Courage under pressure: Briana Scurry's story of leadership, loss & legacy as a former footballer

Briana Scurry is a trailblazer in women's football, having made history as one of the first African American professional female footballers to rise to global prominence.

A double Olympic gold medallist and World Cup winner, she's widely regarded as a pioneer among Football speakers for her inspirational leadership both on and off the pitch.

Off the field, Briana has become a passionate advocate for mental health awareness, equity in sports, and the power of diverse teams - drawing on lived experience to empower the next generation of athletes and leaders.

Her story continues to resonate with audiences seeking resilience, purpose, and unity.

In this exclusive interview with The Champions Speakers Agency, Briana shares powerful insights on building inclusive teams, navigating mental health, and using sport as a catalyst for social change.

Q: As a trailblazer in sport, how have you seen perceptions of diversity, equity and inclusion evolve throughout your career?

Briana Scurry: “Yeah, so when I first started playing, you know, I was the only player of colour on the national team that had a starting position. And so, it was really interesting for me to be a part of that.

“But, of course, my team-mates were always wonderful. We had other players of colour on the team, but I was the one who had the starting position - an important role.

“And so over time - you know, I played 14 years on the national team - so over time, we had a lot of different ethnicities and a lot of different players and different people from different parts of the world.

“Some first-generation players are on the team. It was absolutely amazing.

“Over time, after my retirement, I noticed that we had a lot more players of colour come through on the team and have starting positions and important roles that really impact the team. And then not only that, but we also had a lot of players that were just doing their thing and embracing not only the role on the team but also who they were.

“And, of course, when social media came along, that really made an impact and a real difference. And so now, players were able to really market themselves, and people were able to get to know them as human beings - behind the scenes and not just on the pitch.

“Over time, you see a lot of different types of players. Some players, you know, have a really crazy home life away from the pitch, and other players are more calm and have more of a subdued lifestyle. 

“All those different varieties of things that we're able to see nowadays have just really transformed the team and just how these players are able to market themselves to individuals and to fans.”

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Q: What practical steps do you think are still needed to make sport - and society - more inclusive for everyone?

Briana Scurry: “There's a lot of sports out there where they're predominantly, you know, white. For example, here in the United States, ice hockey right now is on TV, and it's the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the Stanley Cup Final is tonight. And that sport is predominantly white.

“You don't see a whole lot of players of colour. Recently, in the last couple of years, the teams that have made it to the final have had a few players of colour on their teams.

“I feel like that adds not only to the fan experience - to see some players that look like them on the ice or on the pitch - but also just players from different backgrounds.

“When you're a fan, and you're watching the highest level, and they do the personal pieces or the human interest pieces about these players, about these athletes, it's really intriguing. I think what it does is it lets people know that they're just like you, and I feel like that's really cool.

“In particular, on the women's team now, they had a game recently, and there were a lot of fantastic players playing. They were young players, they were older, and there was a nice mixture.

“But also, you just need representation - it's really important.

“I think people are understanding more so than ever that having players on the team - and the young girls and boys that can see them and that they look like them - they get inspired by that.

I feel like it's always better to have different types of people on the team because people have different skill sets, and it helps the team be more successful in the long run, for sure.”

Q: Why is it so important to champion diversity in both sport and business, and what do inclusive teams offer that others don't?

Briana Scurry: “Absolutely. If you have a diverse team, you have different roles, you have different positions, and you have different angles on how you can do stuff and how you can have success.

“In business, in particular, a lot of times, people feel that only certain folks can do certain industries - for example, STEM, like being an engineer or being a doctor or being in the technical industries.

“A lot of times, people have an opinion and a vision of what a brilliant person looks like. But the truth is, you never know where brilliance can come from.

“A lot of times, if you give people an opportunity and you expose them to these different things that maybe they haven't been exposed to traditionally, you'd be surprised at how well they catch on and how much they can contribute to the team and to the success of the company.

“And, of course, in sports, in particular, you have different backgrounds and different ways of coming up into the world. Also, what you bring is a passion that might be a little bit different.

“When you have a better understanding of different people on your team, you're better as a team as a whole.

“When everybody feels like what they have to say and what they bring to the table matters and that they're equal, it really does something different for a group.

“It brings real success and a real feeling of being a part of something greater than yourself.”

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Q: Mental health is increasingly part of the conversation - why do you believe it's vital for organisations to prioritise emotional well-being in the workplace?

Briana Scurry: “Well, where do I start, right? I mean, mental well-being is so vital. I've spoken to hundreds of Fortune 500 companies, different organisations, different groups and associations.

“So often, when I speak on stage, after my speech, people come up to me, and they say, ‘Hey, thank you for sharing and being vulnerable with us about the struggles you've had with your mental health,’ because they recently either had a friend that had a difficult time, or they themselves have had some struggles that they're dealing with.

“For example, one father came up to me and said, ‘You know, my daughter has really been depressed, and she's been really struggling.’

“And I never thought about it until you said what you were saying about how she might be struggling in all areas of her life after she got hit - had a head injury or had a concussion.

“He's like, ‘I didn't understand the impact it was having on her.’ And so, he said to me, "Thank you. Thank you for sharing that with us." It's important.

“In this day and age, in particular, in the sporting arena, mental health has got a different priority. It's not taboo anymore.

“There was a stigma around mental health for the longest time - particularly in sports - where if you weren't able to handle it mentally, that meant you were weak, or it meant you were unprepared, or you weren't as passionate. But that's actually not the truth.

“We all have our difficult times. Whether you're going through something really hard off the field - like I did during the 2003/2004 seasons for the national team - my father was really ill. Of course, as an athlete and as a human, you bring that stuff onto the pitch with you.

“For me, to be able to talk about it with my team-mates, to be able to get the time and the space that I needed to mourn him properly, was really, really important. I ended up playing incredibly well at that Olympic Games after he passed. 

“But if it wasn't for my team-mates having an understanding and allowing me to just get through that and talk through it with them, and them being there for me, it would have been really, really hard.

“What's interesting too about it is that everybody has their own thing. There's always something going on in a person's life that might be difficult for them to handle, and they may be really struggling with it.

“So, if you're someone who notices something is going on with a friend or a colleague, you're not expected to handle it. You're not expected to fix it. But what you can do is you can listen.

“I feel like that's the most important thing. If you realise that somebody in your work, or at home, or in your community is really struggling with something, all you have to do is listen. It really goes a long way.”

This exclusive interview with Briana Scurry was conducted by Chris Tompkins of The Motivational Speakers Agency.

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