"Tobin Heath and Christen Press, the just-retired American soccer stars, were doing a live taping of their podcast, The RE-CAP Show. Following the show, fans would have the opportunity to take a photo with the pair at a meet-and-greet. The show was in an industrial bar and event space in downtown San Jose called the Guildhouse, which the banking brand Ally had taken over for NWSL Championship weekend and dubbed "Ally House.""
"Heath and Press are part of a cohort of former USWNT players who have chosen to stay in the public eye by becoming members of the media. By my count, seven players from the 2019 World Cup-winning squad regularly host a podcast, and several others own or frequently participate in other media ventures. Heath and Press are aware of the crowded space they're in; Heath's comment that NWSL Championship weekend was actually just "retired athlete podcast weekend" got a laugh from the crowd."
"For many of these players, the transition from national team star to media personality was a smooth one. They were professionals at a time when the USWNT was the dominant force in international soccer, and when the team was stocked with big personalities. The USWNT's on-field success, and the stature of national heroism that came with it, made many of these players icons within the sport."
Tobin Heath and Christen Press recorded a live episode of The RE-CAP Show at the Guildhouse during NWSL Championship weekend, sitting at the stage edge with fans nearby and offering a post-show meet-and-greet. The Guildhouse was rebranded as Ally House and hosted a rotating schedule of free women's soccer media events that attracted large crowds. Several former USWNT players, including seven members of the 2019 World Cup-winning squad, now regularly host podcasts or take part in media ventures. Their professional stature, team success, and celebrity status smoothed the transition to media and helped amplify causes like the fight for equal pay.
Read at Defector
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]