Casey Short and Julie Ertz shared a joint message on Twitter on Tuesday afternoon as a follow-up to the emotional on-field moment they shared during the opening night of NWSL Challenge Cup action over the weekend, when Short began to cry while kneeling during the national anthem and Ertz embraced her.
The moment generated a broader dialogue over continuing to play the anthem before sports games. In response, Short and Ertz, who are also teammates for the U.S. Women’s National Team, gave fans insight into their internal conversations as teammates and pledged to keep seeking out meaningful action rather than the gossip such public moments can often be reduced to once the internet gets hold of them.
Our narrative
pic.twitter.com/VRJOpITuW9
— Casey Short (@CaseyShort3) June 30, 2020
“This moment of helplessness was overwhelming for many reasons including, frustrating in not having a clear answer for change, the hurt in each other’s voices, and our black teammates and friends who have emotionally poured out every ounce of their heart to us,” the teammates wrote.
While the rest of the letter does not go onto list any specific actions being taken or seek to correct the record in any way, it is important. The teammates reaffirm their religious faith and how it has helped them connect, and seem to try to turn the topic away from what happened on Saturday not on the pitch and toward real action.