Crystal Dunn Looks Back on a Year of Professional and Personal Achievement

By: Zachary Draves

In an era where women in sports have been diligently controlling their destiny and narrative, 30 year old NWSL and USWNT midfielder Crystal Dunn fits in perfectly with the times. On the soccer pitch, she is often described as “versatile” and “ruthless” for her unique ability to trade off positions from midfielder to forward to defender that can help affect the outcome of a game. It was those tangibles that propelled her to accomplish in a year what most achieve over a period of time, both on and off the pitch.

In November 2021, she took a much needed absence from the sport after she discovered she was pregnant with her first child. In May 2022, Dunn and her husband Pierre Soubrier welcomed a son Marcel Jean. Then in what some saw as a surprising move, she returned to the soccer pitch on September 10, less than four months later, with the Portland Thorns FC and with the NWSL playoffs looming.

(Courtesy: Howard Lao/The Oregonian/OregonLive)

Some may have been wondering if she had what it took physically to be able to perform at the highest caliber after giving birth, but after a stint in training camp with the USWNT before their friendlies against Nigeria, she took the pitch at the 86th minute against the Orlando Pride in what ending up being a 2-0 Portland victory and her baby boy happened to be in attendance.

It was up from there.

Portland made it to the playoffs and as if the story of Dunn’s journey wasn’t remarkable enough, she did one better in the NWSL Semifinal against San Diego Wave FC on October 23. After the full 90 minutes of play with an additional three minutes added and the score tied at one, Dunn scored the winning goal of a corner kick in dramatic fashion that put her team into the Championship round.

(Courtesy: Youtube)

(Courtesy: Craig Mitchelldyer)

On October 29, Portland would go on to win their third NWSL title in franchise history after a 2-0 victory over the Kansas City Current.

Afterwards, Dunn found her way back to the USWNT and is gearing up for what is sure to be a highly anticipated 2023 season, which will include the Women’s World Cup in Australia/New Zealand from July 20-August 20. The USWNT will be heading in as the defending world champions but after a few recent losses to Germany and Spain, plus some concern over an aging team stemming from their bronze medal performance in the 2020 Olympics, they will certainly have their work cut out for them. However, with the presence of a player such as Dunn, they have someone who is as dedicated and reliable as they come.

(Courtesy: Alika Jenner/Getty)

A 21st century soccer mom equipped with all the tools and necessities needed to get the job done on the pitch and on the home front.

In a phone interview with NBS, Dunn reflects candidly about her amazing year, the support she received from the USWNT maternity policies, her approach to motherhood, and the advice she would give to other women in sports about balancing athletics and parenting.

(Courtesy: Getty Images)

ZD: What has it been like for you to be able to come back after giving birth and leading Portland to the NWSL title?

CD: The journey has been absolutely incredible. It’s been hard, I will say I think sitting out a year out of your career is very stressful at times, but I think I have learned how to stay present and enjoy the moment that I am in. Getting back was really fun because I got to focus on things that I didn’t know my body needed. When you’re taking time off and you’re working your way back in, you’re doing a lot more strengthening and things that I’m like “oh I never really had time to do all this because I was too busy playing”. So I’ve actually learned to lean into the things that I didn’t really have time to do while I was healthy and playing and not taking any time off. The journey back has had its highs for sure. Obviously being available for a handful of games at the end of the year was really special. I never knew what the end of this year would look like. I had hopes and dreams of what I wanted to achieve at the end of the year. Stepping into the Seminal game against San Diego and being able to have that moment, scoring the game winner was really special. It just made the journey all worth it.

ZD: How has US Soccers’ progressive policies on maternity care helped you get back on the field?

CD: I would say that both teams I play for have been super supportive of my journey. I have been in constant communication with US Soccer, they have always reached out about anything that I need. So we have had open communication throughout my whole journey. I think US Soccer has done a really good job of really trying to protect and take care of women who are pursuing motherhood along with pursuing their career. They pay for our nannies to come on the trips, they pay for hotel rooms, and food. They make it as easy as possible for us to be able to bring our kids into camp, because we are parents. It doesn’t stop there just because we get a call to go into a national team camp. They’ve been really helpful in helping us have everything we need for the baby.

ZD: How has becoming a mother changed you in terms of how you approach your career?

CD: I’ve changed in so many ways. I think when you step into motherhood you realize that not everything is about what you want in the time that you want it. There’s a new addition to the family, there’s someone new in your life and you have to take into consideration what a child needs. That’s not to say that I don’t focus on myself anymore, but that’s to say that I can give my all to both. I think making sure that the baby has everything he needs looks different for many different people. For me, I went back to work pretty much a month after I gave birth. I was back at the stadium doing some light exercises and things like that. So for me it was just being able to embrace and step into a role that definitely looks different from one to another, but taking ownership over what I view motherhood as and what matters most to me and that is being able to balance both. I find it more difficult being the best mom I can be when I’m just only focused on the baby being like “oh I can’t leave the house, I have to only stay with him and only take care of him”. To me, my version of motherhood is definitely having an in-home nanny that helps me take care of the baby pretty much every step of the way. That has helped me be able to go back to work at the time that I was able to go back to work. It’s been really great navigating this new role, which definitely has some challenges, but I think I’m doing a pretty good job at it. I’m staying very open minded about what motherhood looks like and feels like for me.

ZD: What advice would you give to other women in sports and in general trying to juggle career and family?

CD: I would say the expression “it takes a village to raise a baby” is very true. I would not be able to do things I was able to do this year without support. I have a lovely husband, a nanny, friends and family that are always willing to come out here and spend time with me and the baby and make sure everyone has everything that they need. I would also say that as women it is a challenge pursuing both. Even though I’ve done it and I’m living it right now, I’d be lying if I was like “yes it’s so easy” or “it’s for everybody”. It’s important that when you are stepping into this role the challenges that you may face. Taking time off of your career is not easy. It leaves you with a lot of doubt when you are coming back with whether you can be the player you once were and have a similar life you once had before. But I think if you really want this you have to put your head down and say this is what I want and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to be able to be a mom and be able to continue with my career.

ZD: What do you hope others will take away from your journey?

CD: I think for me my biggest message throughout my journey would be you have to believe in yourself. It’s really hard when you spend a lot of time away from the game and when you come back you are going to be faced with so much doubt, so much uncertainty of what my body is going to be like? How am I going to be perceived when I come back? I’ve learned that you have to be your biggest fan. You have to root for yourself every step of the way even on days where you don’t feel great and you don’t feel amazing. You have to just buckle in and be like “you know it’s a journey”. Some days are going to be great and some days are not going to be so great. I experienced one of the highest highs in my career when I scored that goal against San Diego because to me that settled any doubt that I had of “can I still play this game?” Can I still feel like me? I think that goal meant more than just sending my team into a final, it meant that I’m finding myself again. I’m able to continue on in this journey and continue to believe in my abilities.