“Serial winner Wiegman leads Lionesses to verge of immortality by freeing them from fear.”
This headline caught my eye in the days before England met Spain in the final of the 2023 Fifa World Cup. It opened an article about England manager Sarina Wiegman, and her focus on ensuring her players enjoy their football, on calmness, and risk taking. I was captivated by this description of Wiegman’s leadership approach, and by how powerful, and how transferable, the skills are that she develops in her team.
All sports have benefits that translate to study and work. Sports provide opportunities to develop the generic leadership and management skills of being treasurer, captain, or secretary. They teach the practical discipline of maintaining the gear and tackle and trim of sports equipment. They have stories which make you part of something bigger, part of history, as you participate in rules-based competitions passed down for generations – and their idioms express long-held values, the best of articulate stoicism, and respect for teammates and the opposition.
