Orlando Pride announces scrapping of white shorts due to period concerns
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The US women’s soccer team, Orlando Pride, announced it will phase out white shorts to make its players “more comfortable” during their menstrual cycle, and the switch to black shorts was hailed as a “big step.” .
- Orlando Pride have announced that their away kit will now have black shorts
- The club said the change will make players feel more comfortable and confident.
- Orlando Pride are the first NWSL team to scrap the white shorts due to period concerns
The Orlando Pride of the National Women’s Soccer League has announced that it will change the team’s white shorts to make players feel more comfortable when playing during their term.
Orlando Pride had previously had white shorts as part of their away kit, but players will now wear black after the change.
Midfielder Erika Tymrak said the club had taken a “big step” in approving the change.
“The reasons behind not wanting to wear white shorts are clear, but unfortunately it’s something that hasn’t been addressed until recently,” Tymrak said.
“I think it’s a big step for us as a Club to make the players feel comfortable and allow us to focus solely on competing.”
Orlando Pride have confirmed a switch from white to black shorts over period concerns
Orlando Pride says the change from white shorts will help players feel more comfortable
Pride have become the first NWSL team to upgrade to dark shorts due to period concerns, with the club hoping to remove the “stigma attached to discussing health issues affecting women.”
Orlando Pride highlighted statistics from the Women’s Sports Foundation, which indicate that by the age of 14, girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys, with puberty being a contributing factor.
Pride said all women’s teams within the club’s youth structure will also wear dark shorts for both practice and games.
The NWSL club said the standard will continue to advance to reflect the change, vowing to provide “world-class player experience and care.”
Wimbledon announced it would relax its all-white dress code for female players last year.
Orlando Pride is the latest organization to make the switch.
The All England Club announced in November that it had relaxed the ban on players wearing colored undergarments at Wimbledon.
The club confirmed that its target-only rule will be changed for this year’s tournament following calls from players.
The change was intended to reduce players’ anxiety around menstrual cycles.