This year Arsenal came to Los Angeles for the first leg of their North American Pre-season Tour. Here in LA adidas and Arsenal unveiled the highly anticipated 2019/20 away kit inspired by the kit worn in the 92-93 season, affectionately dubbed the “Bruised Banana.” We caught up with Arsenal superstar Mesut Özil to get his thoughts on the kit and also pick his brain about 90s culture and fashion.
This summer I was getting prepared to shoot the Women’s World Cup in France and a very unexpected thing happened. The type of thing that can only happen when you have a Grandmother that has lived through three generations. A few weeks before I was set to get on the plane to France, I was having a conversation with my mom and she tells me that my grandmother mentioned that she thinks we have cousins that play on the Jamaican Women’s National Team. I have to be honest, I took the news that we may have family that plays on the team with a grain of salt. Not saying I didn’t believe my grandmother, but I needed more proof.
A week or so goes by, and then I come across an article that ESPN put out that sparked my curiosity about this potential family that I have that may play for the team. The article shared the story of how Cedella Marley helped save the Jamaican women’s program and helped them get to the World Cup. After reading the article I immediately text my mom to find out the last name of the girls that my Grandmother was talking about. After a few texts back and forth, a conversation with my Grandmother and a few google searches it turns out she was right, well at least she was right about the last name of these sister’s that played on the team.
The family connection was still yet to be locked in, but just a few days before I left for France, I get a call from a distant cousin, who now, thanks to my grandmother connecting us became not so distant a cousin. We talk for about an hour, I learned that she was born in the UK, and moved to the Northeast United States and built a life with her husband (who is from Jamaica) and raised two daughters who grew up loving and playing the sport of soccer. I learned that her oldest daughter just finished playing at Boston College and recently signed with Roma women’s club. I learned that her younger daughter is going into her senior year at Rutgers.
Allyson Swaby
Chantelle Swaby
I learned a little about the struggles the team had leading up to the cup. I learned from first-hand sources about the shortcomings of the Jamaican federation and their allocation of resources to the women’s program that was written about in the ESPN article about Cedella Marley helping the team. After the conversation, we were not sure of the exact connection between my Grandmother and her parents but what was important is that we knew we were family. We set a plan to try and meet somewhere in France.
Fast forward to the second group stage match, Jamaica against Italy in Reims, France. The most random place for almost 4 generations of a family line that started on the tiny Island of Jamaica to finally connect. I met my cousin Diane Swaby at the train station in Reims and we had lunch before heading to the match. We both learned more about each other and our families who, although somewhat strangers, were connected by parents and grandparents that have been blessed with so many years on this earth.
That evening I was there on the sideline and shot the match between Jamaica and Italy. I felt like it was an opportunity to give something to the family that even then I had yet to meet. I made it a point to find the Swaby family in the stands along with their friends who made the trip from the Northeast to France and get pictures of the whole group. From the warmups to the walk out of the tunnel to the National anthem to the final kick to greeting friends and family after the match, I was on a mission to capture every moment so that I could share not only with family but with the team as a whole. Their journey to the cup was not all glitz and glam like other countries. Despite a lack of support, marketing, sponsorship, and planning the women on that team made it to play at the biggest stage. I wanted to make sure I did that justice.
I actually didn’t get to meet my cousin’s till about 3 days later, in Grenoble, a day before they played their last group match versus Australia. We met in a small pizza shop in the city center. It was funny because I felt like I was the old relative that your parents would force you to say, “hi” to at the family gatherings when you were little. I’d like to think I am a bit cooler than one of those creepy uncles, hopefully. Either way, Chantelle and Allyson Swaby have a fan for life. Chantelle is back with the National Team right now at the Pan American games and Allyson is back in Italy getting ready for the Roma women’s season. Football has been in my life since I can remember and to this day it never ceases to amaze me. It has the power to bring joy, pain, cross borders, end wars, or maybe start them. It is universal. It has a language that is understood all over the world and it connects dots, even dots that you never knew existed.
Check out the rest of my favorite photos from the match vs Italy below and be sure to follow both Chantelle and Allyson Swaby @chantelleswaby and @allysonswaby10 as they continue to do their thing on the pitch for both club/school and country and the rest of the “Reggea Girlz.”
For this edition of Kit Stories presented by World Soccer Shop, we meet up with Mr. “Have a Nice” himself, David “Vuj” Vujanić. Vuj takes us through his kit journey, from falling in love with the sport during the 1998 World Cup when he was captivated by the OG Ronaldo. Vuj recaps a story of a very unique Steven Gerard Liverpool kit that he owns and we learn about how a series of kits in his closet represents the different iterations of his family’s national heritage. His kit journey comes full circle at the 2018 World Cup in Russia when Serbia played Brazil in the group stages. Watch as Vuj passionately expresses his love for the football kit. “I love kits man, they’re just iconic. They represent a time. They capture moments. They transcend the game itself.”
Be sure to follow Vuj on instagram at:
Hailing from Wauwatosa, WI, Cara Walls has repped her state at just about every level within the sport. From winning national championships at the U-18 level with her club team to representing the University of Madison, Wisconsin at the collegiate level Cara has done her state proud. We recently caught up with Cara to learn a bit more about her career, what it was like to play with players like Christen Press and about her new undertaking studying architecture and urban planning.
Follow Cara: @ckaydub
Photos: @ts_xiv
Can you tell us a bit about where you’re from and your early days with the sport?
I’m from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and I started playing soccer at an early stage. I played for FC Milwaukee, which was the only team in the area that could compete with some of the bigger clubs in the Midwest as well as teams from around the country. My final year of youth soccer we won the U-18 national championship which was really cool.
So you win the U-18 national championship and then get to play college soccer and continue repping your state. What was your collegiate experience like?
I loved the university, the people, just the culture that they created…like competing and being competitive, being a leader. I was able to be captain my junior and senior years. I won some individual awards like the offensive player of the year. It was really a blessing that soccer offered me the opportunity to go to school at Madison and to have an unforgettable experience there.
Post-college, you end up getting drafted and playing for the Chicago Red Stars. Can you tell us a little bit about that?
It was an amazing experience and one that, once again, soccer provided for me. That was beautiful for me. I wasn’t playing as much as I would have liked to though. I think I started two games my first year and five games my second year (and scored two goals). My second year was an improvement but I’m playing with some of the best players in the world at this time. I’m playing behind Christen Press and with some of the greatest players in the world. So although I wasn’t starting as much as I would have liked it was a great experience for me.
In the middle of my third season there I got released and ended up signing with Saarbrucken in Germany. I loved it there. It was another example of soccer providing me with an amazing opportunity. This time to travel to a new country, meet new people and to just really grow as a person. I played a season there, traveled around Europe quite a lot and had a great time. After that season I wanted to see myself doing different things. I didn’t see myself on the road and traveling for the next five years. So I decided to go to grad school and invest in another career. That’s where I found myself now.
When I started to play there was hardly any women’s football on television. It was not broadcasted and the Dutch Women’s team at that time was not participating at the big tournaments. So I had to watch Eurosport in order to see a little bit of international women’s football and that started during the Women’s World Cup in 99. Especially the USA women’s team stood out for me. They were playing for big crowds, winning the tournament in the end. Really special to see that on tv and to see all these great players from the different countries at that stage.
Soccer has taken you on a number of journeys and now you are on a new one. What’s this career path you are undertaking?
I’m studying architecture and urban planning and I have an emphasis on landscape architecture, sustainable building with an interest in futuristic design and creating community spaces. So that’s the program I’m currently in. And I’m still involved with soccer – I’m an assistant coach for the women’s team.
Architecture is giving me an opportunity to try and find solutions for problems that we have created and to really try and find solutions through sustainability.
Let’s transition for a minute here. We’ve talked about your soccer career. Your love of design and sustainability. What about any interest you have from a cultural standpoint? Is music, or sneakers or fashion anything you have particular interests in?
I love music. It’s like the heartbeat of everything for me so I’m always keeping an eye for new music. I’m definitely a hip hop and R&B person. I like fashion and sneakers although I’m not a hardcore sneakerhead. I do like cleats though. I like collecting cleats. I have a thing for old Predators. I probably have five or six pairs of adidas Copas that I’m always wearing. I like the classic adidas three stripe sweatpants.
I’m a fan of Diadora and some of the old school stuff from the ’90s as well.
You mentioned your love of music, give us three artists you are into right now.
I would go with Lil Baby. I also like Drake, 2 Chainz, Chance the Rapper, Lauryn Hill. I’m a 2Pac fans as well. We have the same birthday.
You and 2Pac having the same birthday is a fun fact. What’s your favorite Pac song?
God bless the dead. I really like that one.
So back to soccer, did you watch the Women’s World Cup?
Of course. I went to school with Rose Lavelle. She’s a bit younger than me but we played in college. We played together in my junior and senior years. My senior year we just kind of took over and ended up winning the Big 10. She’s awesome. And it’s been so fun to see her putting on for Wisconsin. She just looks majestic on the ball. She’s insane.
We’ve seen the women’s side of the sport really grow and the attention around it heightened in recent years. What are your thoughts on that?
I think it’s definitely changed for us for the better. I think social media and the kind of visibility around the sport is important. Seeing an Instagram account for the NWSL, seeing posters and campaigns from Nike. The visibility is important because I don’t think it was there in the previous years and I think it is having an impact. Like the Nike campaigns, the Nike commercials are really powerful and something that had just been missing. It really hasn’t been there like the last 10 years. So I think the advertising and branding itself is really important. Getting the message across that we have a really powerful team.
We have a certain privilege of actually training these women. And getting them the resources they need to have a really competitive team and that’s, that’s a beautiful thing that not all countries have. So I think being able to support that and kind of showing the progression of women through soccer is really powerful. And I think that’s what’s happening right now. And I think it’s because of the growth of the NWSL.
There’s really talented women all over the world, but a lot of times they don’t have the resources or the support from the country. So I think it’s really good for the United States and the developed world that were supporting the women’s team. And we have a really powerful women’s team. I think it’s a really good image for younger women that this is an option for them. You know, you can now grow up dreaming of being a professional women’s soccer player because that’s something, even as a really talented young player, I didn’t have that vision because I didn’t really know what existed. I think that’s great. And I think it’s all part of the US moving forward and us progressing as a country of supporting what we have going on with the women’s side of things.
Last question—now that you have been away from the sport as a player for a bit and are back in school for architecture—how do you see soccer having a role in your life going forward?
I had played soccer for 24 years and it was the dominant thing in my life. So I was really excited to try and do other things in other fields. But I already miss playing soccer and I’ve had a couple of opportunities to play again at a high level. One of which was in a summer league in Iceland. So I want to continue to try and play at some level.
I’m currently an assistant coach at the college I am attending and I do private sessions as well. I feel like I have a lot to offer and things to pass on to young players and I really enjoy that. So through coaching and being able to spread the knowledge, I’ve learned through the game and then, maybe, getting back and playing in a summer league in Iceland or somewhere closer to home would be great.
Bling has long been a nouveau-riche term reserved for the necks, wrists, and pinky fingers of the elite American athlete or musician. However, with IG influence increasingly molding global taste, the style of the rich and famous around the world are beginning to blend.
Enter Jason of Beverly Hills, the LA-based jeweler known for his penchant for high-end clientele: namely the starlets of European football. His work and friendship with players such as Didier Drogba, Kevin-Prince Boateng and Antoine Griezmann have made him a known commodity in the beautiful game.
From the jump, it’s clear that Jason’s connection and comfort around American sports celebrities allowed the football stars of Europe the comfort to start a relationship.
“In the United States, we service over 300 professional athletes from American football, basketball, hockey, baseball…What happens is a lot of the guys, even 15 years ago when we started, would come here to either play friendlies or they would come to the United States to vacation in the offseason. A lot of guys would come out here just to party and have fun.”
2003 – His first client: Didier Drogba.
“He came to us then and he had purchased some items from us and was really excited and felt like, listen, ‘we don’t have a lot of jewelers that are back in the UK that sell the type of merchandise you do and the type of custom work that you do. It’s a little bit more of you pick out of a showcase and things like that.’”
From icing out one of the great strikers in modern Premier League history, Jason’s contact list would explode: Boateng brothers, Paul Pogba, Antoine Griezman. In the last 10 years the family tree of Jason of Beverly Hills would expand the entire European continent.
Jason talks with excitement as he recalls visiting the training grounds of AC Milan, Chelsea and Manchester City for a private session with players on the respective teams.
“We oftentimes know the captain of the team and they’ll set it up so we can meet some of the other players. It’s a small knit community just like it is with American sports, so that once you kind of get into the circle and earn their trust, they definitely refer you to friends.”
With social media growing in influence for both the average Joe as well as the €500,000/week athlete, Jason notes that the trends and style of Europe and America were becoming one and the same. He’s quick to point out that European players prior to social media picked up on American style cues from actually seeing the nightlife themselves.
“So guys in Europe, they get to know what’s hot here in the States a lot quicker in real-time, whereas before they would have to actually travel here. Get in the scene. Go out at night. See what people are wearing. Now it’s instantaneous.”
The jewelry game for those who can afford it changed beyond recognition.
“So they could be sitting at home between practice or before a game and they scroll through their Instagram and they’ll see what the newest, hottest fashion is here in the States….The information is transmitted in real time.”
Historical differences between the athletes of Europe and America were rooted in old-world definitions of luxury.
“Europeans were typically a lot more conservative, weren’t as flashy. Not only just the jewelry but their overall dress was so different than American athletes.”
Interestingly enough as the American celebrity began to adopt more European luxury into their wardrobe: Gucci, Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, sartorial rules around jewelry shifted dramatically towards the style of the American athlete. The global culture was taking root in both brains.
Take French talisman, Antoine Griezmann. Even as one of the flashier icons in the game today, Griezmann’s custom “Fortnite” chain made waves. It’s a wave that Jason himself helped create.
“The most fun pieces are the ones that really capture someone’s identity, what they love. Antoine Griezmann came to me and he said ‘Listen, I want to do something different. I love Fortnite. I play it all the time. I want to do a Fortnite character.’ He fell in love with the character doing ‘the loser dance’ because he felt like, ‘That’s what I want to do every single time we win on the pitch.’ So we brought that to life and did a little black diamond and green emerald Fortnite pendant.”
Another American tradition readily adopted by the European players is the championship ring. Jason had created the championship rings for the Lakers which caught the interest of a certain Didier Drogba.
“When Chelsea won the Champions League Didier Drogba had called us up and said he was such a fan of the Laker rings that we did that he’s like, “I want to be able to do something special along with the team for all the players, the trainers, and the coaches.” So we designed a ring that he approved along with some of the other players, flew over to London and we did this big gala for all the players and the team officials to attend and each player and the coach and training staff was awarded a championship ring to celebrate their Champions League victory.”
The gesture would be repeated by Griezmann to celebrate Atletico Madrid’s La Liga victory. It made some of the old European guard squirm—the idea that high profile European footballers would practice such an American tradition. Jason’s proximity to the players gives him a different perspective.
“It’s the story behind the actual ring and what it signifies. It’s funny because I feel like the players appreciate it more than anyone and this has all been driven by the players…To see the look in their eyes when we’re presenting the rings, it means the world to them. Even if they’re not a flashy person, it’s more of a memento or trophy that they put in their house, that it kind of memorializes and pays tribute to the championship they won.”
Surprisingly enough all of Jason’s jewelry for footballers have been for the athletes abroad. With global style culture swaying back and forth between the Europe and US, he feels like he’s got a good shot of making some celebratory ice for an American team as obsessed with Americana as the stars of Europe.
When Luis Robles was a kid living in Germany as a military brat, his father made him a deal. The Robles family was getting ready to move back to the United States, which wasn’t going to be an easy transition for the children in the family, but Luis’s father promised his son two things to help ease the grief of the move. He promised him a pony, and a pair of Air Jordans.
“I was more interested in the pony. I never got the pony, but I got the Jordan 4s. From then on that started my obsession with Nike.”
Robles never did get the pony, but what he wound up getting along with a pair of Jordan Bred 4s was the planting of a seed that would eventually bloom into his love affair with sneakers, and with Nikes in particular.
More than 20 years later, Robles is a standout goalkeeper for the New York Red Bulls, and he is also a full-blown sneakerhead who can always be counted on to be sporting a fresh pair of kicks at Red Bull Arena. He counts the Jordan 1 Retro Travis Scotts, Wotherspoon Air Max, and Off-White Grim Reapers among the top pairs in his collection, a collection that never stops growing.
Robles’s fascination with sneakers blossomed as he established himself as a top young goalkeeper in the American soccer youth ranks.
“One of the coolest moments for me was when I was 14, about to be a freshman in high school, and I get this big box and that was my invite to the U-14 national team selection program. For me, the national team was the highest level, but more importantly the national team wears Nike.”
As fate would have it, Robles went on to play college soccer at the University of Portland, which put him near Nike’s global headquarters, where he eventually secured an internship that helped him build his first real collection of sneakers.
“We lived in a row house and I had this huge walk-in closet, and people would just walk by and check out the collection. I didn’t have the exclusives, but it was still a pretty good collection.”
Robles enjoyed his time interning at Nike, a stint that included being mentored briefly by current Jordan Brand vice president Howard White, and if he hadn’t taken the path that eventually led him to a long and distinguished pro career as a goalkeeper, he could have wound up a long-time Nike employee.
Robles left Nike to pursue his soccer-playing dream in Germany, but not before signing an endorsement deal with Nike that he has maintained to this day. The deal came with an open invitation to work for Nike if his playing career didn’t work out.
Robles playing career has worked out impressively. After a slow start in Europe that led him back to the United States, Robles eventually settled with the Red Bulls and has been their starting goalkeeper since 2012, setting records and earning accolades as one of the best goalkeepers in MLS.
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The 35-year-old is married with three young children now, but fatherhood hasn’t slowed down his shoe collecting, which has continued to thrive since he set up shop in the New York area.
“What’s transpired since my time in New York, since there’s more of a sneaker culture here on the forefront of what’s going on style-wise, I’ve started to collect more and more.”
Though being a Nike athlete does help him secure some sneakers, Robles often finds himself doing many of the things your average sneakerhead does to secure a prized pair, whether it’s tapping into connections, or even trying his luck on the SNKRS App.
“The really cool shoe right now is the React Elements. I’ll wear those for a couple of months and then I just give them to friends. Whichever of my friends wear a size 11 benefit because they can come in any time and walk away with shoes that are gently worn.
“The ones that I keep are the Jordan 1s, because those are the ones I like the most. Air Max 1s are ones I like the most. Off-Whites I have like three, but for me the go-to’s, and if you ever see me on TV doing an interview, I’m wearing Jordan 1s because those are just my favorite. They’re such a great style shoe.”
Robles considers the Royal Jordan 1 his favorite pair of sneakers, but when it comes to the Grail he would consider his dream pair, Robles points to the original Off-White Jordan 1. Robles has a few pair of Off Whites, but the red and black Jordan 1s, easily the most coveted pair in the Off White collection, has continued to elude him.
“This is why the Off-Whites are such a big deal, because they’re not easy to get, even for me. Easily fabricated, but not easy to get. I’ve been very fortunate that I have a few. They just look amazing, and they’re the shoes you get the most compliments on.”
Robles isn’t the only one getting sneaker compliments these days. You can also find his father wearing Jordans these days, including a pair of Concords Luis gave his father that generated a fair amount of praise at Red Bull Arena when the two were spotted at a recent match. More than 20 years after receiving that first pair of Jordans from his father, and the love affair of sneakers that came with it, Robles has been able to return the favor.
If your idea of a perfect job is something that blends your love of soccer with the opportunity to travel all over the world to new and exotic locales planning events with some of the most incredible and talented people all over the globe you probably want Lindsey Miller’s job. As the Event Manager for adidas Soccer North America, Lindsey finds herself deeply involved in many of the releases, events, and activations that so many of us follow along with on social media. Lindsey has been able to take her passion for the sport and apply it to a career that is so much more than just a job. Full of passion, intelligence, and hustle, Lindsey is in the epicenter of what adidas Soccer is doing in North America and is a key part of the brand efforts to grow the sport in the US.
We sat down with Lindsey to hear more about her story, her role with adidas, and some memorable projects that she has worked on.
Follow Lindsey: @ellkayyemm
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Nashua, NH
Can you tell us about your soccer experience growing up? Did you play college? Where?
I’ve played soccer for as long as I can remember. I followed around my older brother in our backyard and our basement and we’d play wherever we could. I played on an all-boys team until I was U-12. For club soccer, I played my most competitive years for Seacoast United (New Hampshire), as well as on the NH ODP team and then Varsity High School for 4 years at Bishop Guertin High School. I then was lucky enough to get a scholarship to play at the University of Virginia—GO HOOS! It wasn’t until my senior year of high school when I committed to play at UVA(that I knew I was going to play soccer in college) as I was pretty sure I was going to end up playing college basketball instead. Looking back I can’t have imagined going or playing anywhere else.
Can you talk about your path to working at adidas? How did you end up there and what your role is with the brand?
Out of college, I knew I wanted to work in something around sport or athletics and got pretty lucky getting hired for a small event production company based out of Colorado. We owned and produced events—anything from triathlons, mud runs, and 5Ks to beer festivals. I was at that company for around 5 years and then my old roommate/colleague got a job at adidas HQ and he then basically convinced me to apply for an events role that had opened.
A few interviews later, I was hired! My current role is within our Marketing/Communications team as the Event Manager for all North America soccer activations—so anything from product launches to grassroots events to working with our European clubs to activate when they are in the US.
What have been some of your favorite events or launches that you have worked on?
Working on anything around World Cup was obviously a dream come true as it’s incredible to see the planning that goes into it. I think the Predator relaunch in 2017 was also a really cool project just because Predator is such an iconic franchise and seeing the excitement from it being brought back into the market was amazing.
As a kid that grew up playing soccer, what has it been like to work with an iconic soccer brand like adidas?
The last 3 and a half years have flown by and sometimes I have to take a step back to realize how lucky I am to work at adidas and do what I do. Being able to work in the world of soccer has been an absolute dream and I love coming to work every day.
My job has given me opportunities to not only meet an incredible group of people but also has given me experiences I’d never imagined I would get. I got to go to the World Cup final in Moscow last year and am going to the Copa America final in Rio this year. I’ve been in the same room as Messi and Kaka. It’s humbling to think about how lucky I am.
How would you describe the football culture?
The great thing about sports and soccer, in particular, is that you can connect with so many individuals across the globe. And that’s probably my favorite part about it. It is not just one-sided. There are so many aspects to the soccer culture that some people forget to recognize. There’s fashion and there’s a cool factor to it. There’s a language to it and there’s a community. I love that.
That predator relaunch was amazing as have been some of the experiences you’ve had through your career. Is there any advice you can pass on for people looking to start a career in soccer?
My advice for anyone looking for a career in anything they are passionate about would be the same—it’s all about managing and engaging in relationships with people that you already know, and then getting out of your comfort zone and connecting with people you don’t. You’d be surprised at how deep networks run. To be connected, all you need to do is ask and set up a phone call with the right person.
I’ve always had a hard time reaching out to people I don’t know, but it’s much easier to connect with someone if you have a mutual friend to do so. Long story short, just network as much as you can—and be a sincere person. That always helps.
If you had to choose one, Predators or Copas?
AH! This is not a fair question!!! The new Preds are SO comfortable and I love that I don’t have to break them in. They feel like slippers. The Copas are just classics though! You can’t really go wrong either way, but if I had to choose, I’d go Predator. Also, younger me would be mad at older me if I DIDN’T choose Preds because they were my favorite cleat growing up.
Sambas or Gazelles?
Gazelles! In all of the colors, please!
Dear Readers,
As we begin to close out this special World Cup, I wanted to reflect on the importance of the beautiful game and the power that it has to change the way the world can see current issues. When we started KTTP, one of our main points of focus was to make sure we tell the story of female on and off the pitch, who transcends what takes place inside the white lines. Key storytelling on the female figures that are breaking the barriers of fashion, music, art, and more all around this game we love.
Every four years, we take female football seriously. The brands start to get behind the athletes, others collaborate with key female tastemakers all to showcase the “power” of the female. I’m not saying all brands do this, but a lot of them come out of the woodworks when the timing seems fit. Now I don’t knock the hustle whatsoever, but what I do have a problem with is the fact that women can’t seem to get the full treatment 100 percent of the time. It only seems to happen when it is convenient, hence the biggest platform in the world aka The World Cup.
Just like the politics as a whole inside the game itself, taking a micro look into the women’s game baffles the hell out of me. Being from the USA we have pride in knowing our USWNT is the best team in the world, but the USA is not looked at as a soccer hub. Would we be taken more seriously if our USMNT had won a World Cup? Would the USA have a bigger following if the MLS was more like La Liga or the Premier League? How about the NWSL, arguably the best female football league in the world, but still battles to get support.
As we continue to build the KTTP brand, our focus on women will always remain a top priority. With the 5th issue of our new platform, we took the time to focus on key women that are making moves inside the world of football from various perspectives. Please understand that an all-female issue as cliche as it may seem is not something that will show up today and be gone tomorrow. Each issue has and will remain focused on the culture of our sport, a culture that oozes with a creative body of individuals all keen on the same vision of equality within the global game. We hope you like the words, photos, and videos from our female team. They have put a tremendous amount of work into this issue and will continue to shine the light on this ever-growing topic. Football truly is Female.
Curtis Brown,
Founder of Kicks to the Pitch