If you’re a soccer fan like me, you’re probably still buzzing about the U.S. women’s soccer team winning gold at the Olympics last month. (Is it the World Cup yet? Let’s go!)

But what made this gold win truly special wasn’t just the medals and the fact that we haven’t seen great victory since 2012. It was the story behind the team—the leadership, the teamwork, and their unshakable belief in each other (which hey, there’s a really cool mini documentary by U.S. Soccer about the team called Behind the Crest ⚽️).

This olympic gold reminded me of my own soccer days, where the impact of a great coach and a committed team made all the difference.

A Love for the Game

From a young age, soccer was my life. —And I’m that person that keeps a soccer ball in my car trunk today just in case I run into some time to juggle for a few minutes (you just never know when you’ll need it ⚽️).

I lived and breathed the game, embracing the challenge that demanded speed, agility, endurance, and determination. I pushed myself in every match, discovering a little more fight inside me each time I dug deeper. I thrived on competition, and I wanted to win—just like the U.S. women’s team. Every game was for the gold medal.

And we did win. A lot. In fact, my team went undefeated for almost every season. I was lucky to have amazing coaches and teammates who believed in one another. We trusted each other, pushed each other, and played as a cohesive unit. It was never about individual glory; it was about how we could win as a team. That bond was unbreakable, and it’s why I turned down offers to play for other teams—I couldn’t leave behind my team and the connection we had built.

“It’s not every day that you’re in a gold medal match. And if you can’t smile and enjoy that, then I don’t know what you can smile and enjoy.”

Emma Hayes, head coach, USWNT

The Importance of Focus

One thing I learned early on is that focus is everything in soccer. When my coaches were invested, and my teammates were locked in, we were unstoppable. But when the focus shifted off the game—even just a little—we struggled.

That’s what made the U.S. women’s team’s gold medal win so impressive. Their coach had only been with the team for 75 days, but in that short time, they created a culture of belief and focus. The coach learned from the players, just as much as the players learned from the coach. It was a two-way street of mutual respect and accountability. When you have that kind of bond and focus, success follows.

But I’ve also seen the opposite…

A Game without Focus

When I got to high school, my soccer experience changed drastically. I made the JV team, but it quickly became clear that politics were at play. Popular cliques dominated the field, and despite my passion and skills, I found myself sitting on the bench game after game, even at practice; so the coach never learned about me as a player. I barely played—maybe two minutes here and there—often in positions that didn’t suit my abilities; and this lack of learning about me as a player so I could perform at my best was frustrating.

The young, impressionable coach played favorites, and the team lacked even the most basic understanding of soccer techniques and strategy. It was disheartening to see players who weren’t serious about the game getting more time on the field while the team as a whole suffered. As a result, the team lost games, even to weaker opponents.

It was a foreign experience for me to lose, and the frustration ate away at my love for the sport. Sitting on the sidelines, I’d feel a burning desire to jump in and change the game myself or coach us out of the burning fires we kept playing in. But when there’s a bad apple or more on the coaching line or team, voices and the talent of others get silenced.

This scenario is true for business and in life. A disconnected team can destroy a business or lead you astray. Jim Collins talks about the importance of getting the right people on your bus in order to take your business and team to the next level, a level beyond mediocre. You can read about this in my article, “Who is on Your Bus.”

Losing Motivation

It didn’t take long for me to lose motivation, and losing games felt “normal” (cringe! 😬). I stopped caring at practices and games. I didn’t put in the extra work at home anymore. The joy I used to find in soccer faded away, replaced by apathy and frustration. Even off the field, I couldn’t connect with my teammates, and activities like team dinners and “team building” gatherings that were not about that only deepened my discontent.

I eventually tried out for the varsity team, but when I was the last cut, I felt a surprising sense of relief. I didn’t want to be on a team that didn’t vibe right. So I turned my attention to excel in basketball, golf and indoor soccer instead, rediscovering the joy of competing in sports I loved around coaches and teammates who aligned on the same mission.

Belief in Each Other: The Ultimate Key to Success

That’s why I admire what the U.S. women’s soccer team accomplished at the Olympics. Their success wasn’t just about tactics, conditioning, or even talent. It wasn’t about sticking with the status quo of the same roster just because the public was used to seeing some big name faces (and this stirred some controversy). It wasn’t about politics. It was about the basics, the love of the game.

The leadership and players had belief in one another that set them apart. They attest to this in all their press conferences and short documentaries. The team and coach shared a powerful and visible connection, and it was this bond that propelled them to gold. The last time I saw this type of team bond was during the 1999 FIFA Women’s World Cup (Remember this tournament? I was on the edge of my seat the entire time, amazing! ⚽️).

On the day of the gold medal game, the coach said something to the players that stuck with me: “Today is another opportunity to play with your friends, and I want to make sure you play like it is that today.”

They had done the hard work, and now was the time to embrace the experience together. These words encapsulate the heart of team sports. It’s not just about winning; it’s about cherishing the opportunity to compete alongside people who push you to be your best. What’s funny about this though is that when you do play in this way, winning is sure to follow.

Continue Building

Lastly, one of my favorite quotes from the coach came when she told the players, “I’m proud of what we’re building.”

She didn’t say “what we’ve built,” acknowledging that growth is an ongoing process. The best teams never stop improving. In fact they make learning and growing a daily habit. As such, success is reached by businesses and in life when growing is treated as a verb.

The Formula for Victory

At the heart of their gold medal win was a simple formula: leadership and teamwork.

1. The coach and players made effort to learn about each other, their strengths, weaknesses and goals.
2. The coach provided clear direction with best intentions in mind, while the players were coachable and driven; and vice versa.
3. The coach and team understood that success required contributing to one another, striving to get better every day. They had high expectations of each other and for outcomes.
4. They focused on the game, and they believed in each other.

—and that’s why they stood on the podium with gold medals around their necks.

It’s a lesson that transcends sports—whether on the field, in the office or in daily life: belief and focus make all the difference. And when leadership and teamwork is in sync it’s amazing what can be achieved.

If you missed the gold medal match, you’ll want to catch the Women’s World Cup in 2027. It’s only about 34 months away, but who’s counting? (not me, nope 😄)

Go make your day a win!