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Real Life Sports Coaches Are Taking Notes From Ted Lasso

AILSA CHANG, HOST:

A lot of us made it through the worst of COVID isolation by spending time with a guy named Ted Lasso.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "TED LASSO")

JASON SUDEIKIS: (As Ted Lasso) I know that AFC Richmond, like any team I've ever coached, is going to go out there and give you everything they got for all four quarters. What was that?

UNIDENTIFIED ACTOR: (As character) Two halves.

SUDEIKIS: (As Ted Lasso) Oh, right. Sorry. Halves, yeah.

MARY LOUISE KELLY, HOST:

He is the fictional college football coach played by actor Jason Sudeikis, who gets hired to lead a struggling professional soccer team in England. Now, Ted Lasso might not be real. He might not be an expert on the finer points of soccer. But many real-life coaches are taking note of the relationships he builds with his players.

KELLY KRATZ: Ted Lasso - he's kind of coming in with this, hey, we're a family. And I want to get to know you. Not everybody is the same. And not everybody responds the same.

CHANG: That's Kelly Kratz, who coaches lacrosse and is a member of the Positive Coaching Alliance. And like many athletes growing up, Kratz says she had coaches who were really hard on the team.

KRATZ: A lot of coaches have always said, you know, this is my program. This is how I'm going to run it. If you don't like it, you know, go somewhere else. And I think we've just found that it doesn't work. And if anybody thinks back to our own experience, there's probably coaches that you've worked a lot harder for because they have gotten to know you and they've gotten to respect you and they know sort of what makes you tick.

KELLY: And it's not just coaches. Search leadership and Ted Lasso on Twitter and you will find tweet after tweets from management gurus praising the TV coach's leadership chops.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "TED LASSO")

HANNAH WADDINGHAM: (As Rebecca Welton) Do you believe in ghosts, Ted?

SUDEIKIS: (As Ted Lasso) I do. But more importantly, I think they need to believe in themselves.

CHANG: That kind of attitude, supportive and uplifting, leads to better relationships and more fun, says Kelly Kratz. And it's part of the reason she and so many others love the show so much.

KRATZ: Some people think that positivity is great for youth soccer players or, you know, little guys on the swim team. But when you see coaches like Steve Kerr and Dusty Baker and the highest level coaches saying, no, positivity actually works and showing the players that, you know, you're there to help them grow, you're not just there to make sure that they win championships.

KELLY: For Coach Lasso, it's about the journey as much as the destination.

(SOUNDBITE OF TV SHOW, "TED LASSO")

SUDEIKIS: (As Ted Lasso) Hey, but taking on a challenge is a lot like riding a horse, isn't it? If you're comfortable while you're doing it, probably doing it wrong.

CHANG: Season 2 of Ted Lasso premieres on Apple TV+ on Friday, and I cannot wait. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

Ailsa Chang is an award-winning journalist who hosts All Things Considered along with Ari Shapiro, Audie Cornish, and Mary Louise Kelly. She landed in public radio after practicing law for a few years.
Mary Louise Kelly is a co-host of All Things Considered, NPR's award-winning afternoon newsmagazine.
Courtney Dorning has been a Senior Editor for NPR's All Things Considered since November 2018. In that role, she's the lead editor for the daily show. Dorning is responsible for newsmaker interviews, lead news segments and the small, quirky features that are a hallmark of the network's flagship afternoon magazine program.
Gus Contreras
[Copyright 2024 NPR]

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.