It takes a village Abundant support as Scott balances soccer career with raising son By: Mike Sawatzky Posted: 7:00 PM CST Friday, Jan. 28, 2022 Last Modified: 10:43 PM CST Friday, Jan. 28, 2022 Updates

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Desiree Scott had packed decades of life experience into the last 21 months.

There was personal grief in 2020 when she took time away from soccer for a gut-wrenching, nine-month legal fight to return her foster brother, DeeJay Sinclair, to the family home in Winnipeg.

And there was also the euphoria of becoming DeeJay’s legal guardian last June and a subsequent return, weeks later, to the Canadian Olympic women’s team where she played a pivotal role in winning a gold medal in Tokyo.

At 34, the veteran midfielder had reached the pinnacle of her sport. As a parent, she was just getting started.

Scott knew some tough choices were required. She thought about calling it a career after more than 11 years with the national team, even though the competitive fire was still intense.

Back home in Winnipeg, she pondered the logistics of taking DeeJay, a Grade 6 student, with her to the Kansas City Current when the National Women’s Soccer League resumes play this spring.

“It’s something I’ve been thinking about over the last month, month and a half,” said Scott earlier this week. “I was teetering with retirement and (thinking), you know, was this doable? But then I just had so many people say, ‘Run til your legs fall off. Why would you give up a sport?’

“So I’m willing to make some sacrifices, do what I can because I still love it. And I still want to play and represent and be a big part of these teams and do whatever I’ve got to do to make it work.”

Scott’s mom, Charlene Gusberti, who shares the legal custody of DeeJay, gave her blessing although she was torn about seeing both of them leave. Others close to Scott have weighed in, too.

“Some of my friends and family members were like, ‘Really, do you know what this entails?’ ” said Scott. “Because it takes a village, I really do believe, in raising a child and to do it on your own while playing professional sports is a unique challenge that I’m hoping I’m ready for. There are some days where I’m like, ‘Have I bit off more than I can chew here?’ ”

Her closest friend in the game, Icelandic international Gunny Jónsdóttir, said Scott’s motives are pure.

“She’s such a good human,” said Jondottir. “She would do anything for DeeJay, (she) loves him with all her heart. If she’s going to Kansas to play she’s doing the right thing for DeeJay, too. She’s very selfless. If she thought it was the wrong situation, she would never have done it.”

DeeJay had made the trip to Kansas City before and was enthused by the concept.

“I thought was a pretty cool idea because I get to go there, watch her games and I’ll be able to see the world,” said DeeJay, already four inches taller than the 5-1 Scott. “I’ll be able to see everything and be places where I haven’t been before.”

To have a practical chance of success with her plan, Scott needed co-operation from club officials in Kansas City, where teammate Adrianna Franch is the mom of a newborn. Scott said she received that assurance, signing a one-year contract extension earlier this month.  

What’s more, national team boss Bev Priestman has also given Scott clearance to bring DeeJay to training camps and on the road.

The new mom is believed to be first parent to serve as an active player on the women’s national team and Priestman, mom of a two-year-old herself, was empathetic to her concerns.

“She’s aware of the importance of family,” said Scott. “And luckily, she still sees me as an asset to the team and wants me involved again.”

With the NWSL pre-season scheduled to start Feb. 1, there hasn’t been a lot of time to prepare. The Current will start the month in Missouri before travelling to Florida for a three-week training camp. The season wraps up in November.

“It’s a big adjustment, for sure,” said Scott. “Usually you have my aunt or my mom to take some of that load off but now bringing him down there it’ll be training and then school work and meals and all of that, keeping him entertained and healthy and happy. It’s going to be a little more on my plate, but part of life as well if you want to live the dream, as they say.”

Schooling could be more realistic because Manitoba school kids such as DeeJay are already accustomed to remote learning during the pandemic.

“There’s a program here that will keep him connected to the school, so we’re going to do online for the rest of Grade 6 to finish up the school year and then, dependent on what I’m doing for the next season, we’ll potentially enroll him in a school down in the U.S.,” said Scott.

The crux of Scott’s plan is one year at a time.

The goal of playing for Canada at a fourth consecutive Olympics is less than 33 months away and DeeJay will be 14 when the Canadians run on the pitch to defend their gold medal in Paris.

“He will travel with me,” said Scott. “He’s not quite old enough, nor do I trust him to leave him on his own. It’ll just be me down there. So he’ll be coming on the road trips with me and I’m going to also continue to play for Team Canada and they’ve offered to allow me to bring him to camps if need be.

“Both my club and my country are really accommodating in my life situation and wanting to make it work and he’s going to be there for the ride.”

None of this would be possible if not for an attitude shift that appears to be taking place in the women’s game.

Jónsdóttir, who was Scott’s teammate with NWSL’s Utah Royals FC, said the Icelandic national team has five moms on the roster. In Orlando, her Pride teammate Sydney Leroux has two young children.

“Back in the day, this wasn’t a possibility,” said Jónsdóttir. “There wasn’t really an option to have kids and keep playing. So it’s great to see how women’s football is developing because you wouldn’t really see this on the men’s side, that they would have to kind of choose. I’m really glad we’re at the stage where players can have kids and still keep playing.”

Scott understands she’ll be viewed as a trailblazer and she’s encouraged by the openess to change she’s encountered.

“There’s definitely a shift of mindset in terms of really wanting to grow the women’s game and recognizing that, you know what, a lot of us have families or want to have families, and how we can be supported through that and still be professionals and train every day at our best level,” she said.

”There’s a lot more support and recognition of women’s game and what that entails as a whole, both on and off the pitch, and it’s definitely moving in a great direction.”

mike.sawatzky@winnipegfreepress.com

Twitter: @sawa14