“I Come From A Land Where Soccer is Women’s Game”

In the early season, Kara Mizah, a flash team of Turkey’s Alternative Gazoz Soccer League, transferred Jessica O’Rourke, a former professional women’s soccer. 

O’Rourke started to play soccer at the age of 4 against her brothers and cousins. Going to college on soccer scholarship, she later on played in Women’s Champions League under the Russian team Zvezda 2005 Perm.

O’Rourke said that playing soccer in the U.S. is a women’s thing in contrast with the male-dominated soccer craze in the rest of the world. 

“Just because my opponent is male, I am not going to give up the struggle,” she said. 

bianet interviewed Jessica O’Rourke about her challenge against men in the field, as well as her identity as soccer player and women’s soccer in Turkey.

In what kind of an environment does a woman soccer player grow up?

For as long as I’ve known myself, I’m in sports. My father was a junior trainer. I grew up with sports-lover brothers and cousins. I played baseball, hockey and even American soccer with them. 

How did you start to play soccer?

I was 4. I was playing soccer game with my brothers and cousins. They made me goalkeeper. I was defeated and started to cry. Even my dad shouted at me due to my defeat. I don’t remember he was that angry at all in my life. After then, the only thing in my mind was to become a better player. I’m in soccer for 17 years. 

Didn’t nobody tell you that soccer is a man’s thing?

Whenever I come to Europe they say the same thing: “You look so feminine. How come do you play soccer?” Likewise in Turkey. Whenever I say to people that I’m a soccer player they are shocked! But things are different in the U.S. Soccer is a woman thing there. There is a sexist saying in the U.S.: “What? You play soccer like a girl?

What does it mean? 

Nobody knows here that U.S. Women’s Soccer Team is the best in the world. I come from a country where men play ‘American football’ while women play ‘soccer’! [She laughs]

I suppose you played as a professional…

Yes, I was admitted to college (NC State) on an athletic scholarship. And then I played in F.C. Indiana and Chicago Red Stars. I was transferred to Spain in 2009. I played in Sporting de Huelva. I played finally in a Russian team, Zvezda 2005 Perm for a season in 2010. I played in Woman Champions League. 

And now you are here in Turkey…

I came here and I couldn’t find a woman to play with! I wanted to play soccer here because I wanted to feel at home like doing the same things in my country. 

Do you remember your first match in Turkey?

My guy friends were to play a match and they need a ‘dude’ in their team. I immediately join in. Afterwards people heard that I played soccer and they invited me to their games. Even in the school which I’m English teacher, the principal invited me to his and his teacher friends’ games. You should have seen the impression on the students’ face while we were playing the game. They couldn’t believe their eyes.

“I have soccer shoes on my feet, not slippers!”

Jessica in her borrowed jersey

When did you hear about Gazoz League? How did you start to play?

 A friend of mine mentioned it. I was trainer in a soccer activity called “Kızlar Sahada” (Girls to Pitches). Her fiancé was playing in Kara Mizah team. They invited me after they heard that I played. They insisted on. I was on the game after I borrowed a jersey from one of the guys who wasn’t playing. 

What kind of a player are you? 

I am mid-fielder.I think I’m kind of fair-player. I received a fair-play prize when I was a child during a tournament. I play fair but every games reveal emotions. I’m kind of hard candy [She laughs]. You cannot do this job with slippers. You have got soccer shoes on your feet. If you have to, you must rush into your rival’s feet and try to steal the ball. 

How did you end up becoming a mid-fielder?

I guess it is more about my life. I am interested in everything. I want to try everything and I want to improve myself in everything. Mid-field is something like that. You can run everywhere. [She laughs] If you want, you attack, you defense, you spring or do like a long pass. I can diffuse to any parts of the field. My trainers are also happy about that because they used to have hard time keeping me in place. 

Jessica (5th player from the left) prior to a Gazoz League game

When I watched you play, you looked very cooperative. You were nourishing other players… 

To be honest, I am not the hard tackle type. I like stealing the ball and passing it along my team players. And also I can jump very high. I struggle hard in the air. [She laughs] I always had compliments from my trainers. 

You are playing against men in Gazoz League. Is this your first time? Which one are you more used to/ Against men or women? 

Right now, I don’t play in any women’s league. For the past 4 years, I am used to playing against guys and I feel comfortable about that. Back in the U.S., we also did out trainings with guys. It was like running in the sand, you know. We couldn’t beat men in muscle strength but we were more ready in the mind. 

“I don’t shy away from struggle just because my opponent is male”

Do you think about your gender when you play against men?  

To be honest, I don’t even think about my gender during the game. When I am out in the field, I don’t see anything except the ball. All I am thinking is to steal it and help to score a goal or defend against it. In order to achieve this, I get into one-on-one struggle with some player, I slide down to their feet and steal the ball if needed. Therefore, it is not important whether I am facing a man or a woman. I don’t shy away from struggle just because my opponent is male. 

Do you swear sometimes? 

I remember swearing little when I was younger, like everybody. But then one day, I asked myself: Why am I doing this? I had a trainer that I respected a lot, he told us to always play “classy”. I understood that I couldn’t be classy by this way. Just like in real soccer. Think of  Messi and Ronaldo. Which one is more “classy”? Messi, of course. 

Jessica at Kara Mizah vs Etkisiz Eleman game

What if somebody swears at you? 

When I first came to Turkey, I didn’t even understand what people said, nevermind the swears. Now I can understand them, but I choose to walk away every time that happens. Because I don’t want to devote my energy and concentration to anything else than the game. At the end of the day, these are just words. When people say them, they sometimes don’t even think of their meanings. As I said, this is something about one’s character. I can’t lower myself with that. 

Do you feel like you are making a difference by playing against men? 

Of course, one of my objectives is to change the perception about women’s soccer in Turkey. Because it is possible to be a woman, feminine and a successful soccer player at the same time. But I am not too ambitious about that. I observe teenagers girls around me wanting to play soccer. This is enough satisfaction for me. 

What do you think about women’s soccer in Turkey?  

There are so many successful female athletes in Turkey. I also see so many women playing very good soccer. I even saw the national team. But it seems to me like, girls don’t have lots of opportunities to improve themselves here. I see so many flyers around Beşiktaş district about teenager girls soccer schools, but this is probably not the relevant in the entire country. 

“The true character reveals during the game”

Why do you think it is important for women to play soccer?

This is rather a general thing about sports. In my opinion, you can get to know somebody’s trie character during sports games. Because there are some many ups and downs during a game. Sometimes things can get really heated. Everybody wants to win so badly. 

I think doing sports from an early age doesn’t only improve your body but also helps to act as a team. It also gives you a lot of insight  on how to cope with success and failure at an early age. 

Have you ever seen a soccer game here? 

In the U.S., I only watched women’s soccer games. I was so shocked when I first came here. People were sleeping and waking with soccer. I also liked the lyrics and rhythms of some cheers. But there are sometimes annoying things as well. Especially when spectators throw things at players. 

So what are future plans regarding your soccer career?   

I will continue to play at the Gazoz League. In addition to that, I will keep up with the Girls in the Field Initiative. Maybe, one of three soccer giants run a women’s team in the meanwhile and I also play there. Who knows? (BD/BM)

* Click here to read the article in Turkish.