It was the afternoon before the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge in Columbus, Ohio, and Diana Ordonez was hours away from competing in the traditionally all-male MLS event. Ordonez would be the first woman to ever compete in the MLS challenge, and she felt ready, honored, and excited for the opportunity.
Ordonez is no stranger to competition, flare, and technique. The dynamic, 22-year-old forward has been a force for the Houston Dash in the NWSL, and recently represented the Mexican Women's National Team in the team's friendly against the USWNT earlier this month.
On the historic occasion, Ordonez spoke to INDIVISA ahead of her first MLS competition.
All gratitude
"I found out fairly recently and I didn’t really know what all this would entail," Ordonez admitted. "To be the first one is an honor, and i'm really excited that they are finally joining the two (NWSL and MLS) together and that women are going to have a space with the guys, get to play with them and compete with them. I feel really honored and blessed that the opportunity came to me."
Ordonez, who describes herself as a "typical 9" laughed when asked about the process of being asked to join the skills challenge. Apparently, she was on the road traveling to Chicago with the Dash when her manager pulled her aside and presented the opportunity. She said it took awhile to understand what was being asked of her - and comprehending that she'd be the first female competing.
"It's really cool to be part of that history," she said, "and hopefully next year there are more women or our own NWSL skills challenge."
USA Today ImagesCalm mindset
Whether it's a skills challenge or an NWSL game, Ordonez stays calm and focused. She's not one to jump up and down and blast pump-up music - rather she likes to stay even.
"Today I went and watched [MLS] training," Ordonez said. "I'm just trying to enjoy it. I don't need to do too much in how I prepare. I just relax, and when I get to the field I'm more of a calm mindset person. I don't really get amped up... keeping calm is more my speed."
While her mindset is relaxed, that can't be confused with lacking competitiveness. In fact, Ordonez is about as competitive as they come - she even wished she got into the cross and volley challenge, as it's her "bread and butter."
"I think crossbar will be the most challenging, because crossbar isn't something I practice," she said.
If she could have any player on her skills team, Ordonez said, she would pick Australian national team player Sam Kerr, saying "I think she would kill it in every competition."
She also mentioned that if she could challenge anyone to a skills competition it would be Mexican teammate Maria Sanchez - or Man City's Erling Haaland.
USA Today ImagesMLS Skills Challenge is evolving
If there's one thing for certain, having a female represent at the MLS All-Star Skills Challenge is a ground-breaking moment for women's sports. Ordonez doesn't just represent herself and her team, but also the future of these competitions, and how they can and should evolve.
When asked what advice she would give a young girl watching her compete at the skills challenge, Ordonez said, "People that come from any walk of life, any cultural background, it's always cool to see someone that you can resonate with on that stage. I would tell them as cliche as it sounds, that we are capable of doing anything that we put our minds to.
"Dream big, stay disciplined and everything is possible."