Janet McCormick

The way you talk about a game matters more than you think. There’s a big difference between “we’re going to lose” and “this is going to be hard.” One shuts things down. The other leaves room. This is a story about perspective, language, and why what you believe before the game even starts can shape how you show up when it matters most.

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...

We don’t need a global stage to talk about grit — we just need to share the stories with intention.