Life Lessons from South Africa

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Jun 13th, 2010 by David Svet

World Cup Fans I love soccer. I know most Americans don’t get it, but I think the game is wonderful because it is filled with life lessons. With the 2010 World Cup in full swing now in South Africa, there is no shortage of lessons to learn. Consider this weekend’s 1-1 draw between England and the USA squad.

It was heavily hyped as the last meeting of the two sides in the 1950 World Cup saw the USA actually beat England, and England’s still mad about it. So there was an undercurrent of pressure going into the match. England was favored and the US was the underdog. But, England’s goalkeeper, Robert Green from West Ham United, was literally green with no World Cup experience. He was widely discussed in the press as the weakest link on the England side which undoubtedly added to the pressure.

The match was pretty typical for a first match from these two teams — fits and starts, conservative, uneventful. England gained a 1-0 lead very early on and not much excitement happened after that. Until American Clint Dempsey, who plays for Fulham in England, took a very routine shot on goal. It was the kind of shot that’s taken when there isn’t anything better to do with the ball, not because it’s an excellent opportunity. It was the kind of shot that keeps the goalkeeper on his toes but is always stopped — a bit of a yawn. Except the ball bounced off Green’s gloves and rolled over them into the goal with Green frantically, hopelessly scrambling after the ball. It was the gaffe of a lifetime on the world’s biggest stage.

Robert Green stood in his goal in abject humiliation. He was stunned. Everyone was stunned. Some were happier than others, but everyone was stunned. What was once an expected win avenging the most humiliating loss in the history of English soccer was now a tie due to Robert Green’s error. Yet soccer, like life, has no timeout. Life goes on and so does the match.

Robert Green showed remarkable character. He looked at his team, raised his hand and acknowledged what he had done. Then he recovered and made an outstanding save in the second half of the game that saved the draw. While Green could have crumbled as the biggest goat in all of England, he didn’t. At halftime his teammates could have reduced him to nothing, but they didn’t. They rallied around him. His manager, Fabio Capello, the highest paid national team manager in the world by a factor of two, could have pulled Green but didn’t. I honestly expected him to sit and was proven wrong. Green dusted himself off, apologized, and came back hard.

Lesson learned? We all make mistakes. Pointing fingers is worse than useless. Forgiveness is extraordinarily powerful. Admit your errors and come back hard. In life there are no timeouts.

Soccer fans get ready for World Cup 2010. (Courtesy of Creative Commons)

Tags: forgiveness, life lessons, perseverance, World Cup

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8 Responses to “Life Lessons from South Africa”

on 14 Jun 2010 at 6:45 am1walter klemens

hey man

i’m pulling down a thousand heils from the sun for you right now your article is mad inspirational and i’m feeling the way you’re feeling and that is the way we are feeling and so i hope you will understand that you thouched somebody’s heart and

it was mine

xoxo
on 14 Jun 2010 at 2:52 pm2David Svet

Thank you Walter! I appreciate all the sunshine.

David
on 14 Jun 2010 at 5:50 pm3walter klemens

you’re welcome davis i appreciate your sunshine into my life

hey where do you live
on 15 Jun 2010 at 2:01 am4Francisco Sáez

Great post, Dave. It’s wonderful how sports always gives life lessons… Congratulations on that draw. I hope your team gets as far as possible in the World Cup.
on 15 Jun 2010 at 7:50 am5David Svet

Walter,
I am in a suburb of Kansas City, Missouri USA called Overland Park, Kansas.

David
on 15 Jun 2010 at 7:51 am6David Svet

Thanks Francisco! I’m glad we got the draw. I’m also excited that Slovenia won. My grandparents are Slovenian. I won’t know who to cheer for on Friday!

David
on 15 Jun 2010 at 8:41 am7Stacey Hood

As usual, Dave, another great post….especially about a subject that I love and live for (well, beside the family, of course). It’s one reason I’m so glad that my kids play the game, just as I do and have for over 30 years now. I’ve been fortunate to have played at levels most dream about, but nothing has ever changed. It’s taught me more about life, people and the world, then any other thing in my whole life. Thanks for the post.
on 15 Jun 2010 at 9:05 am8David Svet

Thanks Stacey! You’re very kind.

I am continuously amazed by this game. For something so simple, it is deeply beautiful and profound.