As a player I always believed in the sanctity of the group: if you didn’t agree with the majority in the dressing room, if you went against what they considered right, I was very, very strict with you.
Just ask my team-mate at Everton, who refused to take part in our Pride campaign because it went against his beliefs. I said to him, ‘You’re completely out of it. This cause is much bigger than you.’
Other players agreed, but they wouldn’t rock the boat. I was always more vocal – I told the player in private and I told them in front of the group.
Of course, it’s impossible to get 25 people to agree on everything. But a team is a family. And that means we all have to pull in the same direction.
Unfortunately, even the best teams can be consumed by division. Take the USWNT, which kicks off its Olympic campaign against Zambia on Thursday.
Midfielder Korbin Albert controversially selected to USWNT Olympic roster
DailyMail.com columnist Tim Howard
After midfielder Korbin Albert posted anti-LGBTQ messages on social media, she was openly criticized by her teammates and booed by supporters.
But new manager Emma Hayes has stuck with the 20-year-old – and ignored the backlash from fans to select her for the Olympic squad. It is a big decision that comes with big risks.
But is it the right one? Well, my opinion has changed recently – thanks to Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes.
The Kansas City Chiefs were hit with scandal earlier this offseason when kicker Harrison Butker gave a controversial speech at their graduation ceremony in which he told women that one of their most important roles in life will be “homemaker.”
It caused a stink and put his teammates and coaches at the Chiefs in a difficult position.
I thought Butker was out of line and if he was in my locker room I would have told him that. I’m still a guy who thinks, if I have a position and it’s the right one and you don’t get to it, I’m disappointed. But Mahomes and Kelce really opened my eyes.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce both spoke out about Chiefs teammate Harrison Butker
The Kansas City kicker faced fierce criticism earlier this year after delivering a speech at the graduation ceremony
They are leaders in that team and they argued that we live in a world where not everyone is going to agree with each other. But we support each other as a family and we try to understand where other people are coming from – even if we don’t agree with each other. That’s a lot more accepting than I would have been.
But now I see the other side. Now I’m not so stupid as to think that my opinion is the only one that matters. Now I know that you have to listen. You have to have conversations.
So if I was in the USWNT and Albert was in my locker room, I wouldn’t be so hardline. I wouldn’t feel like my voice needs to be heard and that there needs to be one way of thinking. I look at how a great team like the Chiefs handled Butker and realize I was wrong.
Albert has apologized for her social media posts. But that doesn’t mean she’s fundamentally changed – she was raised a certain way, her beliefs are important to her, and those feelings are valid.
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder apologized for sharing anti-LGBTQ messages on social media
The problem is that they clash with the core values of a USWNT that has been on the front lines – fighting for the LGBT community, raising awareness and doing so much good. You can imagine how painful it is when one of their own doesn’t share those beliefs.
That would put a strain on my relationship with the player – on the training ground and on the pitch. But it is essential to remember one thing: you have to live with these people every day, you spend more time with them than with your family.
So it’s up to Hayes and her players to find another common ground to cling to. That means having serious conversations. That requires senior players to say, we don’t agree with this, and that’s hard because we’re so passionate about this. But there has to be a turning point and an olive branch.
Fortunately, in football, as in life, things always come up. There is still a tough moment ahead for the USWNT and maybe Albert and her teammates can agree on that. I have been down this road and they will find something that will bring them back together.
Albert, 20, has been booed by U.S. national team fans and openly criticized by some teammates
New United States coach Emma Hayes (pictured) ignored the noise and selected Albert for Paris
At Everton, my teammate listened to me and respectfully refused to join the Pride campaign. But our desire to fight for the badge became a common cause that helped us overcome those differences. Fans don’t forget that quickly, though, and it’s hard to have sympathy for Albert.
Yes, she now has a target on her back. Yes, she is under more pressure to perform. But that is her responsibility. As athletes, we have the option to speak out or remain silent. But we must understand that if we choose to take a stand, we will be scrutinized and even ridiculed.
Hayes knows that. She knows how Albert’s selection can affect the dynamics and culture of her team. She knows that anything short of winning gold will be seen as a failure, and that if the team is plagued by infighting, her decision will be the reason. But she says it was worth it. Hayes is a winner who understands the scrutiny that comes with the top jobs in football.
It is important that she makes her mark in her first major tournament. She has already shown that she does not shy away from difficult decisions.