I've had so many parents DM me on social media thanking me because I simply have dreadlocks, because their daughters wear dreadlocks and play with dreadlocks, and I'm like, 'Well why not? Let's do it.' It's really cool to be able to inspire the younger generation of kids of color that look like us.

Jessica McDonald

It's exciting to play against old teammates, old friends.

I need to just give - everything that I do, every single day - my all. I just need to. Life is short. We have one life to live. And I need to be able to push for my kid.

Jessica McDonald

Life Very Us

You don't know where you're going to be tomorrow. It's kind of hard to plan a future.

Jessica McDonald

Future You Where

Being able to inspire my kid with what I'm doing now, it's going to help him succeed in the future, and that's one of my main goals here - is to try and succeed on the field, and succeed as a mother.

Jessica McDonald

Future Wit Try

Being here in Houston, I have a lot more weight on my shoulders than I did in Portland. I feel a lot more appreciated because I am starting now, and I'm scoring goals.

Jessica McDonald

Art Weight Weigh

It's just an amazing feeling to walk barefooted in some nice grass.

Jessica McDonald

Amazing Walk Us

You're always supposed to follow-up any cross or whatever towards the goalkeeper.

Jessica McDonald

War You Whatever

When you become a parent, obviously it changes your life in so many ways.

Jessica McDonald

Life Change Your

I haven't had any injuries since I've had my kid, so I think it's changed my body externally and internally. I don't know what it is, but I hadn't felt so great, body-wise, until I had my kid. I look more in shape, and I feel more in shape. And speaking from a confidence side, it's changed me in such a positive way.

Jessica McDonald

Positive Great Change

Just getting paid for six months out of the year is unacceptable in any kind of job.

Jessica McDonald

Year Us Unacceptable

What I am working hardest for is for my kid, for a better future for him.

Jessica McDonald

Work Future Working Hard

I know all the girls; we all have something to play for, we all have this goal, and we're all on the same page as to what we want at the end of the day. But as for me, I have something a little bit more to play for, and that's my kid.

Jessica McDonald

Age Want Thing

I'm not just working for myself anymore. I'm working for my kid as well, someone who's actually looking up to me on a whole other level than the younger generation.

Jessica McDonald

Work Younger Generation Younger

I need to keep my focus as an individual and keep supporting my team.

Jessica McDonald

Us Up Tin

Both of my parents were both multi-sport athletes. Their mindset was, be an athlete as long as possible, up until they became parents. And so they dropped their dreams for their children.

Jessica McDonald

Dreams Were Up

For me as a mom, not an allocated player, there have been some years that have been a difficult journey because NWSL doesn't really support mothers.

Jessica McDonald

Mom Years Year

Sometimes I wear makeup while I play - I did it during the World Cup because the cameras were always on us, but for club, not so much. If I'm wearing it on the field, I try not to apply too much.

Jessica McDonald

Time World Cup World

In high school and college, I always, always straightened my hair. Don't ask why; I was just so into my image. Post-college, I started wearing my hair natural.

Jessica McDonald

Art Age Why

I was born and raised in Phoenix.

Jessica McDonald

Raised Raise Phoenix

My grandmother - my inspiration - was a single mom with nine kids, and she helped raise me.

Jessica McDonald

Mom Wit T

If anything as simple as child care was covered by the league or your organization, that would be life-changing for moms, especially when we're scraping pennies. Maybe we would have more moms in this league if something like that was there for us, but I feel like we're far from that.

Jessica McDonald

My parents gave up on their dreams in sports because they were athletes, and they had me at such an early age. I didn't want to do that.

Jessica McDonald

There were days when I would just go home and cry because it was that hard, but I didn't want to give up just because things got hard, just because I was a mom.

Jessica McDonald

I was one of those players that had to come in and prove that I can belong on this field with these girls, and I can hang in this league as well.

Jessica McDonald

It was definitely a big boost when I went into Australia. That's what really got my recognition going. I started scoring. I started feeling a little bit better each game.

Jessica McDonald

I've had so many parents DM me on social media thanking me because I simply have dreadlocks, because their daughters wear dreadlocks and play with dreadlocks, and I'm like, 'Well why not? Let's do it.' It's really cool to be able to inspire the younger generation of kids of color that look like us.

Jessica McDonald

My journey has been up and down a little bit. Everything that has to do with success for me has sort of become a shock to me. You work so hard, you work so hard, and it happens; you're like, 'What? Wait, it's happening to me?'

Jessica McDonald

You name the sport, I've played it. I was quarterback for a football team one year, played volleyball, played softball - you name it.

Jessica McDonald

Obviously this is something huge, just to be playing on the world stage and repping all the parents out there - not just the parents, but obviously all of the African American girls who feel as if they don't have much to rely to make your dreams come true, whatever the circumstances may be.

Jessica McDonald

There hasn't been any positive steps for moms in the NWSL. Now we're kind of getting our heads together, getting ideas together, and so now we can start somewhere as moms... Child care is not cheap. And if you look at our paychecks and you look at child care, there goes our paycheck. How are we going to eat?

Jessica McDonald

I became a starter in Portland, and then I lost my spot, but for what reason? It wasn't explained to me. I thought it was unfair.

Jessica McDonald

Sometimes women's soccer can be political.

Jessica McDonald

The more minutes you get on the pitch, the more you can prove yourself.

Jessica McDonald

Everyone has their opinions about the Bible and God.

Jessica McDonald

I'm trying to take care of my kid, and the only way to do that is obviously being financially stable.

Jessica McDonald

Being able to go home to my kid is such a relief because he's such a happy kid. He balances my life out in such a good way.

Jessica McDonald

That's what pushes me every day to want to be successful on the soccer field - being able to not only take care of my kid on a financial level and be stable but, most importantly, to inspire my child.

Jessica McDonald

After having a child, my career just skyrocketed. You have all that weight to kill off - you're working 10 times harder.

Jessica McDonald