It’s old news now, but we wanted to remember what happened at the end of the women’s World Cup championship. When Abby Wambach came on to the field at the 79th minute, Carli Lloyd took off the Captain’s armband and gave it Abby to put on. Abby has been a part of US Women’s soccer for so long, so for Carli it was an obvious thing to do: “ I wanted to make sure she put the armband on because she deserves it. She has been legendary to this team. She’s been unbelievable. I’m so thankful I can call her my friend, my teammate, and I’m just so proud her last World Cup she could go out strong.” But the passing of the band wasn’t complete. When the final whistle blew, Wambach found Rampone—the only player on this squad from the 1999 championship team—and insisted she wear it for the celebration and trophy presentation. “She’s my captain, always will be,” Wambach said. “I think it’s pretty symbolic that a team that was able to come away with a world championship wants to pass off the attention from one person to another. Carli hands it to me, I hand it to Christie. That is what it takes to win a world championship.”
The Code says “I will put team goals ahead of personal goals.” It also says, “I will be a positive influence on the relationships on the team.” Both of these tenets of the Code are represented by the actions of these teammates, and it is that kind of respect and commitment to one another that is essential for any team to be successful. What are some ways that you can think of to demonstrate your commitment to your teammates? How can you help others to find that same level of commitment?
