Clean Play Podcast

Summer is in full swing and this episode feels like it.

Anne and Chris are back with one of their most natural, wide-ranging conversations yet — from nostalgic summers spent playing pickup ball all day, to the electric energy of the World Cup in Seattle, to the real talk about what sober travel actually feels like. Whether you're navigating airports, pool parties, or just trying to stay ready for whatever life throws at you this summer, this one has something for you.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• What Chris learned from his fully sober trip to Seattle for the World Cup — and why it hit different

• Anne on sober travel: airports, anxiety, delayed flights, and how sobriety changed all of it

• Why alcohol doesn't get to claim everything — and how to reclaim the experiences you love without it

• The preseason analogy: why starting and stopping your sobriety journey is the most taxing thing you can do

• Why sobriety keeps you ready — for opportunities, for connection, for life — without having to ramp back up

The game doesn't get easier. You get better. Press play.

Resources & Links:

• Follow Anne on Instagram: @anneskriba

• Follow Chris on Instagram: @sans_bar

• Thinking about making a change this summer? Book a free clarity call with Anne: https://calendly.com/skriba-anne/clean-play-coaching-clarity-call

What does a 29-point comeback have to do with sobriety? More than you think.

Anne and Chris are back together and covering a lot of ground — from the Knicks pulling off one of the most memorable Finals runs in recent memory, to the rise of Olivia Miles in the WNBA, to a really honest and personal conversation about Pride Month, coming out, and what it means to truly live in your truth. And with Dry July right around the corner, they break down exactly what a month off alcohol can teach you about yourself — and how to actually make it count.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why the Knicks' never-give-up mentality is a blueprint for the sobriety journey

• Anne opens up about coming out, deconstructing her faith, and how sobriety made space for her to discover all of who she is

• Chris on why sobriety is the ultimate liberation — and why going alcohol-free is an exercise in more, not less

• Practical tips for making Dry July meaningful — including the identity work that goes deeper than willpower

• Why if the idea of taking a month off alcohol feels terrifying, that's important data worth paying attention to

This one is personal, honest, and packed with the kind of real talk that makes this show worth listening to. Press play.

Resources & Links:

• Follow Anne on Instagram: @anneskriba

• Follow Chris on Instagram: @sans_bar

• Thinking about Dry July or curious about working with a coach? Book a free clarity call with Anne: https://calendly.com/skriba-anne/clean-play-coaching-clarity-call

If you've ever asked yourself "who am I without my sport?" — this episode is for you.

This week Anne sits down with Dom Johnson, former college football and basketball player, athlete transition coach, and founder of Spark Coaching. Dom's journey — from a turbulent childhood watching his dad struggle after his NFL career, to having $47 in his bank after six years of college ball, to coaching at Alabama and eventually building his own coaching business — is as real as it gets. And the through line? Figuring out who you are when the game is over.

— is as real as it gets. And the through line? Figuring out who you are when the game is over.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why athletes who are forced to retire struggle more than those who choose to walk away

• How lack of identity and direction after sport can open the door to alcohol and other coping mechanisms

• The three life skills Dom believes every athlete needs — mental health literacy, financial literacy, and identity work

• Why you only need one reason, one client, one opportunity to keep going when things get hard

• How sobriety and athlete transition work intersect — and why both require the same thing: knowing who you are

If you're in the middle of your own transition — in sport, in sobriety, or in life — press play. This one's got something for you.

Resources & Links:

• Follow Dom Johnson on Instagram: @dom1johnson

• Spark Coaching website: sparkcoach.in

• Follow Spark Coaching camps on Instagram: @spark.coach

• Follow Anne on Instagram: @anneskriba

• Follow Chris on Instagram: @sans_bar

Summer is here — and if you're sober or sober curious, you already know this season can hit different.

Season three of the Clean Play Podcast is officially back, and Anne and Chris are kicking things off with an honest check-in on where they've been, what's changed, and what this season is all about: showing up to the game of life prepared. From navigating summer social pressure without white-knuckling it, to using a sports mindset to approach sobriety with strategy instead of willpower — this episode sets the tone for everything ahead.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

• Why summer is one of the trickiest seasons for people in sobriety — and how to navigate it without making it a big deal

• Three practical strategies for handling social situations where alcohol is present

• Why having a go-to response ("I don't drink") is more powerful than explaining yourself

• The timeout principle: how to pause, reset, and regroup in the middle of a tough moment

• Why preparation — not perfection — is the real goal for sober living this season

This one is the perfect kickoff — press play and get your game plan ready.

Resources & Links:

• Follow Anne on Instagram: @anneskriba

• Connect with Chris: @sans_bar

Season 2 ends the way the Clean Play Pod lives: honest, sports-nerdy, and forward-facing. Anne and Chris wrap up 2025’s biggest sports moments—from the Super Bowl to the NBA Finals to women’s hoops rising—and name what those storylines teach us about sobriety, identity, and change.

Then the conversation turns into the real locker-room talk: what happens when alcohol isn’t the center of your life anymore… and even recovery stops being the center? They unpack “orientation,” the grief of leaving an old identity (sport, drinking, even “recovering”), and how to build a 2026 that’s rooted in purpose—not hustle.

Takeaways/Timestamps (high-level)

• Sobriety isn’t the finish line—it’s the clearance. Once the “big problem” is gone, you get to ask: what am I building now?
  

• Urgency ≠ grind culture. You can treat today like a “playoff game” without burning yourself out.
  

• Your identity can’t stay problem-centered forever. If alcohol was the sun, and recovery became the sun… what’s your next orientation?
  

• Systems beat motivation (especially in January). Your “why” has to mean something deeper than shame or pressure.
  

• You’re allowed to evolve. You’re still you—whether you enter, exit, try again, or say no.
  

• [00:00] Happy 2026 + why this is the Season 2 finale
  

• [03:50] Biggest sports moments of 2025 (and what they reveal)
  

• [12:10] Injuries, athlete mortality, and why we don’t cheer for pain
  

• [18:50] Sports storylines = life storylines (the “dip” after the high)
  

• [23:30] Urgency without hustle + why motivation won’t cover the gap
  

• [25:40] “Sobriety was the sun” → reorientation, orbit, and “now what?”
  

• [33:50] 2026 intentions: zeal, faith, and the word “no”
  

What happens when you’re excellent on paper—but falling apart in private?

In this episode, Anne and Chris sit down with Jessica Dueñas (Bottomless to Sober, former teacher, Kentucky State Teacher of the Year) for a conversation about body image, achievement, stigma, and the moment sobriety stopped being a “band-aid” and became a full identity rebuild. This is Clean Play game film for anyone who’s been praised for performance while quietly losing themselves.

Takeaways (5)Timestamps (3–6)Resources / Guest Links Mentioned:

• Achievement can’t heal old wounds—it can only distract you from them for a while.
  

• Alcohol doesn’t de-stress; it delays—and the bill shows up the next morning.
  

• Recovery needs the right fit: support that works for you beats shame-based “one way.”
  

• Medication isn’t a moral failure—it can be crutches while your nervous system heals.
  

• Worth is inherent: “Your sobriety does not determine your worth.” Full stop.
  

• [01:10] Meet Jessica + why this conversation matters
  

• [03:25] “Born to teach” + seeking affirmation outside the home
  

• [11:12] The stress of education: standards, systems, and no wiggle room
  

• [17:09] Trying to quit alone + why treatment became necessary
  

• [21:10] Building a recovery path that fits (therapy, medication, writing)
  

• [34:56] Worthiness, body image, and parenting without passing the shame down
  

• Jessica Dueñas: Bottomless to Sober (website + Substack + podcast)
  

• Instagram: @JessicaDuaneis24
  

• Mentioned: The Four Agreements (Don Miguel Ruiz)

  This Naked Mind (Annie Grace)
  

In this episode of Clean Play, Anne and Chris start with NFL chaos, grieving a tragic loss in the Cowboys organization, and end up exactly where they always do: life beyond the game. They talk about the pressure athletes feel to “play through the pain,” Anne’s three-year sobriety milestone and the moment she finally asked for help, and how alcohol quietly becomes a way to replay our old highlight reels. Then they pivot to Section Yellow at Lambeau Field, sober fan sections, and real-world tips for surviving your first (or fifth) sober Thanksgiving—without forfeiting football, family, or joy.

Takeaways and Timestamps

• Winning has to include your whole life, not just the game. If the only scoreboard you’re watching is performance, your mental health will always come second.
  

• Some things are not worth pushing through. The same mentality that gets athletes through injury can make it really hard to say “I’m not okay” out loud.
  

• Identity after sport is tender ground. When the jersey comes off—whether as a player or coach—alcohol can sneak in as a way to relive old highlight reels.
  

• Sober fans still belong. From Section Yellow at Lambeau to sober tailgates and NA beer at the bar, you don’t have to drink to be part of the moment.
  

• Holidays need game plans too. Time limits, movement, NA options, and post-holiday rewards can turn a dreaded Thanksgiving into a sober win.
  

• [00:00] Government names, Thanksgiving vibes, and NFL chaos this season
  

• [04:30] Grieving a Cowboys player’s death and the hidden cost of “just push through it”
  

• [11:30] Anne’s three years sober, depression after sport, and finally asking for help
  

• [21:00] Life beyond the game: when identity, alcohol, and old highlight reels collide
  

• [25:30] Section Yellow at Lambeau, sober tailgates, and belonging without booze
  [34:30] Real talk holiday coaching: sober Thanksgiving tips, boundaries, and permission

If you’ve ever felt that quiet “I think I might be done with this version of myself” moment — this one is for you. This episode hits the real tension: when your old role, your old grind, or your old identity stops serving you… and you can feel the pivot coming — but you don’t know what the next version looks like yet.

Episode Summary Anne and Chris talk honestly about retirement from a core identity — not just from sport, but from a chapter. We get into what it means to sunset a season with intention, what it means to pivot instead of cling, and how clarity (in alcohol-free life) makes that shift cleaner. We also unpack the WNBA Finals, Asia Wilson’s leadership, the illusion of fairness in sports betting, and the difference between chasing a hit vs building contentment. Keywords naturally integrated: life after sport, navigating identity shift, alcohol-free athlete.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why sunsetting a season is a power move, not giving up

• How Aja Wilson models leadership without hype

• Why sports betting is breaking fan trust

• What contentment actually looks like in the day-to-day

• How clarity in alcohol-free life supports smarter pivots

Listen in — this one hits deep and current.

You don’t need another hype video—you need a game plan you can actually sustain. If you’re an athlete navigating life after sport or sober-curious about what comes next, this episode gives you a pace that wins in the long run.

We break down the “slow burn” approach: controlled pace, load management, and one-day-at-a-time habits that keep you healthy, present, and competitive—on the field and off. From tricky identity shifts to pressure from fans, family, and feeds, we get honest about building as an alcohol-free person without burning out.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why “go slow to grow” beats quick fixes in sport, business, and recovery

• How load management applies to training, work, and your nervous system

• A simple “one glass at a time” habit frame that actually sticks

• The difference between looking busy online and doing real work in the dark • How to navigate identity shifts after sport without losing yourself

Press play now and pick up a pace that helps you last—not just launch.

Resources & Links:

• Clean Play Coaching — coaching for athletes navigating identity shift and sober living - www.cleanplaycoaching.com

• “Faster Than Light” by Chris Marshall — the “slow burn” ember we reference - Find Chris’s Book Here: https://www.amazon.com/Faster-Than-Light-Alcohol-Free-Revolution/dp/B0FB9GCPRF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1QV2WRWPNOXG9&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.S2sdVPqKTcbvPz99O0ZZhTiaVKyu0oUSeaPVt-zzFt9L-EG5lDyYzjASp8Lgp3g8UxXIHgcZeLIYL3TfmR-krs6CzwfRdh3KICJ5vOeN-Kmkl1E7CaLN0_CryRObGpAR5Z695qWpvkNWW1jsywIrv37ApRbvyMZ7xzNEnXb_LdE-1ylaNymO2TlOeA7fwAsz-qqZeeTE4wDVwTvfdCbpxb1ALToRmpiJbwAZMvakfKY.lHMr_RdeosALo1fPET4XAMCr8mHAhrqXW_XXM1xKJOs&dib_tag=se&keywords=faster+than+light&qid=1758149209&sprefix=faster+than+light%2Caps%2C166&sr=8-1

• Sans Bar Academy & Mocktail School — skill-building for an alcohol-free life - https://www.thesansbar.com/

When the game is on the line—fourth and one—you either play it safe or you go for it.

Athletes know that choice. So do people rebuilding life after sport or navigating sobriety. This episode breaks down what it really means to step into pressure moments and live with the outcome—win or lose.

Chris and Anne take the conversation from the NFL kickoff to Taylor Swift’s “Mamba Mentality” to personal stories of choosing risk in entrepreneurship, relationships, and sober living. If you’re an athlete asking, “Who am I now, and what does it look like to go all in on myself?”—this one is for you.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why “going for it” is about more than the outcome—it’s about identity and resolve

• How lessons from sport translate to life after sport and sobriety

• The difference between fearlessness and the courage to live with both winning and losing

• How risk, resilience, and resolve show up in entrepreneurship and recovery

• Why practicing tough moments prepares you for when it’s truly fourth and one

Press play to hear why choosing courage over comfort changes everything—on the field and in life.

Resources & Links:

• Clean Play Coaching

• Follow Anne on Instagram: @cleanplaycoaching

Follow Chris on Instagram: @sans_bar