Stories from Kristina + Breanne

Shared by Breanne Smedley At the end of my senior year of high school, I disappointed everyone.  At least that's how it seemed from my perspective.  I decided that I didn’t want to play volleyball in college.  Leading up to that point, I had been playing on club teams and for my high school.  Going to all the big tournaments, getting seen.  My coaches were helping me get recruited. I had been on a few visits to colleges, and had a few scholarship offers.  It was a given that I was going to play somewhere after high school. “It would be a waste of talent not to!” I was told.  It was only a matter of choice. “Where will she choose to go? Which offer will she take?” When it came time to decide, I was nervous to tell everyone.  I was done playing volleyball. I wanted to just go to college. Be a “normal” student at Western Washington University.  Disappointment.  I remember a player from Northwest Nazarene University, where I had gone on a visit, reaching out to me via email.  She said

  Shared by Breanne Smedley Year number eight of teaching started this morning at 8:35am! On Zoom... Not what I expected!   Usually, the first day of school is filled with nervous excitement. It takes me back every year...   To that feeling of new beginnings. New faces. A fresh start. Nervous to find out what classes you have. Excited to find out who you have a class with.   As a teacher, those feelings still exist. The nervousness of how the class dynamic will be. The excitement of meeting students for the first time. The halls buzzing with activity.   So, this morning, as I logged onto Zoom to greet my first period, I expected it to feel different.   I expected that there wouldn't be the reconnection of seeing familiar faces. I expected that I wouldn't see the nervous freshman worried about getting lost and not making it to their next class on time. I expected that the excited buzz wouldn't be there. I also expected a whole host of things to go wrong with virtual learning

Shared by Kristina Smedley ‘Imagine’… one of my favorite ways of being… and the chapter I just finished in Glennon Doyle’s book, "Untamed."   It also made me think back to an uncomfortable moment in the People Council meeting I lead last week in my corporate job... I popped up a slide titled "Big, Bold, and Creative" and encouraged my colleagues to join me in standing up to discover and take action in order to build a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable organization.   Immediately, I felt self-conscious… "Big, Bold, Creative"… these aren’t really the words of our corporate world.   Immediately, I recalled past "coaching" that I was being too soft. That I needed to be more firm and decisive in the words I used. But what would I have said instead… "Strategic, Aligned, Initiative"??   NO, that’s not what I am going for. I’m not looking to do another initiative like all the others, buried in bored and unenergized words, people, and actio

  Shared by Kristina Smedley I remember this day vividly, as I watched Breanne’s eyes well up with tears. We were hosting The Elite Competitor Program Summer Workshop, and had a Zoom meeting filled with moms, dads, and coaches who were interested in helping their female athletes play with greater confidence. Like always, Breanne was leading an informative and entertaining training, sharing her wisdom and helping others see what they are capable of… and what’s possible for their daughters. Then, Jodie, a parent from the spring program chimed in… "Every year I try to add a component to not only help them be a great athlete and the best they can be, but also help in life itself… "I can tell you first hand from not only being a mom of one of the athletes, but of being a coach of a team of athletes [who did the program together!], it helped tremendously with confidence and anxiety, and double guessing themselves… "They have so many tools now from going through her program. It

Shared by Kristina Smedley As my high school senior year kicked off and volleyball season was in full swing, I remember wanting so badly to be a captain. I wanted the recognition. I wanted the honor.  (Yes, this seems like forever ago… but I still remember this so vividly) And yet, I was never selected.   "I’m one of the best on the team… how can I not be a captain!" It bothered me for years.   Fast forward to my corporate career, I remember wanting to go into management a few years before I actually did. I interviewed for the position on a team I used to be on, in a role where I excelled. And yet, I wasn’t selected.   Again, "I was one of the best on the team… why wouldn’t I be selected." Why? How could that be?!   Well, now I know that the answer is easy… Being the most skilled doesn’t make you the best leader!   The best leaders are doing things differently. They aren’t just building their skills, and this is true on the volleyball court and in the office. The be

  Shared by Breanne Smedley All you do is breathe, stretch a little, and sit there while your mind wanders to a million other things.   It's only a workout if "power" is in front of the name. Or, if you're doing it in a room with the heat cranked up to 100 degrees.   Yes, I used to subconsciously think these things in the back of my mind when considering if yoga could "count" as my workout.   Because in my mind a workout meant you needed to leave dripping in sweat, pushing your body to the max, and getting your heart rate high every time.   In that world, it was also common to push my body past its limits. Common to ignore the signals to slow down. A sign of strength to push through on little sleep or no recovery. That the nudge to move to something gentler was just the voice of my "Lesser Self."   That in order to give myself permission to feel good about myself, it meant that the intense workout box had to be checked that day.   I'm slowly le