Football is More than Just Football
For me, the women’s European Championship tournament has been about more than football.
As a young girl growing up in the USA, I remember the days of Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain…the 1991 World Cup. That team in that tournament did more than inspire me to play.
They inspired me to think bigger about my life.
As a 8 year old girl, I watched these women…girls, really…Mia Hamm was only 15 in that tournament…who worked hard, who took chances, who supported each other, who chased their dreams.
They weren’t trying to be perfect.
They weren’t waiting for permission.
They were just… doing the thing. Together.
I was inspired not just to play harder, but to believe that anything was possible.
Make it stand out
This tournament has been about more than just football. It’s about little girls seeing women work hard, together, to reach their dreams.
If they can see it, they can be it.
Being great at anything takes work…and support.
I played football for 20 years, a few of them competitively. I remember the hours spent in the backyard, practicing by myself. The time spent with coaches, trainers.
When I am watching these matches, the anguish and the elation at the end of a match…I know that it isn’t just talent and luck and personal drive that got them there.
I think more about what we don’t see on the pitch:
The hours and weeks and months and years building trust with their teammates.
The physiotherapists, nutritionists, trainers, and mentors.
The sponsors who believe in them.
The families cheering from the stands.
The supporters reminding them they’re not alone when they hit a rough patch.
I think about all of the people behind each one of these players who support and nourish their dreams, win or loss.
So why do we expect mothers to do the most complex, emotionally demanding job of their lives… without a coach, a game plan, or even a halftime break?
Somewhere along the way, we absorbed the myth that we should just know how to do this. That instinct and love alone should be enough to carry us through. That if we’re struggling, we must be doing it wrong.
That’s like taking a woman off the street, putting her in a pair of boots and saying okay, you’ve watched a few matches on tv, now go out there and score!
It makes no sense.
These players shine not just because they have the desire and work ethic, but because they’ve got a whole support system that believes in them, including a coach who knows how to bring out the best in them..
And not the shouty, clipboard-waving kind of a coach. Not the one who pushes too hard too far too fast. Not the one who pretends they have all the answers and the players just need to work harder.
Great coaches don’t need to prove they are the best on the pitch, they just know how to bring out the best in you.
They remind you when you forget how far you’ve come.
They keep the bigger picture in mind when you’re stuck in the weeds (or the laundry).
They know when to push, when to pause, and when you just need someone to believe and cheer you on.
That’s what lets these women play full out.
Not perfection. Not doing it all alone. Not even the goal of winning.
Just the right support, at the right time, from someone who gets it.
Sound familiar?
It should—because that’s what great coaching offers in motherhood too.
This is your permission slip to build your support team.
Just like those athletes on the field, you deserve a coach in your corner.
I have just a few spots open in my 1:1 coaching program this September.
This isn’t about squeezing more into your day or fixing anyone. It’s about making room to breathe, connect, and come back to yourself.
So you can:
Let go of the guilt that was never yours to carry
Reclaim your values—not your to-do list—as your compass
Receive support before the breakdown, not after
You don’t need to wait until burnout to reach for support.