Life is a Team Sport

We are back with our 50th episode and the beginning of Season 3.  We are kicking off this season talking about the topic of Identity, where our identity comes from and some of the things that directly affect our identity.We start off by asking, who are you?  If you define yourself by anything that could possibly change, how does that affect you when that change does happen?  At the end of the day, where is your identity grounded and rooted in a place that is never going to change?We talk about the importance of finding our identity as a child of God first.  As women we often find a lot of our identity in our family, our friends and our job.  We also discuss what we are allowing to influence our thinking in telling us who we should be.  We need to evaluate the influences we are letting infiltrate our thought processes.The people we surround ourselves with will have a big influence on how we see ourselves.  It is really important to find genuine community, but that gets harder as we get older.  Becky talks about the importance of being intentional to look for people to invest in, even if they are in another stage of life.  It is also really important to prioritize people and make sure they make it on our calendar so that we keep up with them.  We also talk about the importance of recognizing our inner dialogue and what is influencing that thinking.  Are you spending lots of time taking in messages that are not uplifting or are you being careful to fill your mind with God's Word and messages that will affirm you?  Becky talks about how important it was for her to find a biblical counselor and how that women has turned into a mentor and friend for her. For our blooper reel today, we just left the camera rolling as Becky tries to remember her blooper reel.  She thinks she fell on her rollerblades.  She then gets input from everyone in her house who suggest things she possible could have done as her blooper.  :PFor our Pass the Ball, Patricia shouts out her friend Sarah Adewunmi and Becky passes the ball to her friend Christy Baccala. If you have topics you want to hear us talk about or questions you want us to answer, email us at: lifeisateamsportpodcast@gmail.com 

Manya Puppione, formerly Makoski, grew up playing several sports.  As the youngest sister with older brothers, Manya learned early how to stand up for herself and have that self-motivation to get better.  When she reached high school, Manya had to choose between soccer and gymnastics.  She started doing Olympic Development for soccer and had the opportunity to join the US U19 for several experiences and won a world cup with them.  She went on to play soccer in college at Arizona State as well as play with the US U21 team as well.  After college, Manya got drafted to play in the professional league in the United States at the time before it folded.  She then played several places overseas before returning to the states to play Sky Blue in the newly formed National Women's Soccer League.  After playing for Sky Blue, Manya made the difficult decision to retire due to the number of concussions that she had sustained.  She had multiple concussions over the course of her career and ultimately she decided that retiring was the best thing for her overall health.  We talk about the need for continued study with concussions and how serious they are.    She talks about the difficulties of playing overseas like the different foods and keeping in touch with family back home.  She also talks about the amazing opportunity that being overseas provided her and how thankful she is for those experiences.   After retiring, Manya worked several different jobs before her collegiate coaching career.  In 2016, she was offered the opportunity to coach with her former collegiate coach as an assistant at University of Maryland.  She talks about how coaching is a calling and she loves being able to build relationships with the girls that she coaches.  In 2019, Manya had hip surgery and also made the choice to take a head coaching position that she was offered at a local Division III school.  Then that fall, she ended up having surgery to have a tumor removed from her brain.  She talks about how she chooses one word every year, and that year, she chose two words, Grit & Grace, which was very appropriate for what she needed that year.  Manya talks about how that experience taught her so much about how to be a head coach and prepared her to step into her current role as a Division I Head Coach at George Mason.  Manya's lessons for life include embracing the process of learning and growing.  Sport translates very well into how you see the world.  Experiences that you have as an athlete are ones that you carry with you beyond the field and into the real world.  She also talks about the importance of being self motivated.  You have to put in the extra work in order to be successful.  You have to have this balance of confidence and humility.  The coach that stands out for Manya was Tracy Leone, her Under 19 coach with USA Soccer.  She helped Manya understand how to raise the level of her own expectations for herself.  Her vision statement now as a coach herself, is "making better people through soccer." In her highlight reel, Manya talks about dukTiG brand notebooks, which is a company started by her good friend from Connecticut.  They create notebooks for coaches as well as players to keep track of workouts & goals.She is also loving being a part of a coaching mastermind group with Molly Grisham.  It is nice to have that space of coaches who are going through the same things you are going through.   Manya's blooper reel and pass the ball unfortunately get cut off, but Manya does pass the ball to her friend Tiffany who created the dukTiG brand notebooks.  

Paige Nielsen is a professional soccer player, currently a member of the Washington Spirit, who just won the National Women's Soccer League.  In today's episode, Paige starts at the very beginning and tells us what her journey through soccer has been like and what she has learned along the way.Paige grew up playing soccer with her older brother who helped foster a love for the sport.  Her mom put her into any sport that she could, so Paige grew up playing soccer, softball, basketball & gymnastics.  As an 8th grader, she finally decided that she had the most potential in soccer and chose to pursue that over the others. Paige talks about being offered a spot on the Nebraska Soccer team as an 8th grader.  She said it was very tempting, but her mom reminded her about her dream to play at North Carolina.  So she went to the North Carolina soccer camp that next summer and got offered a walk on spot, which she accepted.  No process is ever linear.  Paige talks about how she had a realization during a workout in high school that she needed to learn to push herself in order to become one of those women who are fierce.  Going through that process really made a difference in her ability to go to the next level.  Paige talks about her soccer experience at UNC, including what training was like, the books they read and the leadership opportunities they had.  She talks about how the whole experience really promoted her own personal development on and off the soccer field.  She highlights the book Confidence Code and how they read that book as a team.  Her junior year, Paige lost her mother to cancer.  Throughout the podcast, Paige tells about how her mother really inspired her and championed her soccer journey.  Post college, Paige was planning to go to work for a financial firm, but her college coach let her know that she might have the opportunity to play overseas.  She decided to give it a try and talks about her various tryouts in different countries overseas.  Meanwhile, she turned on the NWSL draft to hear her friends get drafted and heard her name announced.  So she flew home and moved to Seattle to train with the team there.  She actually got to live with the family that had hosted her mom when she was undergoing cancer treatments the year before.  For the first 3 months in Seattle, Paige worked out with the team, did extra workouts with the trainer and held down several jobs.  Then 3 months into that, she got a call that Seattle wanted to offer her a contract.  She played in one game for them before she got waved.  But that opened up several other great opportunities. Paige played in South Korea, Cyprus and Australia after that before returning to the NWSL.  She has played for the Washington Spirit for the past 3 seasons and just a few weeks ago, they won the NWSL.  She talks about what an emotional moment that was. Paige talks about the importance of resilience and finding joy.  When you know your why, things become a lot less stressful.  In her highlight reel, Paige tells us about a couple of products that she is loving right now.  The first is Asarasi Sparkling Water.  She said it is a delicious, healthy substitute to any other carbonated drink your friends might be drinking.  The 2nd thing she highlighted was a facewash and lotion combo from Neutrogena that help her to feel like her skin is staying hydrated even when she is training and playing in the cold.  Lastly, she likes Bath & Body Works aromatherapy for the shower.  In her blooper reel, Paige tells us about a time she tried to show off and ended up on her face as a teenager. Paige passes the ball to her teammate, Aubrey Bledsoe, who has always encouraged her to find joy. 

Shereesha Richards grew up in Jamaica playing netball.  It is a sport that is similar to basketball that is played 7 on 7.  She got the opportunity to go to a basketball camp at the age of 16.  After the camp, she was approached with the opportunity to go to the United States and play basketball in high school.  Shereesha decided to take the opportunity and moved to New Jersey on her own, lived with a host family, played basketball and went to school.  She talks about having to get used to the cold, the quiet and the culture.  She felt like despite the differences, she transitioned easily and really enjoyed her time.  After high school, Shereesha was recruited by and attended the University of Albany.  She talks about how her team won their conference championship all 4 years of college and how they made it past the first round of NCAA's her senior year and what an amazing experience that was!  Her senior year, Shereesha's coach approached her with the idea that she could play basketball professionally after school.  She didn't end up getting drafted by the WNBA, but she did get an agent who was able to get her on a team in Spain.  She played in Spain for 4 years and talks about how the transition to Spain was the hardest one that she has ever done.  Not only was it a new culture, but it was a new language and she had to use a translator.Shereesha is now playing professionally in Australia and recently got married.  She first went to Australia in 2018 and loved it, so she decided to return and ended up meeting her husband and settling there.  Shereesha talks about the importance of building connections and relationships.  It is amazing how far you can go because of connections that you have.  She also talks about learning other people's cultures and what a rich experience that can be.  For her highlight reel, Shereesha highlights the Christmas spirit.  Where she lives in Australia, it won't get cold, but she is still enjoying putting up the Christmas tree and the lights on the house.She is also enjoying her new hobby of gardening. In her blooper reel, she talks about when people use names for things that mean something different to you.  Shereesha passes the ball to her mother back in Jamaica and to Pam Hitcher, her 2nd mom in New Jersey.  She talks about how they have both encouraged and supported her through her entire journey.  You can follow Shereesha on Instagram @sr_richards25 

Erinn Dooley has been a part of the gymnastics community her entire life.  She began as a toddler going to mommy & me classes and then started competing as a young girl.  She progressed quickly through the levels and made it to level 10, the top junior olympic gymnastics level, by the age of 12.It was at that point that she had the opportunity to choose to train at the elite level and attend selection camps to compete for Team USA.  She was on the USA National Team for 5 years.  She was hoping to go to the 2000 Olympics, but unfortunately didn't make the team.  She did, however, represent team USA in several international competitions in Japan, New Zealand and Canada.  Her favorite place from her travels is Japan.  She talks about how beautiful it is and how much she enjoyed touring the country.  After her elite career, Erinn competed at the University of Florida.  She talks about how your focus changes from competing for yourself to competing for your team.  Her collegiate experience started off rough, but ended amazing.  She talks about how she was able to be put back together from both physical and mental struggles and was a captain her last 2 years at Florida.She has now been coaching for 13 years at University of Maryland, which has been a huge blessing.  She loves the opportunity to be a mentor for her collegiate athletes and help them grow not only as athletes, but also as strong women.  It's really about the relationships and helping instill confidence and perspective and be that voice and support system for her girls.  Gymnastics requires a lot of dedication, hard work and sacrifice, especially at a high level.  It is important to remember that there will be hard days, but you can be proud of yourself knowing that you are working hard and find the positives along the way.  Erinn talks about the importance of relationships and how her teammates helped her get through the hard days.  She talks about how her college teammates became her best friends and made her experience richer in college and how she keeps in touch with them still today.  For her highlight reel, Erinn talks about the Calm app and how much her daughter loves it and how it helps her to get to sleep every night.  She really enjoys the sleep stories as well as the music.  She also highlights the importance of making time for herself.  She is currently getting her nails done every 2 weeks and she looks forward to that as a moment to herself.  In her blooper reel, Erinn tells about her first recruiting trip as a coach and the wardrobe malfunction that she had at a meet.  Erinn passes the ball to her mom, who always supported her and been a rock for her whole life.  

Ieshia Small grew up playing football with the boys and decided to play basketball in middle school and never looked back.  She and her brother were adopted by her AAU coach after her mother passed away when she was in high school.  Ieshia talks about being highly recruited out of high school and committing to Baylor at the McDonald's All American game.  She talks about how she got hurt the day before the game and how hard the decision was for her to not play in the game.  After her freshman year, she decided she wanted to transfer and knew one of the coaches from University of Maryland who invited her up for a visit.  She talks about what a great decision it was to go to Maryland.  Ieshia talks about how she lives in the moment.  As a high school athlete, she never saw herself playing college ball until the opportunity presented itself.  The same was true with professional basketball.  She never considered going pro until her senior year.  Right now she is considering what she might do after she retires from basketball and she talked about how she helps coach basketball and run a travel organization every summer and has found that she really enjoys it.  Coaching is a huge privilege and responsibility and a coach will influence more people in year than the average person will in a lifetime.  Ieshia has lived and played in China, Dubai, Hungary and Ukraine.  She talks about the trials and joys of playing internationally and about how relationships are difficult.  She lives in her apartment alone and only has a few American teammates.  On top of that, the time difference makes it difficult to stay in touch with people back at home.  The holidays are an especially difficult and lonely time to be playing overseas.  Ieshia talks about the importance of relationships.  It's not about what you have, but it's about who you know and appreciating the people in your life.  Everyone is important, from the custodian to the CEO and deserves our respect.  In her highlight reel, Ieshia talks about the restaurants in Ukraine and how not only the food is good, but the ambiance is also great!  Specifically the Mexican restaurant where they met the owner and now get free food.  In her blooper reel she tells a story about a time when her teammates took her to a restaurant in China and she had to pick out her food from the live animals that were there.  Ieshia passes the ball to her adopted mom who has inspired her to keep playing basketball.  She has grown her up to be a better woman and made her want to inspire others as well.  

Becky & Patricia introduce the last theme for season 3 in this introductory episode.In this month's theme, I went Pro, we will be interviewing women who have made sports their career, some of them as athletes and others as coaches and administration.  In the introduction, they share the stats, that only 7% of athletes go on to play in college and then only 2% go on to become a professional.  In today's episode, Becky & Patricia discuss their own collegiate experiences and what the process was like in getting to that level as well as the hard work and determination that it took to compete there.  They talk about how your perspective is your reality.  So many people put these women on a pedestal and don't understand the journey they have been on in order to achieve that level.  We want to peek behind the curtain and hear their stories and what they have learned along the way.  Becky & Patricia share about the jobs that they do professionally and encourage listeners that every job has pieces that are hard, so picking something that you love instead of chasing money will always pay off and be worth it. In her highlight reel, Becky talks about how her entire family recently ran a Spartan race in Philadelphia and loved it! In her blooper reel, Patricia talks about a time she fell asleep on the bus and missed out on dinner.  Becky & Patricia both pass the ball to Sarah Chamberlain, who was a senior when they were freshman in college and really did a great job of making us feel welcome and taken care of our first year of college soccer. 

Michelle Garvin is the Sports Psychologist for the Detroit Lions.  She grew up playing a variety of sports including soccer, basketball, swimming, track, softball and volleyball.  She calls herself a generalist instead of a specialist.  Michelle talks about getting her Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and how she discovered that she could then combine that with her love for sports and work with athletes.  One of the stereotypes that she sees across the board is that mental health is a negative.  Too often people jump from mental health to mental illness and Michelle talks about how we need to normalize the importance to put emphasis on our mental health.  One of the ways that we can be more mentally healthy is being nice to ourselves.  It is too easy to fall into the trap of negative self talk, whether that is being too critical of ourselves or putting ourselves down or mom guilt.  It is important to be kind to ourself and think about how we would talk to a friend and talk to ourself that way.  Another common theme Michelle runs into are people who think they have to do it all by themself because asking for help feels like weakness.  We want to be tough and do it all.  She talks about how we need to see asking for help as a skill and then practice it.  It is also really important to figure out what refuels us.  If we are prone to give, give, give, it is important to figure out what those refueling strategies are.  Michelle uses the oxygen mask analogy in talking about making sure that we take time for ourselves so that we can be there for all of the other people and things in our life.  Michelle talks about the importance of practicing what she preaches as far as self care goes.  The biggest thing in that for her is to be mindful and stay present, especially when she is with her family.  Going outside and putting down her phone really help her to accomplish that.  Her current aspiration is to put her phone down for 2 hours every day.  It is also important to check yourself when you start to worry about something and ask if worrying about something is actually helping.  Often it is not.  Another thing Michelle is doing right now for self care is to read.  She recommends the book Mini Habits by Stephen Guise as well as Atomic Habits by James Clear as well as some of the Brene Brown resources.  There is also an app called the Calm app that she really likes.  There are many different things you can do on it, such as meditation, mind body connection, breathing exercises and sleep stories.  Another great app is Headspace.  In her highlight reel, Michelle tells us about how much she loves her new Peloton and about the variety of options there are with it including picking rides in different countries as well as options to workout without the bike.  For her blooper reel, Michelle tells a story about her daughter.  Michelle passes the ball to her mom who is now Yaya to her daughters.  She said now as a mom she looks back and has a much bigger appreciation for what her mom did for her growing up.  

Bailey Philbin is currently a special education teacher and gymnastics coach.  She talks to us today about the eating disorder that robbed her of much of her collegiate gymnastics career, how that impacted her for many years and what helped her to finally heal.Bailey talks about the intensity of her training as a young girl and how gymnastics consumed almost all of her identity.  She noticed when she hit puberty that she was gaining weight in places that she wasn't used to and became very conscience of that.  Then freshman year of college, she gained some weight and it was affecting her gymnastics.  So she started restricting herself from certain foods between freshman and sophomore seasons.  She started losing weight and her gymnastics became much easier.  By junior year, she started realizing that she was hungry all the time because she was lifting weights as well as training.  She wasn't fueling her body enough for the activity she was doing.  She was also still obsessed with her weight and would sometimes go to the gym and run up to 6 miles after practicing for 3 hours.  She had a scale in her room and was obsessed with it.  That is when the bulimia started.  When the number on the scale wasn't what she liked, she would do whatever it took to get the number where she thought it needed to be.She hid her bulimia from everyone, but her body started to break down.  Because she wasn't actually absorbing any nutrients, she began to struggle with dislocations in her shoulders.  Finally her senior year, she tore her labrum and had to get surgery, which ended her career.Bailey ended up struggling with bulimia for a little over a year, and when her gymnastics career was over, it was sad but it was also a chance for her to heal.  Bailey finally decided to tell her coaches that she was struggling her senior year.  She talks about how supportive they were and how much they helped her and got her in touch with other people who could help her as well.  She talks about the importance of calling the disease by name and not letting it have power over you.  She also talks about the importance of community and how her coaches and family rallied around her and lended her their strength through the healing process. Bailey talks about how the recovery process is really difficult and she had to reteach her body how to digest food again, but even though it was hard, she didn't feel isolated anymore because she now had people that she could go to finally.  Now she has a healthy relationship with food and sees it as fuel for her body and not something to fear.  She talks about how her faith has helped her throughout the journey.  She also talks about the importance of perspective and understanding that if you are struggling with it now, knowing that it won't be for forever.  In her highlight reel Bailey informs us that it is already Christmas time on the Hallmark channel and talks about watching movies and drinking coffee.  For her blooper reel, Bailey tells us about a time that she ran out of gas ten feet from the gas pump and had to have people push her car to the pump while she steered the car.  Bailey passes the ball to her former college roommate, Lauren Ball.  She is so thankful for Lauren planting the seed of faith in her life during college and for Lauren's continued encouragement to this day.   

Lisa Mack owned her own business for over 20 years.  It was a preschool that she started and just sold a few years ago.  She talks about what it looked like to create a startup from scratch as a young woman, her inspiration for doing it and many of the logistics and challenges that she faced along the way.Lisa grew up playing field hockey in high school and went on be on the field hockey team in college.  While in college, she switched to run cross country and track and actually held the mile time record at her school for many years. Lisa talks about how life is a lot like the mile run.  There are 4 laps to running the mile on the track.  The first lap isn't too hard and you're just getting started.  Then often adrenaline carries us through the 2nd lap.  It is the 3rd lap that is the hardest.  We often feel like we are in the 3rd lap when we are starting out in motherhood and trying to balance work and life and family.  Perseverance is really important.  Then we get momentum and adrenaline carries us through the 4th lap.  Lisa decided after working at a preschool out of college that she wanted to open her own.  She cared a lot about having a quality place to teach children and having really quality teachers.  She said that we owe it to our clients and we owe it to God to do quality work.  That didn't mean that they were always the cheapest place in town, they were competitive, but they worked very hard to be the most quality early childhood education.  She talks about how she was told no several times as she was starting out and she encourages us not to take the first no.  The first couple of years were a struggle.  She had to borrow money from her father and then pay it back.  She was also very conscience of budgeting well.  She talks about a tithe and why that was critically important for her.  The other factor that was critically important was putting money into savings.  She talks about making payments to herself for things she wanted to buy in the future instead of going into credit card debt.  Becky tells us about the Every Dollar app that helps you track your finances in order to budget well, whether that be for yourself or your business.  Lisa tells us how important it is to let our money work for us and not the other way around.  In her highlight reel, Lisa talks about her love of sitting at the beach with a good book.  The book she read most recently is called "She looks like my little girl" about a woman who lived during the Holocaust. For her blooper reel, Lisa tells us about a time when her youngest was around 3 years old and they forgot her in the car when they arrived at church, so she got herself out of her carseat and walked herself into church and checked herself into her Sunday School class.Lisa passes the ball to her mom for inspiring her in her faith and for continuing to stay active.  She said her mom makes her want to live her life living.  

Amy is a stay at home mom with two young boys.  She is very passionate about helping other women discover how to be healthier and better versions of themselves.  In our episode today, Amy shares about their journey to solving her son's health issues.  It was never anything big, but instead there were a lot of little red flags that put together finally made her go searching for what was wrong.  Her search took her through traditional medicine to a natropath doctor who helped them to understand that her son had a gluten sensitivity.  His body was not absorbing all of the vitamins and minerals becuase his body would not process the gluten, which was causing internal swelling which manifested itself in lots of little symptoms.  Amy said that eliminating gluten from his diet has had amazing results already!  It has been 2 months so far and the majority of his symptoms have completely dissapeared.  Amy also talks about some of the foods they have been able to find to replace the gluten items that her son previously enjoyed.  She stresses the importance of giving yourself grace as a mom and finding people who will support you in your journey to helping your children be truly healthy.  In Amy's highlight reel, she tells us about her new Blendtec blender that "polverizes" fruits and vegitables for smoothies.  In her blooper reel, she tells a story about having to retrieve a ball from the roof of her house. Amy passes the ball to her mom for all of the sacrifices she has made and for all of her encouragement! 

All this month we will be talking about health as well as how God has blessed us and the wisdom we have learned.  Today Becky & Patricia introduce the topic and talk about different aspects of health.  We cover the importance of making time to stay physically healthy both in the form of exercise as well as nutrition.  Meal planning and school lunches have become part of our routine again now that we are back to in-person activities.  Our mental health is so important and we need to be aware of that.  Becky & Patricia both share tips for how they have navigated the pandemic and the return with their mental health.Our emotional health is often tied to our mental health.  Being aware of the emotions we are feeling, naming them, and identifying where they are coming from will help us process them.Our spiritual health comes from our relationship with Jesus.  When we maintain that relationship, it grows stronger, and with that comes perspective about life circumstances.   When we hold on to our faith and trust that God will walk with us, it changes our ability to see him at work.  Looking at the blessings that we have, helps us to realize how "wealthy" we really are.  Becky shares that wisdom has come in knowing what to share and when to share it.  Patricia shares the importance of being where your feet are and don't borrow trouble.  In her highlight reel, Becky talks about the new shopping service she is using for work clothes called Stitch Fix.   In her highlight reel, Patricia tells a story from high school basketball where she accidentally beaned a parent in the head with the ball during practice.  Becky passes the ball to her sister Kylee who is currently serving in the Army and raising her 4 little children.  Patricia passes the ball to her friend Marla who is serving in the Air Force as a reservist as well as serving part-time with FCA.  Thank you ladies for your example and your service! 

Sarah Adewunmi grew up playing lots of different sports and specifically loved to play basketball.  She is currently one of the chaplains for the Washington Mystics as well as the Washington Spirit.  Along with being a chaplain, Sarah is also a physical therapist for the Department of Defense and does some life coaching on the side with her sister's business. Sarah discusses the mindset of being ready and the need to speak truth to yourself.  She says that leadership is optimized when we start to learn to see ourselves the way God sees us.Sarah talks about the importance of servant leadership, which involves doing things well when no one is looking and taking a position of humility and humility requires truly knowing who you are.We also talk about the importance of teamwork and the importance of understanding that everyone has something to offer and we need to value what they have to say.  Sarah talks about how she wants to be known for humility, truth, compassion, and consistency. Patricia tells a story from the book Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek.  In her highlight reel, Sarah tells us about her sister's new book, Magic Crown, which can be downloaded on the Kindle for free right now.In her highlight reel, she tells us about a wardrobe malfunction in elementary school.Sarah passes the ball to her best friend and her sister. 

A recent study released by Earnst & Young found that 90% of female executive-level leaders had played sports at some point in their background.  We decided to put that statistic to the test and find out about the sports background of several local female leaders and learn what lessons they learned playing sports have helped them to become the leaders they are today.  As the saying goes, 'once an athlete, always an athlete.'Pam Hitchner was a 5 sport athlete in college in the early 80's!  She played field hockey, basketball, softball, cross country and track. She has continued to use her athletic prowess and strong leadership skills as the Athletic Director of Atlantic Christian School in New Jersey.  She also coached basketball there quite successfully for many years.Pam talks about how her strong work ethic has propelled her to be successful in her field and how she learned that as a student-athlete.  She shares the importance of doing what you are supposed to do even when you don't feel like doing it.  "People first follow the person and then they follow the plan."  Pam's advice to women who are trying to live well is to remember relationships are key as a leader.  "People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care."In her highlight reel, Pam shares about "Pampy camp," which is the backyard camp that she did with her grandkids this past summer.In her highlight reel, she tells us about the time she at funnel cake off a strangers plate on the boardwalk.  Pam passes the ball to Dena, one of her former athletes.  She describes Dena as an extremely giving and caring person.  

A recent study released by Earnst & Young found that 90% of female executive-level leaders had played sports at some point in their background.  We decided to put that statistic to the test and find out about the sports background of several local female leaders and learn what lessons they learned playing sports have helped them to become the leaders they are today.  As the saying goes, 'once an athlete, always an athlete.'Jolee Paden grew up in the midwest playing basketball and running track.  At an early age she discovered that she had a real talent in and love for running.  She ran cross country and track in high school and then went on to run at Eastern Mennonite University in Virginia in college.Jolee is the Director of Fellowship of Christian Athletes for Washington DC.  She oversees all of the FCA clubs and ministry in the District.  As an athlete, Jolee learned the attribute of responsiveness, which is the ability to look at a situation and respond accordingly.  She had a revelation during Body Pump that reminded her that the goal of life is not for it to be easy, but that as we grow we get stronger and can carry more weight.  We can do hard things!It is really important to discern wether something is hard or toxic.As a female leader, Jolee talks about the importance of making room at the table for other women and not to just try and hold your seat.  We as women see a lot of perspective and we need to leverage that!In Jolee's highlight reel, she talks about how much she loves her new Dyson vacuum.  She says she's not afraid to make a mess when she has a Dyson! In her blooper reel, she tells about a time when she lost her cookies in the hallway in high school before an indoor track meet right in front of a bunch of girls from other schools.  She passes the ball to her mom who brought her along to everything and taught her to love people well.  

A recent study released by Earnst & Young found that 90% of female executive-level leaders had played sports at some point in their background.  We decided to put that statistic to the test and find out about the sports background of several local female leaders and learn what lessons they learned playing sports have helped them to become the leaders they are today.  As the saying goes, 'once an athlete, always an athlete.' Tiffany Nesfield grew up running track and chose hurdles because she was told she couldn't do it.  That persistence and determination took her all the way to the University of Illinois where she ran hurdles on the track team in college.  In her highlight reel, Tiffany talks about how she is learning tennis and swimming now and how the experience of doing something new helps her to continue to have the perspective of a learner now.  Tiffany is now a small business owner, running Nesfield Performance, where they offer coaching in holistic, healthy lifestyles.  Their motto is 'we help people perform better in life.'Tiffany and her staff specialize in Physical Therapy, Nutrition and Massage Therapy. You can find her website here: https://nesfieldperformance.com/Tiffany credits hard work, persistence, and being goal-driven with her success today, which are all things she learned from sports.  She also talks about the ability to compartmentalize so that she can be present and focused with her clients regardless of what things are going on in other parts of life.  As a leader, Tiffany stresses the importance of admitting that you aren't perfect and instead leading by example and embracing growth.  She also talks about the importance of being ready for change.  Tomorrow isn't promised, so the mindset of adaptability is vital in an ever-changing world.  How do we show up when change happens?  And lastly, she shares the importance of listening.In her blooper reel, Tiffany shares about the time when she fainted while teaching a group session over Zoom. She passes the ball to her mom, who has always supported her and inspired her through all of the tough times. You can follow Tiffany and Nesfield Performance on Instagram @tiffany_nesfield and @nesfieldperformFor more great content including video clips from today's episode, you can follow us on Instagram as well @life_is_a_team_sport

In 2017 CNBC released a study done by Earnst & Young showing that 90% of female executive-level leaders had done sports somewhere in their background.  We found this to be an astounding statistic and set out to interview some female leaders that we know and find out what they learned from sport that allowed them to become the leaders they are today.In today's episode, we share a little about our own sports background, what we do now for a living and the lessons we learned that help us to lead well now. Becky talks about the importance of sportsmanship and teamwork and the necessity of being willing to apologize. Patricia talks about grit and the importance of getting up and trying again when we fail.Follow us on Instagram @life_is_a_team_sport or our website at www.lifeisateamsporteveryday.com

What are some significant monuments or memorials that you can think of? Why are they important?In Joshua 4 God tells Joshua and the Israelites to make a memorial. Let's overview why this was significant at the moment.Back in Exodus, God sent Moses to tell the Pharoah of Egypt to let the Israelites go. In Exodus 3:17, God promises to bring the children of Israel out of Egypt and to a land flowing with milk and honey.God does bring them out of Egypt in very dramatic fashion. Then they end up in the desert for 40 years. Now they have the opportunity to actually see the promised land, but there is a river at flood stage in their way. In Joshua 3:13 God explains his plan to allow everyone to cross. Once they crossed, he instructed them to collect 12 stones from the middle of the river to construct a memorial so that they and future generations would fear God and trust him.  What has God brought you through? Is there some way you need to memorialize that?In today's episode, Becky & Patricia discuss some of their own personal hard things from the past few years and how God has been faithful to them as well as how they plan to memorialize their experiences.In the highlight reel, Patricia talks about the new podcast her kids found called Sports Wars. In the blooper reel, Becky talks about the danger of being unplugged from the power source.  For updates on Season 3, follow us on Instagram. 

As an extrovert, Heidi Conley is high energy and extremely relational.  She talks about how she connects with people easily and often gets invited into their story.  As part of her job with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Heidi has the opportunity to use these gifts every day.  She cautions extroverts and people who care for others to remember that you can't fix people.  Often people just need to be heard and seen, but you can't own their story for them.  In her highlight reel, Heidi shares about how she took up golf during 2020 and is still loving it.  In her blooper reel, she shares about needing to pare down the bunny kingdom in her backyard.  

Lisa Davis loves being in the supporting role.  Experience has taught her that she doesn't love being in the spotlight, but she does love empowering and supporting others.  Having worked as a school psychologist and now working in a supporting role for her husband who directs a surf ministry, Lisa sees her gifts of administration and service as a way to contribute to overall team success.  Lisa talks about living in Panama for a season and the challenges that presented as well as how she leaned on God to get her through.In her highlight reel, Lisa talks about Elizabeth Elliott's book, Keep a Quiet Heart.  She describes how the book gave her encouragement to always have peace and confidence in God's love even in difficult situations.  

Becky & Patricia talk about the importance of operating out of our gifts and figuring out what those are.  Too often we get overwhelmed and frustrated and can't figure out why we are struggling so much.  In order to use our gifts well, we need to know what they are and we need to be honest about what we are good at and what brings us life.Becky & Patricia talk through some steps to help us move from surviving to thriving:1) Honest self-evaluation2) List of things you are thankful for3) Take a personality test4) Take a spiritual gifts assessment5) Look for opportunities to use your gifts6) Learn how to say NO   

Let's face it, divorce is hard any way you slice it. With kids, it is important to not let them get caught in the crossfire. Today we talk to Juanita Pizer and she talks about the importance of setting aside her differences and working with her ex-husband to raise their kids well. Juanita talks about how words matter and being very careful how she talks about her kid's father. She also talks about the importance of being present in her kid's lives and not just on “her weekend.” She also addresses the importance of communication as parents about the kids as well as being open and honest with their kids. Juanita's kids are now 16 and 13.

Becky's mom, Tammy Roberts, shares about being a majorette for football games in the 50's.  Born in 1941, Tammy talks about the limited opportunities for girls to play sports.  She also talks about being the mom of female athletes in the 80's and 90's.  She talks about how it is important to always love what you do and how her parents always supported whatever she wanted to do as a kid.  She has continued that sentiment with her own family, supporting whatever her children chose to pursue and supporting them.Tammy talks about how much she is enjoying having Becky's family home for a visit this summer and getting to know her grandkids even better.

Sirena Alford shares how she grew up in Baltimore and was strongly influenced by her basketball coaches to embrace teamwork and compassion.  She talks about how she gets to give back now through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and teach those values to the next generation.  Sirena serves as the Metro Director for Baltimore City with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.  You can find out more information and how you can join Sirena in serving on her website: https://www.baltimorefca.orgIn her highlight reel, Sirena shares about her husband's Mom-bo Sauce, which is a tangy barbecue sauce that he named in honor of his mom.  You can get your own bottle!  If you wanna buy this sauce it's $7 a bottle. Go to Ordermombosauce@gmail.com to place your order with your name, # of bottles you want, and area you live in! 

Becky & Patricia discuss what it's like to raise athletes, starting with a short discussion about rec versus travel sports.  We also discuss the importance of letting our kids own their own journey and what that actually looks like.  Patricia talks about figuring out if it's something that has actually captured their imagination.  Then we discuss what it looks like to help guide them through getting to the next level and the difference between having aspirations and what it really looks like to work toward their dreams.  We talk about painting them a picture and helping them to understand the importance of being both physically and mentally fit and to then "trust their stuff."Lastly, we talked about the importance of being active and doing things together as a family.In her highlight reel, Patricia shares that her son's high school baseball team won states this week!  Go Sherwood!In her blooper reel, Becky shares about paint and their kitchen renovation.  

Carrie Lagas joins us today and talks about the past year and a half of determining what was wrong with her ankle and finally needing to get surgery.  As an avid runner, it has been a difficult journey for Carrie who just had to have a 2nd surgery to remove a pin that was causing her more pain.  Carrie talks about the loss of running and the hope to one day be able to get back to it a little bit.  She shares that through the process she really tried to focus on what she could do and not on what she couldn't.  She also talks about how much she really appreciates the people in her life, like her husband who took her to physical therapy when she couldn't drive and her daughters who are her inspiration.  Carrie also completed the Daniel Plan Challenge with us and shares a little bit about her why in participating as well as how it was beneficial for her.  

Alison Ottenbreit talks about the importance of owning her own journey as far as her health and her job go.  She also talks about the importance of letting her 9-year-old daughter own her own journey.  Alison has a PhD in social psychology and works for Legal Services Corporation.  She talks about the importance of their work and what she does for the company.  She also shares her experience with the Daniel Plan Challenge.  Her three main takeaways were:1) How much mindless eating she was doing beforehand2) How she started craving fruit instead of sweets after just a few days3) We don't always need to eat when we have the thought that we are hungry.  She also shares about her daughter's journey with gymnastics and the importance of letting Ruby own her own journey.  She said she has people around her who help her keep perspective, like Ruby's coach, and then she in turn can help Ruby navigate the high's and the low's and learn perseverance. Lastly, she shares that when she gets overwhelmed, there are three things that help her; sleep, positive self-talk and prayer.  We also discuss the new video-based Bible study by Priscilla Shirer called Elijah.  You can check that out here. 

Today we interviewed one of the women who joined us in our Daniel Plan Challenge.  Deb Tormey participated in cheerleading, track & field as well as basketball in high school and is now a high school guidance counselor and is currently studying clinical, mental health counseling.Deb talks about her motivation in joining the Daniel Plan Challenge as well as her progress in staying with the plan.  She talks about the ups and downs of trying to eat healthy and the importance of self-care and giving yourself grace.  In her highlight reel, Deb talks about how she likes to paint and teaches others to paint as a way to relax.  In her blooper reel, she tells a story about Becky when she first met her husband, Matt.  

As collegiate athletes, we learned that we needed to pay attention to our holistic health, body, mind and spirit.  Then as we get out into the world, we often struggle to maintain that level of health.  Today, Becky & Patricia discuss the importance of being healthy and issue a challenge for anyone who wants to work on their health.The Daniel Plan Challenge - 10 days of Faith, Food, Fitness, Focus & Friends.  Join Becky & Patricia for a 10-day challenge to improve your holistic health.  We will provide daily encouragement for faith and focus, and provide an outline to help you make healthier choices with food and fitness.  And of course, you will have friends walking through the challenge with you.Becky & Patricia talk about their first experience with the 10-day challenge and the potential benefits:1) Realize how much food you actually need2) Truly evaluate what you are eating3) Work on self-discipline4) Improve brain health5) Healthier skin6) Creating building blocks for fitness7) Make informed decisions8) Evaluate your whyHere is how to join the challenge:1) Join the Facebook group (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1040293096492224)2) Respond to the Challenge questionnaire3) We will email you the 1-page planning sheet and add you to our Facebook Messanger Group4) Follow the plan with us for 10 daysYou can also email us: lifeisateamsportpodcast@gmail.com and let us know you would like to join

In today's interview, Becky & Patricia talk to Sara Wolf, a former basketball player from George Washington University.  Sara is now working for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in Anne Arundel, Maryland.  Sara talks about how she used to find her identity and significance in her performance on the basketball court and how unhealthy that really was.  She talks about how her faith has played an important role in helping her to live an integrated life and have a better perspective.Sara talks about the Daniel Plan detox that she did, which was 40 days of cutting out certain foods and looking to live a healthier lifestyle.  She talks about the importance of a healthy mind, body, and spirit and how the detox really impacted all three.  She also explains the importance of accountability and friends during the detox as well as keeping her mind and spirit nourished as well as her body.  In the end, the Daniel Plan was the kick start she needed to have a better relationship with food and to understand that the right foods bring life and give energy.  In her highlight reel, Sara talks about going for walks with her dalmatian and leaving her cell phone at home.  She encourages all of us to unplug and walk and talk to God. 

Becky and Patricia are excited to welcome Anna Montes, one of their college teammates to join them.Anna talks about the importance of perseverance and defines perseverance as "living in the hard."  Anna talks about some personal struggles in which she needed to persevere and how she learned that through conditioning in soccer.She encourages us to:1) Expect hard times will come2) Lean into them instead of running from them3) Find purpose in the pain4) Figure out what's next and just do the next thingIn her highlight reel, Anna shares about Wisdom Online, which is a website that goes through every book of the Bible to help people understand and study it better.  

We all have excuses.  We all have that inner voice that we allow to discourage us.What do we do about it?  How do we combat excuses and move forward in freedom to accomplish our goals?Becky & Patricia talk about the importance of knowing your why, because when you know your why you will know what to do.  Then once you know what to do, you can figure out how you will do it.An important question to ask as you look at habits you would like to change: "Is this serving me?"  If your habit is not serving you or you always find yourself caving to the same excuse, create a plan that will serve you and help you reach your goals, then build in some accountability.  To combat excuses, you need to:- know your why- have a plan- have accountability- have a time tableIn her Highlight Reel, Patricia talks about her new Day Designer.  Then Becky shares about a time she fell in the lake trying to get out of her kayak in her blooper reel.  

Watching film as an athlete is both the best and worst experience you'll have.  On the one hand, it is hard to watch your mistakes, but on the other hand, you get to see where you can improve.  You can't hide on film.  Video doesn't lie.  Watching film in real life gives us the opportunity to identify our tendencies, notice patterns, make adjustments, and move forward.  But what does watching film look like when applied to life?Shanta Crichlow shares about her new Breakthrough Journal.  She talks about how journaling has provided significant insights over the years and helped her have important breakthroughs.  You can purchase your very own Breakthrough Journal on Amazon or Shanta's website: http://spoiledbygod.comShanta also talks about how important people in our life can allow us to see ourselves through their eyes and help us understand how we are showing up, where we are doing well and where we need to make adjustments. 

Barb Cordova has been a gymnastics coach for over 20 years.  Before coaching, she was a gymnast herself.  Measuring perfection comes naturally.  Barb shares about her relationship with perfection as an athlete and now an adult and how she keeps perspective and helps her athletes keep perspective as well.  She also shares about the loss of her firstborn and how God has redeemed that story.  She talks about her favorite verse, Psalm 18:30, and how the word perfect in the Bible refers to being complete.  In her highlight reel, Barb shares about the online exercise classes she has been enjoying, and in her blooper reel, she shares about her most embarrassing moment as a college gymnast.  

Learning to work well within a group is an important skill that can be easily translated from being on a sports team.  Becky & Patricia identify 3 very important aspects for us to focus on:1) Lead self: Understand yourself and your personality.  Understand your values and beliefs.  Know your gifts and talents and your role on the team.2) Lead others: Starts with relationships, so build relationships with those in your group.  Learn their personalities, values, beliefs, gifts, talents, and roles.  Be willing to accept feedback to improve your communication skills and lead with respect and relationship in dealing with conflict.  3) Follow well: Respect others and allow opportunities for others to lead.  Observe and learn from others.  Put the team first. In her Highlight Reel, Patricia told us about the Enneagram, which is a test you can take that will reveal your type.  There are 9 Enneagram types, that cover personality type, strengths, weaknesses, and perspective on the world as well as how your type interacts with other types.  The Enneagram also covers what your type looks like when it is healthy and when it is unhealthy.  You can take the Enneagram test here.  You can also read more about the Enneagram types here. 

Unity requires harmony, where everyone is playing a different part moving toward a common goal.  Today we spoke to Sarah Chamberlain about what unity has looked like in her life, ways to acheive it and what is required of us in that process.We talked about how Unity requires empathy, prayer and communication and it gives us the ability to see beyond ourselves and accomplish more than we can on our own.  In her Highlight Reel, she talks about how she started homeschooling her 4 children this year.  She referenced the book The Call of the Wild and Free, and said that it encouraged her to remember that you can't replicate at home what they are doing in the public school system and that you don't need to in order to be effective.  

Everybody wants to have GRIT, but very few can actually define what it is and how to have it.  In today's episode, we tackle that very subject.Laura Matera is the Director of Surf and Skate for Fellowship of Chrisitan Athletes and she shares her background and why GRIT has been so crucial in her life from raising 3 girls to losing her husband to cancer several years ago.  Laura defines GRIT as preparation + persistence and lists courage, motivation, character, integrity, and resolve in the face of difficulty as key ingredients.  She talks about the importance of "staying in the game" and how important it is to remember that we are an example for someone else. GRIT is not something we are born with.  It is something that we can build and foster in ourselves and others.  If we are going to stay in the game, we have to train and prepare daily by being disciplined and faithful in the little things so that when we go through hard things, we have a "sticktoitiveness."  In her Highlight Reel, Laura shares about She Reads Truth, which is a company that sends devotional books to its subscribers.  They also have a website and an app.  In her Blooper Reel, she talks about her tax season fail the first time she had to do her family taxes.  

Today we tackle the subject of self-sabotage.  We spend time talking about various examples like food choices that make us feel bad later, playing the blame game, negative thought patterns, procrastination, fear of failure, and the need for control.  We give real-life examples from the realm of high school athletics, adult life, and also examples as moms.  Our strategies for combatting self-sabotage are:1) Identify our tendencies 2) Identify our thought patterns3) Process through it with journaling or talking to a counselor4) Identify what you really want and then make small changes in that direction5) Be willing to fail and then fail forward6) Create accountability to push us forward and encourage us7) Don't compare yourself to others8) Learn to love the processIn her Highlight Reel, Becky talks about setting up her living room so that it feels pulled together on a small budget.In her Blooper Reel, Patricia shares another mother of the year moment from leaving the toddler to his own devices.If you have a subject that you would like to talk about or something that you would like to share on the show, email us at lifeisateamsportpodcast@gmail.com 

Our guest for today is Jen Domsic.  Jen is the owner of Jenergy Fitness & Wellness.  Jen does massage therapy, personal training and life coaching.  Today we talk about the importance of filling your cup.  We talk about examples of things that we do to fill our cup which include personal quiet time, going for walks, competitive sports, surfing, running, getting pedicures and massages, and taking a timeout.  Jen talks about early burnout when she was first starting out and how anxiety and depression played a role in her life.  We also talk about the importance of supporting each other and having accountability and community and not allowing mom guilt to keep us from proper self-care.In her highlight reel, Jen tells us about attending Crossfit classes at Saltwater Athletics and signing up for her very first competition! In her blooper reel, we get to hear a story from when showing off went wrong when she was in high school.You can follow Jen on Instagram @jenergyfitness 

Who won the game?  Did you PR in your race?  What score did you get?We all care about the outcomes, sometimes a little too much.  For some people, the outcome is the only thing that matters.What if we could embrace the process in a way that didn't cause us so much anxiety?  What if we could stay present and find joy in the journey?That is exactly what we talk about today with Jordyn Pugh, senior on the Loyola University Track & Field team.  Jordyn shares her experience and several tips on how to do this:1) Be where your feet are2) Wash the dishes3) Find joy in the small moments4) Embrace the process5) Ask yourself hard questionsIn her Highlight Reel, Jordyn talks about the show Drive to Survive and how she has become obsessed with Formula One Racing.In her Blooper Reel, Jordyn talks about the painful process of cleaning snow off her car.You can follow Jordyn on Instagram @jormpugh  

Life is full of interruptions.  Join us as we talk to Tierra Haynes about her life as the wife of a college basketball coach and mom to three very active boys.  Tierra shares that although their life gets interrupted on a regular basis, God has always used those interruptions for their good.  Tierra shares her advice for dealing with interruptions:1) Hold on to the truth that you know2) Know that God is working all things for your good3) See how God has provided in the pastTierra is the founder of Mommy on the Move and is now the proud author of The Adventures of Us, a children's book about Guion Bluford, Jr., the first African American to experience space travel.  You can follow Tierra on Instagram @mommyonthemove 

We are celebrating our birthdays this month!  We both turned 41.  Tune in today as we discuss the life stage we each are in right now.  Becky has pre-teens and Patricia has teenagers.  We also delve into how we are feeling physically, emotionally and spiritually.  Lastly, we talk about what have learned in our 40's so far. In the Highlight Reel, we give our reviews from The Huddle for Women.  If you missed it but still want to check it out, you can look at their website: www.thehuddleforwomen.org Our Blooper Reel story is about the first time Becky ever used a dishwasher; the day before Patricia's wedding.  

Self-described perfectionist, Gaby Go, talks about how getting her identity wrapped up in her running created a lot of problems for her.  It's easy for us to see ourselves as what we do, but that can be really detrimental.Gaby talks about how when she finally stopped putting her identity in something that she could control and put in something bigger than herself, it actually brought so much peace.  Gaby found strength in her faith and in who God says that she is and it made the ups and downs of injuries and setbacks manageable because it no longer defined her.Gaby is currently in graduate school and on her way to becoming a Doctor of Physical Therapy.  She encourages us to lean into our faith for security and identity instead of the ever changing landscape of our performances.  In her Highlight Reel, Gaby talks about her new Physical Therapy Instagram page, which you can follow here: https://www.instagram.com/gothedistance_spt/In her Blooper Reel, Gaby tells a story from a Cross Country race during her time at University of Maryland.  To find more stories and content, visit our website: www.lifeisateamsporteveryday.com 

Have you ever gotten obsessed with something?  It becomes all you think about and you begin to prioritize it over everything else in your life?  Do you wish there was a way to bring things back to a healthy balance?  Listen as we talk to Rebekah Trittipoe, ultra marathoner, about knowing the line between dedication and obsession.  Rebekah shares how she got into running and some of the amazing feats that she has accomplished running 50 and 100 mile races through the mountains.  We talk about today's sports culture and why kids often burn out from their sport by the time they are 12 years old.  Rebekah shares two ways to gauge whether you have crossed the line into obsession: 1) Are your closest relationships strained because of this activity? 2) Are you still enjoying it? In her Highlight Reel, Rebekah shares why everyone should get the opportunity to be a grandparent.  In her Blooper Reel, she shares why it's not worth it to make your own kinetic sand, just buy it. To check out more great content, check out our website: www.lifeisateamsporteveryday.com 

How do you define humility?  Is it a character trait that you aspire to?  Today we talk to Kaley Evans; former Women's Basketball player from NC State.  She talks about her experience walking on to the team in college as well as organizing a "Play for Kay" game in high school and her experience with the Kay Yow Foundation.  She talks about how Kay was a role model for her growing up and how she observed humility in her life. Kaley defines humility as considering others before yourself and knowing that your role is not to just look out for yourself, but also for your teammates.  She talks about how when we accept our role and not spend our energy wishing it were different, we can derive strength and purpose from humility.  She also talks about the power of admitting that we need help and how that is freeing.   In her highlight reel, Kaley tells us about her friend's company, Piedmont Pennies.  They are a local to Chapel Hill company that makes delicious homemade cheese snacks.  You can order your very own cheese pennies here: https://www.piedmontpennies.com/ In her blooper reel, Kaley shares an embarrassing moment from her time with the Wolf Pack at a basketball event.  We want to hear from you!  Email us with questions or comments at lifeisateamsportpodcast@gmail.com You can also follow us on Instagram @life_is_a_team_sport or get more great content on our website: www.lifeisateamsporteveryday.com

Andi Wenck is a former collegiate goalkeeper for the Maryland Women's Soccer team.  She is currently an experience design student at the Brand Center in VCU.  Andi shares her experience as a back up goalkeeper who landed at Maryland as a transfer her sophomore year.  Her experience growing up on a farm gave her a great start at learning responsibility and follow through.  Then as a college goalkeeper, she knew she might never see the field, but tells us why she felt it was important to always give 100% and how she found other ways to contribute to the team off the field.  Andi talks about how FCA helped give her a safe place to go and feel refreshed and encouraged and how creating a team Bible study created camaraderie within the team.  She also talks about her YouTube project called "Beyond the Bench" where she vlogged behind the scenes with the Maryland Women's Soccer Team.  You can find those episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMGED82hYoE Finding and embracing her role gave Andi a sense of purpose and made all the little things that had seemed so difficult before, not so hard.  Finding her why allowed her to bloom where she was planted.   For our highlight reel, we all shared why we choose one word every year for the year.  We highlighted the book, One Word that will change your life by Jon Gordon, Dan Britton and Jimmy Page.  The book explains how to go through the process of picking a word for the year instead of making resolutions and how the simplicity of one word brings clarity and impact.   You can still register for our Huddle for Women event on January 9 on our website: www.lifeisateamsporteveryday.com 

Today we take a holistic look at keeping our love for the season and embracing what gives us life without getting overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle.Some practical ways to keep the wonder:- find ways to serve others- foster a spirit of giving- saying "yes" to the right things and "no" to othersHolistic strategies:Mind - find space in the day to mentally reset, get a break from screens & being organized with meal planningBody - Prioritize exercise and sleepSpirit - Making time for prayer & meditation, being around people who encourage you, knowing your why For the Highlight Reel, Patricia shares about her new favorite app called Encountering Peace, which started as a podcast.  You can find it here: https://encounteringpeace.comIt is a 15 minute guided prayer and meditation for each day.In the Blooper Reel, Becky shares one of her favorite most embarrassing moments from teaching. The Huddle for Women is a virtual, free event on January 9.  You can get more information and register on our new website:www.lifeisateamsporteveryday.comYou can follow us on Instagram @life_is_a_team_sport 

Our attitude in good and bad circumstances is our choice. And that choice will affect everything else. Join us for our conversation with Val Brock as she shares about growing up in the south, cheering for college football, playing youth sports and the accident that changed everything. Val talks about losing her leg and the way she embraced that challenge from the start. She also reminds us that there is beauty in embracing your normal. ********** In her highlight reel, Val tells us all about Kylie Jenners new eye makeup and why it smooth as butter. ********** If you have questions or things you think should be included on the show, email us at: lifeisateamsportpodcast@gmail.com. For more great content, follow us on Instagram @life_is_a_team_sport

Ele Margelos shares about why mindset matters and how to have a strong mindset. Ele, currently the head women's soccer coach of Washington Adventist University, special Ed teacher in Montgomery County MD and freelance photographer, talks about developing a strong mindset as a youth soccer player through discipline, competition and developing a love for the game. She also addresses overcoming injuries and setbacks, setting goals, positive self talk and the importance of accountability. In her highlight reel, Ele tells us about SHEIN, an online shopping app that she is using to get Christmas presents for friends and family. Check it out at www.SHEIN.com Ele also mentions a book that she is reading called The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. If you have questions or things you think should be included on the show, email us at: lifeisateamsportpodcast@gmail.com. For more great content, follow us on Instagram @life_is_a_team_sport

Setting goals is an important skill. Learn how to make SMART goals that give clear direction and a clear picture of what success looks like. Smart is an acronym that stands for specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, timely. Listen as we share goals that we have achieved in the past and how they qualified as SMART goals. Also, for our Highlight Reel, Becky shares how @jamieivey was part of her inspiration for starting this podcast. For our Blooper Reel, Patricia shares one of her favorite mother of the year moments. If you have questions or things you think should be included on the show, email us at: lifeisateamsportpodcast@gmail.com. For more great content, follow us on Instagram @life_is_a_team_sport

John Wooden is famously quoted, "ability may get you to the top, but it is character that keeps you there."  Join Becky and Patricia, two former college teammates, as they discuss the life lessons they learned through sport and how they now apply to motherhood, career, health and faith.