Advertisement

Julie Ertz’ return to the USWNT is old hat … with some new tricks

Two-time World Cup champion Julie Ertz joins Yahoo Sports’ Henry Bushnell in conversation about returning to the USWNT for the first time since giving birth to her son Madden in 2022 and her efforts to beat malnutrition in partnership with Abbott and the Real Madrid Foundation.

Video Transcript

HENRY BUSHNELL: You return to the US Women's National team in April. This environment that you're, obviously, been super familiar with over the years, but this time, you had a little baby boy with you. I'm wondering, in what ways was that national team experience exactly as you remembered it and in what ways was it very different?

JULIE ERTZ: Yeah, it was very, very much the same. I think a lot of the time too, I don't think athletes really like to stray too much different from their routine. So I think a lot of the game-day prep and timelines and meetings and all that format was pretty much the same. Obviously, new faces. So I was excited to meet the new faces and watch what the younger players brought, but, yeah, I think, definitely, the shift of going from soccer player to mom to timing, and instead of putting myself to sleep, I would put someone else to sleep and then myself. So, yeah, it was different.

HENRY BUSHNELL: Can you tell us a bit about the partnership with Abbott and the campaign to beat malnutrition?

JULIE ERTZ: Yeah, their campaign is to beat the malnutrition in childhood. So Abbott and Real Madrid foundation has been able to create armbands to raise that awareness that the Real Madrid team was given as well, as the fans for their last league game, and their idea is to bring awareness in the sense that one in three people actually suffer from malnutrition in the world. So an incredible initiative and, obviously, the importance of our youth and children, and so it was incredible to be able to partner and raise awareness with what they're doing.

HENRY BUSHNELL: There are obvious reasons that it should be important to everybody in the world, but why is this something near and dear to you?

JULIE ERTZ: Yeah, I think in our foundation work with the Ertz Family Foundation, obviously, we focus around youth as well. Also, I think the connection with soccer, Real Madrid as well, what a incredible thing just to come together and support each other. But I think beatmalnutrition.com probably has most information, depending on what you're looking for of how to help.