Lisa Baird, then-Commissioner of the NWSL, describes executing the 2020 Challenge Cup bubble tournament in Utah during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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“So we went in with nine teams, and we were there for a month, We staged a full-blown single, you know, it was kind of single elimination, knockout round. The most intense competition you can do in soccer is what we did, and we emerged with zero COVID cases.”
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More from Lisa Baird
PredictionOpen · timeframe Mar 2031
Baird predicts women's soccer will reach media parity within 10 years
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AssertionSupported
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AssertionNot checkable as stated
Major sports leagues lacked COVID return-to-play playbooks in March 2020
“The dawning realization that there was no game plan to come back. Like whenever, you know, there has to be a game plan for this, right? I kept, I called everybody. You know, I'm a small league. We're very thinly resourced. So I'm calling the NBA. I'm calling p…”
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AssertionNot checkable as stated
NWSL secured emergency SBA relief funding in seven days
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AssertionSupported
Over 550 NWSL bubble participants were tested every two to three days
“So there were probably over 550 people getting tested every two to three days.”
Lisa BairdMar 18, 2021▶ 12:47How I Built Resilience: Lisa Baird of National Women's Soccer League
AssertionSupported
NWSL operated with just 17 league office employees during 2020
“We had 17 people working at the league.”
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