Tierna Davidson

That was Patrick McGraw.

Patrick is a writer and editor living back in Minnesota where he grew up.

Patrick is a former wild goose chase clogger.

If you're wondering, that's Appalachian style dancer and a current birder.

What stood out in Patrick's story is how starkly different the experience of queerness and community is across women's and men's sports.

Women's sports have historically functioned as one of the safest harbors for queer people.

And that's held true in women's soccer specifically.

It's something I've lived.

Soccer is where I found my people, where I felt genuinely welcomed, and ultimately where I met my wife.

So when I hear stories like Patrick's, they resonate in a real way.

It's been a space where people can explore their identity and show up as themselves, whether they're competing at the highest level or just playing in a Sunday rec league.

There's something almost organic about that.

Soccer is a sport built on freedom, on creativity and self-expression, and the license to develop your own identity within the game.

The culture and the sport reinforce each other in a way that feels rare.

Our next story is from Monique Van Reenen, who told this at an Ann Arbor Story Slam where the theme was Go Team.

Here's Monique live at the Moth.

That was Monique Van Reenen.

Monique is a PhD candidate studying anthropology at the University of Michigan.

She played soccer competitively for 20 years before trading her cleats in for running shoes.

Monique comes from a long line of Dutch footballers and roots for the Orange during the World Cup.