Trinity Rodman's in pursuit of a second NWSL title: Why she still considers herself a student of the game
Up for the MVP award this season, Rodman is still as eager as ever to continue honing her craft as a student of football.
Football
Trinity Rodman had a breakout year to remember back in 2021.
Seven goals and seven assists meant the newcomer was crowned Rookie of the Year, in a season the Washington Spirit won the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) title.
Since then, she has gone on to play another three campaigns with her side and become an established member of the United States Women’s National Team (USWNT) winning Olympic gold at Paris 2024.
“I feel like my biggest takeaway from that [rookie] year was that it’s so important to learn from other players, even if you’re fighting for the spot against them,” she revealed to the Athletic.
“I’m learning from the rookies this year; it’s crazy to accept the fact that you’re not going to be the best player on the field every game and as talented as I am, that has helped me so much.
“My game right now I would say it’s incomplete – I’m at my most confident and aggressive style of play, but also I’m in my student era of soccer.”
So much of that learning is about not only what happens on the field, but equally what happens off it.
By her own admission, Rodman is a player who can lead with her emotions a lot of the time. But where others may think that makes her ‘uncoachable’, it’s more so the opposite – she is open to criticism and wants to hear what others think.
The arrival of Emma Hayes as the newly appointed USWNT coach in June did a lot for her.
“I’ve learned a lot and Emma has helped me so much because she has made it clear [she doesn’t want to make her someone she isn’t], but says there’s a time and place for that.
“From the Olympics until now, I feel like it’s been a completely different me. Even with the lack of time she had with me, [Hayes] knew how to say it without overstepping in a way.
“It was really nice in the way that she did it as a coach and a human.”
Rodman and the Spirit eye second NWSL title
All of that learning only helps her respective sides. Having already won the Olympic title, Rodman is now eyeing domestic silverware.
She is looking to help the Washington Spirit to a second NWSL Championship title.
Eight goals and six assists have seen her nominated for the league’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, but the work isn’t done yet.
The Spirit take on holders NJ/NY Gotham in the playoff semi-finals on Saturday (16 November), with a place in the final on the line.
“I feel like it [playoffs] is a lot of emotions; there is a lot going on and just the high level that we are playing at,” she told ESPN.
“Sometimes you can get lost in that, in the momentum of the game and sometimes it gets a little sloppy. What we do need to improve on is the calmness.”
Forceful mistakes can often result in the opposition scoring, but where others may sink, the Spirit seem to work well when they’re on the back foot.
Something about chasing the game seems to be a big motivator for them, just as fans saw when they were trailing 1-0 to Bay FC in the quarter-finals before turning it around and winning 2-1.
“Every year I’ve been with the [team] when we get scored on, it motivates us so much when we are pushing for it,” she added.
“I think we are strategic in the way that we are timing it, in the way that we are trying to make it happen.
“But this [the Bay FC win] was a learning experience for sure and I am glad that our rookies got to go through it – now they have that under their belt, they’ve got the nerves out and we can really focus on us.”