They don’t hand out gold medals at the Olympics to coaches, but a lot of credit for the USA’s success should go to its coach, Pia Sundhage, writes
Sundhage, whose first team meeting included her rendition of BobDylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’,” isn’t your typical coach. Indeed, some might wonder about her laissez-faire approach.
When goalie Hope Solo ranted about Brandi Chastain on Twitter, Sundhage said she asked her star: “If you look at the women’s national team, what do youwant [people] to see? What do you want them to hear?”
Sundhage, who added that she doesn’t punish people, brought the U.S. women together after Solo’s divisive comments followingthe 4-0 loss to Brazil in the 2007 Women’s World Cup semifinals in which she was benched. Sundhage’s advice to Solo’s teammates was “not to forget but to forgive.”
Sundhage’s prowess at team-building and calm demeanor was worth its weight in gold to the USA.