#SheBelieves

It takes a lot for a team to win a championship game at any level, never mind the World Cup. This past Sunday the U.S. Women’s National Team didn’t just show up to play, they showed up to dominate. Aside from Lloyd’s hat trick making history, it says a lot to take a shot from midfield (and make it) as Lloyd did. In my opinion, talent isn’t what got the US 3 goals in the first 16 minutes of the game. That’s the result of heart and hustle. That’s the result of the desire that had been caged up for years spilling out. If a team sparks that kind of unity and focus the USWNT showed, anything is possible. The USWNT isn’t just made up of 23 individuals. It is made up of an unspoken agreement that every one of those 23 has each others back. The amount of field awareness, uniformity, confidence, and skill that has generated over the years throughout this program, and many other female programs, is undeniable. Women’s sports have prospered more than most would believe, and this is a great showing of that. Being a collegiate athlete, I have found myself in similar situations (clearly I’m no Tobin Heath or playing in the World Cup, but a girl can dream). I have seen what is needed for a team to connect. Throughout my years of playing on multiple teams, it has become easier and easier to identify the dynamics of a team. I was opened up to what was real and what was forced. Chemistry and togetherness are not always an easy or even achievable thing when dealing with some odd number of girls. But it is necessary. It takes a lot of sacrifice and selflessness, with a big dose of good old fashion ass kicking competition. Just as I believe any of the players from USWNT would attest to, winning is much more than a score. It knows that all of those hard days of practice and preparation have paid off. The degree of dedication, commitment, and passion may be different, but the dynamic is the same. 

It is all the little things in between that create a victory; looking out for your teammates before yourself, applying your coaches constructive criticism instead of shaking your head at it, and putting in that extra time even when you’d love to Netflix binge like a normal human. The list could be endless.  I believe it was their teamwork, attention to the little things, and their craving to prove themselves that got the USWNT where they are today. They dominated because they believed in each other. The amount of progress and growth of the game in its entirety is something that I feel is only going to continue to grow. Not just in professional soccer, but in all women’s sports. Their camaraderie and teamwork could be applied to just about anywhere.

Amber