4 Ways Team Sports Shape Us: Insights from Soccer Champion Briana Scurry

It’s not every day that you get to meet a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and World Cup Champion—but recently, that’s exactly what six Club girls had the opportunity to do. On November 20, at the second annual Spark Summit by Inspire Brands, the teens asked retired pro-soccer champion Briana Scurry a few questions about teamwork, leadership, resilience, and self-confidence.

Aashayah

“Today has been honestly amazing and I really enjoyed hearing somebody of color talk about their experience playing soccer,”said 15-year-old Aashayah A. from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier.

A recent study by the Women’s Sports Foundation found that girls who play sports gain essential leadership skills such as teamwork, confidence, and resilience, which persist into adulthood and help them succeed in various leadership roles. But despite these benefits, many girls face barriers to participation, including inequities in access and resources. That’s why Boys & Girls Clubs of America partners with Inspire Brands and Buffalo Wild Wings to help ensure all Club youth have equal opportunities to play and lead.

“We believe in the transformative power of sports to shape young lives — building character, fostering teamwork, and inspiring confidence. Through our partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of America, we’re helping ensure youth everywhere have access to high-quality sports programs that create opportunities far beyond the field. It’s truly incredible to witness the joy and growth these experiences bring — not just for the kids, but for their communities too. That’s the kind of impact we’re proud to stand behind.”– Stuart Brown, Executive Director, Inspire Brands Foundation

We caught up with the six teens after the event to ask about their experience. Here’s what they learned from Briana.

Taskiya, Aashayah, Breyana, Jade, Genesis and Laika

4 Ways Team Sports Shape Us

When you lose, you learn.

Breyana

For 17-year-old Breyana from Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattahoochee Valley, what Briana said about failure really stuck out to her. “If she could, she would tell her 14-year-old self that if something didn’t go right, that means there’s something else for you,” Breyana recalls. “It caught my attention because a lot of things don’t go right.”

Failure is a big part of playing sports and being on a team—for every game or match, someone has to come in last. But losing doesn’t mean defeat. Briana herself recalled that she has learned more from losing than from winning and that the most important thing is to prepare yourself for the next opportunity. It was a message that resonated with the Club teens.

“I do mess up,” said Breyana, “and that’s ok. I’m now more inspired to learn from my mistakes instead of beating myself up about it.”

You define you.

Jade

While sports certainly help young people stay physically active, research has found that participating in team sports can have mental, emotional, and social benefits too. This is particularly important for girls today, who are experiencing increased mental health challenges.

Sports can be powerful ways for young people learn how to be themselves. Briana shared how one coach’s advice that “one result does not define you. You define you” stuck with her throughout her career and helped her build skills like resilience, self-esteem, and confidence.

It was a message that 14-year-old Jade B. from Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier remembered: “It’s kind of hard hearing everyone’s opinions,” she said, “you just have to focus on you. Get better for yourself, not other people.”

How to work together

Genesis

Seventeen-year-old Genesis T. from Boys & Girls Clubs of Chattahoochee Valley started playing soccer when she was four or five years old. For her, being on a team and achieving a shared goal is second-nature. But to hear an Olympic Gold Medalist talk about being on a team was inspiring and validating.

“Everybody has to have that one mutual understanding that we have to work together,” said Genesis, “We have to talk to each other and communicate even if we’re not the best of friends.”

This is even true when people aren’t getting along: “One thing I’ve learned is that even if we have a little argument at practice, we still have to work with each other on the field and to put away our differences for the greater good.”

Learning to Lead

Briana and Breyana

Briana reflected on how being a leader is often learning how to deal with other types of personalities and the ways that other people do things. As captain of her soccer team, Breyana is learning leadership skills in real time. “I know that I can’t treat everyone the same way,” she said, “for some of my teammates, I have to be more assertive. Others, I have to be softer.”

Briana emphasized that these skills extend beyond the playing field: “These are lessons that apply to the business world, to being in a family, working in communities. They really help you become a better individual.”

Participation in team sports programs has a deep impact on youth, promoting a positive self-image, encouraging healthy, active lifestyles and building strong character. The Buffalo Wild Wings Foundation is deeply committed to giving kids an opportunity to play team sports and sponsors Boys & Girls Clubs of America’s ALL STARS program, which organizes youth sports at Clubs across the country with teams designed to build character and teach young people skills that help them succeed on and off the field. ALL STARS works to ensure all young people have access to team sports, the pride of wearing a jersey and the ability to create lifelong skills on the field or court.