Becky Sauerbrunn
Appearances
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
And they just kind of became like a team right away. And when you retire, you'll find out that you miss that team environment. And so to kind of walk into another team and have them take care of you, I was like, oh, I can do this.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
I know. I know. Sid, you know that I've never been good with makeup or dressing myself. And so they do your hair and makeup. Well, that's not true. And I was like, please go very light coverage. And they're like, sure, sure, sure. We got it. And I saw my face that first time and I was like, dear God. It just didn't look like me. Luckily on TV, it looks better. But in person, you'd be like, oh no.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
But you're a... That's not true.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
I am. Very.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Yeah, it was a big game. Becky, that was all you. I love that memory just because I know how much you loved scoring against Canada. So any time I could be involved in a game that you scored against Canada, I was like, yes!
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
I remember a lot just like you with Cassius and us like lugging all your stuff and making sure that, you know, we got into the team vans because FC Kansas City, we didn't have a bus. So we were all in charge of our own vans. No. We'd get in at like 1030 at night and we'd be like, we got to find something to eat.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
So we're like going through the Wendy's drive-thru and we're like just trying to find food. And just like looking back now, now that hopefully I will have a baby boy of my own, just like how fiercely you love cash and like, how amazing it was for me to be able to see someone just like take care of their kid like that.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Like I feel like you are a role model for me now about how I want to be able to raise my kid. And a soccer one that I remember is that you had just gotten back from pregnancy. And I think we're playing the Boston team and I assisted your first goal back. And I knew how much it meant to you to get that first goal. Yes.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Oh man. I mean, most of the quieter moments, like that's just kind of my leadership style anyway, whenever it had to be a little bit louder. I think we were so fortunate that people like Sid or Megan Rapinoe or Alex Morgan, like there were people that would stand up and do that kind of stuff. So for me, a lot of the stuff was quieter and that's just kind of where I...
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
thrived and i think building relationships with players and having them know that if they needed anything if they had questions concerns like they could come to me and so i took a lot of pride in having relationships where people trusted me with important things and so like working with the players association like having people's livelihoods in my hand like that's weighty and really important and and that's like quieter smaller work that has bigger ramifications
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
I think in many points in the program, there's just this like huge transition phase where a coach will come in and they'll kind of phase out the older, more veteran experienced players and just give a lot of time and energy to the youth. And I think we keep forgetting that this happens and it's very natural.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
So everyone's kind of like, oh my gosh, you know, there goes Alex and Kelly and Pino and Becky and like, what's going to happen? And it's like, this happens all the time. It happened to Boxy and Abby and like all these big name players. And so I think we just have to remember that this is a normal part of the cycle. And what excites me is seeing how good some of this young talent is.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
And I look at on your guys' team, like an Alyssa and Giselle Thompson, like that's like how they're playing right now. I think it's like really exciting to me to see how, especially Alyssa, like from two years ago at the 2023 World Cup to now, she just has like her game has evolved so much. And so give her another two years and what is she going to look like in 2027?
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Like that kind of stuff really excites me.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
How are your ties? So because of my podcast, I have to watch a lot of soccer. Oh, so sad for me. So I watch, if I can, so many of the games. If they're on at the same time, I have to usually pick and choose. But I'm always watching the Thorns, but yeah, I watch almost every single game I can.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
You can say it.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Like, no one will own being a cat person. Yeah, that's true. That's true. They would rather say they're not even an animal lover.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
I know.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
That's such a good feeling. Thinking I'm going to read it.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
One day. So I really like romanticy. I like romance books. I like fun reads that you pick up for two days and then you're done with it and it's not just weighing on you. You don't have a book hangover or anything. So I've been reading Allie Hazelwood, who is a romance writer with – she's got like one series about women in STEM. And then another one that's about like sports.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
So there's one about chess. There's one about diving. And they're just like fun. I would say they're definitely adult. So there's definitely some sexy scenes in them. Love that. But they're just like really enjoyable reads.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Yeah. Yeah. It's a name that could have gone. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
You know, you just don't want people to crap on it before it's out there.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
You remember. I'm thrilled.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
I'm pretty sure. Per usual. We were quite worried.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
It was a rough morning.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
No, I will say when you came up to me to tell me and the way that you started it, I was like, is something seriously wrong? And then you said you were pregnant. And I was just so happy for you. I was like, great. I'm not upset. I needed that. I needed that.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
And we kind of did look happy, didn't we? Yeah, you were very happy.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
There's happiness on both sides.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Oh, I thousand percent was like, Sid brought strippers to her wedding ceremony. Period, period, period. They would rather say they're not even an animal lover. That's terrible.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
I'm good. I'm really good. I'm glad that the announcement is out there because I don't think there's any hiding this anymore. I will be on broadcast in like two weeks, and then I have my retirement ceremony too, so I was just like, yeah, it might be time.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Is it the best thing I've ever done? I don't know about that. I am enjoying it more than I thought. I thought I was really going to miss the game. And I don't know if it's because I kind of jumped into broadcasting. I had the podcasting. I knew that we were going to try to get pregnant. And so my mind was just maybe not on soccer as much. So I haven't missed it as much as I thought I would.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
And I have to say, not being in the grind... Every single day, that part's nice. When I watch a game now, I know everything that went into getting into that match, the travel, the pregame meals, the training, the prehab, the rehab, all of it. And on most days, I'm like, yeah, I don't think I have that in me anymore.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Sid, I asked you, I think when you re-signed for Angel City, we were playing against each other. And I just said, congratulations.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Yeah. You're one of the few, few players that I will have a conversation with on the field. Yeah, that's fair. I did not know that.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
And then she said congrats. I think you're resilient. I also will just say I was very injured in 2023, missed the World Cup because of a foot injury, and then got to play 2024 and had the most minutes of anyone on the Thorns. So it is possible to get back from some injuries.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
I know. I'm sorry.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Yeah, I have time for a lot of things. Like my busy times are in little clumps, like the FIFA window, or like I'll have to work two days of the week to get ready for a podcast. I've gotten into Pilates. I did like my first girls weekend. Oh, Pilates is so great. Like I got to go to a wedding of a friend during the season. Like I have missed so many weddings. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Like all these little things that you just kind of take for granted. I actually have time for now. It's really nice. Yes. I can't imagine.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
You can't yet.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
I think I'm in the midst of finding something out about myself where like as an athlete, you're so in tune with your body and you're so in control of it. Like what you put into it, you know why you feel bad or why you feel good and how you can change it. And I think since getting pregnant, it's basically just getting rid of all that control and things are just happening to you.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
And you just have to like – kind of enjoy the not having control and kind of go with it. So I'm in the midst of learning how to go with it because at first when my body started changing, I was like, what is happening? I don't understand. And I'm getting to the point where I'm like, this is what has to happen. And like, let's go.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Oh, I don't know front and center. I just started trying on maternity clothes for the first time because I was doing the thing where you just wear bigger. Yeah. And trying the maternity clothes, I'm like, oh, this is way more comfortable. Finding like broadcast clothes. maternity clothes, that's been a little bit more difficult than finding like loungy maternity clothes.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
Yeah. Tune in. I was going to text you today. I need you to give me recommendations for like nicer maternity clothes. I'm good at that. I'm good at that. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
That's on trend. Yeah.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
It is, for me, it's intimidating. I never thought I would do TV. I never thought I would do live TV. And so when the producer kind of got into my ear when I retired, like, hey, you know, we'd really like you to try this out. See if you like it. I did She Believes. And that feeling in your stomach before a big game where you're like, oh, no, anxious, intense.
BFFR with Sydney Leroux & Ali Riley
Becky Sauerbrunn on Resiliency, Pregnancy, and Romantasy
I don't know what's about to happen right now. And I had not done a lot of reps. And so you have someone in your ear talking to you while you're trying to answer questions. And luckily, the people that I'm with, like Shannon Box and Julie Foudy and Sarah Walsh, who's the host, they were so great and put me at ease and answered every single stupid question that I had.