Ted Lasso is a show about leadership, support, and brotherly love. It was nominated for 20 Emmys and took home four. The show is widely appreciated and has a wholehearted theme that keeps you coming back for more. The show is about a soccer team in England who has a new coach from the United States: Ted Lasso. But as I will describe, the show is much less about AFC Richmond and mainly about family.

At the beginning of the show, the team is in shambles as there has been a recent change in owner and the coach has been fired. Ted comes in as the new coach for Richmond Football Club in London after coaching American football at Wichita State. Richmond was a mediocre team for many years when Ted came to London and the team didn’t like him initially because of his lack of soccer knowledge, funny American accent and lingo, and odd coaching style.

Throughout the show, we see a trend of the team becoming closer in the way they treat each other and how they perform in games. When the show starts, Jamie Tart is a big headed soccer prodigy, Roy Kent is an older soccer captain, and Nathan is a socially awkward towel boy. However, as the show progresses, each character matures and the team inevitably becomes closer together. As the show progresses, we get to see how the characters change and evolve into new areas of their life. For example, after the first season, Roy Kent changes from a player and becomes a coach for Richmond. I really like this aspect of the show because we get to see where people settle and become their real selves.

Much of the show is about turning the team into a family. Ted has many team bonding experiences throughout the show. For example, at one point there is the superstition of a cursed room in the locker room that anyone who goes in there gets injured. To address this superstition, Ted assembles the team to all bring something that they truly care about and meet in that room at midnight. They all say why they love that item and burn it to “lift the curse”. This aspect of the show is one of the many reasons why I love it. It is not focused only on soccer, but the way a team comes together, and how teamwork in turn develops character and brotherhood.

Another big theme throughout the show is the characters’ mental health. For example, Ted experiences nervous breakdowns, which serve as a stark contrast to his normal upbeat attitude and vibe. Eventually the team hires a therapist for the players and addresses the stresses of being a professional athlete. This is a very important aspect of the show to me because it does not portray real life like an easy walk through. Life has its roadblocks, and those should be talked about as they are in Ted Lasso.

I highly recommend Ted Lasso as a nice, light hearted show to watch for all viewers. Although the language may not be suitable for all ages, it does not take away from the family aspect in the show. Especially through Covid-19, this show is a gleam of light in a time of darkness.