Photo by Keeton Gale/Shutterstock
Marta Vieira da Silva, forward for Orlando Pride, at Providence Park in Portland, Oregon, July 2019
The Orlando Pride will ditch their all-white uniforms — which, who thought white soccer shorts were ever a good idea? — as of March 26.
The kit update addresses difficulty fans had reading member names/numbers by replacing silver type with black. More importantly, the new shorts will make players more confident/comfortable when playing while menstruating.
The Pride will now wear their secondary black shorts instead of white ones, according to Orlando Pride management. They are the first of the National Women's Soccer League teams to get rid of white shorts over period concerns.
“The reasons behind not wanting to wear white shorts are clear, but it is unfortunately something that hasn’t been addressed until recently,” Orlando Pride midfielder Erika Tymrak said in a press release.
“We must remove the stigma involved in discussing the health issues impacting women and menstruating non-binary and trans athletes if we want to maximize performance and increase accessibility to sport," Orlando Pride general manager Haley Carter said.
Carter is new to Orlando, having been tapped as VP of Soccer Operations and General Manager, a newly created role, Jan. 30.
The updated uniforms will debut March 26, when the Pride play the Portland Thorns in the 2023 season opener. The team opens their home season April 2 at Exploria Stadium.
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