In four years, Shae Holmes tore her ACL three separate times, at one point going straight from a ten-month rehab into surgery again. One full healthy season at the University of Washington was enough to get her drafted by the NWSL's Seattle Reign, into a locker room with Megan Rapinoe and Lauren Barnes.
In this episode, Shae discusses what recovery actually felt like for her: being on autopilot through rehab. The mental trap of wondering if anyone even saw her play. And the identity question underneath the whole comeback: who is she, if she's not a soccer player?
This is More Than Minutes Played, where host Noah Cavanaugh has conversations with athletes, coaches, and sports psychologists about identity, purpose, and what life looks like inside and outside of sport.
New episodes weekly, subscribe if you enjoy these conversations!
Chapters:
00:00 - Intro
00:46 - Shae’s Unique Favourite Animal
03:07 - The City That Became Her Second Home
05:04 - Two ACL Tears in Two Years
07:39 - “Soccer Isn’t Forever”
08:57 - “My Purpose Wasn’t On The Field”
10:15 - Your Attitude is Everything
14:48 - “Energy Vampires” vs “Energy Suppliers”
17:07 - The Importance of Role Models
20:23 - The Phone Call She Didn’t Believe Was Real
21:30 - “You’re Basically Signing Up For Life at 16”
25:43 - The One Season That Changed Everything
32:26 - Playing Rookie Year Alongside Industry Giants
34:44 - “You Become the Player of the Environment You’re In”
37:17 - How To Deal With Inconsistencies In Sport
41:03 - Process-Focused in a “Dog-Eat-Dog” World
42:24 - A Home Game She’s Never Gotten to Play
46:52 - The Mental Trap of Watching From The Bench
51:31 - What Her Niece Taught Her About Validation
54:27 - Being Grateful For Living The Dream
57:03 - Why She’ll Have No Regrets, Whatever Comes Next
58:13 - The Business Born From Her Injuries
01:05:55 - Shae Holmes Without Soccer
