In Episode 49, we continue our Fan Favorites Series with our interview with Amanda Cromwell, Head Coach of UCLA Women’s Soccer, Former National Team member and coach, former pro footballer, and Olympic Gold Medalist, who talked with Phil about vulnerability, recruiting, pursuing justice, and infectious influence. Specifically, she discusses:

• Her experience in soccer and leadership from her club career, to University of VA, to some other cool stuff, to her current position at UCLA. (1:46)
• The most memorable leaders she has played and coached with during her illustrious career, and the qualities that set them apart from the rest (3:21)
• The critical importance of understanding and connecting with your teammates and players you’re coaching (6:10)
• Life and leadership lessons she has learned from the game itself (7:25)
• The importance of players, and all people, to experience and overcome adversity and failure early in life (9:50)
• What we can learn from our losses and failings (11:27)
• Leadership lessons (and some insider Bruin lore) from her Final Four experience in her National Championship season at UCLA (which also happened to be her first year at the school) (13:33)
• How to foster a healthy culture in a team full of elite players, and the difficulties of choosing captains (22:07)
• The non-negotiables of a captain (24:57)
• What she looks for in recruits (and their parents), how she works to prevent signing problem players to her program and how she deals with viruses who slip through the cracks (26:19)
• How to keep players content and motivated when they’re on the bench, or worse, not in the Top 18 (30:29)
• How she cultivates a healthy team culture with a team full of differing world views, political views, demographics, and backgrounds, even when people disagree on important things (34:18)
• Resources that she recommends to us (53:43)

Resources and Links from this Episode

Audio with subtitles available on our YouTube channel (video not available due to technical difficulties)

UCLA Women’s Soccer website & Social – https://uclabruins.com/sports/womens-soccer & @uclawsoccer

Amanda on Social -- @CromwellUCLA (Twitter) & @coach_cromwell (IG)

Corey Close on IG and Twitter --@coachcoriclose

How Soccer Explains Leadership Facebook Group -- https://www.facebook.com/groups/howsoccerexplainsleadership

“All or Nothing: Manchester City” – Amazon Prime

“All or Nothing: Tottenham” – Amazon Prime

“All of Notiong: All Blacks” – Amazon Prime

“The Social Dilemma” – Netflix

“Take the Ball, Pass the Ball” -- Netflix

How Soccer Explains the World: An Unlikely Theory of Globalization, by Franklin Foer

Failing Forward, by John Maxwell

Think Orphan Podcast “Two Perspectives on Abortion” Episode -- https://thinkorphan.com/2018/08/21/episode-110/