USWNT winning the Olympic gold in Paris was no small feat. Given the state the program was in a year ago, they got eliminated in the round of 16 of the World Cup. So, people had no hopes for the Olympics. When Emma Hayes came into the picture, people were still skeptical. Yes, she won five league titles in a row at Chelsea, but the coach didn’t have any international experience. All this made their Olympic victory sweeter! But the coach has one regret…

While the 2024 Olympics was going on, Hayes was in the French capital with her team, busy winning. This meant that she had to be away from her son for a long time. Of course, little Harry couldn’t wait, so he flew to Paris to support his champion mom. Speaking about this, Hayes shared, “He ran over to me and he said, ‘Mommy, you need to come home now. The team have had enough of you.'”

After winning the final against Brazil, Hayes finally hugged her boy after almost a month apart. Speaking to Sky News, she further revealed, “It’s been really hard on him, I’m not going to lie. So tough because he had to sacrifice his mom for a month and no six-year-old really deserves that. So my priority now is like to go home and put him first,” she added.

Hayes said it well. It’s not just the coaches and players who sacrifice family time. Their families also do the same. But did you know little Harry played a vital role in Hayes’s success?

Earlier this year, the manager revealed how her son supported her USA move. When she received the offer, she was excited but didn’t quite know how her son would react. And for her, Harry’s opinion was important. How did the child react?

Well, he was quite happy. “I didn’t know what he was going to say, but he smiled, he hugged me, he kissed me and he said, ‘Let’s go to the USA, Mummy, I’m really excited, I want to go to the USA!’ and I almost couldn’t believe it. That was it, that was the endorsement I needed,” she shared in February.

His positive reaction was the only thing she needed to finalize her USWNT role. And now, what a long way the team has come! An Olympic gold! But sadly, Harry won’t be able to see the medal that his mom helped USWNT win as she didn’t get one.

Emma Hayes takes ‘memories’ with her rather than Paris Olympic gold medal

Winning the Olympics is surely a moment that USWNT will cherish. While players involved will be reminded of the achievement by looking at the medals, Emma Hayes doesn’t have a tangible keepsake to remind her of her accomplishment.

In her discussion with Sky News, when asked if the team would get her a gold medal, she replied, “No, but I’ve got memories. At the end of the day, I coached an Olympic gold medal-winning team. I don’t need a medal for that. These people have really opened up and I’ve enjoyed being in their presence and their company. For me, that’s even more valuable than a medal.”

Well, one can’t argue against that!

Though one may appreciate Hayes’ positivity, the question remains: Why exactly didn’t she get a medal? We often see World Cup-winning coaches proudly posing for photos with their gold medals. But unlike the World Cup, the Olympics has multiple sports.

If the International Olympic Committee were to award medals to coaches of team sports like soccer and basketball, many would wonder why those coaching individual athletes are overlooked. Therefore, to save themselves from this ethical conundrum, coaches don’t receive medals. But the best medal for Emma Hayes would be her son’s little arms hugging her after the emphatic victory.