Former USMNT defender Alexi Lalas is grateful to Emma Hayes for ‘celebrating’ America. Hayes’ love for the US has many dimensions; she made her first buck as a head coach in the US. Besides, she also believes that coaching a team like the USWNT is the pinnacle of soccer. Well, there are personal reasons beyond that for the 47-year-old to be at her happiest with the USWNT. While she was winning one title after the other in Chelsea, Emma had to fight an inner battle against grief and loss. After years of this struggle, Hayes believes that she was able to finally relax by being with the USWNT.

Emma Hayes seized her first WSL title of her five consecutive titles with Chelsea in the 2017-18 season. That very season, Hayes gave birth to her Harry and a stillborn twin boy. In a recent conversation, the London-born coach said that she did not get enough time to process the loss during her Chelsea stint. After she recovered from the baby’s loss, Hayes tragically lost her father in 2023.

“I’ve literally been stuck in this personal trauma and my way of managing that I’ve realized is head to help, get on. I am a middle child, my siblings are far more emotional about than I have,” said Hayes in a recent episode of the Sports Agents podcast. 

Paris 2024 Olympics – Football – Women’s Group B – United States of America vs Germany – Marseille Stadium, Marseille, France – July 28, 2024. Emma Hayes coach of the U.S. during the national anthems before the match. REUTERS/Luisa GonzalezThereafter, the former Chelsea boss revealed how going to the USWNT helped her get past the grief. “Then I went to this team and it just felt like my shoulders relaxed a bit. And I felt like I could stop that process of grief and I did through joy,” the USWNT coach added. Previously, Emma Hayes also said she would hesitate to go through the pictures of her previous trophy lifts in Chelsea, citing the same traumatic reasons.

Emma Hayes says the joy of the USWNT’s big win has taught her how devastating her grief was

Emma Hayes won a trophy the year she lost her son, and perhaps for the same reason, she said, “I struggle to look at pictures of trophy lifts.” She also pointed out that these pictures give her flashbacks of excruciating pain. Besides, despite the fifth straight WSL win, Hayes did not have the best of times during her final season with Chelsea. She lost her father midway through; and besides taking the pressure of coaching a high-profile club, the British coach also came under infamous light.

Emma locked horns with a fellow coach on the pitch, leading to some shoving and verbal altercation. While she was not in the best of her mind when giving her opinions on players who date their teammates, Hayes put all that chaos behind her. Now, she is embracing joy to its fullest. “I have enjoyed feeling joyful again. I didn’t realize how debilitating grief is and how much both grief and my own personal struggles of the last few years have really sapped me of everything,” Emma Hayes added, expressing delight in being with the Olympic gold medalists.