Dear Sports Fans

It’s time for a refresher on a few things, because we are all human and make mistakes.

But a few weeks into football season and social media has made it clear that some have forgotten that suicide among athletes is on the rise, that there is a mental health crisis among athletes from youth to professional.

That being mentally tough does not mean one is mentally healthy.

So here are some reminders as we head into the fall…

The athlete who made the mistakes, who hasn’t lived up to the hype, they are a human being. They are someone’s child, someone’s friend, someone’s parent, brother or sister. They have a life that you don’t see. You don’t know their full story.

Everything you want to criticize them about regarding how they played in the game, they have already heard it from those who matter- their coaches. Your input is not helpful or productive- it is just noise- you don’t know the full story as to why plays were called, or decisions made. Why waste your time on adding to the noise? Life is too short for that. Engage with those whose stories are part of your own.

A person’s identity is not their position or job title. No mistake in a game makes the person a mistake.

If you are a true fan then your love and loyalty needs to run deeper than numbers on a scoreboard or plays completed, it needs to extend to the human beings who put on your team’s colors never with the intention of letting anyone down.

Some of you have had your failures be met with blame and shame. You know what that feels like. You know how it feels to make a mistake and have who you are a person be called into question because of it. You know what it feels like to be reduced down to your mistakes.

And you have the opportunity to not do the same.

A loyal fan supports not just their team, but the people on it.

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About Becky

Becky Schmooke (pronounced “Smoke”) is a Mindful Leadership Consultant and Speaker, focused on providing action based mindfulness and leadership training to organizations and businesses who are ready to do things differently.

Becky’s Mindful Kitchen, is located outside of Iowa City, and provides truly unique team building and leadership retreats, strategic planning workshops, private parties and classes and weekly summer camps for kids. The commercial teaching kitchen, treehouse, archery range, bush craft skills, first aid training, wood fired pizza oven, chickens, baby goats and timber adventure playground provides endless opportunities for hands on activities.

As a mom to three girls, 60 chickens, 4 goats, 2 dogs and a fire fighter’s wife- life is never boring and provides Becky with endless stories which she uses to illustrate her approach to mindfulness in daily posts on social media.

In all that she does, Becky has one goal, to build confidence in others to take action to live their best life, not just pass time.