Former NWSL player says league culture pressured athletes to support political messages they opposed

Eddy, who retired earlier this year after an 11-year professional career, told OutKick that the confrontation left her "really, really disheartened" but "not surprised at all." Her concerns extend beyond the stands to team environments where, she says, supporting a cause could become a test of being a good teammate."Hey, everyone wear the shirt, be a good teammate, be a good ally," she recalled.Elizabeth Eddy No.19 of NJ/NY Gotham FC before a game between Kansas City and NJ/NY Gotham FC at Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., on July 2, 2021.

(Getty Images)But behind those public displays, Eddy said, "there was like no room to voice a different opinion."For the retired NWSL veteran, that message created a difficult choice: publicly support a position she did not share, cover it with a sweatshirt or explain herself to people she depended on to succeed on the field.OLYMPIC LEGEND KAILLIE HUMPHRIES OPENS UP ON IMPACT OF WOMEN'S SPORTS ADVOCACY ON TEAM USA RELATIONSHIPS"There was a lot of times where that was like the situation where you either wear it, you wear a sweatshirt over it, or you just flat out say, ‘I’m not wearing this,’" Eddy said."And then the repercussions of saying you’re not going to wear it on different teams in different political or social causes have different, I would say, responses and none of them are great."Eddy, who announced her retirement in March after an 11-year professional career, is describing what she considers a gap between the NWSL’s public messaging and the private beliefs of some players.Her account centers on social pressure, team relationships and the perceived cost of disagreeing, rather than a specific disciplinary action she says was imposed for refusing a shirt.She said the expectation to present a united front could leave little space to question a cause."There was like no room to voice a different opinion," she said.Eddy described players being directed toward reading material when they disagreed.

"Reeducate yoursel...