If I Could Coach My 15 Year Old Self

my club team at regional Finals

I had a successful youth sports career by many standards. I was MVP of my team and athletic league in high school, I played for one of the best club soccer teams in the US, and made my way onto a DI team in college. 

From the outside, my accomplishments were pretty impressive. What many people couldn’t see was what was happening on the inside. A series of joint injuries and concussions put me on the sidelines many times, forcing me to go through the arduous process of rehab, regaining my confidence, and vying for playing time. But this was just part of the battle. 

The battle that goes on in one’s mind is the toughest of them all. In the ancient vedic text, The Bhagavad Gita, Krishna tells the world's greatest archer Arjuna before his greatest battle, “You must first win the war inside before winning the battle out there.” What he is referring to is the battle between the different parts of ourselves and our emotions. 

Have you ever gotten in your own way and let fear take over? Have you ever lost control of your anger and did something you regret? Have you allowed greed to push you to the brink? 

The hidden side of sports and life is that we are all going through some sort of battle in the mind. Sports is a competition after all. What happens on the inside is a match with the inner critic. An incessant voice in your head that judges every move, telling you what to do and what not to do. What could be better, and what mistakes you made. It relishes in a good play, but then is hungry for more the next minute. 

And in my experience, there was a constant comparison in my head - telling me how I matched up against my teammates and opponents. The comparison was so strong because ultimately there was a part of me that never felt good enough.

All these voices are part of the game, and part of our daily life. So, what if we had a guidebook on how to navigate the mind? What if we learned how to work with these strong voices of the inner critic and relate to them in a way that helped our performance? What if we had a lesson plan on how to channel our anger and dance with our fear?

Inside every person is a young child who’s desperate for acknowledgement. What if we had the knowledge and the guidance to become our own captain and inner coach?

From a foundational health perspective, we also need to be strong, mobile, and fit. What if there was a training program that helped me develop a rock solid foundation in my body so that I experienced fewer injuries? And even if I did get those inevitable tears and sprains, I would be much more resilient. 

This is the reason why I’ve been so inspired to create the Young Warrior Academy. There are many aspects of health and mindset that impact our performance on the field and in our lives. I have experienced so many areas of pain that I wish I had guidance on as a youth athlete. 

If I had the tools back then, I know I would have had more confidence in my mind and strength in my body. I would have approached playing from a more level headed mindset, allowing for more creativity and states of flow. Ultimately, sports is an activity that can allow us to experience more joy on top of all the competition and achievements.