The NWSL season is officially underway, and Lynn Biyendolo (neé Williams) is back on the pitch. She took the field for the first time this weekend in a Seattle Reign jersey after a shocking off-season move from Gotham FC at her request. Biyendolo is no stranger to change, and has always found a way to embrace every opportunity and circumstance.
Whether she’s starting or coming in as a sub, being named to a major tournament roster for the USWNT, or even being an alternate, she always shows up with belief, passion, and execution. That’s what makes her inevitable. We spoke with Biyendolo about her unwavering commitment to embracing her role and how it has impacted her career.
Making A Difference Under Any Circumstance
No matter what she’s asked to do for the team, you can always count on Biyendolo to get the job done. Her admirable mentality and selflessness helped the USWNT claim an Olympic gold medal this past summer. After being elevated from an alternate to a rostered member of the squad, Biyendolo took pride in helping the team win, no matter the cost.
“I had to really embrace my role at the Olympics, provide a spark every time I came out through making runs, applying pressure, tracking back, leading my younger teammates and much more. But I feel by embracing what Emma [Hayes] needed from me and still does, in these moments, makes all the difference between winning and losing as a team,” she says.
In February at the SheBelieves tournament, USWNT Head Coach, Emma Hayes, said she spoke with Biyendolo alongside other players about leadership in this national team squad filled with new and young players. Being considered a veteran in the NWSL and on the USWNT, Biyendolo says that embracing her role is “to do absolutely everything I can in order to be the best Lynn I can be,” whether it is on the field or in the locker room. “It also means to put my own ego to the side in the betterment of the team, knowing that the ‘role’ I play and how I play it to the best of my ability, is for a bigger purpose that ultimately helps any team I'm on,” she continues.
How Role Embracing Has Impacted Her Career and Mentality
Embracing your role can bring its fair share of frustration, but Biyendolo has admirably kept an optimistic outlook throughout her journey. She says that embracing her role on teams has helped keep her focused on her goals.
“It's kept me locked in on specific assignments I have to hit every time I touch the field in practice and in games. It’s allowed me to really niche down to ‘what am I good at’ and how can I be the best at that thing,” she says.
“Remind yourself of what you’re good at, and what you bring to the field. Trust and commit yourself to providing that each and everyday you go out on the field.”
Biyendolo believes that whether team sport athletes realize it or not, everyone has specific traits they bring to a team that contributes to success. As athletes, it can be easy to become overwhelmed with goals and expectations. If we focus on our specific assignment within the team, it can help relieve this stress.
“I think playing specific roles allows you to really niche down your objectives and assignment throughout a game and with that, can definitely alleviate big picture pressures you naturally put on yourself,” Biyendolo says.
Dealing With Fear Of The Unknown
As a professional athlete, Biyendolo has had to navigate many unforeseen circumstances and outcomes. Dealing with numerous injuries, surgeries, team losses, and roster uncertainty throughout her career has taught Biyendolo that the unknown is out of her control.
“I remind myself that I can only control what I can control,” she says. “I can't think about what's to come, or the unknown. Even though it's natural too! I just work on myself each and everyday, trusting the work I've put into my craft, and to the best of my ability.”
For young girls and women athletes who have struggled to find their purpose in sport, or have gone through similar experiences as Biyendolo, she wants to remind everyone to never count themselves out. “Remind yourself of what you’re good at, and what you bring to the field. Trust and commit yourself to providing that each and everyday you go out on the field,” she says.
Most importantly, sports are meant to be a safe space. A place where we can escape, have fun, and express ourselves. Biyendolo advises that taking it for granted can lessen our ability to enjoy. “And remember, it's all meant to be a ‘game’ at the end of the day, so have some fun and smile,” she concludes.
As Biyendolo continues dominating on the field, her mentality, resilience, and selflessness makes her a role model that all athletes can learn from and look up to. She is the definition of a team player.
