Ali Riley
Appearances
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
Did Brandy take her shirt off again?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
You already knew.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
Yeah. Oh, I think I remember 15.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
I missed that part. But you were there, weren't you? Not a big clubber now.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
100%.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
You are a piece of me.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
We're going to do this tour whether you want us to or not. We're not going to Africa.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
Yeah, bring us home. Okay, but I was saying... Uh, Sid and Allie, it's got to come from the soul.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
Yes.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
Yeah. Soccer sucks.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
And he's like, what? Yeah. How are you on the sideline? In stereo, what are you like? Truthfully.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
Not yet.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
Yes.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Julie Foudy on Motherhood, Affecting Change, and The Three Clap
Yes, we're striking in the quad. Everybody's doing it.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Puss, puss. Kick it here. Period. See you in the big D.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
So I was a little bit older, but that just made such an impact on me. And it wasn't, oh, I can play soccer for a living or even play for the national team. But it was women, strong women, Brandi Chastain, the sports bra moment shirt off with the abs.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And the 90,000 people there to watch women play sports. I think that was so inspirational for me. But it wasn't something – there wasn't then a pathway for any of us to follow.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
But seeing then the Sports Illustrated cover, Mia Hamm having commercials with Michael Jordan, that really was – So influential, I think, for me. But yeah, I mean, I didn't think it was anything that I would necessarily do. But it definitely made me love soccer even more. Speaking of kind of the 99ers, do you have a Mount Rushmore of soccer players? Based on...
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
We'll get her on the show because there are a lot of stories there.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I think I saw she's playing TSD. Oh, wow. And she probably still got it.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Okay, I definitely have Marta and Chaney on there. It is a bit, I don't want to say weird, bizarre. It's surreal that my memory and the impact that players have had on me kind of starts with 99 because I didn't know.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
They are teammates because besides the 99ers, which for me, the third face would be Michelle Akers, Julie Foudy, Mia Hamm kind of mesh together. Yeah. Like when they do the like make the AI baby, like it would be it would be the love child of those three. And and it really shows how times have changed because there is so much women's soccer. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
out there and publicity and engagement and it's on TV and you can stream Champions League. But when we were growing up, none. Yeah, none. Yeah, there was nothing. And so it really starts with them. And then we think about players that we played with and against being on our Mount Rushmore having this huge impact. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And speaking of, the fourth one for me is Christine Sinclair getting drafted to FC Gold Pride and her being one of the stars of that team. Marta was on the team later in the offseason because LA folded. But Sink was the star of the team. And I didn't realize I had played against her with Canada and New Zealand. Mm-hmm.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I had no idea that someone who was that prolific and that famous could be that humble. And she worked so hard and she led the team and I really got to know her. But I love that she is the greatest goal scorer of all time. And everyone thinks it's Cristiano. Everyone thinks it's a man. It's Christine Sinclair. She holds the record. And I love that for us.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
We talked about how things have changed so much. We didn't really have women athletes on TV very often when we were growing up. Who did you look up to?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Did you know from a young age, like you could recognize that your mom was sacrificing so much for you? And yeah, that's really special.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I think I realize that about my mom now, but she was so tough on me and I couldn't see it then that she wanted me to go to the best school and have the best opportunity to have the best life. That didn't include soccer for her. She didn't see that that could be a future where I could be financially stable. I mean, it wasn't really at the time. She got her PhD at Harvard and my dad at MIT.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
So they really wanted me to be an academic. And I just felt I didn't feel so supported. You were smart, though. I mean, I worked really, really hard, but I felt so much pressure. And she made me cry in college because I got... an A minus. Oh, no. Like it was serious. I know she's going to try to deny this, but she will.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I remember where I was walking my bike crying when I had to tell her I got an A minus in English.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Yeah. So, yeah, I got some kind of wound up there. A little trauma.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Yeah. And now I really understand. And she was the disciplinarian. out of my mom and dad you know good times drawn so um she just wanted me to have the best and I appreciate her so much now but growing up no she was not the person or the woman that I would have been like yes this is my role model this is someone who inspires me and but now she is She is now.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And when I think back to, you know, we have Women's History Month every year. And what I remember from inspirational women was in school talking about Amelia Earhart and Harriet Tubman. And I was like, wow, women are great. But I didn't feel like I identified with them. Harriet Tubman or Amelia Earhart. And I didn't feel like there was really anyone that looked like me. I felt the same way.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Or like, yeah, that I could really see myself pursuing the thing that they were doing because I love sport and I didn't really see that. Lori and Ronnie Fair played for the national team and they were half Asian. And that definitely like I saw something in that and Michelle Kwan. But again, we weren't seeing these women.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
There was no social media and we weren't seeing them on TV. What makes me so happy is that things have changed so much. And you have a very special story about how someone saw themselves in you.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
It is. And you've inspired so many young girls in this country and, well, around the world. And speaking to Alyssa, I just know that having someone who looked like her, who she could see herself in on the national team, scoring goals, being outspoken and expressive and having style and being her authentic self—I'm talking about you—
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
it meant a lot for her growing up and it is it is um the u.s national team is led by triple espresso and that's you know this quirky fun people coming up with these names for them but this is a big deal they're exactly who they are exactly and they're all so different and it's so amazing because i think now when you know young girls come up um playing soccer they can look
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Yeah, it really is. Do you think that these young players get it? That, you know, we fought so hard so that they would have it better. And we're far from getting there yet. Where they would never have to work another day in their life after they retire. We're not really closing the gender gap so much with the payment. But do you think they will keep the fight up? Do they know what it takes?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
It's very powerful to see the diversity of the team, to see the players, to hear them when they speak too. And not just the national team, but this league is full of women who just are fighting, who wear so many hats. The NWSL Players Association was started by a player, Yael Averbush, and led by players. And have made the league so much better and safer.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And I just feel like there are so many players who are dedicating their lives while they're active players and then beyond to continuing to grow this sport. And I love listening to a broadcast and having former players, looking at the GM of a team and having former players. 100%. Owners now, former players. I never considered any of that when I was growing up.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Coach, that was the one thing where, okay, maybe if you want to continue in the sport. Oh, Sid.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Thank you, but I don't. I don't know if I have patience. You can do it. But it's, yeah, I never considered that we could be a GM or an owner or anything bigger than that tiny being a player, being a coach.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I think so.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
When I think about women in these roles, we've talked a lot about if women's teams need to have a woman for a coach.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Yeah, and Angel City just announced the hire starting in June. And I know a lot of fans, supporters... People who cheer on Angel City were really hoping for a woman. And I think what you're speaking to is like, we need more investment in developing coaches, referees, so that in time, the best, when we say we want the best person for the job, there is just hundreds of women to choose from.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I think now we feel sometimes that people are asking us to maybe sacrifice the quality of a ref or a coach to have a woman. And it's a hard one because like you said, we want to have women in leadership roles and in management roles. And we want young girls to see women in those roles.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I'm so proud of you. And when you're going through something, I feel it with you because you are like a sister to me. And yeah, we had some some hard conversations. But I think when you love someone, it's important.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
well you and I could talk about soccer football all day and we will definitely add our our on field bits every episode but I think that's all we have time for for this episode so it's time for another break but uh stick around because there is more BFFR coming up soon you'll love this part
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Okay. Let's start with something that we're loving. Go ahead. For me, I just rewatched all seasons of Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte. And I just love that show. It makes me feel so good. I was a little bit stressed out and I watched it. And I also think that I would do well there and would love to speak like them. I burn for you, my lady.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
We are loving that. Thank you. That's what the kids do nowadays. Yeah, I've seen that. Do you have a win of the week?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Yeah, I think for me, a win would be running laps around the field. Allie ran for the first time.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Pain free. First time pain free in a long time. I was running a lot, but it didn't feel so good. It was not pain free. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Again, it's why we wanted to have this show. And I'm really proud that you are sharing your story and what you're going through. And I feel really lucky. And I have wanted us both to be smiling on a soccer field for a very long time. So it means the world to me.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Oh, you were at the butcher.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
The cut of meat, the meat itself.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
So a little update. My parents lost their home in the Palisades fire and we were great. We're fine. But there is a whole process with what happens after the fire with the debris and the rubble and the land and the soil and the house just. All the debris was removed. Our big tree in the front yard was cut down and taken away. So it's just this bare leveled piece of land. And it is bittersweet.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
It is... Now we can look forward to rebuilding and my parents are going to rebuild, but it's, it is this, this weird sense of loss. Like even when everything was rubble, it was still there. Like nothing was recognizable, but it was there and now it's gone. So I think I'm just kind of processing that, but it was a loss that is still positive because we're moving forward.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
But yes, I. You started it intense and I kind of. Okay. I took it there.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
No, never too real. For real.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And it's basically to rage.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
May this trend never go out of fashion.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Just rage. Soft girl rage.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Okay, now we answer a little fan question. I love this part of happy hour. Sarah in Denver asks, what's up, Sin and Ali? That's us. I heard a new NWSL expansion team is headed to my city, Denver. I'm so stoked because I don't go to the men's games because I have no one to go with and I'm nervous about going alone. Ooh, do you have any tips about how to find my own soccer girl gang?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I think if you go and are repping the team. Repping the D. If you've got the D with you and you are cheering and when someone scores, if you are just yourself and you go all out, the people will find you and they'll be like, see you here next week.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Embrace going alone. embrace. And don't forget when you do find people you like get their phone number or their Instagram handle. I don't know whatever we do these days. Don't be shy. And if someone isn't vibing with you, they're lost. Bye-bye. Yeah. So see you in Denver. Yeah. If we make it there. See you in the big D. All right. Well, It's over.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Our first ever episode.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Chicken, thank you for tuning in to our first ever episode of BFFR, the podcast. Remember to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show across all social media platforms at BFFR Show.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Thank you to our listeners for joining us. Have a great week. And we will be back next Monday with more BFFR. And don't forget, what was our affirmation, Syd?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Chicken. Boom. Amen.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Okay. Well, we had a really good thing going with our Instagram content. I think it started off with an Usher music video where you were performing in the rain. There were worms coming up out of the grass.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Did not deter you. You were grinding up on that mat out there. And it was kind of a big hit.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
According to Rocky, you were funny.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we did the Usher music video. We did a Valentine's Day expectation versus reality.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I think so too. Resonated with a lot of women and their partners, I think. Especially the athletes who, yeah, we're putting our retainers in. We're using the massage gun, the boots. No time for any hanky-panky.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And before we get into it, because we're going to get into it. Oh, we're going to get into it. May we remind you to follow us on social media at BFFR Show, subscribe to the show on YouTube, and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Exactly. And so we started doing the intros on Instagram. And we had Rocky Rodriguez, our teammate at Angel City last season, help us out with one of the videos. She was throwing water basically in Sid's face.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
It wasn't supposed to only go on you. I didn't like playing that with them.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Well, I was the producer and editor at the time. Yes, you were. So Rocky asked kind of, oh, what is this for? What are you guys doing? And I said, Sid and I, we're starting a show. And she said, that is so great because Sydney is really funny.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I'm glad you feel that way. I always knew you were funny. I'm really glad you feel. I feel like I bring out the best in you too.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Yeah. Yeah. So kind of kind of forced the issue. But when we tried to describe what this was, when we first started posting videos on social media, one of our first episodes, we tried to explain to Alyssa Thompson. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And we said it was a walking podcast and like a living podcast. And I'm actually relieved now that we have a sitting podcast because we're too old for that. Too old for that shit.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Oh, no. No. It'll happen. That content will still be there, but it is nice to be seated right now.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
That's okay. And our lives aren't just about kicking a soccer ball. That is definitely part of it. But we just want to be real with you. We want to be authentic. And we're going to have some great guests. We're going to have some hot takes.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And we definitely do not always agree. No, we don't.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And of course, we will talk about soccer. It's the game we both love. We've been doing it for a very, very long time.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Period. And if you rate and review the show. We only accept five stars. It helps others find us. And we definitely want to be found. You can even call us at 1-833-TXT-BFFR. That's 1-833-898-2337. We love hearing from you.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
A lot of our teammates were born.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Yeah. And the game has come a very long way, not just over our own careers, but the history of the sport in this country. And we are in an entirely new era of women's sports. And I really think soccer is at the forefront of that. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I have to say, of course, we've come a long way, but we still have quite a ways to go. Yes, we do. And we will be pushing for that because just in March, FIFA came out with a report that showed that the average annual salary for a female professional soccer player globally is around $10,900. That's tough. That's tough. That's really tough.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And that number is actually on the high end because it's skewed by the few clubs and leagues that actually pay more like the NWSL. So the NWSL is the top paying league. But last year, the minimum salary was still only $37,800. Imagine making $40,000 and living in Los Angeles. Yeah, I... It's tough. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Every season, because of this number, we talk about ways we could actually supplement our soccer income and help pay the bills. Make the big bucks. I feel like these ideas escalate very, very quickly. We had one teammate had a great idea...
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
maybe a beer angel tears yes something with the angels and connect with the brewery we wanted to make t-shirts and then we're like okay maybe we do feet pics maybe a nude calendar like we need the money and then i just thought we needed to up the ante and go for the big bucks and i told ally like we should sell our game worn spandex because
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
All right. On that note, it's time for a quick break, but we'll be back with more BFFR. So don't go anywhere.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
I know it worked, Sandy. Don't worry.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Yeah, she was my target. And again, it worked. It worked. It worked. Yeah. She definitely got positive reinforcement for her effort. Yeah, she really did. You and Sandy watching Rue play soccer. I know you said that. It is the most endearing and funny. And you guys are so intense and you sound the same and you're trying to coach her and she's just out there. She's there for the vibes.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And you guys get so serious and you can't help yourself.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
She reminds me of someone. I don't I don't I don't know what that is. Well, yeah. It's funny that it was your mom because my dad was my coach and also had never played soccer.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Yeah. I'm not sure how we got here. But he was my coach and my mom, she was the opposite. She came and watched me play when I was, you know, four or five. And she said, John, that is not soccer. Oh. And she went home. And a few years later, she said, John, she playing soccer yet? And my dad's like, she's the best. She's amazing. She's, you know, Pele. And so my mom biked down to the field.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Took one look and biked home because we were still just, well, I actually was just sitting in the grass picking flowers.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
And then I would schedule playdates with my teammates, probably on the other team too. It was networking for me.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
It's just about community and fun and being an only child. It was... that sisterhood too. I just, I know, I know those were, that was my big family and having my dad there. We, we just, we loved going to practice together and he was the best and he would chase us and come up with the best games. And then eventually it was, it was time for me to move on, find a better, better coach.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
Yeah. And then you followed in their footsteps. You became part of that legacy playing for the U.S. Women's National Team. But I forget that that you weren't a 10 year old girl watching that.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Facing It, Childhood Idols, and Soccer Mount Rushmore
OK, well, I was I was older, actually, than 10. I just picked a nice round number.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Coach Jackie J made a video about Allie. I didn't think it could better. That was the best night of my life. And you will always be a huge part of that. So thank you.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
How often, I mean, you're huge. You have a huge following. How often does the target of your video or your story reach out? Like, do you get comments? Do you get followbacks? Do you, obviously I'm obsessed with you. Besides me and Sid, do you get a response from the people that you're doing these amazing, hilarious highlights of?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
If you're scared to pick up the phone, you can email us at feedback at bffrshow.com. We love the questions coming in. And if you send it through, it could end up on the show. So this is where we would normally kick things off with an affirmation, but I do want to take a moment to send our dear teammate Savvy King so much love and energy and thoughts and prayers for me and Sydney.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Yeah. That's so sweet. She doesn't even realize the impact she has on people because she's very, very humble. I think because she's not here and because you are a fan, we should say something we love about Sydney. You go first.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
I do. I think she's such an inspiration. It's almost like I know her better or something. I don't know. Oh, my gosh. Okay, well, now I'm going to say something really good here. To your point, she had a show on Facebook with her ex-husband, and she gave birth to Rue on the show. I mean, she has really... Thank you so much for having me.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
even for her, but she really wanted to just be completely genuine in herself. And it has inspired so many people. And I think I love too that she is this badass. She makes these videos and deep down, she's the biggest softie. And I love being able to see that side of her and be with her in those hard moments when, yeah, she's going through a lot and
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Mother's Day, you know, just her interactions with her children. It's so special, again, that she shares that with all of us.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
And especially now as I've been contemplating and actively preparing, hopefully, for having my own family with Lucas, just having her support and just saying, like she said in our last episode, like, you don't know what you're doing, but if you want to do it, you got to do it and just it will come. And she's just kind of...
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Winging it, you know, and she makes us just all feel safe to be who we are.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
I was sweating in my gay but straight tank top here. What do you feel is being slept on right now in all these stories, the highlights, the information you're finding out, the athletes maybe? What's something that you're like, no, no, like this is up and coming or I want to highlight this? That's not getting the attention that it should be getting.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
We just wish you the speediest recovery. We miss you and we can't wait to see you back on the field. I am joined by a very special guest this week. I am a huge fan. It is Coach Jackie. Coach Jackie's social bio refers to herself as a lesbian Betty Cooper and sporty spice.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Oh, that's so sweet. And I'm glad you made it home safely.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
When you, okay, you were saying you make some videos, sometimes people don't get it or they're kind of writing in the comments. Do you clap back?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Yeah, no, I get that.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
No, but if Sydney were here, I think she would be able to explain some of her responses. So that will be for another time. Yeah, can't help herself. And she has hilarious responses.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Okay. So what has been your favorite or one of your favorite sports moments so far of 2025?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
She creates videos highlighting storylines in women's sports and is probably most widely recognized for her series, Is She Gay or Does She Coach Women's Basketball? Okay, hit me with the theme song. Okay. Okay. Well, thank you for introducing our podcast to you, but Coach Jackie J., what an honor. I have been looking forward to this moment. I'm so sorry Sid couldn't be here.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
That's so nice. Well, I love the shout out to your bestie. I'm obviously missing my bestie here. So maybe we do like a bestie. When we do our reunion, we have Audrey and Sydney there, obviously.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
So do you get just invited to all women's sports events now? Like, do they just roll out the red carpet for you because they should?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
It is. We're making history here all the time as women in sports.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Well, I think you're right on time because I just feel like we are in a new era of women's sports, especially with women's soccer. We're seeing it in women's basketball. I know we want to highlight and make sure that we're also... sharing stories of all these other sports who don't traditionally get as much coverage. Do you think that we are still in this trailblazing
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
movement moment or have women's sports become normal enough with the investment, with the coverage that we're in a new era yet?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Like I wasn't alive, but like-
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Amen. Coach Jackie J. Spitting facts. So, Jackie, this is the point of the podcast where Sid and I usually have happy hour at Bar BFFR. Would you mind joining me for happy hour?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Thank you. Thank you so much. Okay, well, so we like to start with something we're loving. And for me, that was this announcement that the Women's World Cup is expanding, not the next one, but the one after in 2031 to 48 countries. And I think this is a big dub for soccer.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
We'll have to run it back, but thank you for being a guest on the BFFR show. Welcome.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Yeah. And we saw in 2023, it was so exciting. There were these amazing stories. And I think there will just be more of that because like you say, the talent is there. And also, should we have so many fewer teams than the men? We can also have a large World Cup and it will be super successful. And
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
What this will mean having more nations involved just for the representation, what having, I hope that the prize money is also increasing dramatically for 2027 and 2031. Obviously, this is something we've been fighting for so hard. But with that means when you qualify and then when you get out of the group stage, all of that, that money can have a huge impact on these players' lives. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
But just the whole, you know, seeing her to be able to dream her and be her having this expanded Women's World Cup will be awesome. I will not be there as a player, but I will be watching.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
So I like how the table's quickly turned with who was doing the question asking here. But because it's you, so last cycle, I was very, very lucky to be involved with Feef Pro. So that is the global player union. So I was on, I was a part of a group of players that Thank you so much. May surprise some people, but we hadn't had single occupancy rooms before.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
We had not been guaranteed business or first class travel, certain conditions, certain quality of a hotel, location of the training pitches. All of this was something that hadn't been in as policy and protocol to match what the men were having. Prize money was a big conversation. The armband was a conversation. And so with prize money, we did get this guarantee. There's two parts to it.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Well, I've known about you for a long time. I feel like we've been trying to make something like this happen, and Sid was saying the exact same thing, but the universe wanted it to happen this way, and now we will have to have you on twice when Sid is here. But I will never forget first seeing your very viral series, Is She Gay or Does She Coach Women's Basketball? Where did this idea come from?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
One is, so the prize money did increase. But what was more important was that how would that money actually get into the hands of the players? Because like you say, the money goes to the federations and then depending on if the teams have a collective bargaining agreement, they may see a percentage of that. So with New Zealand, we have a CBA that is equal to our men's team.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
We have a players association that is unbelievable. And so we were guaranteed a large percentage of that prize money. So what this conversation was about was making sure that every player was going to get at least $30,000, depending on how the team did, and that that money would—each federation would guarantee that that would go to the players, right?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Since then, I haven't read that that was able to be followed through in a way that we know that that actually happened. So I do believe that this is a conversation that needs to continue.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
And then also the president of FIFA did say, okay, well, we're not going to make prize money equal for 2023, but we will make large steps to have equal prize money for the next cycle, which is quickly approaching. Yeah. So I will be on the edge of my seat and advocating in any way I can, whether I am playing or not, to make sure that these conversations continue.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
I mean, we know the collective voice is so important. A union is very important. And so that organization was able to facilitate these conversations and make sure that our demands were heard from FIFA.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
So, hey BFFR and Coach Jackie J. I am a high school junior who loves soccer but doesn't play the game. Everyone keeps asking me what I want to go to college for, but I don't know what I should focus on. What's a good major for someone who wants to be involved in soccer as something other than an athlete?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Gosh, well, I definitely went to college to be an athlete and to play soccer, but I think so many doors are open now. I mean, look at all the roles that women have related to sports, related to soccer. But I don't know what majors would be good. Help me out here. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Did you know it would go viral? How is the series doing now?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
And I think too, just as a fan, and if you love it, you will find a way in. You belong here. We all belong here. And I'm just going to give a shout out to psychology because I do find that if you are good with people and learn about people and
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
maybe that everyone has their own shit that they are dealing with in their lives, that it helps you just approach teams and sports and relationships with such an open mind. And that is very important in this life and this career. So just a little shout out to the Stanford psychology department.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
And that is all we have time for for this episode of BFFR. But if you're not already following Coach Jackie J, you can now follow on TikTok and Instagram. What are the handles, Coach?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Well, Jackie's content is unreal and it is very uplifting, very inspiring, very funny. And I'm just so grateful that you were down to come on BFFR. So thank you very, very much. And I can't wait to tune into whatever you're posting next.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Thanks for tuning in to another episode of BFFR. Remember to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show across all social media platforms at BFFR Show. There's obviously bonus content. Thank you to all our listeners for joining us. Have a great week.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
That's a big deal. That's a big deal that you locked in.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
You bought it. In college? That's a couple years. Yes. I haven't even bought ESPN Plus.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Okay, that's a lot for those of us who are barely dabbling in TikTok. But I know a lot of your videos have way more than that.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
You sure did. That's like why people talk to me. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
We'll be right back. Our schedules and lives are pretty much at the mercy of our soccer team and our bodies. But Sid said, boo-boos, BFFR show must go on. So here I am. And if Sidney was here, she would want me to remind you to follow us on social media at BFFR show, subscribe to the show on YouTube.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
ahead of the 2023 Women's World Cup. And I was so excited to really see you doing some soccer content. And you presented like, I'm going to be doing the Women's World Cup. And we won that first game. And you don't know how much clout that that video got me. Do you remember? So it wasn't, you've done two. There was the, is she gay or does she play women's soccer?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
No, it was really great. And I think before you talked about me, which was obviously great, you mentioned something that was so important that I'm still always arguing about the power of language and how ours is the Women's World Cup and the Men's World Cup is the World Cup. And I thought your video was just so well done. You're so well-spoken. You're so informed.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
I don't understand how anyone could ever disagree with anything you say. I guess we have similar values, but I think that's something that I'm just always fighting for. And I guess we'll see if it ever changes with soccer. But I have noticed some improvements with language. Have you noticed any positives around that?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Yeah, no, you're so right. I mean, if we are going to erase women's, then let's for the next 100 years have ours be the league and then the men be the men's league. We'll go that way. But yes, I think people think it's such a small thing or it doesn't matter. It matters. And if you don't think it matters, that's why we need to do it.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
I'm exactly the same. I don't think about it. And especially when maybe the women's game is today and the men's game is next week or on Wednesday. When I put that in there and maybe when I'm looking for a time or what channel to watch and then it is, oh, yes, the men play in three weeks and this is where you can find it. I'm like, no, I mean the Arsenal game today, which women are playing in.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Right. Right. We could talk about this all day, but I have to. So I wore this really cool basketball jersey that Tori, one of our supporters for Angel City, made for me, Sid, and Rue. And I was just wondering if you would rate my outfit and just what I'm giving today, how you would break it down.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
I have my whoop on. Yeah. How do you feel about fitness trackers?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Whoa. Okay. Yeah. No, I'm just going just single.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Wow. Okay. And I'm going double here.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Okay. Yeah. So I have a elephant. Okay. Now on this side, I have Aotearoa. So that's New Zealand and Maori. And then I have an elephant here that I got in Thailand with probably the other billion tourists who went to Thailand and got an elephant tattoo.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
And of course, follow us on Apple podcasts or Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts because Sidney Sid doesn't care where you're listening as long as you're listening to us. Please rate and review the show. It helps others find us and we definitely want to be found. Oh, and don't forget you can call us at 1-833-TXT-BFFR. That is 1-833-898-2337.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
If anything, it's a great compliment. And again, I told you that video... My teammates, they could not believe it. There was winning the game, and then there was Coach Jackie J made a video about Allie. It elevated the evening for all of us. I didn't think it could get better. I didn't think it could get better. That was the best night of my life, and you will always be a huge part of that.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
I have to ask. So you do your series, Is She Gay? Or Does She Play Coach? Whatever. Women's sports. You also have a lot of just information, storylines about women's sports and so many different sports. How much time does this take you? You are so well informed. You've done so much research. You are teaching me a lot about different sports. Like, how long is this taking you?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
Oh, yeah, you have your mom on there noticing or saying, pointing out if something is gay or looks gay or not.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Coach Jackie is For Real About Women’s Sports
What has been your most, I don't want to say popular, you can take it this way, but what do you feel has been your most impactful video or piece of content?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Well, I've never heard either of them utter a bad word. So. No, but they they definitely hear.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Well, mom, mommy's allowed to. Yes, exactly. Well, I I do feel like I'm interviewing you here a little bit because it's our Mother's Day episode. You know, I want I want you to be able to share your experiences and I will get into it later. But, you know, I'm doing some family planning with IVF and embryo freezing. But I've asked you this before, but I think everyone everyone should hear it.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
How did you know you were ready?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Yeah. And it seems like players, not everyone, but there is like this. There's the calendar. There is the international calendar. When's the Olympics? When's the World Cup? But.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Amen. Amen. Puss, puss. Yesterday was a very important day because yesterday was Mother's Day. Happy Mother's Day, Sidney, my boo-boos.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Freeze the eggs. Freeze the eggs. Freeze the embryos. How was the comeback? Because you you did you came back quickly. And it's yeah, it was amazing to follow when you were in Orlando and seeing how far up to Rue's birth that you continue to train. But did you feel supported in all of that? Do you think we've made progress now? And
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Well, we're getting slightly better at commenting on women's bodies and what women want to do with their bodies. But, uh, Still not all the way there. Nope.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Happy Mother's Day, Mom. I have my mom, too. We all deserve a Bev T-shirt on. If you can. This is one of my favorite shirts, obviously. Make sure. Give it some love. That's me and my mom after New Zealand won our first ever World Cup game last. No, not last summer. In 2023. Wow. How do you like to celebrate Mother's Day alone?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
How do you feel like your dynamic as a mom of one and then two? Like... How did that change things for you?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Sid, Sid had a whoop. We got, I still wear mine. Sid doesn't wear hers all the time for good reason. But when we had them in Orlando and Sid would come to training and she, I think the kids were sick. Also, you guys went through and everyone had COVID and she would have 4%, 1%, 9% and go out and just Kill it in training. Go home. Take care of the kids. Something would be going on.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Cassius would have some soccer. And we would just ask you this kind of all the time. And you would just say, like, this is my life. Like, there's no... I can't not do it. I can't not... Take care of them, get them to where they need to be. And if they can't sleep, I can't sleep. But I go to work the next day and I keep doing it. And then we would go on the road.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
And if she didn't bring the kids, we would just sleep for 14 hours and get back in the green.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
So they have to compete. You tire them out. They do a dance battle in the living room. And someone wins that. And then they are also competing to see who will sleep next to you. It's really tough for these two kiddos.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
And... They wanted to kill each other all the time. Yeah. But I have seen a bit of a little bit reconciliation.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Well, you froze your eggs. Mm-hmm. Are you... You think another LaRue? Um...
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
That reminds me. Do you remember when you told me? Oh. I do.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
When you made your comeback and. We're playing for Angel City and Cash is just the emotion he showed. Your bond is just so, so strong and it's so sweet, which is why it's so funny because she brings these two stunning Nike model children around us and is like, nah, you should wait. Like where they're wearing her jersey, like all of these things that I used to think about. But I took your advice.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
I figured if... my best friend who is a mom is telling me, you know, finish your career, especially at this point, getting to the final chapter here, then I think I will wait. But I just... It's not just about playing and not wanting to take that time away or then after having a family to support, but like the time and the energy, but also just financially. It's... It's scary.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
And the game now... Kids are expensive. Yeah. And the game has progressed so far. But, you know, I'm not going to experience or have these salaries and these contracts that these young players are having and not for many years. And it just...
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
I think I had this image, and I'm so happy to see my friends, Zashira Musevich and Amanda Illestet, Simona Boya, these players that were young players at Rosengård when I was there in Sweden, and seeing them now, one is playing in Sweden, one is, and two are in England, and seeing them be able to step away and have their babies is so special, and I...
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
yeah i saw that for myself but i just with the way we get paid with the national team and with my contract i and supporting lucas when he came over here before he could work before he had his green card that was stressful enough yeah and i wouldn't want to bring a baby into the world and into our life if i didn't feel like i could support them and give them everything they need um
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
But yeah, maybe we're closer now than we ever have been to at least being able to try. Oh, you guys will be the best parents. Come on. We'll see. We'll see. It's yeah. The IVF process has been. Yeah, it's a lot. A lot. It's heavy. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
It is. And I didn't know enough about women's health and. fertility and the statistics. And of course, everyone is completely different. But there are certain statistics that when you reach a certain age that I have now passed, how hard it can really be. Yeah, I just passed that. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Yeah. Yeah. Well, it's I know I just it's something that I really hope. One of the reasons why I want to share my journey is to connect with other people and be a source of support or a resource. But also, man, I just want the younger players to know what I didn't know.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
And just to be prepared and just so it is a choice and not get too. either the end of their career or an age, whatever it is, but just a stage where it's a lot harder and just not... When you're young, you think you're untouchable.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
When everyone's telling you, like, to protect yourself and, like, you know, be careful.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Yeah. And you make it work like you were saying, like you find a way. Yeah, you do. Yeah. Yeah. I think just with women's sports and how long it's taken for fertility and menstrual cycle tracking and family planning to become part of the conversation, it was like, When I was in college, we just talked about strength training. And then finally, nutrition and sleep came into the picture.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Recovery came into the picture. And now there's all these tools, technology modalities. And now finally, a lot of these conversations were still led by men and clubs. They're run by men or it's a club that had a tradition of having a men's team and then got a women's team. Or you're going off, you're running a league and a CBA is based off maybe the MLS, like all of these things.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
But until you get women, At the table and having these conversations, we are thinking about what it's like to need maternity leave, to want to have some coverage, some support for IVF or family planning, etc. Yeah, embryo freezing, whatever it might be.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
My mom also did not get that, but I would give her coupons every Mother's Day and birthday and Christmas. I would make these beautiful coupons offering up Massage, breakfast in bed, dinner. And I would just pray that she would never cash in. And she never did. I think she still has the goofballs. She's going to cash in now. Oh, shoot. I shouldn't have said that. Ignore that, Beverly. Oops, oops.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
But yeah, I think that's something we've talked about a lot is like, for the women who are parents and who want to become parents, how can we keep talking about this and be heard and just make sure that
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
It's being thought about when decisions and where what goes under the salary cap or what kind of sponsors can we get who will support women because we should be able to do whatever we want in this life. We all love our... Our moms. Our moms, especially this wonderful mother. Thank you. Thank you for sharing these amazing stories with us and enlightening us. Yes.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
That would be helpful as well. Thank you. Yeah. Thank you. We are not done yet. So stay tuned. We'll be back with more BFFR. It's time for happy hour at Bar BFFR, where we serve up our L's and Dubs of the week and answer one of your burning questions from the hotline.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Here we go. What is something you're loving? I am a huge rugby fan. Oh, okay. I know the story. I can't get enough. So obviously my dad is from New Zealand. So I grew up, he'd wake me up at 3 a.m. and we'd watch the All Blacks. But that was a very, very long time ago. And I didn't know anything about women's rugby. Mm-hmm. It definitely wasn't on TV. And now I have watched the 15s.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
I went to the sevens championship weekend. And these women are electric. They are so fit and they're not getting their flowers as they should be because they're just so inspirational. And it reminds me of where soccer was back. I don't know how many years ago, but like they have to travel, play abroad to be able to make money. And there aren't a lot of leagues.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
And I just I hope that rugby gets really, really big. The 15th World Cup is this summer. The Women's World Cup, obviously. And the sevens just finished up their league season. the Blackburn Sevens. They're my heroes. I got to do a jersey swap with them and I was just feeling so inspired and to be able to connect with some Kiwis in L.A. was really, really special.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
So, yeah, I'm just going to keep I love women's sports. Shock to nobody. But I'm really on the rugby, both the 15s and sevens bandwagon. If you haven't checked these players out, I don't US, Japan, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, whoever you need to, I am a huge fan and you should be too. What are you loving?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
35, flirty and thriving. How do you feel?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Yes. Yeah. I tell everyone that I feel like they don't believe me. No. But then I'm excited because women in their 40s have also said just gets even better.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
I'll let you know. Yeah. Okay, so it was your birthday. You're loving that. Do you also have a win? The pregnancy pillow. I've been getting more sleep. Okay, so that made a big difference for you.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
So you have a full boundary. Yeah. Offense, basically. Yeah, it is. That was smart. Genius. Well, I feel like the theme of the episode, I'm going to share that we found out how many viable embryos we got from cycle two and we got three. We have four viable embryos.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Now they're there on ice waiting for when it's time. Waiting for when you're ready. Yeah. And I think for anyone wondering, because I did get questions when we were doing IVF, there have been people who thought that I was now pregnant. I am going to try to come back to soccer until I can't or don't want to. So I don't know when that is.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
My contract with Angel City is up at the end of this year, but I don't want that to be a timeline. I'm going to keep trying until I feel or a doctor tells me it's time to stop. And when that moment comes is when we would make use of one or my dad calls them the quadruplets now. He's like, put them all in at once. No, I won't. No. No. Maybe two. I don't know.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
They do a dance battle in the living room. Yeah. And someone wins that. And then they are also competing to see who will sleep next to you. It's really tough for these two kiddos.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
What do the kids, what do they do for you since you are not alone at a hotel room watching shows?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Well, I don't. But it's like maybe then you would get one. But then, yes, also maybe you would get two. Maybe you get none. Okay. I trust Dr. Mandelbaum. We'll see what she says. Okay. Yes. Perfect. Okay. What about an L? Did life serve you an L this week? I turned 35 years old.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Okay. Okay. Well, I'll keep that in mind for next year for you. Thank you. Um, I just have to say this. My L is my husband hitting snooze on his alarm in the morning when he has to get up really early. And I just think that's unacceptable. I think, um, yeah, I think that if you snooze your alarm, then you should sleep alone. So we'll see.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
I definitely was, was clear, but, um, yeah, no snoozers are for losers. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Yeah, I just just came up with that. I have a trend for you. OK. It was my turn to find a trend. And I found a fashion trend for 2025, which we are like halfway through. But thong sandals are back, Sydney. Yeah. We were doing slides for a long time. We got slides. We have clogs. The thong between the toes. Apparently it's back. Always gives me blisters. I can't. Okay, so it's a no from you. No.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
So it's like, you know. Yeah. I'm going to ask the eight ball. But I'm also going to tell you a story that I thought it was so embarrassing that my mom would call them thongs when I was like before I wore a thong.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
But like flip flops. And so when I was like, I don't know, hitting puberty and my mom, I had friends over and my mom was like, Alex, your thongs are in the living room. And I was like, Mom, don't call them that. They're flip flops.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
I have to wear very supportive shoes, so I can't wear slides or I have to wear sneakers, running shoes, except for the show. I try on some nice shoesies. According to the Magic 8 Ball, Thong sandals in 2025? Don't count on it. Thank you. Thank you. Hmm. Wow. Said what it said. Okay, you have the fan question for us this week.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
This was sent in by Emily from LA.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
I enjoy a petty. Petty, like engage, but not get back together. Yeah. Okay. But like throw them a little bone, make them think. Yeah. A little breadcrumb here and there. Okay. Okay. Yeah. I'm wondering the, I've been trying to move on. I'm like, this probably wasn't good for you. Agreed.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Yeah. I say don't engage. Just don't engage.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
This is any day because every day for Cassius is Mother's Day. This is the mama's boy of all mama's boys.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
All right. Do you want to remind us of our affirmation for this week, Syd?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Thank you so much for tuning in to our special Mother's Day episode on BFFR Show, the podcast. We appreciate you listening week after week. We're loving it, right?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
We love it here. We love it here. Chicken loves it here. Chicken is so relaxed here. It's time. We're back. How do you feel? Chicken, tell them. Subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show across all social media platforms at BFFR Show. Right? She said, fuck yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Wow. My boy. Well, to all the mothers out there, may you have this much love that Cassius shows Sydney every day. He does. And we are very grateful for all of you, especially Bev and Sandy. and Sydney.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
He did. This is so far as close as I've gotten to feeling like a mom, I guess, being an aunt and having auntie duties. Okay, this was after the wildfire. I'm very sorry for your house burning down. You don't deserve. You did nothing wrong. Angry face. I hope it will never happen again and it better not happen again because if it does, I will make sure I will bring the whole pool.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
We'll see you after this break. OK, mom, you ready for this? We want to get the lowdown. We want you to be we want you to be FFR about motherhood here. OK, I can do that. I know I can. I know you can for the people, for the people. Let's start off easy, Sid. What is the best part about being a mom? Oh, my goodness.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Okay. Okay. Who, like, what does a good day look like for each of them? Like, when are you like, yeah, yeah, you know, you're my favorite right now.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
That little girl. I know. I would give her anything and everything for her to love me. Yeah. She does love you. It works. She knows what she's doing. She does. She does. Yeah. She knows who to get. She does. Yes. I was a very easy target. But now because we would interact so much at the facility and I had to compete with the
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
25 other aunties but now I come over here and we're playing with stickers and maybe a little makeup we made smoothies so yeah and I was Auntie Allie and now I'm Allie Auntie Allie Auntie Allie I know I hate it I'm like where did the little baby voice go Yeah, I know. They're so grown up. And they have really busy schedules, Sid.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Tell us, you have a busy schedule, but then you are also driving, picking up. Give us a little insight into what Sid the mom is doing after coming to training, going to meeting, activation, training, Lyft. And then lunch and going home. And then it's like her day begins. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Before we get into it, because we're going to get into it, maybe remind you to follow us on social media at BFFR Show, subscribe to the show on YouTube, and follow us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify or wherever you listen to your podcasts.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Cassius, two years ago, Cassius, Rue, Sid, and I would shower after the game. And then we'd put them in their jammies, and they would have their cute little jammies with their different prints on them. And then we'd take them into the director's lounge, get food. They'd be a bit riled up, and then she'd have to... Well, they'd fall asleep on the way home. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
But at some point, you decided Cassius was... He got a little too old for that.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Yeah. Oh, I grew up in a naked family. Parents just walking around naked. I'm sure I will be the same. As a kid, I was so mortified when I realized that my friends didn't have naked families and they hadn't seen their mom and dad naked.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
And I couldn't believe it. And I was like, yeah, me neither. Right. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
We shared a bathroom. We had I had my bedroom. They had their bedroom and we shared a bathroom. We just had, yeah, two bedrooms, one bathroom in our house before we remodeled it. And yeah, so it was just kind of and there's no locks or anything. So but yes, I was the same at some point. It was like, yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Well, how do you feel about this whole gentle parenting phenomenon? It is a phenomenon. Yeah. Would you say I'm a gentle parent? Not in the sense that I read and see mom saying, you can't say no. Yeah, that's ridiculous. Yeah, I just... To me. Yeah. But I mean, I have never seen you raise your voice or like spank them.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Five stars. It helps people find us and we definitely want to be found. You can also call us at 1-833-TXT-BFFR. That's 1-833-898-2337.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
But I know that they understand when with the tone and you do a little like a look.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
And they they love you and they want your affection and your approval so much that I feel like they kind of they tighten up quick. Like they'll zip it up. Yeah. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
Yeah, I definitely wasn't wasn't gentle parented. No, but neither was I. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
OK, I don't know if this is a hot take, but how do you feel about on Mother's Day pet moms being celebrated or posting or like do pet moms get their flowers on Mother's Day?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
They eat like humans. They do. They eat better than I do. Lucky humans. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Being For Real About Motherhood
And you've never said, I'll kind of go, oops, or something. And no, they don't really bother.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Do you find it hard to stay close with teammates after you change teams? You know me. Well, yeah, you find it hard to communicate with anyone on your own team.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
I think when I left Orlando and we still were checking in with each other and given how hard that is for you, I was like, our friendship definitely goes deeper than being teammates. Yes. And I felt connected to so many players on that team. And like you said, if we were to get together, we'd pick up right where we left off. But you and I somehow, despite all odds, stayed connected.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
And then when you told me that you were getting close to a trade.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. That was an amazing, amazing day. Do you believe in sisterhood? Yeah. As someone, as an only child?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
And it gives us a chance to talk about something really important to us. Ourselves. No, I'm just kidding.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah, I know. I think you're definitely the closest I have to a sister. Um, going through alongside you, what you were experiencing and with your mental leave and your challenges. I think when you feel pain with someone and you almost, you know, want to put, you put their life ahead of yours and it is just such a consuming feeling.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
And I don't have any siblings and I haven't really known what that feels like. And I think it probably is different when you're a child. I think it's a different, I look at your children and we didn't have that kind of bond from a young, young age.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. And I think, you know, sometimes you frustrate the hell out of me. Yes, I do. But always there's just this love there. And that is so beyond being teammates and friends. And I think having you as a bridesmaid at my wedding, it was so special. You got me drunk at eight o'clock in the morning. As I should. As you should. You saved the day. Actually, you know what?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Obviously, we're best friends for real. Yeah. You're missing out on the F, but it's okay. Well, we told Rue that's... what BFFR stands for. That's true.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
We're talking about sisterhood. Let's give you this chance, Sid.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
The house burned down. So I was very like, I was trying to just let nothing bother me. And I was doing a pretty good job until... This happened.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
They come to take the photo of the portrait of us and they're holding, they're like doing a prom pose, holding one bouquet. And I'm like, what's going on?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. Right on the chest. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
It's on the dress and they're like, we can Photoshop it out. But I was like, I haven't walked down the aisle at this point.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
And my mom. Bev thinks BFFR show is best friends for real, but she also was signing off her emails with LOL for a long time because she thought it meant lots of love.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
I'm not taking photos with Lucas and our parents. Yeah. And she comes out running out screaming, tape, tape. And we're like, oh, she's had one too many shots now. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
The tape lifts pollen off of anything. If anyone needs to know this. Tape. Tape lifts pollen off fabric. Yes. And so Sid comes in. She's like, so I'm standing there. She's like, just sticking this tape. It was double-sided. So then she was like, yeah. The other side. And it was gone. And it was gone. And she was the hero.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. Yeah, we do. Do you obviously we we love our partners. Yes. But do you also feel like The only reason I can have this beautiful relationship with Lucas is because of my friends. Like, I need you guys.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. Tough. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
It's tough. Some of those like really kind of condolence emails just with a LOL at the end.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. And it's like, if I hadn't had vented and had this conversation with them, you probably would be sleeping somewhere else because we tell each other everything. And Lucas was saying, I don't talk to other men about this, so I don't really know, but he was saying like, Up until like guys talk to their boys about women that they hook up with and sleep with until they're serious.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yes, that's what I found out. I'm like... And I'm like, oh, that's when we just get going. That's when we start.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
And I'll tell you everything.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. It's so funny. So Lucas, he has accepted it now that there are no secrets. No, there's none. But I think when we were... Going through distance and... Yeah, it was hard. The question if he could move here... what that would look like. Would he resent me? Would I resent him? He wouldn't be able to work. I was in Sweden and I was crying. And who did I call? You.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
I remember it was around Christmas. I am at the Olympics. I get withdrawn from the team. Who do I call? You. And you just know what to say. You would always make me laugh and just always help me find me again. And that's something that
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
a sister that's something that family that is sisterhood to me and i i love lucas but he says great things are they always the right things absolutely not and i love him for that too but mostly because i have you just tell me what i need to hear same same yes it's it's very different yeah
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Do you remember the college days? Actually, before we, when we were acquaintances, when we were opposition.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. Complete allies. Yeah. We love it. I think. romantic relationships. If I think about when we were growing up and like the Disney princesses of these women, these girls in some of these movies being saved and, you know, sleeping beauties asleep the whole time. And he has to write there and I'm like, that's like, you know, like, yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
unconscious right without her consent right and is the hero and they get married i guess at 18 16 yeah um yes maybe the main character had like a animal or like some kind of sidekick but now think about frozen like now it's these women save themselves yes these women save their
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
It's time for happy hour at Bar BFFR. Cheers. We are serving up our L's and Dubs of the week and answering your burning questions. Mm-hmm.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yes, it was chat GPT, a chat GPT color analysis that went great for Sid and it was okay for me.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
It was, those were good years for Stanford, that's for sure. The old, the Pac-10. Ooh, Pac-10. Became the Pac-12, which now no longer exists. Never forget. Never forget, RIP. Yeah. Oh, my gosh. I must have led a very sheltered life because I saw you with your tattoos and scoring all your goals. And I was like, oh, she's so mean. Yes, I am. You were you were, though.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
It's, yeah, I did feel like I was in college. You know how badly I wanted one of those dresses?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
When your back goes straight to your hamstrings. So instead of a butthole, you have a back hole. Amen. Amen. Amen. I know Sid is not going to appreciate this one. I am loving the dates. I do dates with butter, a little sea salt. I'm sautéing dates. We're sautéing dates now. I made a date bark. Yes. Yes. The fiber, the natural sugars.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Oh, we're starting with the loss. Geez. Okay. Well, my L's and Dubs are all about eggs this week, Sydney. And this is a weird one. So a pigeon laid eggs on our balcony. Okay. That's sweet. You know what? We thought so too. Is it good luck? We thought so too. Oh, of course we Googled. Half the results said this is dirty and gross.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Half said this is a symbol that you are, it's prosperity, that you have a peaceful home. These two beautiful little eggs, this nest, pigeons are not good at making nests. So it's just kind of like five twigs just so the eggs don't roll away. We Googled how long it would take. We were feeding them, woke up two mornings later, it's gone. The nest as well?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
The nest was there kind of like in disarray and the eggs were gone.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah, I'm pretty sure you just ate some of these nerd clusters.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
And you don't appreciate a good saute date? No. I don't know. I see a window. That's too much. I see my window. It's too much.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Lucas and I just finished another round of IVF. Yeah. And this fertile myrtle... Had 28 eggs. She's turning 38 and just... She's fertile. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
They call me a mother hen now.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
So we do have to wait a couple of weeks to find out how many embryos now are viable that we could actually use. And I think... This is something I'm very passionate about sharing. We don't know if this will be a happy ending. We don't know how many embryos we will get. But I just think that talking about IVF and fertility is really important. We don't do it enough.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Well, I'm glad that since then we have been on the same teams. Yes, we had a few games here and there. New Zealand versus USA. Ooh, yeah. We don't have to talk about those. But the first time I felt...
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
So I will keep all of you updated. And Sid has been a huge, huge support for me. But yeah, that was my belly was real big.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
I'm finally feeling back to normal.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
All the girls are saying no, no. I couldn't see my Fifi because my belly was so big. And Sid, I sent her the picture and she goes, whoa.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
We will. Yeah, we will. All right, Sid, I have a trend we need to talk about. I have a trend I would like to ask you about. Rewaring outfits is in.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Hey, well, you are helping the environment because you know who is rewearing your clothing? Me. Me.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
So no, that's not true. But yes. So this trend is definitely a yes, especially if you have a friend like Sydney, she's shopping. So I'm actually the one who's saving the environment because I am rewearing the clothing. Yes.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
very close to you even though we hadn't spent time together which shows how you are and how sandy is we're in sweden and i came up to watch sweden take on the united states i had friends obviously on both teams and i went to the lobby and of the u.s hotel and your mom was there and she was like
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
That is one approach. I would like to hear yours. I think that you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot force a horse to drink.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Oh, who are you talking about? Who are you talking about? They were just really in love. In love is a tough word to use. in love but they said to me bored i'm so in love no it was boredom um so i think if your friend is happy you support them and then when all goes to shit and that horse gets really thirsty you are you are there to support when they are ready to move on i told you so i told you so
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Easy now. Easy now. Back up. Oh, that'll be an interesting vacation.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Well, thank you for tuning in to another episode of BFFR. Remember to subscribe on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts and follow the show across all social media platforms at BFFR Show.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Thank you to all our listeners for joining us. Have a great week and we will see you back here next Monday. And?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
it's so good to see you and Sid and I had never played together at this point but through the two years we played against each other with college and the national team she just was so friendly and she had baby Cassius baby baby Cassius and she just put him in my arms and he was like drooling on me and tugging my hair. And I had never seen a more precious baby. And he just was so happy.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
And Sid came down after getting treatment or something and was like, oh, hey, like, oh, yeah, sorry about that. I was like, mom, we don't even really know her. And we just kind of talked a little bit and it felt like I knew you. Yeah. And yeah, I can't believe how many years ago that was now. I know.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
When he came out of you with that enormous football hair. 99th percentile. 99th percentile. Let's not forget. Do you remember when we first met as teammates at Orlando? Because I think there was a lot going on with you, but I remember it very well.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
welcome back to another episode of bffr show before we get into it because we're gonna get into it oh we're gonna get into it may we please remind you to follow us on social media at bffr show subscribe to the show on youtube and follow us on apple podcast or spotify or wherever you get your podcasts honestly we don't care how you're listening or how you're watching as long as you're listening and watching
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Preseason hadn't started. It was pre-preseason. Oh, okay. And it was just... What were the fields... Not the training facility. There's the field down the road. And I was there warming up.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yes. Yes. Basically the pasture. Yeah. And I was warming up and everyone was kind of wearing their own clothes. It was just a kind of... Yeah. Yeah. Were the boys there too? No. No. Okay. And Sid comes up and gives me this big hug and she's warming up and stretching and she lies down on her back and says...
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
feel my belly it still hasn't come back since having Rue grabs my hand and puts my hand in her like core and it did it it just went straight to the spine straight through to the ground on the other side and I'm there with this my hand just right in her gut like yeah, we're going to be, we're going to be friends.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
No, no. And, and then I saw that core build right back up into an eight pack and was like, this woman is amazing.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
circular yang yeah if you go there you go and do you think the only children being only children kind of maybe yeah because you know everyone what everyone says about only children they're weird yeah but we found each other we did find each other little weirdos yeah yeah
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Same, same, same. Well, we're going to talk this week all about the importance of female friendships, how they're portrayed in the media, how you can support the other women in your life, and how we weigh romantic relationships versus friendships. yeah but first it's time for a quick break but we'll be back with more bffr so don't go anywhere don't leave
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
You're almost 40. I am. I actually am. Yeah. I remember getting to know Alyssa and Giselle. And we very quickly formed this bond. We have so much in common. Went to the same school. They're all from California. From LA. Yes. Played for the same club. And they felt like my little cousins. And... Alyssa said in an interview that I was like a mom to her.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
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BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
And I was like, just take me out back and shoot me. I thought friends are cousins, family.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
I know. And they speak a different language, Sid.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Well... I ask them what they mean and say, I've never heard that before.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Right. Right. I'm like, I can feel it in my hip. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. Yeah. It's, um, it, Makes me appreciate that my mom, when I would be like, you are so uncool that you don't listen to the music I'm listening to and that you don't know what I mean when I talk about this current pop culture thing. No, she just didn't care. Yeah, I agree.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
They just go out and they start juggling and long balls.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
You're lucky. You're lucky.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. Yeah. It is like being in a different world, but it is fun. And I think you and I really have this perspective of Yes, we understand standards, professional standards. We have been through a lot. But a team environment now, of course, and we always get asked about this, how we're guiding and mentoring. But really, these teams now, look at the national team, look at Angel City. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
It's about the young players.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. What do they want? What do they need? What kind of environment will help them feel their best? And that's a very different environment than a lot of our peers would have had. Yes.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Now, when these young players and rookies come in, it is, I think, a really different environment than... The ones that we grew up in. Yeah. Yeah. We were carrying the balls. We were, I don't know, carrying the water, sitting on the bench.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
It was... No matter how good you were. It was just different. Yeah. But I think... what they are experiencing and how they are expressing themselves. Alyssa's in our leadership group. It's so important that they have this voice. And I think it's important for us to kind of give them that voice. Yeah. We check our ego at the door and everything we fought for. Yeah. They're living it now.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
We're not waiting until an eight-year-old girl is playing professional in however many years. No, we're seeing it right in front of our eyes. All the fights that we've been fighting, it's coming to fruition.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
I loved that one. So first of all, thank you to everyone who watched and listened to episode one. Thank you for all of the positive feedback. You are so kind. It means so much to us. We're loving doing this. It's kind of a dream. We're having a good time. And a lot of you wanted some insider info on the two of us, how BFFR came to be. And of course, we're going to indulge you.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. Well, I think those of us who don't know how it is, the power of these female relationships and these friendships... watching you fight and we want to fight with you. And we have seen the power of the collective. And I think in this world and this life of women's sports and women's soccer, this league, our players association, these friendships are teammates.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
We're not just teammates where you... get paid all this money. You come, you see each other, you go home. We, our relationships mean so much.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Yeah. But they're, they're so meaningful. And I, I wonder if that will change as more money comes into the game. I don't know. We won't know. We'll never find out. Probably. But I think now it's so special that we do have these relationships because I feel, I feel connected to women on other teams.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Syd and Ali Are Best Friends For Real
Some of the moms that you've spoken to knowing through you, through playing against them, seeing social media, what they're going through, what they want to push for. And I'm like, yeah, count me in. Yeah.