With all the buzz around men’s soccer, women athletes are also getting ready for one of the sport’s greatest prizes. The 2024 Olympics is set to get underway in a month and one of its most successful teams in soccer, the USWNT, is gearing up for the event under new coach Emma Hayes. Amid a heavy NWSL season, the soccer stars are doing a commendable job balancing a physically heavy load with international soccer in between.

But despite not making it to the roster, experienced defender, Becky Sauerbrunn talks about how the forgotten mental health aspect will come into the picture. With Hayes taking a young bunch with her according to the roster, what can Trinity Rodman and the army do to overcome it?

USWNT gave a roadmap along with a warning to curb mental health issues

With many parameters like performance and self-care in consideration, the players are often under pressure at the highest level. And this war retreated on the Women’s Game podcast by Sauerbrunn. Speaking of it, the American defender said, “It is an incredibly packed, very difficult: physically emotionally, psychological schedule of these games,” citing that the Olympics will need them to play and travel repeatedly without many breaks in between. She further felt that players need loads of stamina to counter it.

Moreover, she stated, “These players that are going to the Olympics you want them playing significant minutes because it’s you
know toning them and getting them ready to handle that at the Olympics,” suggesting the need for conditioning for the players by giving them more minutes of practice.

However, the defender also expressed that they are obtaining this information from NWSL matches and monitoring players’ welfare using technology such as GPS tracking. Additionally, effective communication between the clubs and national team staff proves to be helpful.

Becky Sauerbrunn calls the Olympics stressful and injury-prone if not taken care of

However, despite all the available aids, the 39-year-old star suggests the USWNT players be well-prepared mentally to avoid injuries. Recommending not to overthink about injuries, she stated, ” You got to stop thinking that. When you go half-ass into a tackle, that’s when you’re probably going to get hurt. It is a fine balance and what these players are going through these next few weeks, it is it is stressful.” The team will go without quite a few experienced players this time around.

Hayes chose a young squad for the 2024 games and even dropped Alex Morgan, who will miss her first Olympics since 2008. In addition, legends like Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, and Ali Krieger have also hung up their boots, leaving a lot of burden on Trinity Rodman and others. But with the beginning of a new era, can the USWNT revive its dominance in world soccer? Let us know in the comments.