Playing in the NWSL is a dream for many young women footballers. But it’s not always an easy life. Even during the season, the league’s fairly low salary range can make life in women’s soccer something of a struggle. And during the offseason, which lasts six months, keeping your head above water is a real challenge.
Nobody knows this better than Rachel Wood. The 26 year old midfielder-cum-centerback for the Boston Breakers is one of a handful of Americans who have yet to be capped for the national team. This means that Wood, who went to college at North Carolina and UC Irvine and spent her first year as a pro playing in Iceland, is on the lower end of the salary table on her team and in the league. While some NWSL players spend the offseason on temporary loan at a club overseas, Wood stays behind in Boston and tries to cobble together enough work to get by until the next season starts.