Welcoming Adversity By Coach Siobhan
Lately, the word “adversity” has really been hitting home for me and many of the athletes I work with. As a former professional soccer player, I faced countless moments in my career that tested my resolve, and I credit much of my growth to the adversity I overcame.
Now let me be clear—during those adverse moments, I never immediately thought, “Woohoo! Bring on the hard times! This is fun!” My immediate thoughts were more along the lines of, “Why me?” or “What’s the point?” and “Nobody told me it was going to be this hard.”
What I wish I had known back then was to ask myself instead: “What is this moment trying to teach me?”
Adversity is something every athlete will face—whether it’s an injury, a tough loss, a moment of doubt, or a difficult coach. Adversity is a guarantee in sports. The truth is, if we are never faced with adversity, we don’t grow.
It was never my dream to play professionally. When I was a junior in college, I looked over at the field next to me where the Houston Dash trained and wondered, “What do they have that I don’t?” I got curious. Did I need to work harder? Get stronger? Gain more game experience? I spent the next few years staying consistent with my craft, as patient as an eager young adult wanting to play pro could be. Eventually, my opportunity came, and I set off to Europe.
Throughout my soccer career, I faced countless forms of adversity: tearing my ACL at 18, transferring colleges my freshman year, adjusting to difficult coaches, playing in the Houston heat (if you know, you know), earning my way into the starting lineup, adapting to new football cultures, tearing my ACL again—and honestly, more. The journey wasn’t always pretty, but it was worth it.
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Adversity has shaped my perspective on both sports and life. If I hadn’t sat the bench, I wouldn’t have learned what it truly took to earn a starting position. If I hadn’t torn my ACL at 18, I wouldn’t have discovered what my life looked like outside of sports. If I hadn’t felt so lonely playing across the world, I wouldn’t have found the friends and family who stuck with me through hard times.
At its core, adversity is simply an opportunity to grow and learn. If we faced every hardship by asking, “What is this teaching me right now?” or “How can I learn from this?” we would grow wise—quickly.
I am so grateful for all the adversity I faced in my soccer career. As tough as those times were, and as many tears as I cried, they all brought me to where I am today—with ACG, teaching athletes the importance of mental skills. Mental skills matter for everyone, athlete or not. The lessons we learn in sports transfer into every aspect of life.
I wake up every day loving what I do. It may not be playing soccer all day anymore, but it’s helping athletes build the skills they need to enjoy their sport and succeed along the way.