USWNT Veteran Shares Bold Opinion on Forced ‘Team Bonding’ Activities Ahead of NWSL Season

Ever wondered what makes a soccer team great? Scoring remarkable goals, achieving any of the existing glory, or dominating the entire sphere of the sport—that’s the initial thought that comes into our minds, right? However, the secret ingredient is the chemistry of players. How good of a relationship exists between players and coaches alike is what defines an efficient team. Yet, USWNT veteran Christen Press seems to belong to a different school of thought.

But why? Isn’t building players’ chemistry actually considered Coaching 101 for players? Yes, it is, and before you question the Angel City forward, we’d suggest you first hear her opinion on this matter. It all came in the latest RE—INC podcast episode, which Press co-hosts alongside her fiance and former teammate, Tobin Heath. In one show’s segment, they discussed giving red cards for things they would have jacked.

To which, Press quickly added, “My red card is team bonding… Straight red.” Interestingly, Heath knowingly laughed, insisting she expected such an answer from her significant other.

“Hard red. Not even a double-yellow for you,” added Tobin, before Press could add why team bonding actually makes her upset.

“You don’t know when you see it on your calendar, but it’s like basically, someone telling you, here’s where we scheduled for you to feel a certain way, and that’s not cool. I need space to bond on my own terms,” explained the ACFC forward, who made a return from her long-term injury.

Christen Press shared teams often organized various off-pitch activities to improve bonding, including bringing in a chef to teach players how to cook. While that idea sounded better to Tobin Heath, Press quickly interjected with a humorous take, pointing out how difficult it was for players to follow culinary procedures—especially after training when they were extremely hungry.

The veteran forward also expressed her discontent with other common activities like Topgolf and escape rooms—one activity where even Heath admitted she would rather sit out, jokingly saying she’d have her cleats up. On that note, Press urged the teams to give her a chance to organize such bonding activities, guaranteeing that hardly anyone would dislike it.

“If I’m on the team, you can give me a credit card, and I will make sure that the team all loves each other,” asserted the 36-year-old. Hearing this, Heath assumed that Press wasn’t completely against bonding. Rather, the Angel City star hates implementing “Googled activities” ideas on the team.

That’s exactly what Press meant to say as she added, “The forcing mechanism. Bonding happens naturally—on and off the pitch!”

Can’t argue with that, can we? Honestly, she isn’t completely wrong. Developing relationships is something that comes innately. But perhaps that must be the case for the teams. They try to organize such events so that all the players start building the required chemistry and communication.

If Press is still lingering on her point, she might as well let her hear out one of her fellow national comrades.

Ex-NWSL star praises Emma Hayes for igniting an ‘excellent’ team culture at USWNT

Earlier, Emily Fox revealed how impressed she was with Emma Hayes’ plan to instill a unique team culture at USWNT. Citing her successful 12 years at Chelsea, the right-back insisted the whole team was looking forward to working with the English tactician. This was enough to bring the entire team on the same page with similar beliefs. “With her and her entire staff, the transition was so smooth,” said Fox on The Women’s Game podcast.

The defender praised her national team manager for building a strong emotional and social connection with the team. She stressed these qualities are just as decisive, if not more, during major tournaments and within national teams, where coaches don’t have the same daily engagement with players as they do at the club level.

Another way Hayes added a personal touch was by fostering cross-family interactions. Training sessions often felt like a constant ‘Bring Your Kids to Work Day,’ with not just Emma’s 6-year-old son, Charlie, but also the little ones of Casey Krueger and Crystal Dunn frequently present—a detail the players truly appreciated.

“It just creates a tight-knit group and brings a lot more humility to it when you have kids around,” added Fox.

On top of that, one doesn’t even need to question whether such team culture-building tactics worked in the USWNT’s favor or not. The result has been in front of you. Then again, we would like to know your take on Christen Press’ opinion on this matter. Sound off in the comments.