Freese said the group of five are running for ideas and and to encourage wider participationGETTY IMAGES
Philadelphia Union G Matt Freese and USWNT prospect Brianna Pinto are "leading a caucus of five young American players in a campaign for seats on the U.S. Soccer Federation’s powerful Athletes' Council," according to Jonathan Tannenwald of the PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER. They are joined by Smith Hunter, a Harvard student who played on the U.S. under-17 women's team; USL Birmingham Legion MF Mikey Lopez; and Nick Mayhugh, a member of the U.S. men’s Paralympic 7-a-side team. All five are "younger than any of the council’s current 23 members." Hunter said, “If the council is making decisions that will impact all athletes, they can’t really make those fully informed decisions without having someone speak from the perspective of the next generation of players." Tannenwald notes a point the players "emphasized when they announced their campaign" on social media is that "none of the current council members is Black or Asian-American." Pinto: “We just want to provide more perspectives that currently aren’t in the room.” Tannenwald notes one of the players' specific calls is for "greater investment in mental health programs." Freese emphasized, “100%, we’re not running against anyone.” Instead, he said that they are "running for ideas and to encourage wider participation" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 10/19).
