Sconnies Speak

Author: jraltmann

  •      Alyssa Thompson – Reintroducing Herself

    By Erica Bunting

    Alyssa Thompson first introduced herself to the world of women’s soccer in October 2022, when she became the youngest player ever drafted into the National Women’s Soccer League and the first to be drafted straight out of high school. She was selected by Angel City FC.  

    Alyssa is the first teenager to wear the USWNT Crest in nearly 30 years. She grew up watching many of the team’s veterans compete, including Megan Rapinoe, Alex Morgan, and Alyssa Naeher. Now she gets the privilege of sharing the field with them. There is a lot of pressure on Thompson to live up to the expectations of herself and returning players, proving that she does belong on the field.

    Her World Cup Debut in 2023 generated excitement among fans everywhere. Securing a spot on this competitive roster was a huge stepping stone in Thompson’s early career. Her mother was particularly excited for Alyssa, saying in an interview with Winning Her Way, “As I think about you growing up, I can’t help but smile and remember you and your sister training in the backyard with Daddy.”

    Following the 2023 World Cup and the USWNT’s abysmal performance, coach Vlatko Andonovski was let go, paving the way for Emma Hayes to take the reins. Hayes had a significant undertaking to prepare this team for the 2024 Paris Olympics. She needed to prove herself to the fans of the USWNT that she was the right choice. 

    Alyssa Thompson was not among the 18 players selected for the USWNT’s Olympic roster or for an alternate position. Her performance in her debut season was not enough to put Thompson in consideration for a position on the roster. Emma Hayes had her reasoning behind leaving Thompson off the Olympic roster, saying in an interview with Goal, “She is someone whose… international career started at a very early stage… I believe it does take time. Maybe she wasn’t ready before.”

    Although disappointed by this news, Thompson did agree with Hayes’ decision, admitting that at times, everything being thrown at her was a lot to handle. At the end of the day Thompson is still just an 18-year-old professional athlete. As the USWNT pursued the Olympic gold, Thompson stayed behind to work on fine-tuning her skills and developing as a player and pledging to work even harder. 

    After five goals and two assists in her seven NWSL games, Thompson got the call from Coach Hayes in October, calling her up to the USWNT roster, and Thompson was not going to waste this opportunity. 

    In her first international game, she scored her first goal at 39 minutes in a friendly against Iceland. The smile that graced her face was the sign of resilience and resurgence on the field. In a post-game interview with The Athletic, she said, “ I feel like last year, and the last couple of years, I put a lot of pressure on myself. I think coming in this year, I just wanted to be confident in my abilities and know what I bring as a player, and not compare myself to other people.” Thompson wants everyone to know that Alyssa is here to stay. 

    Thompson continues to find new ways to sharpen her abilities to grow as a player. Hayes has acknowledged Thompson’s journey and skills progression. In a pre-game interview she told The Athletic, “I hope that we can look at someone like Alyssa Thompson’s situation, i.e., a 17-year-old coming into the program probably underprepared for that because the level is so much higher, to then have a journey which is pretty normal for a player. But I think she’s in the best place she has been in terms of her start to the season.” 

    Thompson is still a relatively new player in the league, with a lot of professional career development ahead. Still, all the tough love has led to Thompson’s shining moment, scoring goals and increasing her minutes with the USWNT. 

    Angel City FC captain and defender Ali Riley has viewed Thompson’s journey from many vantage points.  She has competed on the same NWSL team as Alyssa, and is also a fellow Los Angeles native who attended Harvard-Westlake, the same high school as Thompson. Riley said in an interview with The Athletic, “Even when we look at how much she’s grown, her performances on the field, what’s so special about heroes that this is the beginning. I think she has the personality and the eloquence to be someone who can speak about being a woman in sport, being a woman of color in sport.” 

    Alyssa Thompson has returned to the United States National Team stronger, sharper, and more determined than ever. She is ready to reintroduce herself – not as a newcomer, but as a force. 

    She has reminded the world of who she is and what she is here to do. Welcome back, Alyssa. 

  • Why the NFL Should Let the Tush Push Stay

    By Haley Cohen

    The NFL is a league that is based on strategy and innovation. However, the league’s first reaction to a unique way that one team has mastered is to ban that play. That target is the Tush Push. The Philadelphia Eagles have been able to perfect this short yardage play. Instead of looking to take this play away, the NFL and various football analysts should champion the time and effort it took this team to master a play like this. This play is not an unfair advantage for a team. It demonstrates how powerful teamwork and strength is in a game like football. Taking away this play would be punishment for a team’s success. 

    The Tush Push’s main criticism is that it is boring to watch and bad for the game. But what is really wrong with this play? There is nothing illegal about it and it still keeps the competitive balance aspect of football in the game. Conversely, it represents a team dedicated to perfecting a play that really only helps in short yardage situations. The Philadelphia Eagles are successful because they execute the play better than any other team, not just because they run the ball. With the power of Jalen Hurts, who can squat over 600 pounds and their dominant offensive line, it is not that the Eagles have an unfair advantage; they just have great players who can make this play.

    Another argument people have who are trying to ban this play is bringing up player safety. While this is an understandable concern, almost every play in football puts a player at risk. When looking at the Tush Push, these claims are inflated. There has also been no evidence published that the call puts players more at risk than others. When looking at the execution of the Tush Push, it is one of the more controlled plays compared to open-field collision calls. The play came to fruition in the early years of the NFL and if there was a real safety issue, the league would have outlawed it a long time ago.

    Another narrative about this play is that it is impossible to stop. This is completely false. In a league full of superstars athletes that make plays that seem impossible, why is it unfair that one team is physically stronger and more technically sound than the others? The NFL has been around for almost a century, and innovation is something that has been a hallmark throughout those years. Defensive coaches and players can work on how to defend this powerful short yardage play, and offensive coaches and players can find their own way to be as successful in this play.

    Taking away the Tush Push would set a precedent that goes against the values of the NFL and the game of football. Strength, strategy, and innovation are what this league is all about. When it comes to short yardage situations, the Philadelphia Eagles have really figured out how to make the most of their talented players. Teams should want to learn from their success rather than trying to ban it. Football is a game of adaptations, better defensive strategies is the key to stopping this play, not banning it.

  •  Golden Glove Winner to Major Batting Slump: Christian Walker’s Turnaround

    By Erica Bunting 

    Sixty Million. Three-year deal. Yet, twenty-two games into the season, he is sporting a disappointing .154 batting average. Christian Walker needs to turn it around as soon as possible. Would this jolt come during the Astros series with San Diego Padres on the weekend of April 18th? 

    Christian Walker signed with the Houston Astros in 2024 as a free agent. He has previously played for the Baltimore Orioles and the Arizona Diamondbacks. He is considered one of the best defensive players in the major leagues, having won three Golden Glove awards. But his defensive abilities have not done enough to compensate for his offensive woes.

    Through these first two dozen games, his performance has not been what the Astros’ organization has hoped for. His OPS has fallen nearly 50 points below the league average. It is a different Walker than the 26 doubles and 26 home runs he hit last season with the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

    Going into the series against the San Diego Padres in late April, Astors Head Coach Joe Espada shifted Walker down in the batting order from 4th to 5th. “[I] wanted to change some things up there in the middle,” Espada said in a pre-game interview with the Houston Chronicle. “I get it,” Walker said in an interview with Yahoo! Sports, “We’re here to win. And if I’m not doing what I need to be to help the team win in the four-hole, an adjustment needs to be made.” 

    On Saturday night, April 19th, Walker made his first big swing as a Houston Astro. In the bottom of the sixth inning, he smashed a two-run home run to tie the game. With a rocky start to the season, this was the at-bat he needed to turn himself around. “Really good swing–big hit, big at-bat. I’m happy for him. He’s grinding,” Espada said in an interview with Major League Baseball News. “Just to come through in a spot, you feel like you’re helping the team,” Walker told the Houston Chronicle. “That’s something I’ve been craving largely, something I need to be better at.” 

    Walker’s continuous efforts to improve have never been more evident. He has been working tirelessly in batting practice, focusing on his swing path to the ball and his follow-through. He understands the position he is in. As a three-time Golden Glove winner and an incredible defensive player, he also needs to capitalize on offensive opportunities. He has turned around his batting average within the past couple of weeks, getting better each series at the plate. Astros staff and fans are excited to see what else he can bring to the organization, hoping Walker will contribute to a hopeful playoff run in October. 

    Was it his continuous hard work? Moving him down in the batting order? – Whatever it was, a spark went off, and this was the Christian Walker the Astros have been waiting for. 

  • Issues Surrounding College Athletes Getting Paid Through NIL

    By Sydney Grossfeld

    There is an ongoing debate surrounding college athletes getting paid through Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) deals and the unequal distribution of funds. NIL deals have given athletes the opportunity to profit from their name, image, and likeness. However, athletes that play certain higher profile sports receive disproportionately larger deals. NIL contacts heavily favor higher profile sports like football and men’s basketball that tend to have larger audiences. This discrepancy leaves lesser known sports at a massive disadvantage. In addition, NIL was not permitted until 2021. Athletes who played college sports prior to NIL were not entitled to any monetary compensation. 

    In a larkmark lawsuit, House v. NCAA colleges reached a settlement, dedication to implement a revenue-sharing agreement. For the first time in NCAA history, schools will be able to directly pay their athletes. The NCAA would distribute $2.8 billion to current and former players. Football and men’s basketball players were at the top of the list. Players were receiving $135,000 on average. Women’s basketball players were allotted significantly less, $35,000. 

    There is no question that NIL has given power back to athletes, but the new system is broken and lacks regulation. This settlement is creating a tiered system within college athletics with high profile sports at the top. Rather than evening the playing field, NIL is widening the already substantial gap between high profile sports and less profitable ones. 

    What does this mean for college athletics? Programs are now scavenging to find the funds to pay back their athletes. University of Wisconsin-Madison Athletic Director Chris McIntosh shared that “it will be critical for us to make adjustments in the way we have operated and to generate additional revenues through new opportunities.” In other words, departments are being forced to make difficult decisions; cutbacks disproportionately targeting less revenue generating programs could become the norm. While this settlement may be good for former athletes, current athletes are faced with the unknown as their sports programs hang in the balance. Programs that have already been operating on smaller budgets face the potential of coaches losing their jobs, athletic department restructuring, and roster spots shrinking. 

    There is a lot of controversy surrounding the distribution of the settlement. LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne objected to the settlement, telling Eccker Sports that there is “a lack of transparency, inequitable distribution, and exclusion of athletes from the decision making process.” Dunne is among the top earners in the NIL realm, bringing in around $4.2 million. She is an advocate for underrepresented sports and the success they can bring to the sports industry. She believes it is frustrating for an athlete to put in the same amount of work as their peers and receive less compensation, or even none at all.

    The traditional ideals of amateurism are now being challenged with NIL. While we await the final decision from a U.S. District Court on the settlement agreement we have to ask ourselves: Are college athletes students of their universities or employees? How do we maintain the integrity of college sports? Where do we draw the line between professionalism and amateurism? 

    Athletic departments should strive to provide equal opportunities for all of their athletes. This will inspire athletes from all sports to want to come to their schools. Rather than just being a football or basketball school, athletic departments can be most successful when they invest in all of their sports teams. The NCAA should strive to implement better regulations so that there is not another settlement case like this one in 10 years. And lastly, student athletes should continue to voice their opinions and stand up for themselves.