Ten, a well-funded program
in school and things like that, sometimes it can feel like a step down going to the pro level.
But to see like everyone wearing your jersey
and going out and knowing you by your name like you don't get that in
college soccer like that's that's an upgrade like that
(06:13):
is amazing and that's what pro life and being a pro
athlete should feel like and should look like and thanks for
representing us americans well over there in sweden i've had a couple people
tell me i broke the american stereotype for them so i'm happy to do that and
yeah it's crazy even like the knowledge of women's football that they have in
sweden even at a certain point i was they had a men's game a couple of days
(06:35):
later and I was walking to go to the men's game.
And I mean, I live five feet away from the arena. Like I see it from my patio.
And I think by the time I left my apartment to the time I got to my seat,
I had over seven people stop me and just, oh my God, you're Sam Carrier.
What a big win on Saturday or all this stuff.
And one guy stopped me and he's like, I am so happy I finally get to meet you.
(06:56):
I was like, oh, like, thank you.
Like, and he's like, no, I've been wanting to like tell you,
you remind me so much of an American footballer that I used to watch.
And he's like, do you know American football history?
And I was like, yeah. And he's like, you remind me of Michelle Akers.
And that's someone that I looked up to for ages, captain, throughout the early
(07:17):
days of the US Women's National Team.
And he's like, just the heart and the soul that you put on the field.
We can all see how much you care and all the energy you bring.
And we love you in this town.
But why does a random Swedish man know no history of the U S women's national
team, probably more than I would even say some people listen to this podcast.
Don't know who Michelle Aker is.
And so to be able to like, see how much these people and like Swedes and Europeans
(07:41):
are invested in the women's game. It was just a really eyeopening experience for me.
Yeah. Yeah. That is, I'm so proud. Congratulations. Like that's so incredible.
How was the husband? I can imagine.
That was like part of the joke was like, okay, we like needed to have a camera
on Sam when she scored, but we also needed to have the camera on Trey.
I think Trey was going a little crazy. They have all like our family and like
(08:04):
a sweet box in the sweet style box in the stadium when we play.
And he apparently was going quite nuts up there. So it was, it was definitely a proud husband moment.
Oh, so cute. What an amazing, amazing time over in Sweden. I'm a little jealous
here. Like it's summertime.
I'm here just in Michigan hanging out like no games, nothing really happening.
(08:25):
And here you are living up the big life. What can we say? It's the big life.
And speaking of, we have an absolutely incredible guest that I'm honestly beyond
honored to have had on this podcast.
Jordan, unfortunately, wasn't able to join us for the interview,
but this interview with Ella Masser is truly one of my favorites that we've done on this podcast.
(08:45):
The way that she talks so openly about her journey, both in the highs and the
lows, and the way that her journey from the Big Ten has taken her to the now
assistant coach of the Chicago Red Stars,
I think it's one that every footballer and every story can get something out of.
She's had so many different experiences as a player in college, as a pro, as a coach.
(09:07):
And I think there's a lot to relate to.
And I think the best thing we talk about is we talk about European versus playing
overseas as a professional.
We talk about the experiences and the change of women's sports,
seeing the NWSL from the very beginning to where it's at now.
And we talked about the highs and lows and that brought with some of the issues
that have happened in the NWSL over the last couple of years.
(09:28):
And so truly an amazing guest.
Ella, we are so, so thankful for having you on and spending an hour of your
time with me. I was trying not to fangirl while talking to you.
So without further ado, everyone, Ella Masser.
All right, Sakarisas, and we are here with the one and only Ella Masser,
assistant coach of the Chicago Red Stars, and honestly, such a remarkable story
(09:49):
that I loved getting to look into this week.
Originated in Urbana, Illinois, from the Big Ten, University of Illinois.
Ella, thank you so much for coming on with us today.
Anytime, Sam. I'm happy to be here. Awesome. Well, let's get right into it.
First of all, I'm happy to meet you again. We had
a brief interaction we were just joking off about off air
(10:10):
so it's nice to actually get to know more of your story
and how you got to be everywhere where you are today so i mentioned yeah i don't
know we've we've actually met twice oh and the first one actually it was at
the convention as well but i was with rade and mother walk yes and that was
i think it was the day before,
(10:31):
or the morning of and i was like rade i'm like is that sam and he's like yeah
and you know you have this structure.
And I was like, oh, she's going to go draft. So I immediately went back into
our draft room in Chicago.
I was like, guys, I just walked by Sam Carey. Her mom was great.
Very kind human beings. Let's look into it again.
And then unfortunately, I mean, good for Louisville. Bev got you.
(10:51):
But I know we had a brief interaction. Just stay patient. But,
I think our paths will cross again, maybe one day, even if it's me coming to
Sweden. But it was, you have the Iowa, you know, the central,
the Bourne, the Midwest.
Absolutely. I had to talk to you for that. Thank you. And no,
we were just talking and we'll get more into it in the air.
But your journey took you through Sweden. So we exchanged a bit of our Swedish,
(11:15):
yours being a bit more further along than myself.
But no, I'm so, so excited to talk to you about your journey and especially
how it took you everywhere across the world. You start native of Urbana, Illinois.
You decide to go to the University of Illinois and play in the Big Ten.
Can you talk a bit about what that decision was for you?
Yeah, and I think it's actually quite important because I actually have a niece
(11:35):
here in Chicago that is growing up in the Clips, the big-time powerhouses,
and we kind of like go back and forth in my story because, you know,
being from the cornfields, you don't actually get that much access unless you're
going to be willing to drive up.
And, you know, my parents didn't, or we didn't come from a lot.
So I had Champaign-Urbana and I had Little Atlanta Soccer Club and we didn't travel.
(11:57):
Like my niece is U15 Eclipse and she's been to Florida like six times and they're
going out to Seattle for a week. And that's a whole different world that I never experienced.
But I also think it's actually kind of why I had the career that I did because
I played two or three sports.
Knock on wood, it was the reason I didn't have any injuries was because I grew up playing basketball.
I did track and I got to train the different battle movements and I got to really train choose my path.
(12:22):
And when Janet started calling, I'll never forget, she wrote a hand letter.
I don't even know if you guys still do that or if it's allowed.
I have no idea the state age, but she wrote a hand letter and she's like, listen, I can't.
And then I went and met her and she's like, listen, I can't give any money,
but I promise if you come to the school, like I'm going to give you every opportunity.
And she's like, I can give you a recruited walk on spot.
(12:43):
And again, we didn't come from a lot. So it kind of worked out financially to
do that. And I ended up getting a full ride in my junior year,
but I just knew when I went on campus, I don't know if you had the same thing,
but you go on campus, you're like, oh, this is it.
And that one and the rest was history. So let's talk about about that,
because there's a lot of girls that struggle with the college age of kind of
(13:04):
this process of college soccer.
And, you know, you don't walk in and you're a starter on a full scholarship
your first day, your freshman year.
And if you are, you're an extremely, extremely rare minority.
So you go from walk on to Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.
Can you talk a bit about that journey throughout your college years of what that took?
I will tell you that, you know, how you can do you guys start a lot earlier now.
(13:26):
Or you did in college, but you know how you can do like the workouts with the
team like two weeks before.
Yeah. So I'll never forget. I did cones, you know, five, 10, 15, 20, 25.
I did it with our goalkeeper and she beat me.
This was two weeks walking into about, or I'm going to go and,
you know, you go from local being decent. And all of a sudden we had like a
Canadian international.
(13:47):
We had like two or three people from pride clips. You have all these people
that are kind of top of the country back then.
And then you go in and I'm like, okay, I'm so fit. I'm ready to do this.
And then the goalkeeper beats me.
That's where I was coming in. Now I passed the fitness test barely, but it was just a grind.
Like I had all the physical, but I never really honed in on my skills.
So technically I think I could juggle the ball like 10 times,
(14:09):
but I had everything and I loved it. And so these players that came in,
like Gatorade Player of the Year that have been doing this since they were 12,
you know, you could see that it was just like it's their first time away from the family.
They had a little bit more freedom and you could just see the love kind of change.
But I don't even blame them because they've been pushed for so hard.
They've been going to all these different tournaments.
(14:29):
Like we talk about it now, like my niece did track instead of soccer.
And that's like very unheard of. She's like in the youth national team pools.
And I was like, this is great for you because you missed the game.
At 15 years old, I'm telling my niece she misses a game.
So there's different avenues. But for me, it was just I had everything I need athletically.
And then I just needed to kind of hone in and really get into like,
(14:51):
I'm just a footballer or a soccer player.
And Janet guided me in a lot of stubborn mentality and luck,
to be fair. Yeah, that's awesome.
And so the fact that I can speak about Janet and you still know who she is,
is 25 years credit to her career. Well, Janet actually recruited me to the University
of Illinois back in 2016.
(15:13):
And that program is incredibly well-legacy to be. So that's amazing.
So we talk about college soccer being such a foundation for what's the future
for any college athlete, whether they're going into athletics or not.
Looking back on your college career, are there any moments that stick out to
(15:33):
you, either good or bad that you feel like helped shape your future even more?
Wow, you're asking me to go back a lot of years here, Sam. Yeah, um...
And I think my conversations with Janet, that was always because I remember
I came in and even though I knew my place, I kind of had my ego a little bit ahead of me.
But I was also lucky that I was a forward. So I would get my 10,
15 minutes and then the subbing, you get a little bit more time to kind of develop and adapt.
(15:59):
And then I tell the story, but it was it was kind of like in my sophomore year.
I'll never forget. I had to do summer school and I was training,
I think, in Chicago. They had like a W League team. So I'd get up at 6 a.m.
I don't know why I did this looking back, but like my family instilled hard
work and that kind of stuff. And I knew this was kind of like my make it or
break it. Janet had given me a full ride.
(16:20):
So my sophomore year going into my junior year, I get up at six.
I would go do my run and then I'd work at the stadium, which is I don't know
if they had this in Iowa, but I was with like football boys and wrestlers.
And we'd be bolting, but it was like 15 bucks an hour. So we're laughing.
Yeah. And I would do that eight to 12. And then to keep my scholarship in the
summer, I did summer school from like 12 to three. eat. And then at three o'clock,
(16:42):
four times a week, I would make two hour drive up to Chicago to train five to
seven. Then I'd come back home and I'd do it again.
And I did this, what seemed like an eternity, but in reality,
it was probably like eight weeks, maybe 12.
But I did that. And when I was playing, all these girls were coming back from,
it was like Purdue players, Penn State players.
Like it was just kind of a summer W league team. So I got that experience and.
(17:05):
Maybe that hard work. And it just all came in to the right timing.
But I say the story is that it was my junior year. We're playing Penn State there.
You know, we, everybody hates Penn State. It's still not the same. Yeah.
It's classic. And we're playing Penn State at home. And they,
I think they were like eighth in the country and Alyssa Nair,
funny enough, was in the goal, Allie Krieger.
And we were down, I think two zero at halftime. And we came back and I scored
(17:28):
either two goals or three and we won three, two.
And we were probably like 18th, 19th in the country.
And then of course, Paula Wilkin to the Wisconsin now comes up to Janet.
She's like, who's the transfer kid.
And I had been at Illinois for two years before that, you know?
So, and it was the end of my, it was like October.
So it was the ending of the games. And I just had a really good,
(17:49):
and that's what catapulted me into the youth national teams.
After that, I got called in your 23s and then my one famous cap.
And I say famous because it's only one cap for the U S so it's just like everything kind of lined up.
And again, I think you need luck in this career, but everything lined up to that moment.
Yeah, absolutely. So taking you back a little bit less of a journey,
(18:10):
you go from this extremely decorated college athlete from such humble roots
and become a professional soccer player.
And one of the coolest things I think about your journey is it shows so many
different aspects of what a professional journey can be, especially going back
to the time that you were doing this.
You know, back in 2008, there's not a ton of professional options in the world.
(18:33):
So can you talk about what that first leap going from college to your rookie
professional year was kind of
like, especially having a different set of options that girls do have now?
Yeah, because I'll never forget. I used my, again, I worked after that and we
knew the rumor was that the league was coming in in 2009, but I graduated 2008.
(18:54):
So I had this kind of like six months kind of awkward. And back then we didn't
really have agents, but we had agents.
And my agent just happened to be Rachel Buehler's agent.
And I bought a car, went out to DC because DC was supposedly going to have a team into the league.
And Jim Gabarro was there and you had like Christy Welsh, you had Lori Lindsay,
all these, these, these players that have been somehow competing and playing
(19:17):
the last five or six years with no league.
And then I get a call from Norway to come over. And the funny thing about that
is that in Norway because when I played we only did six months so it's like
February March until August and then you had like August to November and that
was like a great time to lead into Norway so I played with DC which was unprofessional
(19:38):
like I lived with the host family,
just showed up and went and trained with all these great players but everybody
knew the league was coming and then I went over in August and funny enough I
get drafted ninth overall I'll never forget it. I'm like sitting down, we hear nothing.
And then ironically, it's Emma Hayes and Denise Reddy who are now the U.S.
National team coaches. And I got drafted ninth and that kind of just,
(20:00):
spiral this incredible journey. But again, we did it for six months out of the year.
I think I was, I say this story, but in 2015, when I was the captain of Houston, so I got drafted in 2009.
Now go to 2015, the WPS folded NWSL.
2015, I was making $21,000 and I was the captain of Carly Lloyd.
(20:21):
So like, and now I see the growth, the consistent, this incredible up and down journey.
And I can't say it enough, like hard work, stubbornness, but you have to have luck.
And I just always, whenever I thought, okay, this is my time,
I'm going to take a step back.
Something comes back and I was like, okay, I'm not, it's not done yet for whatever
reason. Yeah, absolutely. So, okay.
(20:42):
Jumping all over. I think one of the coolest things looking at the navigation
of the U S soccer system as it pertains to women has been the WPS folding a new league starting.
I think it was the W USA into the WPS into the NWSL.
What has it been like for you to be able, you talk about that story of rookies
now making more than your captain contract, seeing the growth that the NWSL
(21:05):
now has, what is that like for you as a player that's been there from the beginning?
Well, we always joke with my age is that, you know, I'm 38, but we're like,
if we're five years younger, like that's just like, that's how much of,
it seems like such a little gap, but it's actually, it's ginormous. It's massive.
So, and now, you know, the players, it's kind of full circle because now I'm
back in Chicago and I was playing at Benedictine. Now they're,
(21:27):
you know, they're living downtown in these high rise apartments and we get to
play and we're going to Wrigley next week.
And it's a really cool moment. Like it's inspirational.
These girls, and I say girls because of like the age gap, even though there's
still some that kind of cross paths, but I think it's inspirational.
It's exciting to be a part of that.
But I, if you look back and you said, okay, would you had this back then?
(21:48):
Would you change your career of going overseas and experience all this?
Absolutely not. All right. Well, that's a perfect segue for me. Thank you.
Your career took you all over the world, which is one of the coolest things
about the game of soccer is that it's such a worldly language in so many ways.
And you go to Norway, you've played in Sweden, you've played in Germany.
(22:11):
Can you talk a bit about your experience playing abroad?
Again, when I played, and I'm speaking like I'm 50, but we didn't do it for the money.
You can see this is my coaching badge from FIFA, like my UEFA.
And I was only in Sweden a year and a half, but I knew that if I could try to
learn a language, you never knew how that would come back.
(22:32):
And I think I was in Europe for such a long time, so from 2016 and in and out
with Norway until 2022, that I knew if I could just grasp a little bit,
that it will come back. And this got me that.
You know, a year and a half coming back, you get your personal number.
It allowed me to do my UFA with some of the greats of all time, Sweden.
Like that was just what we were accustomed to. And I love languages.
(22:55):
So, you know, I got to go Norway. I got to go Sweden. I got to go Denmark.
He moved down to Germany. And then I got to experience Spain in a different
way. But again, one year you start to understand the language.
Next year you start to speak it. And then you just get to adapt this culture
and the biggest growth of it or the coolest part. And you get to be there with your husband.
I got to be there with other Americans. And you said there's other Americans
(23:17):
there, but you get to learn so much about yourself because you're so removed from your comfort zone.
And that to me is any young player, I would say, you guys got to go to Europe,
go to Europe, play, understand the tactics. It's so different.
And you will a hundred percent come back. The league will be here.
It will come back a stronger player.
And maybe that's a little bit not endorsing the NWSL.
(23:38):
I'm very thankful for it. But I think for players that are on the fringe or
coming straight out of college, go into, go cheer up, like hats off to you, Sam, honestly.
Well, thank you. As someone who is literally sitting in the Swedish Migration
Services about 90 minutes ago, getting a personal number, that was extremely,
extremely interesting.
Coffee in the morning. Congratulations.
(24:00):
My gosh, that's very, but I'm telling you that number to do taxes,
like you're going to have a pension now.
I was there for a year and a half and I can still go back to Sweden when I'm
65 and I can get my pension.
It will be like three bucks, but I'm going to be doing it. You know, know there's a
lot of positive about Sweden I love it
oh my gosh and even we're going and playing Rosengarden next
(24:20):
week so I'm like all right I'll be in Malmo I gotta ask Ella where like the
hidden spots are in Malmo I love Malmo
it's I mean I always joke like when I went there 2016 Marta was there and Marta
would show up in her Lexus sponsored by the club and I would ride in on my bike
with like snow and my eyelashes but it was such a good time like I've had I
(24:43):
would go back to a mama in a heartbeat.
Like, I think it's incredible what they've done and hopefully they stay in the
league. And I think they're top of the table now, right? Yeah,
they're top of the table right now.
They're the team to beat right now. So it'll be fun going down and playing them.
But yeah, they're looking real good this year. Yeah.
So all of that being said, you talked about the tactics being a bit different
in European versus NWSL, just like the learning of football itself.
(25:04):
Can you go a bit more into detail about the differences that you felt as a player
kind of from overseas, also being in the NWSL?
I think like Sweden, and again, I know a little bit more about Sweden because
I did my licensing there.
And so then you really get to break down about the tactics and the systems and what they believe in.
But I think if you look at Sweden defenders from top down, I mean,
(25:26):
there's some of the best in the world. Magdalena Eriksson, Amanda Illestad, Lina Sembrent.
I mean, you can talk about Sager, who is still chucking along at Rosengarten.
You know, like these players are kind of the foundation because they look at
the structure when they're kids.
It's not about strength. It's not about, you know, it's about having fun,
but they're learning their very basics of like a 4-4-2 and stepping.
(25:47):
And so you don't have to go in and implement that as a coach.
And they grew up loving soccer. Like they watch football. They,
you know, nosh up. And if you go to Hammerby, it's like in your blood.
So and now everybody can watch women's football. And before it was just men.
So I think it's just we have probably about 15, 20 years to catch up to have the same influence.
(26:07):
Like young girls are coming and watching our games. Like Sarah Griffith,
you know, she shows a picture of when I was there. And she came in and that
was kind of a surreal moment.
But it's not in your blood because you have the Bears. You have the Bulls.
You have the Blackhawks.
So I just think it's what you do on a Saturday and Sunday. You bring your daughter
out to watch football and that's where we need to be and get.
And like, you know, Norrköping, I don't know how big it is, but I'm sure you
(26:30):
could take your bike and get anywhere in the city. Oh yeah, absolutely.
And they have a women's team and they have a men's team that play.
So it's just like, it's a pride thing that allows you to be involved in football
without knowing that you're involved in football.
Yeah, no, that's such a cool point. Right. So one of the really unique things
about your playing career is how you've seen so many different situations unfold
(26:51):
and evolve in the terms of politics, in terms of football, in terms of all these things.
Can you talk a bit about your experience at Magic Jack and having the confidence
to hold your ground and be the confident person you are?
I wasn't confident back then, Tim. I gotta tell you, that was probably one of
the hardest times in my career.
And you know, I was lucky. There was some greats. You had Abby,
(27:13):
you had Hope, you had Christy Rampone, you had Megan Rapinoe, you had Marion Domi.
And I think I learned a lot on both sides. Like I learned how to stick to my
guns because I knew that these players were being treated unfairly.
And I also knew in a way to do that, that I didn't, I wasn't Abby.
I wasn't a Kristen Press, you know, but I was someone that earned my rights.
And I had, again, I grew up in a very good environment where my dad and my mom
(27:38):
taught me to stick to my guns and I wanted to play and I wanted to do it the right way.
And it was just such, sometimes I say stories about it to like Nikki Marshall,
who used to play. And she's like, did that really happen?
Or Becky Salber. And she's like, I think so.
I'm like, I don't really remember because there's just so many interesting moments
that didn't seem real, but it's just, you know, like, you know what you have to do.
(27:59):
And at that time I thought it cost me my career, but then if you do the right thing,
you know I come home from Magic Jack I get let go
for having this conversation of what I thought was standing
up for a player now I didn't do it all in the right way by any
means but I knew what I I had to do and then I came home when I was training
here and then all of a sudden my agent calls and say hey PSG wants you or go
(28:22):
try out and then it was me and Allie Long sitting in Paris and you know the
career Allie Long had and it was just like this whole moment of okay I did do the right thing.
I was completely at the bottom. I thought I had nowhere to go.
I was just training with guys back here.
There was no outlook. This is my time. It was one of these moments where you talk about, I was done.
And I was angry, Sam. Like, honestly, I was angry. And it took until, when did Abby write me?
(28:47):
Abby wrote me, I think two years ago.
So Magic Jack was 2011. Now it's 2022. So 10, 11 years for her to write me and
say, hey, you know what? You were right.
Do you want to have this conversation, I want to apologize. And I've never really
talked about that in public, but it took that long to kind of come around and
all these kinds of movements to come around to get that, not vindication,
(29:09):
but to say, Hey, you know what? You did a good job.
And again, I made mistakes as well, but that was kind of the big surreal moment.
And it was just enough time had passed that I said, Abby, I really appreciate
it, but I'm good. I wish you the best.
And, and we move on because life is all about,
I don't know, this is probably more mom talk than anything, thing but you know
it's just about riding those waves absolutely absolutely so you have an amazing
(29:33):
playing career what is the biggest high that you felt during your professional playing career.
I think you touched on it a bit before, but I had a very unconventional pro career.
I went Captain Houston Dash, which was a great experience, but new at that point
in time for my family and where I was personally.
I was tired of going into debt to be a professional player. Came over to Sweden,
(29:56):
had to try out by myself, had to shut my ego down.
Came in as an outside back to Rosengard. And then somebody got injured and then
I just had luck because I had these two, like, Lika Martins.
I had Marta like I had these two players just feeding me balls and you know
broke my nose six times scoring goals like that was just my mentality and you
(30:17):
had a little bit of the brassness from America and then from that like my dream
was always to play for the U.S.
Which I got my one cap and then it was to be in a Champions League final like
to win it of course because if you don't do national team that's like your biggest
honor and I got that so I 32 years old which is so unconventional,
Wolfsburg calls and say, hey, do you want to come?
(30:38):
And then all of a sudden, six months later, I'm in Kiev and I'm playing in a
Champions League final.
And I'm a part of this, you know, one of the best clubs in the world,
Wolfsburg. And that to me was a moment of, hey, I made it.
All the ups and downs, like I'm sitting there 32-33 without a national team,
which is very unique because there's 11 national team captains and I'm sitting there on my own.
(31:02):
No one's supporting me really from the U.S. kind of fell off in that little
regard and then I'm here and you know Morgan Bryan's on the other team and she's
in the stands like it was just a really.
Unique moment but it was one where I said you did it kid and I say that because
I talk about like I lost my dad and all that kind of stuff and it was just it
didn't have to happen like that and it did for whatever reason and I am so thankful
(31:25):
that it did absolutely that's an amazing story so your
banker and you pivot was coaching always the next step in your brain.
I think because I went from recruited walk-on, full ride, drafted,
didn't make it, PSG, national team, on the bench, superstar,
(31:49):
no one cares.
Because I did all these different stages in my career,
I'm always convinced, and in all these different countries, like I lived in eight countries,
I want to know if it's possible wherever you
are in the world that you can get a group of women to all
believe in buy-in and whether you're Malpue or
(32:09):
if you're you know a kid that just came
out of college how can you guys get you all to
believe in one thing and that I haven't answered
it yet but that was kind of always why because I want you to never feel invisible
but I want to be the superstar to believe in the kid that feels invisible and
that is gave me a couple more years but that is why I knew I love coaching because
(32:32):
like you said you don't have to speak the language to see how much it unites the world,
and it allowed me to see the world so it's just my way of trying to give back
but adapting to american culture again compared to being in spain or sweden
or germany it's it's been tough i'll say that it's been tough what do you see the biggest changes as.
(32:52):
I just feel bad because of being someone from the NWSL when we were here to
see about all this turmoil these kids have gone through.
I think it's like in Europe, and we've talked about it before,
but like you want to go and I want to say, OK, Sam, where'd you come from?
What's your story? How did your parents push you? How can I help?
Because I need to understand you as a player, because maybe you say,
(33:15):
hey, Ella, I only respond to when people yell at me.
Well, we have to build that respect, obviously. But then I know I can be a little
bit tougher on Sam. In video sessions, I can be a little bit tougher.
And these other people that have this very broad shoulders and they seem like
they can take it, maybe they've only been battered their whole career.
And you can't do that. You have to be more, hey, how can I help?
(33:38):
Have more private conversations.
How can I be of service? What do you need after training? What do you need?
Do I need to send you clips? And that to me is, I love that,
figuring out that human connection.
But again, in Spain, I would go talk to the parents. I would go take a coffee with that player.
And here, because of, unfortunately, what has been broken, even as an old player,
(34:01):
we're still trying to fix it.
So everything has to be very tight-knit and very structured and that kind of
stuff. And it's going to take some time, but that's what I kind of have had
to take a step back and say, okay, there's a history that we're learning.
And so I can't get that close to the player yet, but I want to be.
And it takes time and it takes energy and it takes a lot of trust because unfortunately
(34:24):
these girls have had a lot of trust broken.
If that makes sense. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely. So your coaching career first
starts in Kansas City and then brings you back this year, back to Chicago,
kind of, you know, where you all started.
What does it mean for you to be back in Chicago doing the whole thing now as
a coach versus the young girl who went to be a walk-on?
(34:46):
Yeah, it's definitely like a full circle. I mean, I'm, I'm lucky family wise.
I mean, Chicago will always be more like I, Kansas is a great club.
You know, they're doing everything the right way. They're really building it,
but it will never be Chicago to me because my homies here, like my family's here.
They were the club that invested in me and that's
kind of why I wanted to come back
(35:09):
to help build it and it was just very happy like exciting times
with Laura coming in the rickets and then all this kind of growth but for me
to play at Wrigley Field like this is what we did like this is why we did it
this is why we started in 2008 playing at Benedictine like this is kind of full
real moment and the only thing that will be sweeter is when we bring a championship
home and I and I say we because I don't know if I will be here.
(35:31):
I don't know if I'm not. But when Chicago brings a championship home,
then I know I will be a part of it and celebrating it in every way,
shape, and form. Absolutely.
So with all that being said, can you talk a bit about the team this year?
There's been so much excitement. You have this game at Wrigleyville next week.
So much going on within the NWSL and competition. How do you feel about the
squad you guys have right now?
(35:53):
I would say we're, to be candid, we're probably in like the first year of a
three or four year program, like build.
Like we did a lot of work in the off season to kind of build the base of where we want to be.
And we have every time, anytime you have, let's be real, anytime you have Mal
Swanson back, you can win a game. I mean, she's just that electric.
I've never, you know, I've coached Lynn Williams, who was just brass and hard
(36:16):
and could be a tight end in the NFL.
And then you have Mal who kind of just floats
but I've never seen a finisher with her her
ability you know she shows up she does your job and she's
just a great human being and Linwood as well
but it's just like the fluidity and how easy Mal makes it I've never seen that
as a as a player or as a coach so I think anytime you have that and then you
(36:39):
have a listed goal so you're and then you have Sam Staub who just got called
national team I'm a huge fan of Cuica I think she's never gotten and the respect that she has deserved.
Like, I think she's one of the best center backs in the world.
One of the best feet, that's for sure. Probably best at outside back,
but like our Carrie Recaro, like our middle's strong.
So if you have your middle strong, I think you can, anything's possible,
(37:01):
but we're still in year one.
And so it's going to be this up and down roller coaster, but we know that if
we can get in that top six to eight teams, you saw it last year,
Gotham was six. They came and they won the championship.
We were Kansas City. we were sixth and then we got into the final with Portland
my first year so that is kind of probably our focus our reality now anything
(37:22):
can happen but if we can get into the playoffs anything can happen and that's
kind of where I think our mentality is.
Can you talk a bit about the balance of being coach and also mom now you know
with the newborn with all that how has that balance been for you to discover?
It's, it's humbling. I mean, to be very, I mean, I keep saying candid,
(37:43):
but I mean, you go from, I haven't had a break in three years coaching.
You know, you want to give everything. Last year was like very intense because
we had a shift of management. We had a shift of ownership. We had a shift of coaching.
So you kind of were doing everything in the off season. So you never got to
kind of catch your breath. path.
And then you go into this where I have to take, you don't have to take,
(38:03):
but you're taking this maternity leave.
And you know, it's such an important time to be with your son,
which is, can't even hold his head up. And we have a four-year-old as well.
And you're trying to be this mom and show him that you want to work,
but then you take a step away from the game and you're kind of trying to find
this balance of mom or work or mom or work.
And it's a different type of guilt because you want to be there for the players,
(38:24):
but you have to take this time.
So I've still been watching the games and sending clips and and
being involved but it's humbling you know
it's very humbling this this world goes quick and this
in this business it goes even quicker so you're just trying to
find the balance and I'm sure it's going to be a roller coaster you know coming
back and then traveling with him and not traveling with them you miss it there's
(38:46):
like an ache of missing this time but at the same time there's I have such a
passion still to try to help these and so invested in the team that you just
have to go day by day and hold on to the good.
And, you know, there's going to be days that are hard and you don't understand
what's going on, but your mom will tell you and the young women that are our
parents here that you never get more than you can handle. And that's why I just keep telling myself.
(39:10):
So looking back on your soccer story, there's so much that's so,
I feel like any player can connect with a certain part of your story in some way.
This is a huge broad question, but looking back on the game and what it's given
you, what is one of the best things that you'll take from the game of soccer
in your experience? Oof.
I mean, because of the way my career was, my family is involved in this.
(39:34):
And I say my family because my best group of friends are the women that I've met on this road.
So Sada Bjork, who played in Juventus, and I met in Rosengard,
then we went to Wolfsburg.
Pernilla Harder, like Mary Erks, like these players that I had a very short encounter.
And for whatever reason, we've kept in contact for five or six years.
(39:56):
Like these are people that I will be spending the next 40, 50 years with because
they were there through the hardest times in my life personally.
And they just find a way to be your family. And that's something that I will,
people are like, do you miss the game? I miss the locker room.
And you'll understand that when you're done. And that's just those experiences.
(40:16):
They stay with you for life. And again, I had some hard times in my career and
these women stood up and fought for me and were by my side.
And even now, I know I can call them whenever I need and they'll be with me.
And that's probably something that I'll always take with me.
Well, Ella, thank you again so much for coming on and sharing your story.
It truly is a remarkable one that I'm happy and honored that I get to help tell
(40:40):
with Girls Soccer Network.
Is there anything that you feel like I missed or that you want to tell our audience about yourself?
I think I have one question for you. Why did you go? You get drafted.
You get a taste of NWSL. You're a kid from Iowa, kind of against that.
You get this opportunity.
And then you go to Sweden. Why?
(41:00):
My biggest thing was I wanted a challenge that I wanted a real opportunity to
see myself get better and have that opportunity to develop it.
And so I am so, so grateful with my time at Louisville and every,
the exposure I got there, but when North shipping called and they said they
needed a left back and that I had a really good chance of being on the field.
(41:21):
I know that getting minutes and
being on the field is how I'm going to get better at the end of the day.
Training's great, but I have to put myself in an environment where I'm going
to get exposed to then learn. And I knew that that would be in Sweden.
Was that hard for you to leave home to do that? Yeah, it was a 36-hour decision.
It was very quick. I'm in Louisville. I'm in Columbia with Louisville.
(41:42):
I am leaving Columbia to spend 12 hours in St. Louis to move to Sweden.
And so there was a lot of uncertainty about if my husband was going to be able
to join, saying goodbye to family, but it was a leap of faith that I'm more
than confident paid off.
So I think that's when you look back at my journey and everything you just said,
like you don't know why or the feeling, but it's something if you can learn
(42:06):
to trust your gut and to bet on yourself,
it will work out how it's always supposed to.
And that's that sums it up. Like it's just you can't explain it.
You can't talk about it. You can't say why you just look back when you're done
with your pro career and you go, okay, whatever, whatever you believe in or whatever. I was guided.
I was in the right place at the right time. And because of my hard work, it all paid off.
(42:30):
Absolutely. Well, dang. Okay. Like that's what I needed to hear. All right.
Like over overseas is it's such a hard journey.
It is. It's such a hard journey, a new culture, like even Sweden where everybody
speaks English, like it is.
So you said you got to stay with it three months, six months.
And you know, every game you're just putting yourself out there.
You're fighting for your team, but you're doing what's best for you.
(42:51):
And lucky for you, you get your husband with you. I mean, it's just going to
be a time as a young couple and And as a young American trying to find your
way, you're in exactly the right spot.
I don't know you minus this conversation, but I'm telling you,
you're doing the right thing for your career because you bet on yourself.
Thank you so much. And thank you again so much for coming on. We're so, so grateful.
(43:12):
Anytime. Anything for Jen, you know? All right. Once again, thank you so much,
Ella, for that podcast interview.
I am so honestly grateful to have spent that much time with you,
getting to hear about your story, talking about everything.
For all of our Socceristas, I really hope you got something out of that.
Give Ella a follow on social media.
Tune into the Chicago Red Stars game at Wrigley Field on June 8th,
(43:36):
and so much other exciting things happen in the NWSL.
As always, stay in touch with Girls Soccer Network, with Sam Carey and Jordan
Wickus on social media, and we are always here to answer questions,
stay in contact with you, and help in any way we possibly can.
Once again, thanks for everything, and soccer on.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang
Ding dong! Join your culture consultants, Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang, on an unforgettable journey into the beating heart of CULTURE. Alongside sizzling special guests, they GET INTO the hottest pop-culture moments of the day and the formative cultural experiences that turned them into Culturistas. Produced by the Big Money Players Network and iHeartRadio.