46-Emily Allard-on finding the reason you play, managing feelings of hopelessness, and connecting to the ocean
In today’s episode I interview professional softball player and founder of Be The Momentum Emily Allard. Emily played college softball at Northwestern and continued on at the professional level with the Chicago Bandits, where her team has won two back to back championships. Emily is currently coming back from a concussion injury and is refreshingly open about her feelings of hopelessness and uncertainty of returning to play in the future. I really appreciated Emily’s rawness.
In our conversation Emily talks about:
-how childhood bullying led her to fall in love with softball
n-where she gets the motivation to keep coming back after battling injuries for 6 years
-why none of her teammates want to stand behind her in the autograph line
-the Chicago Bandit’s team culture that let them to back-to-back National Pro Fastpitch championship titles
-the most unexpected and best place she traveled to with Be The Momentum, a slapping program where she coaches across the country and empowers kids on and off the softball field
-the gut-wrenching pain of not feeling like a part of the team while being injured and how she manages those feelings
-her morning routine that must involve a Starbucks run
And more.
Enjoy my conversation with the high-spirited, kid-loving Emily Allard
Listen on iTunes HERE
Shownotes
:55 Who is Emily Allard?
2:26 Emily’s love of paddle boarding
4:14 What draws Emily to the ocean?
5:14 Chicago Bandits – Professional softball team & her work with NFCA
6:43 Emily’s passion in juggling work and playing ball
7:40 Emily’s typical day during the season
9:10 Her offseason routine
10:40 What strategies does she use to maintain her sanity?
12:20 Why is playing for the kids so important to her?
15:50 Her passion of talking to all fans
18:42 A standout fan moment
23:29 Back to back championships – what was the culture of the team?
29:30 What was the first championship experience like for Emily?
30:30 Her struggle with injuries
32:13 Did she feel like a part of the team for the 2nd championship?
34:19 How did she manage her feelings during her concussion recovery?
37:02 Her struggle with her love-hate of the game and her injuries
42:38 What makes Emily want to come back after 6 years of injuries?
44:50 Her experience of getting bullied
48:20 “Ride the Wave”
51:30 Be the Momentum product
53:04 Her work with softball clinics
55:18 Emily’s most surprising visit to a state
57:33 Emily’s am routine
58:28 The biggest misconception people have about Emily
59:31 What non-athlete does Emily admire?
1:00:10 What belief or habit do others think is crazy?
1:01:28 Emily’s favorite failure
1:04:03 One simple tip for female athletes
Resources
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