The NWSL enacted mental health leave, and players are feeling the benefits

An initial few players have utilized a first-of-its kind mental health policy, with benefits that could stretch long after their playing days are done

After just four years as a professional, Imani Dorsey was ready to retire. The game had always been enjoyable for her, who became a star at Duke University before being selected at No 5 overall in the NWSL Draft by Gotham FC. Now, it just wasn’t anymore.

“I got to a point where I wasn’t performing my job safely anymore,” she says today. “I was like: ‘I can’t do this anymore. I will just retire. This is not fun. This is not enjoyable. It continuously became harder and harder to dig deeper and dig back into the tank.”

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