Hi everyone, it's been a minute since we last saw each other. And I wouldn't be here unless I had something worth writing about. This unrelenting year continues to surprise me at every possible turn, but at least for me, I have been pleasantly surprised by a ton of positive changes.
Last weekend, I made history as the first Native American to play in the National Women's Soccer League when I subbed on against the Utah Royals in the 76th minute.
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Let me run it back. I am the first Native American to ever play in the National Women's Soccer League.
Hahahaha, it all seems like one dream that I'm constantly waiting to wake up from. A lot of people have asked, "What was it like when you got out there?" My knee-jerk reaction? It all felt like chaos. I had so much adrenaline that exploded in nervous energy when I stepped out on the field. If you know me, you know that my game revolves around remaining calm and consistent. But I can say full-heartedly that I felt hopped up on too much caffeine.
When I was pursuing professional soccer, there was never a day where I thought about being the first anything in sport. I was focused on pursuing my goals from a soccer-only perspective -- by preparing myself to be as physically and mentally ready as possible for the next level. But a couple of weeks ago, my perspective changed when I was asked by Men in Blazers (for those who don't know: one of the leading sports podcasts in the world and also some really cool people) to interview with them about what it's like to be the first Native American to play in the professional women's soccer league. When I gave the interview, I still didn't think that much of it. I mean, of course I knew it was going to be a really big moment in my life, my family's life, and for the Native American community...but I had no idea what was going to happen next.
On Twitter alone, over 120k people watched the Men in Blazers video, and all of the comments, likes, reposts and praise started rolling in. People who I haven't talked to in years were reaching out saying they had seen the video and were so proud of me. In all of that attention, the best comments were those from people from various tribes across the country or from Albuquerque, New Mexico telling me that they are so proud of my story. Since that video was posted, more and more outlets have wanted to know about not only Madison the soccer player, but Madison the Native American. My whole career I have been focused on the immediate next soccer step and getting to my next goal, but only now am I starting to realize the impact that my journey can have on not only me, but future players in the game.
When I stepped on the field against Utah on September 26th, there was a moment when I assumed my position on the backline to close out a 2-2 draw when I briefly looked around and couldn't help but smile to myself. My mom and sister were in the stands in Utah -- masked up and socially distanced from other fans -- but they were there. Two other Native American women watching me take the field, representing our home and the 505...it was a storybook moment to say the least.
And now, everyone wants to know "What does it feel like?"
I don't think I will be able to adequately answer that question in the near future. I don't know what being a "history-maker" or a "trail blazer" is really going to mean ... because to me, I still feel like the same me that I was before anyone recognized me as a Native American woman playing soccer. As I said in my Men in Blazers interview, I'm excited to be the first Native American in the league, but I'm more excited to not be the last. So all of this praise isn't going to feel validated until I see more Native American kids breaking barriers and pursuing whatever goals and dreams that they have for themselves. For me, my journey in soccer, however far that goes, is always going to be fueled by a desire to see more black and brown girls playing soccer. And in that pursuit of more representation, I'm excited to have the opportunity to be in a new space as a biracial woman to be a positive role model for young Native American kids and kids of color. And I hope I can do that by just continuing to be me, unequivocally, before anything else.
Now I know you're all here to find out...what was my reaction to the GOAT Billie Jean King and icon Gabrielle Union tweeting about me?
The short answer? Shock and awe.
I was pulling into the parking lot to get ready for a training session, when a notification came up on my phone from Twitter. I opened it to read:
At first, I assumed that it had to be a fan account, you know? A parody Billie Jean King account. I clicked on the account to hundreds of thousands of followers and a blue check, and I can admit my jaw hit the floor. What!? A GOAT? Tweeting about ME?
"You have to see it to be it!" This woman has dedicated her entire life to the advancement of women in sports, and women in the world, and for her to recognize me as a Native American woman is something I'm just so grateful to have experienced. To me, people who have large, visible platforms...and actually use them to promote stories from all backgrounds, contribute to the normalization of representation. It helps someone like me, who is young and new to this whooooole thing, have a chance to use my voice to tell even a small part of my own story.
After another flurry of texts, tweets, DM messages, etc. I thought, okay, things have died down. Andddd I was wrong, again.
My team, OL Reign, was in Portland preparing for a match, and I was rushing to meet with the team beforehand. My friend Jassy grabbed my shoulder and said, "Check your phone." I then hesitated, and gave her a puzzled look. "...Why?"
"Quick, just do it before we catch up with everyone else. I want to see your reaction."
I opened my phone, and went to my Twitter notifications.
Again. Shock and awe. Jaw on ground.
"GABRIELLE UNION!??!!" My first reaction was to hysterically start laughing. I sent the Tweet to another one of my friends saying: "You've got to be kidding me." My mom and my sister texted me in our family group chat, and we were all just...confused? Crying? Elated? All of the above?
When celebrities and icons and people who have become real game changers for women in a multitude of different spaces recognize you as a person and an athlete ... you feel a lot of things. All good things, but mostly just a sense of... this can't be real, right? And of course, so many people reached out to me offering congratulations, praise, happiness, love, all of it.
It's amazing to be recognized from different sources asking for interviews, and for people like Billie Jean King and Gabrielle Union to notice me as more than an athlete. Their words and praise motivate me to continue pushing forward. There was one graphic that was trending of me as a "history-maker" and I literally laughed out loud. Me? A history-maker? Well, yes. And no one will be able to take that away from me and the communities that I am proud to represent.
Now, people want to know who is Madison Hammond and why is she a trailblazer? And I have the opportunity of telling people about my experiences and parts of my story that I've never really talked about to people outside my immediate circle. Sometimes that's a little weird, because I find myself explaining parts of myself that seem so obvious, but are really special and maybe even inspiring to players that will come after me. This wave of recognition has been a humbling experience and moment for me to really acknowledge myself as more than just an athlete. And with this growing platform I plan on advocating for Native American and Black communities in sport every day.
And despite all of this praise from fans and strangers, and all of the well wishes and laughter, I just can't help but think of home and my family. I haven't seen most of them this entire year because of COVID and my professional soccer journey. But during this new beginning, they are the people who I wish I could share these moments with in person.
They are the people who have been lifting me up since the beginning -- when my uncles would kick the ball around with me, my aunts would let me embrace my creative side, my sister would play outside with me, or just my mom being my rock throughout it all. Their love, their praise, their support, and our family traditions and belief systems have been foundational in giving me the opportunity to get here. I know I am a large part of that success, but I definitely would not be the first anything without them. So I owe it to them, and to all of my friends, both new and old, to just continue being me. And if you want to learn about me and who I am, fortunately my career has just begun. Xoxo
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