A team from the women’s soccer league in the United States announced that its substitute uniform will have black pants to make its players feel more comfortable during the menstrual period.
Through a statement published this Tuesday on its website, Orlando Pride announced that its traditional substitute uniform, completely white and silver and known as the “Luna Kit”, will use black pants “prioritizing the health of women and the player experience.”
“We must remove the stigma attached to discussing health issues affecting women and menstruating non-binary and trans athletes if we are to maximize performance and increase accessibility to sport. I am proud to be a part of a club that is making a small but extremely impactful change when it comes to our professional and youth players,” said Haley Carter, Orlando Pride vice president of soccer operations and general manager.
“The experience players have and the safety and comfort they feel wearing an Orlando Pride shield is a critical area of focus for us; We will continue to not only listen to player feedback, but we will continue to take action to make Orlando a world-class destination for athletes,” he added.
In addition to new numbers, we will become the first NWSL team to update to dark shorts due to period concerns, continuing our investments in providing first-class player experience and care.
— Orlando Pride (@ORLPride) February 28, 2023
“The reasons behind not wanting to wear white shorts are clear, but unfortunately it’s something that hasn’t been addressed until recently. I think it’s a big step for us as a club to make the players feel comfortable and allow us to focus solely on competing,” said Orlando Pride midfielder Erika Tymrak.
According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, by age 14, girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys, with puberty being a contributing factor.
Continuing the club’s current practice, all women’s teams within the organization’s youth structure will wear dark shorts to both practice and games, a standard that will continue to advance to reflect Pride’s change.
USA ⚽ @ORLPride he changed his uniform for the comfort of his players during menstruation https://t.co/ObU3HPVCaM pic.twitter.com/869Yhhus4X
– Telam Agency (@AgenciaTelam) March 4, 2023
“This is a commendable move by the Orlando Pride and one that is sure to improve the comfort level among their players,” said Christine Greves, OB/GYN with Orlando Health Medical Group’s Team Choice.
“As a society, we need to continue to work towards normalizing talking about health and wellness related to the female body and period is a big part of that. The more we do that, the more we set our athletes up for success both inside and out.” the field,” he added.
