We've got a guest post today, from our brand new coach, Lori Lindsey. Bringing Lori on board is one of the easiest decisions we have ever made. Her personality is magnetic, her accolades speak for themselves, and her aspirations align perfectly with where we are looking to take Beyond Strength Performance NOVA, LLC. Beginning November 15th, 2016, we will be providing a long term youth athletic development solution to northern-Virginia athletes. Details will be released on Wednesday November 2nd, with the first round being open to a very limited number of athletes. Be sure to watch out for the announcement next week!
Growing up, I was always a motivated kid. I had a real desire to be the best I could be, especially on the soccer field. Naturally, I was always looking for ways to improve my game- whether that was challenging my brother, Chris, to a game of one-on-one in our backyard, with me winning of course, or striking balls up against a wall for hours to improve my technique.
However, as my game continued to improve and I started to travel around the country, I quickly realized that Indiana wasn’t a soccer hot bed. If I wanted to compete against the best players then I needed to continue to find additional ways to expand my level of play.
Enter strength and conditioning.
It was my freshmen year of high school and I needed one more class credit to fulfill my course load, and it just so happened that our high school football coach was implementing a brand new strength and conditioning class.
Up until this point I had only been randomly performing bodyweight exercises, with no sort of direction. So, forced encouraged by my dad to enroll in the class, I began my first “real” experience with strength and conditioning.
I quickly fell in love with my newfound strength and all the benefits of it that were translating on to the field.
But, what I didn’t expect was the confidence and strength that I found off the field. This, in addition to the motivation I already had, was the edge I was seeking. It was the catalyst for my success throughout my career.
There are many areas in sport that we can’t control, such as if our coach likes our style of play, what system our coach decides to play and whether or not we fit into that system.
However, there are many aspects that we can control, such as our work ethic, our attitude, and not letting a coach decide how good we can be.
It was these qualities and mindset, from my new attained strength, that carried me through the ups and downs of three professional leagues, countless games on the bench with the national team, and hours of training on my own to get one percent better.
It is these qualities that I continue to use today, even with my professional playing days behind me.
This is why I’m so passionate about helping young athletes.
I want to share my experiences so that they can become the best they can be on the field and, most importantly, become the best version of themselves off the field.
I benefited immensely from having a strength and conditioning coach, and I believe it’s even more important for young athletes today to seek out a program that not only aids in injury prevention, keeping the athlete on the field, but also to help build their confidence and resiliency for life.
It’s so easy with social media access to constantly compare ourselves to others and get caught up in what we should be doing but there is nothing more powerful than taking ownership of your journey, and feeling powerful and confident because of it.
And, there’s no better time to start than now.
Become stronger, more resilient, and have fun doing it.
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