Stories from Kristina + Breanne

  Shared by Breanne Smedley Last week, the student body of the high school I teach at took a vote. The question: to retire the Chieftain mascot, or keep it. It has been a part of a long, ongoing discussion about the appropriateness of the mascot. Some say it’s cultural appropriation to use a mascot that misrepresents a nation of people. Others claim that it is preserving the rich history of the Native Americans that occupied the land. Before voting, students were required to engage in a five-part course examining both sides of the discussion. They examined the history of the school and mascot, national, regional, and local information regarding Native American mascots. They read a letter from a former student, a descendant of the Plains Cree, about her experience attending a school that uses a mascot that leads to misrepresentation of her culture. They read a letter from the Confederated Tribes of Selitz Indians that stated they are “unwilling to provide support to banish Native Am...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley Do you remember playing the game “telephone” as a kid? That game where a group of people sits in a circle. The first person comes up with a word or phrase, then whisper it to the person sitting next to her. Then, that person would secretly whisper what she heard to the next person. And so on, until it came full circle. At that point, the last person to receive the message would say what she heard out loud. Most of the time, what the person said was totally different than the original message. “The phrase was “ice cream cones,” how did it end up “I scream in phones?!’” Usually the bigger the group, the easier it was for the message to get twisted. And the longer the phrase to start with, the funnier and more different it comes out on the other end. I remember thinking it was equally funny and frustrating. Where did the breakdown happen? I thought I was clear with what I said. How did it come out like that? Did someone intentionally mess up the message? Or...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley The nightly routine in our home starts around 6:30pm. After dinner, we take Charlee upstairs to her bedroom. Rather, she squirms and presses against me the moment my foot touches the bottom stair. She wants me to set her down because she’s obsessed with climbing the stairs herself. She reaches for my hand, though, because she no longer wants to crawl the stairs. She wants to walk them. But when the stair comes up to your knee, you need a little support. At the top, we say “ta-daaa!” She repeats, “Daaaaaa!” Then comes pajamas, teeth brushing (a whole adventure itself), and a story. After the story comes the part of the routine I cherish the most. After Brett gives her his kisses, the lights go off I hold her in my arms. Her body goes limp and her head rests on my shoulder while she strokes my hair. I sing (not well), “You are my sunshine…” At the end, she lifts her head, looks me in the eyes and smiles. With two hands, she holds my head and draws my face ...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley I was reading about the concept of “deliberate practice” this morning, as it pertains to becoming great at anything. The idea is easy to understand. All hours are created equal. But not all hours are used equally. Athlete “A” and athlete “B” can both spend the same amount of hours practicing their craft, yet can produce very different results. Take some of my players, for example. Most, by the time they become seniors in the program, have practiced for roughly the same amount of time. Yet, it’s obvious that some outperform others. Why? Some may argue talent, physical ability, or genetics. I disagree. I believe the difference lies in the mindset that separates the two athletes. Specifically, the mindset of deliberate, intentional practice. The quality of the reps, rather than the reps themselves. Going through the motions, rather than focusing on executing each movement perfectly. Working on what’s comfortable and easy, rather than working on the weakness...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley I have a hard time with long workouts that require endurance. If I could pick a workout to do over and over, it would be something involving reps of 3-6. Heavy Deadlifts Pull-Ups Kettlebell Swings Maybe throw in some rowing. As long as it’s broken up into small reps that I can sprint through, I like it! Those hardly ever happen though, so I’ve had to find another way to get through the workouts that I look at and want to quit before I even start. Like the workout the other day that required 5 rounds of burpees for 2 minutes. Or when a 30 minute AMRAP (As Many Rounds As Possible) crosses the board. It’s on those days, in those workouts, I repeat the same mantra in my head over and over. Just keep moving. Sometimes, that movement is small. Like…really small. Like, you’d have to look super close to notice that I am actually moving any muscles at all as I attempt to plop to the ground for what seems like the umteenth burpee. It’s still movement, though. And ...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley It’s weekend number two of three in a row that Brett gets to be a solo dad to Charlee. Mindfluent Leader® work weekend, volleyball tournament, and a volleyball clinic have pulled me away and subsequently put my husband in full-time charge of our 13-month-old. There’s even more on the horizon too as summer volleyball ramps up. During these weekends, I relish the text updates he gives me. Pictures of them at a daddy-daughter coffee date. Selfies of them making silly faces. Photos of Charlee with her breakfast all over her face. I know it’s not easy. Charlee is interested in everything these days. Super mobile. And opinionated in her own one-year-old way. Layer on top of that the dishes, laundry, meals, and whatever other work Brett had envisioned completing over the weekend, and it’s a recipe to become overwhelmed quickly. I don’t hear any of that from him though. Just loads of cute photos that make me smile every time I open my phone. Saturday, I started ...

  Shared by Kristina Smedley “White Advantage…” Last Saturday night is still sitting on my mind this week. Partly because I loved catching up with friends who I adore and miss. But it’s on my mind even more so because of a realization I had that evening that stung a little. Last Saturday I was invited as a guest to the 7th Annual Fundraising Auction for the Seattle Amistad School (a pre-K through 5th grade Spanish/English immersion school). My friend Andrea is a Board Member, helping them with finances and other much needed support. As I walked into the event space in downtown Seattle, I was immediately drawn to the energy and enthusiasm in the room. It was alive. It was colorful. It was joyful. There were so many people, dressed for a nice evening out, chatting excitedly while they browsed the silent auction items. A silent auction that must have spanned 7, 8’ long tables!  Events, classes, wine packages, gift cards. And even more items pinned to the walls. There was definite...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley A few seasons ago, I received an email from a colleague. It read, “I have a few of your varsity volleyball players in my class. They decided to sit in the back of the class, even after I told them that there were seats available up front. Just thought I would let you know.” I thanked her. Told her that it wouldn’t happen tomorrow. What does this have to do with volleyball? Apparently, my players were wondering the same thing. One of the expectations in our program is that volleyball players sit in the front row of their classes. I give the teacher’s a heads up that if they have volleyball players in their classes, they should be asking to sit in the front. And to let me know if they don’t. Called the “learning zone,” the front row is where more engagement is likely to occur.  Less distractions. More focus.  Better learning. I also talk about how it sets the tone for as a student in that teacher’s class.  First impressions.  How do you...

  Shared by Breanne Smedley “Do you have any tattoos?” A student asked me yesterday. A few others nearby stopped their conversations to try to eavesdrop on my answer. “Nope, nothing!” I responded, to their disappointment. He went on to tell me about the tattoos he was going to get, when he turned 18. A phrase his dad always told him growing up, “Know Your Worth,” and a rose, because it’s his mom’s favorite flower. So special! The truth is, I’ve always secretly wanted a tattoo.  Something simple, on the outer edge of my left wrist. I’ve never done it though, for various reasons.  I can’t decide exactly what I want.  I worry that I might not like it in a few years, then be stuck with it.  But the main reason, the one subconsciously trumps them all is: What will they think? I’m not even sure who “they” are.  Random people who may see it? My friends, family? Will they think it’s stupid? Will they think I’m just trying to be somebody I’m not? Better just live wi...

  Shared by Kristina Smedley “Open the Curtains…” Early this morning, I was sitting on the couch reading, when I started noticing all the people walking by outside. First, it was a sweet older couple, holding hands and going on their morning walk together. I wondered how many years they’d been enjoying this quiet, early morning time together. Then, parents pushing a double stroller, chatting while their kids slept. A couple of women jogging together. A young man walking his huge dog. They kept coming… I was so surprised by the number of people right outside my front window. Somehow, I never noticed how many people walk by our house every day. I never noticed because we always have the lower portion of our curtains down, ensuring people aren’t looking into our living room. In essence, separating us from them all day long. I never realized how much I missed looking up and out!  Seeing my neighbors. Feeling like I’m surrounded and connected to a community. This similar situation ...

  Shared by Kristina Smedley “Six-Pack Abs” I stood in front of the mirror, shirt pulled half up, flexing my ab muscles as hard as I could. Sennad sat laughing at the face I make every time I try to flex my muscles – scrunched eyes and a painful-looking smile. As if somehow this face is going to get a little more muscle to pop out! “I bet I can get a six-pack before you do!” I said through gritted teeth. I already had a four-pack. What’s two more! The bet was on.  At the time we were doing Crossfit and it seemed like I was getting stronger every day! I could already plank for multiple minutes. I just needed to keep it up and continue to eat healthy. Now, probably five years later, I hate to admit it but that six-pack never came. Sennad has totally beat me in this bet, many times over. I definitely don’t have the physical strength and stamina that I used to have. I’m pretty sure I would die in a Crossfit workout right now! But I do have stamina that I value even more. That’s th...

  Shared by Kristina Smedley “Lasting Impact…” Breanne and I had a conversation this morning about the lasting impact coaches and other mentors have had on our lives. I immediately thought of Jim, my past Director in SoCal. And immediately a lump came to my throat. Jim has been hugely impactful in my life.  When he announced his retirement in 2016, I started crying in the office. Which is not normal, in case you’re wondering! And it took me quite a while to really understand why it hurt so bad. Sure, I was losing my greatest mentor and guide at work. But there was something much deeper. One morning, as his last day was approaching, I was standing at my desk and could hear Jim walking in to the office. As we walked down our aisle… “Good morning, Pam!” “Barry, how’s it going?” “Kiser, how was dinner last night!” Then, “Morning, Kristina. Hey, great job with the IIF Leadership Team meeting yesterday!” I smiled. And felt appreciated… and sad. I was really going to miss him. This i...

  4Shared by Kristina Smedley “I Was Always an Athlete…” Basketball was one of our favorite sports as kids. We grew up in the tiny town of Packwood, WA, right at the base of Mt. Rainier. Deep in the mountains, I think the only resemblance of a stoplight was the flashing light over the school crosswalk. Everyone knew everyone. Life was slow. It was simple. It was a little kid’s dream place to grow up. Our family went hiking, fishing, and camping in the summer.  We went cross-country skiing to cut down our Christmas tree in the winter. And my brothers and I played outside non-stop. Everything we needed was literally right outside our door – a swamp filled with weird plants and frogs; a forest with trails, a stream, and huge logs to cross for an adventure; another little stream that seemed to end at the side of our house that we would send our Barbies and G.I. Joes down for ‘boot camp;’ and a lone basketball hoop in the Forest Service parking lot. My dad, two brothers, and I had ...

  Shared by Kristina Smedley “If You Build It…” They will come! Right?! I’m positive that’s what I learned as a little seven-year-old watching Field of Dreams. Kevin Costner plowed the cornfield, built a baseball field, and Shoeless Joe Jackson showed up! And then he brought his friends. Simple as that. As a kid, I learned (or so I thought) that this principle also held true in business. In fact, it worked like a charm for my pop-up art store. Where, btw, I think I actually invented the idea of a “pop-up.” Periodically I would gather my best artists – myself, followed by my two brothers. And we’d get to work making the most beautiful art ever seen from a 9, 7, and 4 years old. When the moment came to “pop-up” my store, I’d grab the family card table and pop it upright in my bedroom doorway. Ta-da! My store was ready and open for business. And just like Shoeless Joe Jackson, my parents would show up.  My Uncle Bob was often around and always a great client.  And frequently...