- US Women’s National Team stars Sam Mewis and Lynn Williams co-host the “Snacks” podcast.
- The duo share everything from the latest on their soccer careers to their style inspirations.
- Mewis and Williams told Insider about overcoming fears about sharing their personal lives with fans.
US Women’s National Team star Lynn Williams admits that, early in her foray into podcasting alongside best friend and teammate Sam Mewis, they couldn’t “believe people wanted to listen to us” banter about the inconsequential details of their personal lives.
But a full year and three seasons later, the duo’s “Snacks” podcast, produced by Just Women’s Sports, has amassed a loyal following. And listeners want to know everything from the latest on their soccer careers to the state of Mewis’ sweat mustache — a real topic of conversation during the first episode of Season 3.
“After Season 2, we’ve had a couple people stop us on the street and be like, We listen to ‘Snacks!'” Williams told Insider. “It’s been really cool to be able to connect with fans that way and see that people are actually listening and feel part of this ‘Snacks’ community that we’ve built.”
Williams (left) and Mewis prepare for a USWNT game.
Brad Smith/ISI Photos/Getty Images
The co-hosts recognized early in the podcast’s existence that women’s soccer fans were looking for “more information about us” — their favorite players — not just as athletes, but as people. But for Williams and Mewis, the prospect of sharing the intimate details of their personal lives with the public was more than a bit daunting.
Mewis described feeling “really guarded” throughout Season 1 of “Snacks” out of fear that her comments would be taken out of context. But as time went on and she and Williams got in more podcast reps, Mewis said they grew “a little bit more comfortable with the format” and, as a result, became “more honest and authentic and vulnerable” while recording.
Williams (left) and Mewis.
Just Women’s Sports
“It’s kind of new to share that much, and I think it did take a lot of trust for us to be sharing these big moments, like when Lynn got traded or even just sharing what I was going through in the fall with my injury, Mewis told Insider. “Those are things that sometimes we would maybe keep close to our chests, but because we love and trust our audience so much, we wanted to share those things. It’s definitely been a journey, but I think it’s good, and it’s something that helps connect us with the audience.”
“Being able to do it with such a close friend, not only is there trust with the audience, there’s just trust between us,” Williams added.
Though they’ve only recorded a fraction of the episodes they have planned for the podcast’s third season, Mewis and Williams feel they’ve already “opened up more” with listeners than ever before.
Williams (left) and Mewis with the USWNT.
Omar Vega/Getty Images
And they’re having a blast doing it. While recording the first episode of the season, Mewis said the pair “had to take a giggle break” because they were laughing too hard to continue.
“We had to, like, halt the crew there, and I had to be like, ‘I’m sweating and I can’t control my laughter,'” she added. “I felt like I was in school when you can’t laugh. And I couldn’t breathe. We had to stop for 10 minutes.”
Though the podcast’s initial draw may be that it’s hosted by two world-class footballers who happen to be best friends, its strength lies in the converse: “Snacks” is a podcast hosted by two best friends, who happen to be world-class footballers .
Mewis hugs Williams during a North Carolina Courage game.
Alex Goodlett/Getty Images
Mewis and Williams have been friends for the better part of a decade and have spent their entire National Women’s Soccer League careers as teammates — first with the Western New York Flash, then for the North Carolina Courage, and now with the Kansas City Current. Williams went as far as to call Mewis “the one constant thing in my soccer career.”
That closeness comes through in every episode of “Snacks,” and Mewis says she hopes “that the people who like it would be our friend if we hung out with them.”
So, on second thought, Mewis is done writing “Snacks” content off as “just nonsense” and questioning why “anybody [would] wanna listen to this.”
Williams and Mewis.
Just Women’s Sports
“We put a lot of work into it and we take a lot of pride in it,” Mewis said. “So I actually think it’s good and it’s really fun for us to do.”
“I think we should just—” she continued, then Williams completed the sentence: “Stop saying that. It is great.”
Fans can listen to “Snacks” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever they get their podcasts. The first episode of Season 3 is also available in video form on Just Women’s Sports’ YouTube channel.