The Athlete Way

     Thank you, Grant Wahl, for opening my eyes to the magic of soccer and importance of storytelling. May I have the courage to do the same for the sport that pulses within me.       Name a better drama than sport. I’ll wait.       The only thing that I can think of that compares to the epic drama of sport is, well, life. Sport is life, in all of its beauty and messiness (feel free to read Messi-ness).  The twists and turns of fate. The emotional rollercoaster. The confrontation with the best in us and the worst in us. The relationships. The succeeding. The failing. The beginning. The ending. The quest for greatness. The falling short. The rising. The losing. The finding. The redemption. The prevailing. The grappling. The unknown.      Sport evokes awe and wonder and madness. It captivates the soul.       Yesterday, in the Men's World Cup Final, two soccer stars were pitted against each other...

The holiday season is upon us, and as we search for presents, I hope we remember what's at the heart of our searching; a higher power that won't be found stacked on the shelves of Target.  What are we actually looking for when we are looking for God? Maybe, we just want to say that we don't have the answers. We need help. I’ve been searching for God lately.  I’ve looked everywhere. Scrolled for God on my phone. Googled God on the internet. Shopped for God in Target. Listened for God in Taylor Swift’s lyrics. Watched for God in every practice, every play, every game. Read for God in the bible. I've told myself that I'll find God in a new job, new relationship or new place.  I know it sounds ridiculous. But it's true. I've wandered aimlessly around Target looking for something greater only to realize that the thing I'm looking for can't be found in Target.  I'm looking for inspiration, meaning, connection, purpose, holiness, sacredness. I'm loo...

This is dedicated to a teacher and coach who challenged me to live the lessons she taught. Thank you, Coach Shelton.      After 42 years,  Karen Shelton retired. I still can’t believe it is true. When I first saw the post, I scrolled quickly passed it, thinking it was another celebration post - the type that has become customary to Tar Heel fans over the past decade of Carolina Field Hockey dominance. A few seconds later, something made me pause. There was something more in that post. So I went back and read it fully.       My stomach dropped. My eyes welled with tears. A flood of emotions overcame me. Indescribable emotions.  There was shock. This is really happening. There was grief. This is the end of an era. An end that always seemed unfathomable. I can't imagine a Carolina (or recruiting sideline) without Karen Shelton (and Willy) leading it. There was love. The love surprised me the most. That it was still there, beating strong, after t...

The holiday season is upon us and that means the season of endless gift searching for the important people in your life. So what do you gift that ever so incredible coach who has hustled all year to help her athletes thrive?  Well, beyond the customary ‘Best Coach Ever’ coffee mug (which she totally deserves), we've put together a gift list that will help her stay legendary in her everyday life. This list will inspire you to think fab and functional.  If you have a gift item that should be on the list, let us know and we will add it.

Culture. It’s magical, mystical, and dare I say yet another buzzword that leaders use when they want to sound like they are doing something really special within an organization. The use of the word culture veils what is the actual bedrock of any culture - the ordinary, everyday, and seemingly unremarkable behaviors of the people within an organization. The standards people hold themselves too and are held too when no one is watching. Daily Behaviors     These behaviors include s imple things like: What time do team members show up for work? How do they show up? Do they keep showing up when things get hard? How do they interact with one another? How do they resolve conflict? How do they share and express ideas? What type of work do they produce? What’s their follow-through on projects? How quickly do they respond to emails? How do they leave the locker-room after a game? The boardroom after a meeting? Where do they invest their time and money? Do they show up consistently? How...