Leading from the Bench

Leaders on the bench

She knew she wouldn’t be the best player.

Other kids had been playing for years. She was starting from scratch. But that didn’t stop her from signing up for soccer this year.

We’ve been watching more women’s sports together—on TV and in person. And while watching Caitlin Clark play for the Hawkeyes last year was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her, I later realized she had also been paying close attention to something else.

The players on the bench.

The ones who weren’t in the game, but who were still showing up. Cheering. Watching. Encouraging. Staying ready.

And that’s when she own role started to take shape.

On the way to practice tonight, I asked why she wanted to try soccer this year, her response:

“Because I want to be that player—the one who’s cheering people on and knows exactly what they need to hear when they do a good job and when they make a mistake.”

She knew she wasn’t going to be the best player.
But she also knew she could be the best teammate.

That mindset? It’s leadership.

And it matters.

Sports can teach incredible life lessons. But only if we’re paying attention to more than stats and starting lineups.

The bench matters. The energy we bring matters.

And the kind of teammate we choose to be?
That carries far beyond the field.