Getting Strong Mentally and Physically…and How to Make a Vision Board!

I underestimated my kid. Like, truly and completely didn’t give her the credit she deserved.

“I’m going to try out for the Canada Games Team,” she said. Followed with a pause, a thought…then, “I may as well give it a shot.”

She decided that she’d treat the weekend of tryouts like a “camp” and have a little fun…enjoy learning a few skills from some fabulous coaches…show them what she could do. It was her hope, even if she thought it was a little “far out there,” that they’d notice something over the weekend that might give her that little edge.

I’d spoken to several people during the week…friends, family, volleyball parents whose kids were trying out as well…all with the exact same hope to make the team. “She’s not going to make it,” I’d said….as I truly and honestly didn’t believe that she had, at that moment, what it took for a few different reasons. 1.) She’d just come off an intense season with Club volleyball where she wasn’t 100% confident in her abilities. 2.) She’d battled a back injury and was only newly beginning to get her strength back. 3.) She was on the “younger” side of the 2 year age group for Canada Games. 4.) There was an immense amount of talent among the girls who were trying out.

I truly believed that this was going to be the tryout where I’d be wiping away her tears but the sheer delight in her voice when she phoned after three days of tryouts, to let me know…had me realizing she’d made the team before she’d had a chance to get the words out.

I listened as she told me about her exit interview with two coaches she admired…as she told me what she said, and what they’d said back to her…she explained how they’d picked twenty players to train together through the year and that group would be narrowed down to 14 the following April…she told me that she’d left everything she had on the court and was incredibly proud of herself…and all the while she spoke, I couldn’t breathe a word.

Much for the lump in my throat…as for the tears that were escaping my eyes.

I had underestimated her.

She’d done it.

At twelve, walking out to the car after the final tryout for her Jr. High Volleyball team when she’d slumped her shoulders and told me she’d been cut…she asked me to “find her a team.” While not a complete fan of the sport (as I explained in the post How I Turned from Hating Volleyball, to Loving the Game), I sent out a few emails and found a coach by the name of Al Scott who explained how it all worked. In February of that year, Meg started with the Bedford Blizzard Volleyball Club and has remained committed to that team for the last four years under Al Scott’s coaching.

Last Fall, Meg played with the Halifax West High School team and for the last two summers, she has tried out for and earned a spot on the provincial team with Volleyball Nova Scotia.

And yet…I still thought a spot on the Canada Games Training Team was a bit of a reach.

She proved me wrong.

My hope is, she’ll prove me wrong yet again, when the final roster is chosen in ten month’s time.

Meg has Canada Games on her radar and for the next ten months, she’ll do everything that needs to be done to work towards that goal. Megan has begun strength training with ProEdge Sports Conditioning and will be with them for the duration as the group of friendly, talented and professional trainers work to support her goal. While Megan will receive one-on-one coaching, semi-private coaching, a personalized workout schedule, monitoring of her progress, access to gym time and nutrition classes…I have officially signed on as a Brand Ambassador with ProEdge…and will be writing a post each month introducing you to the “Parent Behind the Athlete.” A series that no doubt, will be a great deal of fun to write, while introducing you to some incredible folks.

Along with needing to bump up her skills and spend time in the gym…Meg has to be focused and find the mental toughness it takes to get where she wants to be. This week, the two of us sat down and created her “Vision Board”…an idea she had to help “see” where she needs to be.

My daughter has grand expectations for her future. With determination, talent, strength, toughness, resilience, confidence, tenacity and a whole lot of support behind her…I 100% believe, she has what it takes, to get there!

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Creating a Vision Board

A vision board is quite simply a gathering of images, quotes and ideas that represent a goal you have for yourself. The idea of a vision board is simple, pick a goal and envision what it will take to get you there. Then, create a visual representation of your story.

A vision board is meant to be reflected on daily…to take a moment out of the chaos to ground yourself and remind yourself of the reasons why you do what you do…what exactly is the end goal for all of your efforts.

Vision Boards are incredibly powerful…they help to stay focused and put your energy on the thing you most desire.

Step One – Gather Your Supplies:

• Art book / poster board / large sheet of paper / cork board
• Glue, tape, pins
• Markers, pens, paint
• Colourful paper or tape
• Magazines, books that can be cut up, internet images, photos
• Scissors

Meg chose to make her Vision Board using a cork board…painting the edges black so it would eventually be hung next to her bed along with a team photo from Nationals that was taken with this year’s Bedford Blizzards U16 Team…a team of players who have been a great source of friendship and support for Megan over the last few years.

Step Two: Set Your Goal

Meg’s main goal at the moment is to be one of the 14 players selected to represent Nova Scotia at the Canada Games in Winnipeg in 2017. It’s a big goal…but it’s the one she’s most focused on at the moment.

When creating a goal, look at short-term goals rather than long-term goals. It’s suggested that you create multiple vision boards to get to where you want to be in your life…creating a brand new board once you’ve reached smaller steps along the way.

Step Three: Gather Your Images

Meg gathered some photos and found a few items on the internet. For her vision board she chose

• the logo for the 2017 Canada Games
• a picture of the mascot
• a map of Canada
• the Pro Edge and Volleyball Nova Scotia logos
• the Nike logo
• two photos of herself (one taken by Kirsten Mann that shows her intensity in front of the net and another of her biting a medal she won at the 2015 Eastern Elites with Volleyball Nova Scotia.)
• a Nova Scotia flag
• and a carrot…as coach Scott has told her on numerous occasions there’s a carrot in front of her, and all she has to do is reach for it

Step Four: Gather Your Quotes

There are several quotes that appeal to Megan and motivate her to work harder. These she wanted in her own handwriting and she spent a bit of time writing them out exactly the way she wanted them to appear.

Step Five: Gather Your Words

Megan chose half a dozen words that have great meaning to her. Some are things she knows about herself, some represent things coaches have said about her, others are more of a feeling. Each word she was quite specific about and wanted them typed out in large print…the words standing out among the images.

Step Six: Arrange the Board

We gathered all of the items and arranged them on the cork board using double-sided tape and stick pins. Megan was quite particular about how she wanted the board to “feel”…she wanted a specific colour combination and a simpleness…allowing each piece to have a clear representation for her vision.

And when it was finished, we hung the board next to her bed with her Bedford Blizzard team photo above, and her various volleyball medals below.

Over the next few months I’ll be blogging about Meg’s progress using the #ProEdgeParent hashtag on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Join me as I proudly tell her story, and the story of other parents who support their favourite athletes in their chosen sports.

Disclaimer: As a Brand Ambassador for ProEdge Sports Conditioning, I’m happy to celebrate athletes and their parents with the #ProEdgeParent hashtag. Follow ProEdge on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see photos, videos and inspiration from their beautiful facilities in Bedford.  

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