Building Your Dream Team: A Lesson in Belonging

As World Cup excitement continues to build around the globe and here in Greater Charlotte, our team recently found a creative way to join the conversation during a staff huddle.

Led by Anthony Valderrama, Manager of Unite Charlotte, the activity challenged us to think beyond soccer and answer a simple question:

Who would be on your personal starting five?

Just like a soccer team needs a striker, midfielders, defenders, and a goalie, Anthony asked us to identify the people who play those roles in our own lives.

Who pushes you forward when you need encouragement?

Who helps connect the dots and keeps everything moving?

Who protects and supports you during difficult moments?

Who helps you stay grounded when life sends unexpected challenges your way?

The answers were as unique as the people in the room.

Some teammates chose family members, spouses, children, parents, mentors, and close friends. Others looked to fictional heroes like Spider-Man and Doctor Strange. There were no right or wrong answers, only reflections of the people and influences that help us navigate life.

What made the conversation meaningful wasn’t who was selected. It was what those choices revealed.

Every answer told a story about connection, support, trust, and belonging.

The exercise reminded us that none of us succeeds alone. Behind every accomplishment, every challenge overcome, and every goal achieved is a team of people who help us move forward. Sometimes they are family members. Sometimes they are friends, neighbors, coworkers, teachers, or mentors. Sometimes they inspire us from the pages of a comic book or a movie screen.

At United Way of Greater Charlotte, we talk often about belonging because belonging starts with relationships. It begins when people feel seen, supported, and connected to something larger than themselves.

Just as every player on a soccer team has an important role to play, every person in our lives contributes something valuable to our journey.

As the world comes together around the beautiful game, this simple activity offered a powerful reminder: our greatest strength often comes from the team we build around us.

So, who is on your starting five?