I got the wonderful chance to speak with Katie Wano, female soccer athlete and coach, about how sports have affected her life. Read about it to see how she took what her coaches told her to fuel her fire! I was given the incredible opportunity to speak with Katie Wano about what it was like to be a female athlete, and now coach young girls. Katie was a soccer player who represented the University of Florida for four years, from 1994-1998. She played with some very well known players in the women's soccer world, such as Abby Wambach and Heather Mitts. She also played in a semi-pro league (WPSL) for six years. And now gives the men she plays with, where she is one of only two girls in the league, a run for their money. Katie isn't only a stud of a player, she's also an inspiring and motivating coach. Currently, she coaches the Florida Krush 03 team.
No matter which sport, there is nothing greater than experiencing the feeling of truly being in love with the sport. I asked Katie, "What made you fall in love with soccer?" and her response was that falling in love with the game came to her because it served as "an outlet.” No matter what her surroundings outside the sport were, Katie described it as "you get to practice like you can only do practice.” I think a lot of girls can truly relate to how she feels here. Once you get out there, it doesn't matter how busy your life is, you are in the moment of your sport and THAT'S what your mind is focused on. No matter the level of the sport, you are out there to enjoy it. Another reason why Katie fell in love with soccer is the friendships that were created along the way, not only at UF, but also while playing on ODP and WPSL teams. She met several of her best girl friends after college while she continued playing. She says that it helped her passion for the game because these girls are very important people in her life. Personally, my best friends have come from playing sports over the years, and I know many other female athletes feel the same way. The bond you make with your teammates is something you are able to cherish forever. My friends, who have graduated from high school, and now are off playing their respective sports in college, come home and reconnect with their old teammates with huge amounts of joy. No matter how long they are apart, or the distance they are separated, these girls cherish each other’s friendships because they have been a family for years. Distance doesn’t ruin the relationship. Teammates see you when you cry, excited beyond compare, at the crack of dawn, without makeup on, sweaty, bloody, dirty, on the verge of puking (and for some they have seen puking), yet they don’t let you down nor leave your side, because you hold a bond that no one else can say they hold with you. They are more than just people who wear the same uniform as you. They are family. While Katie's team friendships are something she cherishes forever, her relationship with soccer is something she treasures too. "Like any other relationship, my relationship with soccer has had bumps and bruises along the way" Katie said. But something that kept her love for the game going was what she allowed to define her soccer relationship. She asked herself, "Was I going to allow the down points and the times I was exhausted and it was hard? Or was it the lessons I learned that would define me?" Seeing that Katie has earned a national title with Florida, 3 SEC Championships, and her personal awards at UF included the Gator Award and SEC All Academic, I think we know the answer to her question was. But this is something we can all take with us when approaching our sports. How will YOU define your relationship with your sport? Will it be your ups, your downs, or will it be a mixture of both? We all know the road gets tough, but the lessons you learn from sports are memorable beyond compare. Although Katie is a soccer player specifically, she speaks to athletes about being involved in sports, and says, "Our exact stories might not be the same, but we understand the trials of being a female athlete.” Katie shares her lessons she has learned through soccer and says it's "mutually beneficial" and hopes others are able to learn from her. She discussed how there is a mindset that carries you in not just sports, but in life. Our sports are "a microcosm of life," in that it affects you in how you approach situations regarding things in your life. While talking with Katie she said, "It's up to us whether we want to hear the message or not,” and that was something that really resonated with me. It made me think "How will I let this one mistake or success affect me?" And I think that's a valuable lesson that every athlete should remember. Katie gave some advice to female athletes: "Going back to hearing the message, when you have a mindset that is a growth mindset, instead of a fixed mindset, you think of all the the things you can control. And the reality is, if you are in a relationship with soccer, there is a part of soccer you cannot control. It carries with it sometimes ridiculously long seasons, ridiculous amounts of games, and I think that on the opposite side we always have a choice of who we are going to be in any relationship." You aren't always excited to go to practice, or wake up at 5 am to go to a game, have to eat a salad instead of a nice greasy hamburger, or go out there and challenge yourself. But as Katie says, "that's part of the beauty of it. It's just like every other relationship, you have to do some work." Our sports aren't always glamorous. They challenge us. They cause emotional and physical pain at times. They are hard. But what you have to decide, once again, is how are you going to affect you. Part of Katie's message is, "What work can YOU do to build some character from what you can't control?" Complaining about it, isn't building your side of the relationship. So find little ways you can challenge yourself within a practice or game, even when you just want no more to do with it. Because… "The vision of a champion is bent over, drenched in sweat, at the point of exhaustion, when nobody else is looking." -Mia Hamm Inside of us we have two voices. 1. Our Strong Voice 2. Our Weak Voice That weak voice is going to be there, out there doubting yourself or saying you are over your sport, but Katie's advice is, "You're never going to be able to get rid of that weak voice. Everybody has it. But it really becomes about managing that weak voice. And you just have to make sure that your strong voice is stronger. And sometimes that will take some mental work.” And that is what Katie's message about working for a relationship means. Next time you are troubled with your sport, ask yourself, "Will I let that define me? Or am I going to rise to the occasion and let my strong voice and mental work really take charge to change my approach on how I view this sport?" Because you can't change what situations your sport gives to you. Katie's final words on this topic were "In the easy times, it's easy. It's when it's hard that it matters who you are in your relationship with your sport." Your relationship with your sport. If you want something good out of the relationship, you have to give good back. It’s a different version of the golden rule right? Concluding my conversation with Katie, she left with the guidance to female athletes to keep in mind when playing your sport. "Live on the edge. Push yourself to make as many mistakes as possible. As girls we are more inclined to turn our mistakes into something about who we are as people, so sometimes we play scared. So I would challenge girls to live on the edge." The next time you step onto a field, a court, a track, or into a pool, push your limits. "Live in a place where you are constantly pushing the envelope", Katie describes it as. Don't be afraid to make mistakes, because we can learn from them. Some of the best things in life, come from our failures and how we react to them. When you make a mistake THAT is where the growth happens. Push yourself any and every chance you get. This past year Katie has been an inspiration to me personally. She has talked to me about what it will be like to play in college and what to expect, how to take on that adventure, and how to hold yourself with confidence as an athlete. Katie also gave her team bracelets that are all about giving everything for your team. And I was lucky enough to receive one. Since the day I was given it, I have not taken it off. It motivates me to be at my best all the time. So interviewing Katie allowed me to share to you all how Katie has been so helpful. It was truly a pleasure getting to speak with Katie, and I think we can all learn from her experiences.
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GoalTo keep girls involved in sports for longer Archives
October 2021
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