If anything as simple as child care was covered by the league or your organization, that would be life-changing for moms, especially when we're scraping pennies. Maybe we would have more moms in this league if something like that was there for us, but I feel like we're far from that.

Jessica McDonald

Categorized in : Child Feel Simple Care

It's exciting to play against old teammates, old friends.

Jessica McDonald

teammates friends old-friends play

It's just an amazing feeling to walk barefooted in some nice grass.

Jessica McDonald

walk amazing feeling nice

Being able to go home to my kid is such a relief because he's such a happy kid. He balances my life out in such a good way.

Jessica McDonald

my-life good home life

There were days when I would just go home and cry because it was that hard, but I didn't want to give up just because things got hard, just because I was a mom.

Jessica McDonald

just-because cry mom home

I need to keep my focus as an individual and keep supporting my team.

Jessica McDonald

need individual focus team

I'm not just working for myself anymore. I'm working for my kid as well, someone who's actually looking up to me on a whole other level than the younger generation.

Jessica McDonald

generation looking myself me

I'm trying to take care of my kid, and the only way to do that is obviously being financially stable.

Jessica McDonald

take-care care trying way

Both of my parents were both multi-sport athletes. Their mindset was, be an athlete as long as possible, up until they became parents. And so they dropped their dreams for their children.

Jessica McDonald

parents dreams long children

For me as a mom, not an allocated player, there have been some years that have been a difficult journey because NWSL doesn't really support mothers.

Jessica McDonald

me support mom journey

I haven't had any injuries since I've had my kid, so I think it's changed my body externally and internally. I don't know what it is, but I hadn't felt so great, body-wise, until I had my kid. I look more in shape, and I feel more in shape. And speaking from a confidence side, it's changed me in such a positive way.

Jessica McDonald

great me confidence positive

Sometimes I wear makeup while I play - I did it during the World Cup because the cameras were always on us, but for club, not so much. If I'm wearing it on the field, I try not to apply too much.

Jessica McDonald

wear makeup sometimes world

In high school and college, I always, always straightened my hair. Don't ask why; I was just so into my image. Post-college, I started wearing my hair natural.

Jessica McDonald

high-school college hair school

I was born and raised in Phoenix.

Jessica McDonald

i-was-born phoenix raised born

My grandmother - my inspiration - was a single mom with nine kids, and she helped raise me.

Jessica McDonald

she me single mom

Just getting paid for six months out of the year is unacceptable in any kind of job.

Jessica McDonald

out year job just

I need to just give - everything that I do, every single day - my all. I just need to. Life is short. We have one life to live. And I need to be able to push for my kid.

Jessica McDonald

live day life-is-short life

My parents gave up on their dreams in sports because they were athletes, and they had me at such an early age. I didn't want to do that.

Jessica McDonald

dreams me age sports

I was one of those players that had to come in and prove that I can belong on this field with these girls, and I can hang in this league as well.

Jessica McDonald

belong well prove i-can

It was definitely a big boost when I went into Australia. That's what really got my recognition going. I started scoring. I started feeling a little bit better each game.

Jessica McDonald

feeling better game recognition

I know all the girls; we all have something to play for, we all have this goal, and we're all on the same page as to what we want at the end of the day. But as for me, I have something a little bit more to play for, and that's my kid.

Jessica McDonald

end-of-the-day end day me