A Coach's Diary

"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, but because we do not dare things that are difficult. Courage over regret." - Jill Schulman How many opportunities have you avoided because of fear? The key to having a fulfilling, regret-free life isn’t avoiding discomfort—it’s leaning into it. This is what it means to be brave. Jill Schulman is a former U.S. Marine Corps officer turned leadership development expert who recently wrote a book on bravery. She says bravery is defined not as being fearless, but stepping forward and taking action in the presence of fear. She says, “It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, but because we do not dare things that are difficult. Courage over regret." Schulman teaches that bravery isn’t something you’re born with—it’s something you build . She calls courage a muscle that grows stronger with use. She breaks it down into three main areas: Mindset – Shift how you see fear. Instead of treating it as a s...

"Don't be afraid to stand out. Normal people don’t change the world." - Serena Williams Are you willing to speak up and challenge group think? Great teams don’t just need hard workers and role players — they need truth-tellers and difference-makers who are willing to speak up, hold people accountable, and raise their hands when everyone else stays quiet to question a plan that doesn’t feel right. But speaking up against the group can be hard. In the 1950s, Solomon Asch gathered groups of college students and told them they were doing a vision test. He showed them a line and asked which of three other lines matched its length. The answer was obvious, but when everyone else in the group (who were actors) gave the wrong answer out loud, many students went along with them instead of trusting their own eyes. It showed that people often follow the crowd to fit in, even when they know the truth. We are wired to conform, and this phenomenon has been called group-think bias. Our b...

" I've realized that me being whole off the field is gonna get the best version of me on the field. " - Mal Swanson How helpful or hurtful are your off-the-field or court habits? Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a theory that explains what motivates people. It says we must first meet our basic needs, like food, water, and sleep, before moving on to other goals.  After that comes safety, friendships and belonging, and feeling good about ourselves. At the very top is self-actualization, which means becoming the best version of yourself. If you want to be the best you can be, you have to make sure your basic needs are met—you have to eat right, get enough rest, and feel safe. Then, you have to put in the work you need to put in, but you won’t have the mental, physical, and emotional energy you need if you don’t meet your basic needs Maybe that is what professional soccer player Mallory Swanson meant when she said, " I've realized that me being whole off the fiel...