Ali Krieger, a defender for the U.S. Women’s National Team, and the St. Catherine’s varsity soccer team share many similarities.
Krieger, a World Cup champion and also a runner-up, spoke in front of 800 people Thursday night at St. Catherine’s Kenny Center Gym as part of the school’s 125th anniversary celebration. The event was free and open to the public.
When Krieger reached the podium, she was holding her 2015 World Cup gold medal. She joked this was the first time taking it off since July, but it took a lot for Krieger and her teammates to achieve this “lifelong dream” of becoming a world champion — especially after suffering a heartbreaking 3-1 loss in penalty kicks to Japan in the 2011 World Cup final.
“‘Even though we were completely devastated after that match, our team had one goal in mind, and the next four years we would work tirelessly in training for hours to have the opportunity to be in the world’s biggest stage again, to play in front of 55,000 people and play in another World Cup final,” Krieger said.
Winning the World Cup in Vancouver had added meaning for Krieger. It was the same field where she tore her ACL, MCL and meniscus in a January 2012 Olympic qualifying match. The injury not only set back her career and future goals, but it forced her to take a whole new perspective.
Her teammates inspired her to get back to the highest level, and she set little goals for herself every year so she could make a return to the U.S. National Team.
Emily Wigg, a junior goalkeeper for the Saints, remembers when St. Catherine’s lost to St. Anne’s-Belfield 3-2 in the VISAA Division I state championship in 2014. Like the U.S. National Team, they set a goal, worked toward it, and were able to come back and shut out Trinity Episcopal 2-0 one year later for the state title.
“I think that being able to listen to Ali Krieger with the whole team was motivational. Listening to her whole story — soccer, family and friends — is something that I think we can take back and work on as a team,” Wigg said.
“We need to stick together, believe in ourselves and believe that all the hard work that we put in Monday through Friday is going to pay off. It’s just a matter of when exactly. And to not take anything for granted. So if we make it to the finals again — to cherish that moment because not everybody gets to experience it. Hopefully, we can practice hard, work hard and find ourselves in the finals again.”
Krieger said resilience has been a theme throughout her life, and St. Catherine’s soccer coach Laurie Marshalek believes her team embodies a strong work ethic and drive.
“I hope they can take from that (Krieger’s speech) first of all, not to take anything for granted and that they need to work hard to find success,” she said. “It just doesn’t come to you. You have to go and get it and work for those opportunities and work for those successes.”
The Saints have won four consecutive LIS championships and two VISAA Division I state championships, hoping to accomplish more this season.
“She talked about her work ethic and how that’s been a huge factor in her success. Our team has a lot of individual talent that works together and I think that our work ethic can probably be raised to another level, so I think and I hope that inspired our team,” said two-year captain and senior center back Addie Wright.
Krieger owes much of her experiences and success to her family, who she claims never told her what to do, but gave her the confidence to discover it on her own.
At the conclusion of her speech, Krieger said, “Today is about you. It’s about going out into this world and making a choice to be good at something. To change lives and to inspire people to also want to be great.”
From there, she recited five pillars, the best advice given her to since embarking on this journey: Be present in the moment; have effective communication; be accountable for yourself; surround yourself with influential people who will positively impact and challenge you; and happiness.
While Krieger is a role model to many around the world, Wright and Wigg hope they, along with their Saints soccer team, can pave the way and set an example for other girls.
Said Wright: “I think that our success that we’ve had these past couple of years is definitely inspiring to the younger kids who look into playing in college and try to work on their game and get better.”
“I hope that we can serve as role models to younger girls, middle schoolers, who maybe are just starting. But as far as older kids and professional soccer, the way that the Women’s World Cup has become famous, well-known, and is now televised — that’s come a long way for women’s soccer,” Wigg said.
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