Orlando Pride has made a significant change to its team’s uniform to help players feel more comfortable during their period.
The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) side has decided to change their second kit’s white shorts to black ones. Midfielder Erika Tymrak said that the club’s decision to approve the change was a “big step” towards creating a more comfortable environment for players.
The club’s announcement of the change stated that the move was an effort to remove the “stigma involved in discussing health issues impacting women” and help players focus on competing. Orlando Pride has become the first NWSL team to make the change to dark shorts to address period concerns.
Making sports more accessible for women
The Women’s Sports Foundation reports that girls drop out of sports twice as much as boys by the age of 14, with puberty being a contributing factor. The club’s decision to change the team’s uniform may help to prevent girls from quitting sports by making them feel more comfortable during a difficult time.
Orlando Pride is committed to providing a “first-class player experience and care” and has announced that all girls teams in its youth structure will also wear dark shorts for both practice and games.
The All England Club, which hosts the annual Wimbledon tennis championships, also relaxed its ban on women players wearing colored underwear in November 2022. The club modified its unique all-white rule for this year’s tournament to reduce anxiety for players around menstrual cycles.
The change in uniform for Orlando Pride is a significant step towards creating a more inclusive environment for women in sports. It is hoped that more sports clubs and organizations will follow in the footsteps of Orlando Pride and the All England Club to create a more comfortable environment for women athletes.
