As the pilot prepares to put wheels on the ground here in the beautiful
USA, I'm glad to be home but so grateful for the three weeks I spent
in the glorious country of Brazil as a FIFA Medical Officer. Words are
insufficient to describe the excitement, action and honor that this experience
has shown me, but for this blog, words are all I have and I want to share
them with you.
Here are five lessons learned from my vantage point at this year's
World Cup. I hope you find some inspiration in them.
1. Football soccer continues to be the most popular and the most significant
sport in the world. But the United States' response to it seems to
have been renewed and I sincerely hope it sticks. This sport is scalable
such that it is like having a Super Bowl game. 30 days in a row.
2. The self determination of a people and their societal love of this beautiful
sport are far more important than the negative and sarcastic media interpretation
from the outside.
3. The role of the medical team is clear...to prevent problems, facilitate
performance and care for injury and illness. I am humbled by the breadth
of knowledge and experience from this medical team, the quality of the
Brazilian Local Organizing Committee health care team and each of the
32 team doctors who have shown repeatedly that we really are "ONE
WORLD and ONE TEAM."
4. The passion of the players and the fans is a global phenomenon. These
games are special competitions of drama, grief, pageantry and record-breaking
and blazing performances. As a FIFA Medical Officer, I realize again that
the human being is the same regardless of race, ethnicity, and place of
birth or residence. The smiles, the laughs, the cries and the disappointments
are always the same. Through sport we are able to truly understand and
embrace these similarities, a great lesson on how to celebrate and embrace
the differences in our world.
5. The US Men's National team is unique for its optimism, positivism,
passion and 'never say die' attitude. They chose every opportunity
to express victory even in the face of being out-manned and out-gunned.
They waited for moments of opportunity, even when odds and the clock were
against them to succeed. They have become champions to themselves and
to the American people, 25 million strong.
Every fan can see themselves in that setting: wishing and wondering, "Can
I pull it off?" When there is hope and optimism beyond the passion,
the answer is a resounding YES! That is the Win Within. And it transcends
every scorecard, tournament and match. Once you've achieved it, it's
a clock that never runs out.
~ Bert