In 2019, when Ted Lasso’s inception had begun, there was a perception that the entire content of the show was marinated in anything and everything football a.k.a. that is European and UK Soccer to all you people who don’t know exactly what football is. Ted Lasso is enveloped in a plot that is immensely riddled with revenge, deceit, forgiveness, and overall story arcs of character progression within ONLY three seasons, which is genuinely astounding. The natural transition and formation of the characters throughout each season affords beautiful human lessons. The writers of the show designed a blueprint of characters who are not only multi dimensional, but ones that feel like they are actually flesh and bone.

With a myriad of lessons to learn throughout Ted Lasso, which I think I appreciate more I think, at the age of 49 that I would have when I was younger. There were a few things that Ted Lasso solidifies. The human spirit is so incredibly complex, when a production is faced with writers who are not only astute, also able to weave storylines within storylines, and then side pocket portals of different storylines. So very carefully layered chronicle of each characters perception and unique ability to add something, unique to each component of the show.

This is the time of year when I contemplate all things academic. The summer was a haze of work, music, and research – rinse, wash, repeat. I wanted to write a reflective piece which discussed the passage of time and manifestation of life lessons no matter how bitter or joyful; almost always come at a price, and a silver lining. There are so many illustrations, I’ve shared on numerous occasions, in a print and audio capacity; everything that happens in life is afforded to us in chunks of sustainability. It makes me think about the Theory of Intersectionality (Crenshaw, 1989) and how although we may reside in similarities, we as individuals eventually break away from any grouping and are our own entity floating through the subconscious — on a what should be conscious realm. Humans are complex creatures; we have dips and multiplex peaks during our life span. I watched all three seasons of Ted Lasso with my son and husband who are MASSIVE Liverpool fans; my best friends oddly enough are Manchester United fans. Let’s just say I take deep dives away from football banter! A LOT! Now, that being said Ted Lasso may have an intertwined theme of football throughout each season, with many peeled back layers of thoughtful human vulnerability, and a ton of cheekiness! I thought I would just highlight a few of the lessons that Ted Lasso created a profile for with such respect to each word uttered throughout each episode.

Lasso Life Lessons

1: No matter how good it feels revenge never EVER ends up the way that it may be thought of or planned. Things in life can get messy, there is no point in harming another human being. Regardless of how much our soul has been smashed, imagine a bigger mess than the original.

2: One thing, which is so sad, judgment of the actions of someone during the most turbulent times in their lives. You would think that these are simple things, however when a show goes out of their way to enmesh complex storylines effortlessly you cannot help but feel the frailty of the human condition and grow from it.

3: Banishment is so much worse than abandonment, when you abandon someone there is always the potentiality that they will come back to you. When you banish them that is a line drawn in the sand that pierces the core of the Earth.

4: At the most desolate and unknown of moments human genius will growl from the inner oubliette of one’s soul; and said human WILL level up to be who they were meant to be. Not from the words of those echoed, in sporadic moments of ugliness who can see beauty and torment, still be accepting and not fake.

5: Family will drive you crazy, they are the core of the reality of achievements and success, support in the purest form; I should specify it is more than family it is Ohana, individuals who are our cement, blended with our life’s rubble. Absent manipulation, only for the purpose of altruistic intention.

6: Kintsugi, we are all ripped pieces of delicate parchment. We did not start that way, each of us start as one piece, in life we are torn, shredded, heartbroken, and aches are all bonded and forged in rebirth held together with gold.

7: To be able to truly understand confidentiality one must have taken the role of the one who has betrayed and the one who has been betrayed.

8: When life is shit and those who were once considered special leave; the best part of this is those who really love you will gather and lift your soul.

9: There is no excuse to avoid or ignore one’s mental health; especially during moments of extreme stress.

10: When in a relationship it is important to not only be able to coexist, also accept that everyone requires time alone to think. I think, this is one individual’s true struggle with the most. No one ever wants to intentionally hurt the feelings of another at the bequest of the desperate need for alone time.

11: Kindness in moments of frustration and trepidation increases the chances of a positive outcome when the dust finally settles. Being kind is not a weakness; however, fake kind – keep that rubbish away from me.

12: A true apology is BEYOND worth its weight in gold.

13: It is possible to be a type of human being to have the capacity to sit with someone in their darkness, or appreciate the smiles and giggles into the light. There are moments people do not wan to talk or they engage in listening to the silence. Either is fine.