All For XI

Jessie and Megan are back to talk about the new sensation hitting the Twittersphere. Okay, it's just our twitter accounts. They team up to review "Challenge," a book that Jessie found involving football and romance. Be prepared for plot discussions, favorite quotes, and the cringeworthy reality of the novel (which is one of a five part series!). Make sure you have headphones in while listening to this one, because the book could get us an explicit rating. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From a Special One's wink to a sweet encounter in a supermarket, our guests share stories of how fútbol, in its routine and normalcy, its community and joy, provided escape or romance, connection or courage. Sometimes, as October and Nikki agreed, even the sounds of boots hitting balls can be beautiful! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The trio talked about inequities in CONCACAF teams and their own conflicts over whether a team with the support and infrastructure like the USWNT should be playing friendlies (during a pandemic. With fans.) against Colombia, whose players are still fighting to be paid even a fraction of what their men's side makes. And before we even get to the match itself, we're still talking about the anthem, and the issue(s) with performative allyship on a USWNT whose players show remarkable strength and unity when battling issues that affect their white players, but have yet to realize that racism cannot and should not be confronted by Black players. Oh and that anthem? Not about the troops. Not even a little bit. Join us for this and more, and as always, follow and comment to let us know what you think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jessie Loach, Megan Smith, and Kirsten Schlewitz talk about whether futbolers' lives should put at risk of COVID (hint: they shouldn't) and a new feud was created when neither Kirsten or Megan had seen Newsies so couldn't go with Jessie on her Aston Villa journey! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's Episode 36, but you won't know that from Megan and Jessie's introduction, which has our podcasters taking full advantage of their Home Alone status without the steadying hands of Kirsten and Sonja.  Megan and Jessie discuss the dizzying ups and downs- and more downs- of women's football, starting with the unacceptable situation in Utah, where Dell Loy Hansen and his team deserved to be used as penalty kick practice targets, and ending with some positive news. The Brazilian Football Federation, Confederação Brasileira de Futebol, finally pledged to pay their men's and women's teams equal wages. Your move, everyone else. As always, you can listen to the episode below on Megaphone or find us on your favorite podcasting app (we are under “All for XI”)! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sonja, Jessie, and Megan come together to record the episode many have been waiting for since we covered 21 Thunder: Canadianism. We learn about tattoos, gangs, and prison systems while comparing our respective countries. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sonja and Megan team up for the best podcast episode ever (we think)! Take a listen to learn why Sonja is pretty much Rihanna, what the cure for COVID-19 is, and our opinions on season restarts (or one out of the three). In this episode, we explore what the quarantine is doing to our mental health as well as what we think about season restarts. We ponder on how winning a championship this year feels versus a "normal" season. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Kirsten, Jessie and Megan as they choose a team of characters from their childhoods, to face Disney XI! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jessie, Megan, and Kirsten got together a couple of weeks ago to discuss coronavirus and BLM, and their connections to football. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Oatmeal spoons: our own version of "spoon theory" as it applies to mental health. Kirsten, Jessie, & Sonja share their stories, mixing in a lot of laughter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jessie and Megan search for the happy moments in the difficult worldwide situation. We enjoy Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe's #ATouchMore, our calendar reminder. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kirsten, Jessie, and Megan are back with a serious episode of Unusual Ef'pod, focusing on chronic illness and how they impact us as fans as well as players. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For our first minisode, we could think of no better guest than having June team up with Bundesliga-loving/suffering fan Megan. This slightly extended minisode is a perfect snapshot of future exclusive episodes. It's unstructured, slightly scattered, but ultimately comes up with great talking points. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jessie, Kirsten, and Megan are finale-ly covering the last episode of 21 Thunder ("Rock and a Hard Place"). They continue to explore the intricacies of match-fixing, shipping, and Junior's difficult situation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join Jessie, Kirsten, and Megan as they jump almost directly into commentary for this episode of 21 Thunder. Well, after a short detour about a picture of a cyclist with goats. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jessie, Kirsten, and Megan are back for another round of 21 Thunder commentary. This time we are focusing on episode six ("War"). The bad decisions, punny team names, and questionable matchfixing are the focus of this episode. Queue up Netflix and join us as we approach the end of the first season! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all agree that most people are dealing with anxiety and frustration with the current pandemic, so we hope that our continued 21 Thunder watch party provides a distraction, even if it is only for an hour. Whether this is prompting you to start watching the show or if you need some self-care tips for the apocalypse, we are here for you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join the crew as we recap this episode, in which Kirsten is disappointed with the match-fixing strategy, Jessie and Megan continue to gush over Alex, despite his poor decision making. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The gang starts off the episode by diving straight into the commentary, so fire up your Netflix and join us! We continue to be confused by Canadianisms, so we enlist the help of Twitter to make sense of a few references. Still searching for a sponsor for our Pan-Canada tour, we make sense as best we can in this fast-paced episode. There were a few pauses along the way, and a terrible chant at the end (send us your suggestions for a pod sign-off before our next episode!). Music: https://www.purple-planet.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

As Kirsten, Megan and Jessie prepared to continue their 21 Thunder watch party, news came in about Kobe Bryant's death. The team started this Ef'Pod by talking about something Unusual Efforts has addressed in the past: how do we talk about stars, role models, and newsmakers who have been accused of sexual assault? With deliberation and care, we address this complexity, touching on the feelings and experiences of family and survivors, reporters and fans. We finish with Episode Two, finally, of Canadian Cinematic Gem 21 Thunder, and the obvious questions of gangs, tattoos, and condoms. Yes, you heard us, condoms. No really, listen to the episode. It'll all make sense. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Megan and Jessie have finally convinced Kirsten to watch that gem of Canadian cinema, 21 Thunder. Our trio stream the pilot with a cameo from Jessie's mom (about weed- but not the one you think) with a lot of laughs, a lot of questions...and some apologies to our Canadian fans! Sign up to be part of our next watch party as we stream episode 2 and find out what happens to Junior, why does Nolan have that stomach tattoo, and how does an under 21 team fit in so much sex and crime when they should be going to school?? For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In an Unusually Hogwarts Halloween Ef'Pod, Megan takes Kirsten, Sonja, and Jessie through the ins and outs of Potterland, as the team takes- and rejects- contributor suggestions for which players would be in Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff or Slytherin. Find out who's Head Boy- and who's a Death Eater. And as always, stick around for updates and laughs For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Megan, Kirsten, and Jessie are back after a hiatus, to explain the nature of aforementioned hiatus. The trio are candid and honest about the mental, physical, and emotional health issues that make regular podcasting- and regular life- a challenge, but throw in trademark humor thanks to some creative subtitles and the wonders of friendship. Listen for the community, for news on what's to come, and to give us your own takes on the messiness and wonders of real life. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of the @UnusualEfforts Ef'pod, Kirsten (@kdschlewitz), Megan (@themegansmith), and October (@OctoberAeowyn) discuss all things Bundesliga, from tifos to tattoos. Alcohol is imbibed and fun is had as we share brilliant listener love stories as well as our own. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sonja, Megan, and Jessie give Kirsten a much-deserved day off as they celebrate the World Cup final...well, Megan and Jessie do, and Sonja gives her Canadian opinion. We also take your twitter questions and answers, including an important one on pay-to-play and its impact on diversity in sport development. Will Sonja ever watch Goal! the greatest movie of all time? What does Canadian money smell like? Listen to the Unusual Ef'Pod to find out the answers to these and more! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It may not have been the best idea for Kirsten, Megan, and Jessie to record this fourteenth episode the Unusual Ef'pod right after the England-Cameroon match but we did manage to keep the volume of our ranting to a low roar and the content to a safe for work label as we discuss stereotypes, race and gender in broadcasting and what i really takes for female athletes to be all the things people expect of them (hint: it's damn near impossible). We also take the amazing answers to our twitter questions and actually manage to end on a hopeful note! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Fab Four are back for Unusual Ef'Pod #14 and Kirsten, Sonja, Megan, and Jessie celebrate their reunion by going entirely off the rails, taking your best Women's World Cup trivia and somehow adding secret questions, fits of laughter, is-it-makeup-or-is-it-Monistat, and...French? It's one way to kick of the World Cup, and we hope you join us on our merry ride! As always, check our social media for the latest articles and merchandise sales, and feel free to leave us comments and questions- but no pigeons For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sonja and Jessie are back with no adult supervision for an untethered Unusual Ef'Pod. They talk time zones and the difficulties of waking up for matches, low-key bully Michael Bradley, invite everyone to join us at Women's World Cup watch parties (including Antoine Griezemann's dentist- seriously, we need a grownup on the pod), and end with a heartfelt thank you to Hector Bellerin and our usual drink recommendations. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Unusual Ef'Pod is back with a very special guest. Shireen Ahmed, an OG Effortista, talented journalist, and wonderful friend, joins Kirsten, Sonja, and Jessie to talk about being a women on social media. (Surprise; it's not easy!) For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We swiped right on everyone's crushes with the eleventh Unusual Ef'Pod! Sonja kicked us off with her three enthusiastic and three reluctant crushes before leaving to snag some swag at BMO, leaving Kirsten and Jessie to talk cheekbones, hair, sexuality, and hair. So. Much. Hair. Thanks to everyone who shared their futboling loves with us- and remember to slide into our DMs to pitch us your ideas, art, or pictures of Cavani and Mertens! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kirsten, Sonja, and Jessie are back to celebrate the third anniversary of Unusual Efforts! Our trio talk the history and inspiration for Unusual Efforts, Kirsten and Sonja's indelible friendship, some of the hiccups we've encountered along the way and our biggest accomplishments so far. We round out our Unusual Ef'Pod with a sneak peek of what's ahead for us, and, as always, some interesting drink recommendations from your hosts! Listen with acast (or download using your favorite podcast app–we can be found under “Man on the Post,” and you should be sure to give their other shows a listen as well!) and let us know your faves, or chime in on what you think we missed regarding these Effortista personalities. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kirsten and Jessie are back with the latest Unusual Ef'Pod, bringing you up to speed with some updates to look forward to, ways to get involved, coaches who can be therapist, reasons we need therapy, reasons everyone can talk to us about therapy, and, of course, drinks. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On the eighth Unusual Ef'Pod, Kirsten gets a well-deserved rest and Megan, Sonja, and Jessie are forced to talk about Ronaldo again in light of just plain terrible media coverage around Serie A's Elimination of The Violence Against Women campaign. We also finally get to the apocalypse, and the teams, players, and alcoholic beverages that would be by our side in the end times! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, Kirsten, Sonja, Megan and Jessie play What's Your (P)Soccer Psychology? matching listeners' five favorite footballers to what we think is their footballing personality. We also gear up for the apocalypse, get out the vote, and finish with some delicious beverage suggestions! For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On this episode of the Unusual Ef'pod, Jessie, Kirsten, and Megan describe how they found their favorite soccer teams, read listener stories, and give advice to their moms For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kirsten, Sonja, Megan, and Jessie are back to connect the Ronaldo allegations and disastrous Juve tweets to the #MeToo movement, but we also brighten things up with the footballers who inspired us to get into the beautiful game. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kirsten and Jessie take your questions on the new allegations surrounding CR7 in a special Unusually Ef'ed Up Ef'd Pod, looking at sport, the MeToo movement, sponsorships, and what to do when our idols fall. For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sonja, Kirsten, and Jessie kick off the first Unusual Ef'pod by telling the Unusual Efforts origin story, then dive into why you should (or shouldn't) watch the Premier League and Serie A. And laugh a lot. @sonjamissio @jessielosch @kdschlewitz Obviously @unusualefforts For information regarding your data privacy, visit acast.com/privacy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices