Racing Louisville coach Bev Yanez on Thursday reflected on her time away from the club and how it has given her a new perspective, saying her time back with the team “brings me joy.”
On July 7 before Racing’s most recent game against North Carolina Courage, Yanez revealed she had stepped away from the club to be with her family following the loss of her pregnancy through miscarriage. After the NWSL’s mandatory week off last week, Yanez returned to training with the team on Tuesday ahead of her team’s NWSL x Liga MXF Summer Cup matchup against CF Monterrey set for 8 p.m. Saturday at Lynn Family Stadium.
“It’s crazy sometimes how quickly things become bigger than football,” said Yanez, “when you live and breathe football and you do this for a living and you do it so consistently. I think for me it was a reiteration (that) there’s more to life than football. Football is very passionate for us. Football is what we live and breathe and love to do. But there’s bigger things, and it put things into perspective for me very quickly and massively.”
In the last match, all Racing players showed their support for Yanez by wearing blue and pink on their wrists – a symbol of hope and recognition for those who have experienced pregnancy loss and miscarriage.
“I am grateful to be back,” Yanez said. “This will be something that’s changed my life forever in a way that I’m choosing to find the bright light in such a dark moment. At the end of the day, we’re all human beings. We are very much seen for our jobs first. I’m here to remind everyone that we’re human.”
