Sarina Wiegman: The Quiet Storm Who Changed England Forever

“Be in the moment. That’s where everything happens.”

Sarina Wiegman

On a rain-slicked Westminster night, the High Performance Podcast welcomed the woman who made English football history. Sarina Wiegman—calm, razor-sharp, and unapologetically direct—walked into a packed crowd of fans, athletes, and dreamers. For years, the Lionesses knocked at the door of greatness. In 2022, under Serena’s leadership, they didn’t knock—they kicked it down -  and repeated it again in 2025.

Wiegman’s resume speaks in wins: Euros with the Netherlands in 2017, Euros with England in 2022, and back-to-back tournament finals that reshaped belief in women’s football. But her legacy isn’t just silverware. It's about the invisible shifts: cultural clarity, psychological safety, relentless preparation, and a deep commitment to empowering her players—especially young women—on and off the pitch.

Sarina doesn’t do fluff. She builds trust through truth. She holds space for emotion while demanding accountability. Whether managing grief, decoding English nuance, or designing chaotic training sessions to test team resilience, she shows us how elite performance is never just about tactics. It’s about trust, timing, and taking action.

THE LOWDOWN

• Sarina built England’s first women’s Euro win on clarity, culture, and connection—not just talent.

• Her roots in PE teaching shaped her belief that football is about developing people first, players second.

• She values feedback, calm under pressure, and making space for mistakes as a growth tool.

• She's deeply committed to creating a legacy, not just results—especially for women and girls.

• Her biggest strength? Connecting with people. Her biggest challenge? Switching off.

“Perform at the highest level—under the highest pressure.”

High performance starts with clarity, ends in accountability.

Sarina defines elite performance as a mix of preparation, pressure, and relentless focus. Her coaching style is built on structure—philosophies laid out from day one, clear roles, clear expectations. But structure doesn’t mean rigidity. Her players are allowed, even encouraged, to make mistakes—so long as they learn fast and stay accountable.

“You can make a mistake, but take action. If you make the same mistake five times, then we have a problem.”—Sarina Wiegman

“You want to grow? Then you better start listening.”

Sarina’s path to elite coaching started with chopped hair, backyard matches, and brutal honesty.

Denied football as a young girl, Sarina cut her hair to sneak onto the pitch. From there, she built a career on feedback—asking for it, accepting it, and acting on it. She believes growth means being open to criticism, especially when it stings.

“I got better when someone told me the truth—and trusted I could handle it.”—Sarina Wiegman

“Connect with hearts—not just heads.”

Her secret weapon: emotional intelligence, curiosity, and deep listening.

Sarina teaches her staff to ask better questions, not just deliver answers. Getting to know players personally is central to her approach. From sharing photos of her family to organizing team walks at St. George’s Park, connection isn’t a sideshow—it’s the main event.

“You can’t give real feedback if you haven’t built real trust.”—Sarina Wiegman

“This is what I expect.”

Direct, Dutch, and deliberate—Serena doesn’t waste time.

When Serena met the Lionesses, there were no warm-up jokes or “softeners.” She laid out her philosophy, her values, and her plan—then followed up with one-on-one chats to understand theirs. She knew she had just four days before the first match. No fluff. Just clarity and connection.

“My values? Respect. Growth. Clarity. Always.”—Sarina Wiegman

“Stick to the plan—even when it gets messy.”

Chaos exposes character. So she manufactured some.

Before Euro 2017, Serena created stress in training by rigging games with bad refereeing and unfair calls. Players got frustrated, some abandoned their roles. It was the perfect storm to test how they'd behave under real pressure—and it worked.

“You find the truth when people are uncomfortable. That’s where the real learning is.”—Sarina Wiegman

“Be present—or be distracted by the future.”

Staying in the moment is a mindset Serena trains, not just expects.

Visualization, meditation, and mental training are non-negotiables in Serena’s playbook. She believes decision-making declines under fatigue and distraction. Her mantra? Stay in the moment. Think in actions, not in results.

“The result is a consequence. The action is what you control.”—Sarina Wiegman

“Wave at the fans. You don’t have to win to connect.”

Sarina flipped the script on old-school football culture.

Before the Euro final, she told players to wave to the fans—even before warmup. It wasn’t just PR. It was a philosophy: connect now, don’t wait for the win. Respect their effort. Respect your privilege.

“You play in front of 80,000 people. That’s a gift. Show gratitude.”—Sarina Wiegman

“Grief doesn’t wait. But neither does football.”

The bracelet on Sarina’s wrist at Wembley held more than memory—it held meaning.

During the Euros, Serena’s sister was dying. They had one last conversation: “Go get that prize—I’ll be on the crossbar with you.” Serena wore her sister’s bracelet during the final. She performed, then let the grief in. She didn’t fake resilience. She parked pain, then processed it.

“You can’t push emotion away. You have to make space for it—or it’ll find you.”—Sarina Wiegman

“England is a different ball game.”

The hardest shift? Learning what ‘interesting’ really means in English.

Dutch directness clashed with English indirectness. Sarina had to decode compliments, invitations, and sarcasm. A casual “come to dinner” wasn’t always an invite. Saying “pretty okay” sounded like an insult. Her solution? Laugh about it. And learn fast.

“Humor helps. Just don’t take it all too seriously.”—Sarina Wiegman

“We’re not a bad team. We just didn’t score.”

Post-World Cup scrutiny didn’t rattle Serena. She stayed neutral, not negative.

After a few tough losses, Sarina didn’t panic. The data said they dominated possession. Execution needed work. Not identity. Her fix? Tighten the final third, not the entire system.

“When things go wrong, don’t rewrite everything. Refine what matters.”—Sarina Wiegman

QUICKFIRE 🔥

Three Non-Negotiables: Don’t slack. Don’t act selfish. Don’t stay silent when action is needed.

One Moment to Relive: The birth of her kids—no contest.

Legacy: Yes, it matters. Especially inspiring more women to coach.

Advice to Young Serena: Follow your heart. Don’t let anyone tell you “you can’t.”

Biggest Strength: Connecting with people.

Biggest Weakness: Struggling to switch off. Meditation helps.

Golden Rule of High Performance: Talent + commitment + perseverance. That’s the formula.