Overcoming Adversity - Women's Style

I was fully prepared to share with you the “Meaning of Life” and all the extraneous information that goes along with solving that Great Mystery – I think I got it all figured out. But then the United States Women’s Soccer Team entered into my life and changed all that.


Actually, I’ve been paying fairly close attention to the team lately, as the Women’s World Cup has been happening in Germany over the past few weeks. It’s a pretty big deal. As a part-time soccer coach for young girls, I feel like it’s a REALLY big deal. I understand if you are not as excited. Not everyone gets in to the sport, but they have some pretty amazing lessons to share.

Did you see yesterday’s game?! It was pretty phenomenal. This National team has something to share with all of us about overcoming adversity.

Let me give you a brief synopsis of the team’s performance, and we will see what applies to the rest of us.

Within the first two minutes the Women’s Team scored on Brazil, a formidable foe – a soccer great. This is a virtually unheard of feat. In a game where 1-0 is a sufficient final score, our team was already up on the opponent with 88 minutes to go in the game.

Of course, things changed. Although, it didn’t happened until well into the second half. For 45 minutes, the entire first half, the team prevented the Brazilian’s from scoring with hard work and tenacity. For those of you doing the math, these women sprint the field back-and-forth, up-and-down, for 90 minutes total; most of them play the entire game. Physical and mental fitness is a prerequisite.

Around the 70th minute, well into the second half, and almost within reach of the prize – moving on to the semifinals – the Brazilian’s scored on a series that will be contested for quite a while. In all honesty, it was garbage. The referees banished one of the American players from the game on a “questionable” call, and awarded a free shot on goal to the opposition. The room was tense. The American’s would have to play the rest of the game with one less player as consequence for the foul she committed, and the Brazilian’s were awarded with a free shot at the goal.

The Brazilian player stood in front of the ball, staring through it and looking to intimidate the American goalie. The American goalie warmed up, jumped, danced, and attempted to prognosticate where the shot was going to go. The Brazilian player struck the ball. It zoomed towards the right upper corner. The American goalie dove skyward towards to point of attack and punched the ball out of range – IT WAS A SAVE!!!

BUT WAIT….. NOOOOO! ANOTHER BAD CALL!!! The referee decided that the American goalie had moved to early awarded the Brazilian’s another attempt at a free score!! Another botched call!!! (not my words, but even the objective foreign announcers!) The American goalie had saved the day, but now she had to face her foe again, on a call that was quite obviously WRONG and UNFAIR.

Of course, the Brazilian striker achieved the next goal.

Game tied 1-1.

The game goes into overtime, as so many of our struggles in life do.

Minutes in to overtime, The Brazilians score on what seems to be ANOTHER BAD CALL (again, admitted by the objective commentator, AS WELL as the group this writer was watching with). The American Team just can’t catch a break. They are working harder than the other team, they are doing more, but nothing is going their way.

Game score 2-1, in favor of the opposition. America’s hopes of advancing to the semi-finals seems all but hopeless. The first half of overtime is finished. The Women of the American team have been sprinting for 105 minutes of intense battle. They continue on into the 2nd half of overtime. They do battle for 14 ½ minutes of extra-effort; for a total of 119 ½ minutes of sprinting, juking, dribbling, and shooting. By now, it seems hopeless. The hope for another World Cup Championship (our first since 1999) are all but over. The announcers know it to be true, the fans know it to be true, and the crowd at the stadium know it to be true.

Apparently, the United States Women’s National Soccer Team didn’t think it was true. They played on.

With less the 30 seconds to go in the game, the women running doggedly around the field, trying to break through the defense of the opposition, they FINALLY come up with THE PLAY!!! From across the field the striker hopefully blasts the ball into scoring position and YES it is headed into the goal by another AMERICAN PLAYER!!! GOAL!!!!!!! The crowd erupts!! THE GAME IS TIED!!! Less than seconds to go and the Americans have rescued their hopes from the ashes of defeat!!! It is a finale to defy the ages!!

Of course, there is more to come. With the score tied, the opponent and, apparently, the referees , out to see their demise, the American Women enter a shoot-out. One on one, shooter against goalie. One by one, the American’s shoot at the Brazilian goalie and score. One by one, the Brazilian shooters strike at the American goalie and score. All except one. In a brilliant display of individual effort, the American goalie forecasts where the shooter will try to place the ball, she lunges out to deflect and makes just enough contact to push away from the goal. The American Women WIN THE GAME IN A SHOOT OUT!!!!!

One of the most spectacular wins in any sport. Ever. Did you see it? It’s OK, not many people did. The team moves on to the Semi-Finals this Wednesday. But more importantly, their victory has a lot to do with you.

Have you ever fought a battle against insurmountable odds?

Have you ever felt like, no matter how hard you tried, no matter what you did was met with resistance from not only the foreseeable opponent, but also from opposition far outside your control?

Did you ever feel like even the authority figures in your life who are supposed to make things “fair” are out to get you?

Did you ever feel like no matter how hard you sprint, how hard you trained, how hard you worked, that you weren’t going to be victorious?

Did you come through to victory? Did you win?

Battles like this happen in each of our lives every day. Our training, our planning, the work we do, and the support we have in our team; all factors in what pulls us through.

If you feel your life is out of control and you can’t get it back on track, there is hope.

If you feel your marriage is unable to be saved; that you can’t work hard enough to make it right, it can improve.

If you think your situation is impossible to overcome, that you cannot achieve victory, you are wrong. You can pull victory out of the clutches of defeat. The American Women’s National Soccer Team has shown us tenacity and grace in the jaws of futility. Emulate that tenacity and grace in your life.

Hope is THE factor that can pull us through. Combine hope, belief, and faith with a tenacity to see the situation through to victory and YOU WILL win.

Find your hope. Do the hard work of training. Find your team.

See yourself through to victory.

After watching that game, I believe it may be as simple as that.

If you need help, there are plenty of ‘coaches’ out there. If you need a team, there are people who are willing to work with you. Don’t do it alone.

Photo Credit : AP image / Jens Meyer