Anniversary Effect (n.) – uncomfortable feelings, thoughts, and memories that resurface on or around the anniversary of an event. I know, I know. It’s been a while, Blog. I’ve missed you and don’t begin to think for a second that I’ve forgotten about you. Things have been really good over here in Southern Maine. Vaccines, […]
Becoming Your Best Self
I love bettering myself. What’s the point of life if not to grow as a human and to become the very best you can be? For me, that looks like a lot of different things: becoming more efficient, managing my time better, eating healthier, being fit, reducing my carbon footprint, etc. I’ve watched documentaries, collected […]
The Final Season (and its profound impact on me)
Arguably the thing that I’m most proud of in my short, twenty-two-year-long life, is the 2019 Slippery Rock Women’s soccer team. It was a culmination of four years’ worth of effort rewriting the culture, restructuring the expectations, and redefining our values. By no means was this a one-woman show and definitely not a one-year feat […]
On Leadership: My Awakening
In the past few weeks, I’ve been busy with school and work and honestly, things have been pretty good. Hope is alive and well (especially following the inauguration and vaccine dissemination), I’m looking forward to a future that isn’t limited by COVID, and I finally am getting my hands on a hoodie that is strangely […]
Year in Review
I hated 2020. It took so much from me: stripped me of my identity, removed me from the people I love, sent me back home prematurely and then gave me nothing but time, forcing me to think about all that I had lost. It sucked. It led to a lot of really rough days and […]
The Journey of Rediscovery
I’ll never forget the first time that I played against Ciera. We were ten and playing town travel soccer. Falmouth was playing Windham, who were renowned for being taller, faster, and way better at soccer than we were. I watched this girl with two different cleats smash a ball from half-field over the goal – […]
The Rocky Road Here
As I prepare to write this post, I know it’s going to be a longer one and I don’t necessarily know if it’ll be a popular one. While I aim (keyword – aim) to write an article a week, I try not to force the words. It’s unsurprisingly easier writing when you don’t have to, […]
The Teamwork That’s Made This Girl’s Dream Work
My mom and I were talking the other day about making the best of what we have and just how happy I am that I took that leap of faith and created this blog. What’s been so special about it, is the integration of my people. All of them. From all walks of my short, […]
I’m Not Sure What to Call This One
Blog, it’s been a while! Today’s article is more of a check-in and less of a themed, thought provoking piece. Life offline in the past month has been brutal, whether it was the emotional stress of being in a global pandemic for 8 months, having a family member struggling with dementia, getting used to less […]
Once a Physical Athlete, Always a Mental Athlete
Being a successful athlete looks like a lot of different things: DII collegiate soccer player, marathon runner, avid hiker, DIII football player, golfer, the list goes on. No matter where you excel, you have something that sets you apart from those that are unable to do what you do. When we’re children, athletic ability or […]
Seven Tips for People Just Trying to Figure It Out
If you’re like me, then you’re always looking for ways to improve yourself or your life. There are so many self-proclaimed programs, books, and diets out there that swear they’ll turn you into an entirely different person, one that you’d rather be. I usually don’t subscribe to anything but books, though after a while, they […]
I’m Going Stir Crazy
Ok, this is going to speak to a really specific audience, but if you ever played Sims 3 you’ll know that when you play without cheats, your sim can get a “stir crazy” moodlet if you don’t take them out of the house for a few days. That is me. Since being in quarantine, specifically […]
I Said Football, Not Futbol
I’ve always loved having athletic parents. Though their physical abilities are becoming more and more limited due to the aches and pains of getting older, they always encouraged us to play new sports and would try their best to practice with us and learn more about the sport so they could better support us. Unfortunately […]
Life in Quarantine: Our New Normal
Without a doubt, this has been one of the most trying times of my life. While I’ve faced my fair share of adversity, Coronavirus has been a whole new level of testing my patience, motivation, integrity and values. In a few of my different posts, I’ve talked about how the combination of the pandemic mixed […]
When the Going Gets Hard, It Might Get Harder
It’s hard to hear Kelsey Thoensen’s story and not be in awe of her resilience in the face of adversity. While playing lacrosse at Slippery Rock University, Kelsey’s senior year was riddled with heartbreak, loss, and internal battles. Like most athletes, she had planned for her final year to be her best, but due to […]
Life After Teammates: Losing Our Biggest Support Systems
Ok, so that title is super dramatic, we don’t necessarily lose them. Some of us will remain friends for years, attending each other’s weddings, planning annual trips to meet up, or getting together for the occasional dinner. But that’s just for those that we’re closest with. After school ends, the support we had come to […]
If There’s a Will, There’s a Way
Few people on this earth are as well received as Abby Way. The type of person you want to be your friend, she radiates positivity, always at the ready to make your day better. In her time at Slippery Rock University, she thrived both in academics (School Wellness Education) and athletics (Track and Field Throwing). […]
Mental Health in Sports: We’ve All Got It
In some way or another, if you’re an athlete, you’ve experienced the negative effects of mental health in your sport. This doesn’t mean that you were directly affected, it might have been a teammate or even a coach, but nonetheless, it is omnipresent. I noticed it at every level that I played at. It […]