Swedish national team replaces names on jerseys with inspiring quotes

The Swedish women's national soccer team may have won a silver medal in the 2016 summer Olympics, pulling off a huge upset by ousting the Americans from the competition, but that apparently hasn't translated into widespread respect for their skills back home.  In the wake of their historic win, the less successful men's team still managed to get a significant share of accolades and media attention. So the players decided to launch an unconventional campaign.  In partnership with Adidas, the team created limited edition jerseys that swap the players' names for tweets meant to inspire and empower.

Lotta Schelin, one of the world's most talented forwards, traded her name for a tweet from Swedish feminist leader Gudrun Schyman: "Never look down on someone unless you're helping her up."
Star midfielder Lisa Dahlkvist wears the words of the Swedish singer Zara Larsson: "Believe in your damn self."

The campaign will use the hashtag #InYourName and is meant to motivate women to stand up for each other and themselves. Schelin, the team's captain, said in a statement that the players want to encourage women to believe in their ambitions. The jerseys go on sale March 8, which is International Women's Day and marks the final match in the annual Algarve Cup, where the Swedes will compete for the championship title. Ten percent of the proceeds will go to a Swedish organization that supports young female athletes. If wearing a player's jersey is the ultimate way to pay homage, the Swedish women's team just found a way to make that a political act.