Sam Mewis: Retirement, New Chapter, And Men In Blazers Move
NEW YORK CITY, NY - JULY 08: Sam Mewis talks on stage during a U.S. Soccer send off event with Men ... More In Blazers at Webster Hall on July 8, 2024 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Brad Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images for USSF)
Few players in soccer have a résumé as stacked as Sam Mewis. She's won a FIFA World Cup, a U-20 World Cup, an Olympic bronze, three NWSL titles, an FA Cup with Manchester City, and an NCAA championship with UCLA. But one thing still nags at her. 'Not winning Olympic gold still eats away at me,' she tells me with a smile.
Her professional career, which spanned nearly a decade across the U.S. and Europe, came to an early close because a knee injury forced her to retire, but it didn't end her connection to the sport. Instead, it opened a new chapter: she became the editor-in-chief of The Women's Game at the Men in Blazers Network.
Surrounded by fellow athletes who regularly join her podcast, Mewis is discovering new joys in her career she hadn't anticipated, but still misses playing. "There is a part of me that is sad and jealous and wishes I could still be out there playing," she says. Especially when the league she retired from, the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), is on the rise, both on and off the pitch.
As a player who played in both the NWSL and England's Women's Super League (WSL), Mewis experienced the hockey stick growth of the women's game globally.
'I started playing professionally in 2015, and it's amazing to see how much the league has evolved,' Mewis says. 'The growth has been incredible.' An average team in the NWSL is valued at $104 million, up 57% just from a year ago. But soaring valuations represent much more than a league that attracts wealthy investors. "The quality of coaching, the number of teams, the number of brands wanting to be involved—it's all increasing," she says. "Especially after Kansas City built its brand-new stadium for women's soccer, it is something I'm incredibly proud of."
While Mewis is thrilled to see the NWSL's rapid growth, she also acknowledges that the England's WSL is not far behind.
"It's almost like an arms race now," she says. The 2022 UEFA Women's Euros in England was a game-changer for the sport, much like the 1999 Women's World Cup was for the U.S. The Lionesses' win sparked fan interest and it kicked off a wave of investment and visibility for the league. Now, clubs on both sides of the Atlantic are battling to sign top talent, pouring money into training facilities, building soccer-specific stadiums, and boosting salaries to keep players.
While the future of the women's game looks brighter with the influx of wealthy owners, better facilities, and more resources, it also raises new questions, particularly around player safety and health. "We can't just prioritize the money. We have to prioritize the safety of the players," Mewis says, emphasizing the need to focus on supporting women athletes better—whether that's through recovery, injury prevention, or returning from pregnancy.
After retiring from professional soccer, Mewis transitioned to media, joining Men in Blazers and taking on a leadership role as The Women's Game editor-in-chief. Her new career in the media has allowed her to connect with fans differently.
"I'm so connected to the audience," Mewis says. She often brings her former teammates and other top players to her weekly podcast for intimate interviews.
"Helping create this community around women's soccer has been almost a replacement for [playing in] the team. It's a space where I feel I'm still giving back to the game."
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