Connection Beyond the Game

"Sport has the power to change the world. It has the power to inspire, it has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. It speaks to youth in a language they understand." Nelson Mandela

"It's just a game, they say. But for us, it's a way of life."

Sports were my childhood growing up, where I met and developed life-long friendships. Sports gave me an opportunity to experience heartbreak, learn how to be great at a craft, & the sweet joy of victory.

Sports are so much bigger than wins and losses.

Sports are about the connections we make with people from all over the world. My experience as an athlete in sports is the reason WHY I will be dedicating the rest of my life to coaching the next generation.

Storytime

It was my senior year, and we were approaching spring which meant its time for baseball. Our team had been playing together for 3+ years, some of us for our entire lives.

I will never forget our magical playoff run and first-ever section championship.

But when I ask myself why those championships meant so much, victory isn't the first reason.

The people are. The relationships we built with each other throughout the dwindling years of our childhood are what I will never forget.

Five years after we won, our team reconnected during the holidays. Our team gathered at our coach's house for drinks. It was like a day never passed, yet we were all college graduates going down our own life paths.

I still consistently talk to one of my teammates who was on that team. Our friendship began when we were in little league. Now he is helping me out with financials for Bridging Impact.

You never know how connections in sports will transform your life.

Three Ideas to Build Connections Beyond the Game

1. Bonding Activities: I am a big believer in breaking bread. Go out to get pizza with the team & talk about life over a meal.

2. Share: Connect with other coaches in your community and share knowledge. If we are truly about giving back to the next generation, we will always want to be learning from our peers.

3. Long Game: We all want to win in the short term. However, our mission should be to make an impact on our athletes that go way beyond this year.

Gratitude for Sports

The story I shared earlier is only the tip of the iceberg.

I am incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to work with so many great coaches over the past few years here in LA.

I'm grateful for all my teammates I got an opportunity to play with back in the day when I was an athlete.

I am grateful for the coaches and mentors I have had in my life who have modeled the way of me.

I'm grateful for all the fantastic Bridging Impact guests. They have taken time out of their day to share pearls of wisdom with our community.

Finally, I am incredibly grateful for my parents, who are giving me the opportunity to live out my dreams.

Please share your stories of how sports have impacted you beyond the game by responding to this email or connecting via social media.

I will reshare them on our social media platforms and give you a shout-out!

PS: I turn these blog posts into podcast episodes, so if you want to see me dive further into this topic, check it out on Youtube, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Spotify!