I am a woman.

I am a woman that played soccer, and other sports, as a kid.

I am an avid soccer fan – of both the men’s and the women’s game.

I am a soccer parent – both on the boys and girls side of the game.

And I am confused.

Also note: I am outraged and dumbfounded, but mostly really, really confused.

Because what legal team would say “The job of a [men’s national team player] carries more responsibility within US Soccer than the job of a [women’s national team] player.” Or “argue that women should be paid less because the men’s team “requires a higher level of skill” than the women’s team.”

Who dreamed up this defense?

What did this legal team expect from it? 

What did the USSF expect? 

And did they even hear the argument prior to it being presented in court? 

Because, really y’all. This feels like a sick joke.

So that’s why I’m very, very confused.

On another note: 

I am a marketer. 

I study brands.

And I study people who buy those brands. 

So this morning, I was uplifted that someone in a corporate boardroom was using their brain. 

Because the brands who support the US Women’s National Team also seem to be confused, outraged and dumbfounded. Hopefully the weight of their voices and the depth of their pockets will bring some sort of wake-up call to USSF.

Coca-Cola and Budweiser are both demanding to meet with USSF on the basis of these legal claims. 

I have never wanted to buy a Coke or a Bud so badly in my life. And I read this article at 6AM this morning in the dark shadows of my kitchen. I could literally have been double fisting two beverages that I rarely drink because THEY GET IT. 

The winners in this ugly, backwards, messed up battle should be the women who work just as hard as men to play the game they love. The women who miss out on things when they are growing up in the name of working hard, training to be their best, staying focused on the goal, winning on and off the field. And the winners should also be the little girls who aspire to be on the national team because it’s the ultimate achievement to play and win for your country.

Sadly, the winners may only be the brands who know their consumers are watching. The brands who show that they support these players and all that it means to be an athlete. The brands who speak out and say that they believe in these players – and the ones coming up behind them and all the other women in other sports – have the same demands as male professional athletes. That this beautiful game of soccer requires the same skill whether you’re on a field that has a team of women playing or a team of men.

And another note: 

I am a business owner. 

I have a ton of women – and men! – who come to work every day, ready to bring new ideas to the table, ready to solve problems, ready to create some form of communications that didn’t exist yesterday.

So this event is really bigger than soccer. It’s bigger than pay equity (which is big in and of itself). It’s really about what corporations are doing to ensure that their workforce comes in each and every day feeling valued and appreciated, as a human being.

Corporate social responsibility falls on the shoulders of an organization’s leadership team. If it doesn’t start at the top, it doesn’t exist. And if it gets defined by your legal team, you might be in trouble. 

So I encourage all leaders to use this event as a chance to stop doing things the way they’ve been done in the past just because it’s the easy way. Take the time to figure out what you believe in – your company’s purpose – and then connect that purpose with real,  tangible core values that can be communicated to your staff. Celebrate those team members who are doing a great job. And for those who may be missing the connect points, pull them aside and show them how they can better succeed. 

Having your brand purpose identified and shared will allow you as a company to stand up for what you believe in when issues like this arise publicly. Just like Coca-Cola has done with the US Women’s National team.

So, while I remain confused on how this will all shake out for a team that I absolutely love supporting, I know for a fact that I will buy a Coca-Cola product today – not because it’s what’s available, but because I honestly feel that they believe in what it means to be treated equal.