Welcome to The Third Seat, where we share our conversations with experts & individuals who have a unique perspective to share! On today’s episode we had the privilege of sitting down with someone who works with young soccer players in the Chattanooga area. She works to help develop the on and off field skills of these players, and is dedicated to highlighting the importance of addressing the mental hurdles these players deal with! Tune into this episode of The Third Seat to listen to the full interview with Jenn Ireland! We hope that you enjoy! Thanks for listening!
Below is some information about Jenn, any affiliated links, & more!
- I’m Jenn, content creator and Mental Skills Coach at Expand Your Game. I am extremely passionate about ongoing education & self-development and am constantly striving to find ways to live authentically and be true to who I am. Much of what I have learned and integrated into my life as an adult would have helped me IMMENSELY as a young person, and specifically as a young soccer player struggling with the mental skills side of the game. That is why I created Expand Your Game: to help others apply lessons of personal growth & expansion to the context of being a female in the soccer world.
Unlike many of my colleagues in the coaching world, I do not have a professional playing background. My soccer playing career never extended beyond recreation leagues and some club and high school ball. While I used to keep quiet about this, I now embrace my story and realize that I am a better coach because of it. Through my countless hours of working to fill my knowledge gaps, I’ve developed a deep passion for the tactical side of soccer – researching, watching and analyzing the game, eagerly absorbing all of the details I was never taught. Because I’ve had to teach myself much of what I now know, digging in deep to every topic along the way – I’ve become very good at teaching the concepts to my players and getting them excited to learn.
Expand Your Game was born from the idea that maximizing potential and achieving optimal performance comes through mental skills development as much, if not more, than from anywhere else. As a coach, I am constantly striving to create an environment for my soccer players that promotes a healthy striving mentality and personal accountability. An environment where players learn to embrace setbacks and mistakes as a tool for growth. An environment where they can let go of trying to be perfect and trying to fit in and instead embrace their individuality and authenticity on the field. An environment where they are encouraged to lead and work selflessly for the collective, be a supportive and encouraging teammate, and simultaneously have their own back and start to find their own voice.
Most of all I want to empower, impact, lead and guide young women toward experiencing their own greatness on and off the soccer field. That is why I am here. That is why I coach.
- Link to Jenn’s LinkedIn account: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jenn-ireland-075962116/
- Expand Your Game’s Website: https://expandyourgame.com/
