Opening ceremony of the Women's World Cup in Berlin. Photo property of The Boston Globe.

I think most of you are by now up to date on the performance of our women’s national soccer team at the 2011 World Cup in Germany. If not, you can go here for a pretty good overview of the tournament. If you did follow the team on their World Cup journey, you’ll know that they experienced tremendous adversity, stunning successes, and ultimately, a bittersweet second-place finish to the inspired Japanese team.

But through the highs and lows, the U.S. women’s team has taught us a lot about teamwork, perseverance, leadership, and success. We’ve witnessed, among other things, the charisma of coach Pia Sundhage, the determination of forward Abby Wambach, and the work ethic of keeper Hope Solo. Here I’ve put together a list of 8 lessons to be gleaned from the national team, in hopes that you’ll find them very relevant and a little inspiring. Enjoy!

1. Set clear goals . . . There was not a team at the 2011 World Cup that made known their objectives more so than the Women’s National Team (WNT). Abby Wambach was quoted so many times throughout the tournament as saying how she’d watched other teams lift the WC trophy, and this time she didn’t want to watch those people, she wanted to be those people. As you know, this was again not meant to be, but there is no doubt that crystal clear goal setting was a big part of the team’s success leading up to the championship game.
2. Put in the work . . . For this particular U.S. team, their fallback was their work ethic. The team’s training and conditioning was made apparent as the tournament drew on. They were fit, confident, and ready to play, knowing that their quest for great achievement was backed by great preparation. We should do the same in our lives by following the words of Abraham Lincoln, who said, “Give me six hours to chop down a tree, I will spend the first four sharpening my axe”.
3. Stay focused . . . This is all about putting your head down and focusing on the task at hand. Before competition in the tournament had begun, coach Pia Sundhage was quoted as saying, “The team we have is a fantastic team. But we are not talking about the gold, we are talking about the next game. I truly believe that it is important to enjoy the journey and not take anything for granted. If we can just always win the next game, then we will win the final.” This, I think, is an incredible mindset of someone who realizes what needs to be done to find success in any major undertaking.
4. Rely on others . . . What to me stood out more than anything about this year’s team was just that – they were a team. In a conference call before the championship match, when asked about all the individual recognition she’d been receiving, Abby Wambach responded by saying, “The only way we are going to win is to do it together. The only way to put ourselves in a position to be world champions is to continue on the same path we have been on. If we start thinking about the awards and the ‘what-ifs’, we lose sight of what’s important. And what’s important is to stick together and be a team”. There exist plenty of motivational clichés on the topic of teamwork, yet to grasp the essence of its importance one must only observe the interactions of all wildly successful teams and groups. One such group is the WNT.
5. Expect to succeed . . . We’ve already mentioned goal setting and preparation, but this is a little different. This is belief in yourself and confidence in your teammates, and it comes as a result of all the previous components we’ve mentioned. This expectation is not a complacency or a sense of entitlement, but an approach that says, “I am fully capable of winning, and that is what I plan to do”. I think it’s this approach that we saw burning through the team in the latter moments of the Brazilian game, in which nothing but absolute faith in themselves could have pushed the players to their stunning victory.
6. Have a good time . . . On several occasions throughout the tournament, U.S. coach Pia Sundhage was filmed dancing, singing, and joking with the players. This unique approach did a lot to keep the team loose and relaxed through times of pressure, and it was clearly effective for this team. Another example of surprisingly carefree demeanor was seen in the Japanese huddle – in which the players were smiling and laughing – just before heading into penalty kicks with the U.S. One thing that was made clear by the players and staff of the WNT at this year’s World Cup was this: through all the ups and down, they were determined to enjoy the ride.
7. Win modestly, lose graciously . . . This World Cup was for me a lesson on losing. There still is no doubt in my mind that the U.S. ‘deserved’ to win that final match. We played better and created more opportunities than Japan, yet came up short. And yet, when interviewed after the game, not a single player or coach came across as bitter or resentful. They took responsibility for their mistakes and credited Japan with a great performance. On the flip side, when the final whistle blew, many of the Japanese’s first actions were to console and congratulate the WNT players, even before really celebrating with their own teammates. Some days you win, some days you lose, but I think whichever end of the scoreboard you’re on, it’s important to acknowledge and empathize with the other side.
8. . . . and know that there’ll always be another game. Emerson said, “Men succeed when they realize that their failures are the preparation for their victories”. I think he was probably right, even if our failures often do feel pretty final. This championship game clearly was the world to the WNT, yet now that it’s done, they will pretty soon move on and get back to work in prepping for the upcoming Olympic Games and other tournaments. My basketball coach used to always tell us that athletes had to have very short memories. His point was that each of us makes mistakes, and an air ball one time down the court shouldn’t stop you from shooting the next time. I think that’s a good point to end on, knowing that the Women’s National Team isn’t going to stop shooting anytime soon, and neither should you.

I’d love to hear what you have to say about this post in the comment boxes below.