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With the March 25 first kick of the 2023 National Women\u2019s Soccer League looming, The Equalizer<\/em> quickly caught up with NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman around the official confirmation of the Utah Royals\u2019 return for the 2024 season.<\/p>\n Beyond the topic of Utah \u2014 which you can read about in depth here<\/strong><\/a> \u2014 Berman provided updates on tangible next steps being taken in the league\u2019s systemic reform, where discussions stand as the NWSL weighs its scheduling options<\/a><\/strong> (including exploring the idea of a fall-to-spring season), and what the next media-rights partner needs to offer to the league as its popularity grows.<\/p>\n Subscribe to The Equalizer Extra for the full interview. Get your entire first year \u2014 including all our best-in-class 2023 NWSL coverage<\/a><\/strong>, unrivaled U.S. women\u2019s national team coverage<\/a><\/strong>, and our World Cup coverage<\/a><\/strong> \u2014 for just $23 with our limited-time deal<\/a><\/strong>. <\/em><\/p>\n The joint investigation report detailing systemic abuse in the NWSL came out in December. There is still work to be done from that, and that release also offered an opportunity for the league to start moving forward. The new season is only two weeks away. What are you focused on right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n We always talked about the three goals being fact-finding, corrective action and systemic reform. With the publication of the report being done, and the corrective action as the result of the investigation being done, we are laser-focused on systemic reform. That won\u2019t be as disctrete as a one-time event. We are extremely aware that this is going to be an ongoing process, iterative, and we\u2019ll learn as we go whether what we\u2019re doing is having its intended impact. Most importantly, keeping lines of communication open with the union and players about how the changes we\u2019re making are being received and what other areas we can focus on.<\/p>\n I can give a couple of examples. We launched our first ever league-wide training program, in person. We have a team of experts who are traveling to every single market before the start of the season to talk about our anti-harassment, anti-discrimination and anti-retaliation policy, and what the channels of communication are for reporting, and to make sure players know what their rights are. We\u2019re also doing complimentary training for our coaches and for management so that they understand what\u2019s expected of them.<\/p>\n \n Access the best women\u2019s soccer coverage all year long\n <\/p>\n \n Start your FREE, 7-day trial of The Equalizer Extra for industry-leading reporting and insight on the USWNT, NWSL and beyond.\n <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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