A new chapter begins on the other side of the field.

For the first time in 19 years, I won’t be standing on the coaches’ sideline during high school season.

A year ago, the thought of that would have made me cry. And while I miss my team deeply, I trust they’re in good hands. Now I get to support them from the other side of the field — the same way I’m able to support so many more athletes from this side.

Part of the reason I wanted to become a full-time mental performance coach was because I wanted to impact more players. What I didn’t know was whether I could be successful doing that without also being an on-field coach.

So I started small — taking clients not just from the lacrosse world, but from other sports too. And pretty quickly I realized something important:

I didn’t need to coach their skills in order to coach their minds.

So now I sit on the other side of the field.

I’d be lying if I said I’m not still taking note of what defense a team is in or breaking down an offensive play. But I’m observing so much more now.

I’m watching the energy ebb and flow.

I’m noticing when focus is dialed in — or going who knows where.

I’m paying attention to how athletes respond to mistakes and how quickly they bounce back.

Having the opportunity to do this work at both the team level and the individual level has given me a perspective I could never have had from the other side of the field.

I’m not cheering like a fan.

And I’m not teaching like a coach.

And yes, I’d be lying if I said not doing either of those isn’t difficult sometimes.

But this new chapter requires stretching and a little discomfort.

Because that’s where growth happens. The view is different from this side of the field — but the work might matter even more.