There is a manifestation of passion that youth see while following World Cup matches. The passion of players, coaches, and even the audience is a general state of enthusiasm that can serve as a foundation for life transformations if one masters the lesson. Football is not just a sport; it embodies human conditions such as leadership, perseverance, success, discipline, and passion. The question that arises here is: how can this temporary excitement be transformed into a driving force that helps youth achieve success in their personal, academic, and professional lives? To answer these questions, "Sayidaty" met Dr. Nada Qadah, a social and educational psychologist, family consultant, and relationship and self-development trainer.
Dr. Nada Qadah sees the World Cup as a golden opportunity for all young football lovers, not just to enjoy, but to learn lessons in life, and she highlighted the following concepts in this regard:
Qadah states, "Youth are attracted to star players not only because of their skills but also because of the human stories behind their successes. Behind every player who lifted a trophy or achieved a global accomplishment, there are long years of training, sacrifices, patience, and continuous work." She adds, "From a psychological and educational perspective, this phenomenon is a clear example of what is known as behavioral modeling, where a person is influenced by the successful models they see, consciously or unconsciously aiming to imitate their behaviors." When a young person follows the journey of a player who started from humble circumstances and reached the world stage, a new image of success begins to form in their mind. They realize that achievement is not just a stroke of luck but rather the result of daily commitment, accumulated effort, and determination to overcome obstacles. Here lies the true value of the World Cup; it does not only present champions, but also offers living examples that confirm that big dreams begin with small and continuous steps.
Qadah also refers to belonging, saying, "The World Cup gives youth a unique sense of belonging, whether to the country or to the team they support. Psychologists and sociologists confirm that the feeling of belonging is one of the most important human needs that enhances self-confidence and increases levels of intrinsic motivation." She adds, "When the national team that a young person supports achieves a significant success, they feel proud as if they are part of this success. These feelings positively reflect on their self-image, their abilities, and their ability to achieve their goals." She emphasizes, "However, the real value lies not in the feelings themselves but in how to invest them. Rather than allowing feelings of pride and enthusiasm to remain just temporary emotions, they can be transformed into energy that drives youth to excel in their studies, develop their skills, and strive to achieve accomplishments that elevate their status and that of their communities."
Coach Nada highlights skills that youth discover in themselves during the World Cup, saying, "During the tournament, youth show astonishing levels of focus, commitment, and mental engagement. They follow match details, analyze tactical plans, predict results, and memorize statistics and numbers with remarkable accuracy." Here arises an important question: If a young person can dedicate this amount of time, energy, and focus to following their favorite team, what if they translated part of these capacities to their personal goals? She answers, "A young person who commits to following all matches of their team and memorizes the names of players and coaching strategies actually possesses high-level skills in focus, follow-up, and commitment. They just need to redirect this energy toward their educational or professional or personal project." She sees the World Cup as proving to youth that they indeed have many tools for success, and that the real challenge does not lie in possessing abilities, but in knowing where and how to invest them.
One of the most impactful lessons from the World Cup is that great teams are not only measured by the number of their victories but by their ability to rise after defeats. Coach Nada illustrates, "How many teams have lost a painful match and then returned stronger and more resilient? And how many players have faced severe criticism and later turned into tournament stars?" She explains, "This is known as psychological resilience; the ability to recover from failures and turn them into opportunities for learning and growth." But she states, "Unfortunately, some youth today live under the pressure of fear of failure, hesitating to make decisions or take risks...