50-Erin McLeod-on playing fearlessly, enjoying the process, and making art from the heart

In today’s episode I interview Canadian national team goalkeeper and Olympic medalist, Erin McLeod.

Erin’s obsession with competing in the Olympics  began at childhood in Alberta, Canada. Despite doubters, Erin was convinced it was going to happen. It did. And more.

Erin has represented Canada in three World Cups, and two Olympics, earning a bronze medal at the 2012 London Olympics. She is now seen as one of the best goalkeepers in the world.

Erin’s talents extend beyond the soccer field. She is a tattoo artist, the co-founder of the clothing line company Motive Collective, the creator of Motive Nation (providing content and resources for people striving for more), the wife of pro-footballer Ella Masar,  and the mother to two chihuahuas,  among many other things.

Through it all, Erin has an insatiable hunger to grow, learn, evolve, and inspire.

In our conversation, Erin talks about:

-how her obsession with Wayne Gretzky and the Teenage Mutant Ninja turtles spurred her art career

-the influence her art has on her goalkeeping

-what it was like living and playing in Jakarta, Indonesia as a child during the riots

-the risk scale, created by  Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield, that she uses  to rate her days

-her interaction with Lebron James at the Olympics

-why her third ACL tear served as an opportunity to fall in love with the game again

-the period-tracking app that she uses to enhance her performance on the field

And more.

Enjoy my conversation with the creative, never-ending learner Erin McLeod

Listen on iTunes: 50-Erin McLeod-on playing fearlessly, enjoying the process, and making art from the heart

Resources

Erin’s clothing line:

Motive Collective

Erin’s blog:

themotivenation.ca

On Instagram:

@erinmcleod1

On Twitter:

@erinmcleod18

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

44- My mom, Ann Johnson- On parenting a female athlete, supporting your child’s obsession, and feeding the team

In today’s episode, I interview my mother, Ann Johnson.

I often get asked by parents about what their kid needs to do to make it to the next level. I believe the driving force must come from the kid, but parents can have a huge impact on a child’s well-being. My mom is one of my biggest supporters and is a big reason I am where I am today. She’s also a freak of nature athlete and can kick my butt in workouts.

In our conversation we talk about
-her favorite type of workouts, including one that can easily be done at home
-why she didn’t get involved with coaches decisions, even if she disagreed
-the most challenging aspect of parenting a female athlete
-her stance on kids playing multiple sports vs specializing on one
-why parenting athletes is like being a full time chauffeur
-the delicious meals she cooked for my teammates and the crazy games she had us play while w/ the Portland Pilots, Sky Blue FC, and the Portland Thorns

And more.

Enjoy my conversation with my favorite mother in the whole wide world

Share the love

Follow Ann Johnson:

On Instagram:   @annclairej

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

41- Emily Infeld- On “no days off”, recovery tips, and coping from injury with Bon Bons

In today’s episode, I interview professional long distance runner Emily Infeld. Emily grew up running track in her hometown of University Heights. At Georgetown University, she set the school record in the 3000m and 5000m, and notched a first place 3000m finish at the NCAA Indoor Championships. After college, Emily decided to pursue her dream of running professionally. She became one of the first women to join Jerry Schumacher’s Portland-based running group, the Bowerman Track Club, which encompasses some of the best runners in the world.

One of my favorite things about our conversation, is that despite Emily’s bubbliness and positivity, she candidly shares her internal struggles-including when she suffered a stress fracture just months before the Olympic trials (the race she’d been training for the past four years). In her lowest state. after a couple weeks of coping via snarfing down peanut butter and bon bons in bed, Emily persevered by accepting where she was and giving her best on that given day. Her strategies worked, as she competed in the 2016 Summer Olympics and earned a 3rd place in the World Championship finals.

In our conversation, we talk about:

-The benefits of high altitude training and other running “hacks”

-Her college track days (with Portland Thorns FC Emily Menges) attach link to Emily Menges podcast

-What it’s like training with her childhood idols, Shalane Flanagan and Kara Goucher

-Why she takes just one full day off every two months

-How she recovers from training sessions

And a lot more.

Enjoy my conversation with the upbeat, very fast human, Emily Infeld

Show Notes

:50 Who is Emily Infield?

3:10 The benefits of altitude training

6:57 What running hacks does Emily use? Cyrotherapy

8:20 Has Emily always known how to rest her body?

10:24 Emily’s recovery day

12:20 What does Emily do to release from the pressure of running?

13:50 Emily’s ombre hair & baking

16:02 Emily Menges’ Georgetown running

18:10 How did Emily choose Georgetown?

19:54 What other sports did young Emily participate in?

21:55 When did Emily start specializing in running?

23:15 Emily’s first Olympic dream

24:40 Emily’s path to the Bowerman Track Club

27:45 Her training partners:  Shalane Flanagan & Kara Goucher

29:39 What made the recruiting visit to Portland special?

30:52 Is Emily an analyzer or go with the flow personality?

31:49 Emily’s 1st training session with her idols

33:50 What is the training team like?

34:50 Is everyone’s training regime the same?

37:05 How helpful is training in a small team atmosphere?

39:12 World Championship experience 2015

42:23 How did she qualify for the Olympics?

43:37 Emily’s stress fracture recovery

45:49 How did Emily emotionally react to her setbacks?

49:38 What did it feel like for Emily to run in the Olympics?

52:50 Balancing competitiveness, setbacks and the appreciation of the sport

55:37 How does Emily get thru a mediocre track workout?

57:06 What would Emily tell her 12 year old self?

58:41 What are the best ways to recover after a run?

59:53 What music does Emily listen to while she runs?  Her obsession with Blink 182

1:00:47 Is running a form of mindfulness for Emily?

1:02:10 Emily’s morning routine

1:03:21 What body or mental prep does Emily do before training?

1:04:26 Biggest misconception that people have about Emily?

1:06:26 How does Emily get herself out of mental slumps?

1:08:12 Emily’s favorite failure

1:11:20 What is Emily’s favorite accomplishment?

1:13:38 What is Emily’s one simple tip for female athletes?

Follow Emily:

On Twitter: @emily_infeld

On Instagram: @EmilyInfeld

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

39-Caitlin Foord-on sacrificing the “little parties in between for the bigger party at the end”

In today’s episode, I interview Australian national soccer team member, Caitlin Foord. Caitlin grew up a 2 minute walk from the beach in Lake Illawarra, New South Wales, Australia. Before Caitlin took up soccer, she participated in athletics, touch football, and surf life saving. At age 9, Caitlin played in her first soccer game at age and scored 6 goals. She hasn’t stopped netting goals since. Caitlin scored a goal in her first appearance with the Matildas. At 16,, she was the youngest Australian player to play in a World Cup and was voted the Best Young Player of the tournament. Caitlin has played in the the Australian W-league with Sydney FC and Perth Glory, in the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) with Sky Blue FC, and is is currently playing in the Japan Women’s Football League  with the Vengalta Sendai Ladies.

In our conversation, we talk about

-the biggest differences between playing in Japan, USA, and Australia

-the times she had to sell chocolate bars at school to afford to go to soccer tournaments

-the sacrifices her mom, a single parent, made to help Caitlin pursue soccer

-why Caitlin hates warming-up

-her experience with being burned-out from soccer, and the strategy she used to fall back in love with her sport

-why she thinks the Matildas’ world ranking has continued to rise

-her love affair with music festivals, her dog Peach, and Chipotle

And more.

Enjoy, my conversation with Caitlin Foord!

Show Notes

:48 Who is Caitlin Foord  Sky Blue FC

2:50 Caitlin’s adjusting to the Japanese culture

6:40 Caitlin’s Japanese team – Vegalta Sendal

7:24 How does Japanese soccer style compare to US/Australian?

11:40 Cailtin’s early soccer travel and struggles of homesickness

16:00 Cailtlin’s childhood home,  Illawarra

17:40 Cailtin’s young star in soccer v. touch football

21:55 Her mom’s single parent support and selling chocolate bars to pay for      tournaments

27:23 Australian Nat’l team call up at 16 years old.

32:10 Cailtin’s favorite game

35:38 Her ability to separate soccer from other aspects of her life

40:29 Has she ever been burnt out from soccer?

43:20 Are their training things that Cailtin doesn’t like?

45:29 Caitlin’s morning routine

Brittney Cameron

@bcam00

47:01 Caitlin’s free time activities

48:15 Caitlin’s biggest misconception about herself

50:28 Is Caitlin a go with the flow athlete or an overthinker?

51:50 Her biggest accomplishment

52:45 What does she want to accomplish before she retires? And how does she want to be remembered?

53:45 Caitlin’s pregame body and mental prep

54:30 How does she deal with a bad game?

56:13 Best opponent and best teammate

Christie Rampone

@christierampone

Sam Kerr

@samkerr1

59:38 Best game day chants

1:00:39 Biggest life lesson from playing soccer

1:01:55 How does Caitlin eat a taco?

1:02:58 One simple tip for female athletes

1:04:22 Caitlin Foord

Follow Caitlin:

On Twitter: @CaitlinFoord

On Instagram: @CaitlinFoord

Caitlin’s obsession with her dog Peach (Instagram: @BrindlePeach

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

37-Amandine Henry-On moving to the US, mistranslations, and fake tans

In today’s conversation I interview French national team footballer Amandine Henry. Amandine signed her first professional contract at 17 years old. She’s competed in 3 UEFA Women’s Champions League finals, was the recipient of the Silver Ball award in 2015, awarded to the the second best player at the FIFA Women’s World Cup. She’s played most of her professional career with Lyon in France, but recently finished her second season with the Portland Thorns, helping the team win the 2017 NWSL Championship.

Amandine arrived in Portland hardly being able to speak English, but after two season’s abroad, she was able to do this entire interview in English, with only a few misunderstandings.

In our conversation we talk about:

• how Amandine learned english, and the funniest mis-translations with the team

• the experience playing with boys teams up until age 13

• the time during her career when she thought about quitting soccer

• why Amandine doesn’t believe in setting goals

• how she cooks all of her meals at home with a robot

• why coming to Portland was the best experience of her entire soccer career, even moreso than playing in a World Cup and winning champions league

• and she answers several fan questions, both in English and in French

Did you enjoy my conversation with Amandine? Let me know the favorite thing you learned in the comments!

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

Follow Amandine:

On Instagram: @henry_amandine6

On Twitter: @amandinehenry6

NOTES:

:46                     Amandine the French soccer legend

1:25                    her non english background and her funniest mistranslations

2:22                   Subscribe to arrowliving.com for chance to win Amandine’s cleats

3:03                    Bonjour Mandy!

3:58                    Amandine’s final english test and how she learned the language

5:45                    How and why did she decide to play out of France?

6:22                    Biggest difference between her hometown and Portland

8:42                    Weirdest clothing she has seen in Portland

9:08                    What is Amandine’s style of play?

10:30           Pregame routines

10:56           Favorite song

11:34           Why does she write her number on every teammate?

12:12           Kendall’s bet with Amandine’s goal scoring

13:20           Her St. Tropez obsession

13:44           Amandine’s love of fashion

15:08           When did she start playing on boys soccer teams?

19:24           Her transition to women’s teams

20:25           When did Amandine sign contract with Lyon?

21:10           Does she feel it’s important to set goals?

22:20           How did Amandine handle her first injury?

24:01           What does she like to do outside of training?

25:30           What’s the hardest thing about being away from her home country?

26:24           Favorite part of her career

27:42           First thought this morning

28:09           Her morning routine

29:55           Funniest mistranslation

32:03           What is a kitchen robot?

33:25           Most rewarding accomplishment

34:04           What does she wish she knew as a kid?

35:24           Favorite school subject

35:50           Has she ever gotten tired of soccer?

36:44           Dream meal

37:45           What 3 people would she choose as dinner companions?

38:10           Most interesting thing she’s learned

38:37           Why does she change her socks after a game?

40:49           What Portland restaurant reminds her of home?

41:40           What advice would she give her daughter?

42:50           What will she miss about playing in Portland?

43:20           Favorite TIFO

43:45           Sinc, Angerer & Tobin – playing against and as teammates

44:45           Favorite english phrase

45:55           Who are her funniest teammates?

48:20           Best memory as a Porttand Thorn

36-Christine Sinclair- On how to be a leader and her recovery from perfectionism

In today’s episode, I interview the captain of the women’s Canadian national soccer team and Portland Thorns FC striker Christine Sinclair. Christine is a Legend with a capital L. She attended University of Portland (Go Pilots!) While there she was a Mac Hermann trophy recipient and a  2x NCAA champion.  She has received countless other accolades throughout her career including being the a 12x recipient of Canada’s Soccer Player of the Year, 2x bronze Olympic medalist, she’s been short listed for fifa player of the year 7 times, and is the second leading goal scorer in the world, just behind Abby Wambach.

But even more admirable than her accolades, is who Christine is as a human. Despite being one of the top players in the world, she is incredibly down to earth. Christine despises being in the spotlight and is a private person in general, but in our discussion she opens up and explains in her own words, she’s actually not a “hermit.”  You’ll see that she’s a little bit weird and quite funny.

In our conversation we talk about

• How everyone can be a leader, and what it takes to become one

what it was like surpassing her idol Mia Hamm in all-time goals-scored

-The impromptu speech she gave in the locker room to her distraught teammates during the Olympics

-How the loss of multiple family members completely change her perspective on soccer, and allowed her to take her game to the next level

-Why she slurps mustard before and during the half-time of games with Emily Menges  (Emily also makes a guest appearance!)

-The method she uses to become a world-class finisher

-Why she named her achilles tendon “Clarence”

I’d love to hear what you learned from this episode. Please leave a message in the comments

Show Notes

:57 Who is Christine Sinclair?

3:45 Charlie, the love of her life!

5:15 How did Christine choose University of Portland

9:00 How was winning the NCAA women’s soccer championships?

10:05 What is Sinc’s top moment in her career?

11:15 Other sports played by Christine

11:45 When did she know soccer was her main sport?

13:25 Was she always a standout player?

14:04 Did she have goals from the beginning of her career?

14:35 What players did she idolize?

15:32 When did she know she would play in a world cup?

15:44 What did it feel like to surpass Mia Hamm’s goal scoring record?

18:02 Why is Christine so well liked by teammates?

19:45 Does Sinc like being a leader?

21:05 Can everyone be a leader?

22:32 What is Christine’s memories of the 2012 London Olympics

26:57 Why doesn’t Christine like being in the spotlight?

28:15   Her perspective on social media

30:28 How does she deal with her competitiveness?

31:40 The importance of team bonding

36:29 Her battle with being a recovering perfectionist

37:55 How has Sinc learned to play more freely?

40:10 What would she tell her 18 year old self?

42:14 Sinc’s favorite coffee shop

43:42 Favorite restaurant

44:38 How has she dealt with body pain?

50:40 Christine’s stats & records

55:03 What does Sinc like about Portland, Oregon

56:31 Her morning routine

58:34 What is the biggest misconception about Christine?

59:31 What one belief does Christine have that others think is crazy?

1:00:20 Favorite failure

1:02:21 Greatest accomplishment

1:04:32 How has she developed her amazing finishing skills?

1:06:00 What is Sinc’s one simple tip for female athletes

1:07:30 Favorite downtime activity

1:08:15 What does Christine enjoy most about scoring goals

1:08:45 pregame rituals & superstitions

1:09:57 What 3 Thorns players would she choose to be with on a deserted island?

1:10:24 Has there ever been a moment when she wanted to quit soccer?

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

Why Mana Shim cops people’s digits while pursuing her dreams

Today is the Hawaiian hibiscus’, sunflower soul Melana Shim’s  birthday. Awhile back, we ventured out to the Oregon Coast to surf. Mana’s a ripper, and I’m a Grade A wannabe, novice. But I was stoked because Mana told me she’d give me some pointers once we got out in the water. We paddled together past the break, and less than a minute later,  Mana rode a wave into the shore like a princess galloping off into the distance. We never reunited in the water again, as Mana was fully engulfed in catching the biggest breaks, and I couldn’t keep up with Mana’s ravenous paddling. No hard feelings though, I became best buds with the whitewash.

Three and a half hours later, Mana came running out of the water, with a jack-o-lantern sized smile on her face. She apologized for losing track of time and said she invited some new friends over for a bonfire. I asked how they were going to come over. She pointed to her red board. The person’s phone number was etched into the front of it with wax.

Classic Mana, always living for connection. The people came over, and we indeed had wonderful conversation amongst a bonfire. This type of scenario is standard protocol for Mana, who claims she can tell from the first few minutes of interaction if she’ll vibe with the person.

Playing sports competitively, it’s so easy to get caught up in grinding and doing whatever it takes to reach our dreams. But, once our body breaks down or we decide we want to pursue other passions, we will only be left with the memories. And the ones we tend to remember, are the ones with strong emotional ties. Mostly involving other humans. And sometimes teammate’s dogs (shoutout to Christine’s Sinclairs dog, Charlie. Such a stud).

A few weeks ago, Mana made the choice to leave Thorns FC to pursue a opportunity to play in Sweden. This decision is difficult for any player, but especially for someone who cherishes relationships as much as Mana. But sometimes you gotta do the scary thing and take a leap of faith. In conjunction with chasing our dreams, we always have the choice to slow down and take in the in the sunflowers, the waves, the people.

For more Mana Shim: 

Click HERE for an exclusive podcast interview.

Click HERE for an exclusive written interview.

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

EP 35- Nadia Nadim- On Fleeing the Taliban and How to Get Rich and Famous

In today’s episode, I interview Danish footballer Nadia Nadim. Nadia is genuinely one of the happiest people I know. She’s also one of the most confident and unafraid to speak her mind.

Nadia was born in Afghanistan during the war.  At 11 year’s of age, Nadia’s dad, a general in the army,  was killed by the Taliban. Nadia’s mom knew there wasn’t a future for her children in Afghanistan. One night, her family snuck out in the dark and fled the country. They took a plane to Italy, where they were then smuggled in the back of a delivery truck for 48 hours, intending to end up in England. When they arrived, a man walking his dog informed Nadia’s mom that they were actually in Denmark. After finding the police, Nadia’s family was taken to a refuge center.  Nadia’s family patiently awaited approval into the country. If they were denied, they would have to return back to Afghanistan.

While at the refugee center, Nadia was introduced to soccer. She kicked around with the other refugees, whom were from all over the world. One day at a nearby field, Nadia, decided to walk up to the coach of a team during a training session, and through hand gestures, because she didn’t speak Danish, she asked if she could play with the team. The coach let her join and her career was launched. Nadia currently plays club soccer for the Portland Thorns, is a Danish national team member, and is simultaneously studying to become a plastic surgeon.

In our interview, Nadia talks about:

-her family’s escape from the Taliban

-her plans on becoming rich and famous

-balancing medical school and professional soccer

-how Nadia uses getting “pissed off” to her advantage on the field

-the two things that Nadia doesn’t think she’s good at life (she claims to be good at everything else)

-the belief system behind why Nadia knows she can do anything she sets her mind to

I’ve also written an additional article on Nadia  in which she tells stories we didn’t cover in this interview, like the time she lived in a low income city and built a soccer club starting with 7 players, that grew to 217 children.  We talk about the colorful headband she wears on game days, and how the first headband she wore was made by cutting the elastic band off of her underwear,  how she prays 5 times a day, and the other ways she aspires to give hope to refugees.

Read the article  here:  Arrow Liver: Professional Soccer Player, Nadia Nadim

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Additional Article on Nadia Nadim: Arrow Liver: Professional Soccer Player, Nadia Nadim

Follow Nadia Nadim:

Instagram: @nadi9nadim

Twitter:  @Nadia_Nadim

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

Arrow Liver: Rachel Lowell

Let me introduce you to ArrowLiver, Rachel Lowell. I met Rachel after a Thorns FC game in our autograph line. Fans often ask us to sign scarfs, roster pamphlets, and jerseys, but Rachel had printed off the Arrow Living logo and quote. Later that night, she sent me an email. Here’s a portion of it:

“I also just gotta say thank you so much for creating the Arrow Living podcasts and the idea behind it, your podcasts and motto of Arrow Living single handedly kept me somewhat sane and also motivated me throughout my concussion recovery.

And I listened to the first podcast and my mindset towards my concussion and really life in general was completely changed- it put my injury in perspective, I realized that if you could get through a concussion as bad as yours then I could get through a mild concussion. And the quote also helped me realize that this injury wasn’t necessarily a terrible thing- I was capable and I had the opportunity to turn such a setback into a positive and productive experience.

And so I snuck my laptop into my room and printed off the quote and your logo and taped it up above my bed as a constant reminder that this wasn’t the end of the world and that i had to keep aiming towards my goals rather than giving up all hope and so I started doing a lot of thinking and planning.

Even though I’m being pulled backward, you have inspired me to create daily plans and to start doing the little things, so when I return I feel and hope that I’ll be better able to help my team reach something great.”

I asked Rachel what her instagram handle was so I could tag her in this post, and she responded that she doesn’t have one because she listened to the EP 10 Interview with Emily Menges, when Emily mentioned why she deactivated hers, and it resonated.

This is why I play. Rachel is an #ArrowLiver.

Do you have any friends who are Arrow Livers?  Friends who have endured setbacks but make the most of them? If so, tag them in the comments!
P.S.  Anyone dealing with concussion symptoms check out Headway Foundation, a nonprofit run by athletes that offers the best concussion resources and support.

EP 32- Mana Shim- on desserts, death and befriending strangers

Professional soccer player Mana Shim has a go with the flow attitude and has relied on her intuition her entire life. At 15 years old, the Hawaiian native left surfing, beaches, and her family behind, and moved to Arizona with the hope of playing college soccer at a Division One school one day.

Mana’s decision paid off, and she was recruited by her dream school, Santa Clara University. After college, Mana entered the NWSL draft, but did not get selected by any teams. She opted to tryout for the Portland Thorns, because it was the cheapest flight and the team was talented.

Mana balled out, made the team, and has been with the Portland Thorns for 5 consecutive years.

In this interview, we start out talking light about desserts, and then dive deep (in typical Mana fashion)into the topics of fear, anxiety, and death.

We touch upon:

-Mana’s uncanny ability to befriend strangers

-the mental state that allows Mana to play her best soccer

-why Mana doesn’t share her goals with people (except her therapist)

-the day Mana’s dad passed away, and why it was one of the most beautiful moments of her life

-why suffering is necessary to live a fulfilled life

-how to become a more trustworthy person via what Brene Brown calls  B.R.A.V.I.N.G

-and of course, we talk about surfing, and the best wave Mana has ever ridden.

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Click HERE to follow Mana on Instagram

Click HERE to follow Mana on Twitter

Click HERE for another interview and full story with Mana

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read.

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

Garga Caserta-Thorns FC strength and conditioning coach-on maximizing speed, injury prevention, and the Brazilian capoeira

In today’s episode, I interview Garga Caserta. Garga is the Thorns FC performance management consultant and strength and conditioning coach. He is the owner of GC Strength,a sports performance center specifically for soccer players. He is also the father of two dogs, and soon-to-be human father, as he and his wonderful wife, Molly, are expecting a baby boy.

In this episode, we talk about how Garga grew up playing futsal in the streets of Brasil and how as a child, he had already calculated how many World Cups in which he was going to play in his lifetime. We discuss how Garga first gained interest in the power of movement through the capoeira, a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music.

In the second portion of the interview, we dive into technical aspects of speed, agility, strength, and all things mobility.

Garga talks about:

-the most common mistake athletes make while training

-the importance of a meaningful warm-up

-how to prevent injuries, particularly acl tears

-the key components to increasing your speed

– why he makes Thorns FC players, wear gps and heart rate monitors every training

-why coach Mark Parsons and he plan out every single training session before our season starts

and more.

If you stick around to the end of the interview, Garga has a special gift for you!

I hope you enjoy my conversation with Garga Caserta.

Shownotes

:50 Who is Garga?

4:00 Garga’s art of coaching

5:21 His upbringing in Brazil

7:47 How and why did Garga move to the US.

10:07 What inspired his interest in movement?

17:00 When did Garga stop playing soccer?

22:06 Why did Garga come to Portland?

23:18 Garga’s transition to the Thorns conditioning coach

24:45 How does Garga prepare for Thorn’s pregame warmups?

27:35 What is central nervous activation response?

30:09 Benefits of warmups

30:48 Biggest mistake of running form

33:24 Tip for increasing running speed

36:08 Is speed and agility innate or taught?

37:47 How much does weight training influence speed?

41:01 Does Garga like heavy or light lifting?

43:46 Why is doing more not always better?

48:41 Importance of building fundamentals

51:00  biggest mistake rushing preparation

51:50 Garga & Mark Parson’s preplanning training sessions

55:07 Garga’s lighter day schedule

57:16 GPS systems & heart rate monitors

1:03:04 Garga’s video replay analysis

1:07.41 Garga’s new company

1:11.54 Fan questions

1:13.45 How can female athletes decrease the possibility of ACL injury?

1:16.35 What is the best method to increase speed and stamina?

1:18.04 How important is stretching?

1:20.01 What is one of Garga’s craziest beliefs?

1:21.38 Is there a body prep you do every day?

Share the love

If you haven’t already, I would be so very grateful if you rated and left me a review of the podcast. It takes two minutes! Here’s what to do.

1. Click HERE

2. Click “view in itunes”

3. Click the “ratings and reviews” tab

4. Click “write a review” and show me love <3

Resources

Click HERE to become a part of Friday Feelz

Click HERE for a list of the 10 books I believe ever female athlete MUST read

Click HERE  to be the first to know when a new podcast or article drops, and receive other exclusive content

Click HERE for Garga’s Free 1 month strength and speed workout

Click HERE for Garga’s Instagram & HERE for his Twitter

Click HERE for Garga’s Website

Do Not Cross Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard went absolutely mental in the Blazer’s last game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. He scored  17 points in the final three minutes , leading  his team to a 115-110 come-from-behind victory. Lillard has come up clutch so many times that when the game is on the line,  Portland now points to their wrist and calls the closing minutes “Lillard time”  How does he consistently come up big? Through training with a  “yellow tape mentality.”  This is one of my favorite articles on the importance of always training with a relentless, confident game-like mentality.

Do Not Cross Damian Lillard