Overcoming obstacles in business requires the same attributes as achieving success in sports, the president of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC told an audience Wednesday.

Bob Lenarduzzi, 56, spoke in Kamloops at the Canadian Home Builders Association Central Interior dinner, held at the Kamloops Convention Centre. About 250 people attended.

Lenarduzzi played in the North American Soccer League until 1984, and was later the coach of the Canadian national and olympic soccer teams. He is currently president of the Vancouver Whitecaps FC. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Lenarduzzi said many of the same skills he worked to develop in 38 years working with the Vancouver Whitecaps apply to business as well. People in all walks of life need integrity, the ability to show class when things don’t go well, and a willingness to accept the good with the bad.

Playing soccer at the club and Olympic levels showed Lenarduzzi the importance of teamwork. Every team has stars, he said, but more important is to have a core group who know how to work together to overcome adversity.

Teamwork was crucial to the Vancouver soccer squad as it worked to get a foothold in the city and the NASL.

“That’s something we did as a club,” he said, noting the team reached its pinnacle in 1979, when the Whitecaps won the Soccer Bowl, the NASL’s ultimate prize. Games then drew as many as 28,000 fans, he said.

The club set three key objectives as they worked for success, he said. Every decision was made with those in mind. If a course of action did not meet the goals, it didn’t go forward.

The NASL folded in 1984. Vancouver successfully joined Major League Soccer in 2009 following a high publicity campaign to attract support and fans. The team returned to Empire Stadium to play their first game in the MLS before a sold-out audience.

Lenarduzzi said there were problems in the first year. The team only won five of 34 games, requiring players and managers to dig deep.

He says the most important thing to do when times are tough is stick to the truth, and be honest with people at all times. He emphasized the need for managers and leaders to develop their teams with encouragement, adding a little positive feedback goes a long ways.

“It’s difficult at times,” he said. “But it’s so worthwhile. We will only be successful if everybody is doing their thing.”

The team now plays at B.C. Place stadium, and has more than 15,000 dedicated fans who create a unique, vibrant atmosphere. He encouraged the CHBA crowd to attend a Whitecaps game in the coming year.

“It’s a very special experience,” he said.