In 1991, the year I graduated from high school and started my collegiate athletic career at the University of Georgia, Dan Gookin wrote and published the very first “For Dummies” book, DOS for Dummies. Shortly thereafter, Windows for Dummies was published; and, if you didn’t know, now you do, over 1,600 titles of Dummies books have been published in the last 32 years.
But, you’re no dummy. You, are an athlete.
Think of this as my tribute to the Dummies series, but for athletes. Athletes, not dummies, tend to think of every endeavor as something to improve, something to master, something (dare I say it aloud) to win.
Yes, even an innocent hobby like gardening can be taken from a simple thing of enjoyment and turned into a full blown, raised bed, vegetable and cut garden extravaganza. As a former athlete, with control issues and a competitive nature in remission, gardening teaches me patience for myself and others. Competitive athletes don’t have a lot of time to slow down and watch something grow. There’s work to do, records to break, stadiums to fill, and, you work and travel too much to really take care of something other than yourself – it is what it is.
Here’s a few things for those athletes brave enough to grow something other than yourself. I promise, even if you kill off a few seedlings in the process, it will teach you something.
WHAT I LEARN FROM SUNFLOWERS: Sunflowers are my favorite thing to grow. They are hardy, almost always make it from seed to sprout to full blown gloriousness with very little tending to. It’s the beginner outdoor plant for any athlete looking to feel successful in your gardening practice.
Sunflowers have lots of super cool lessons too; sunflowers face the rising sun (that’s the east). So, when you plant a cute little sunny in a patch where it receives morning light that’s where it will face. I once planted a whole patch full of sunnies and every single yellow and brown beauty stood at attention to the rising sun! I use this analogy in my coaching: when we know where to face first thing in the morning, we are prepared for whatever adversity or conflict comes our way. Where are you looking first thing? Is it in the direction of something nourishing? Is it something or someone who brings brightness? Want to see something amazing, plant a sunflower and watch her show off.
I love @anya_thegarden_fairy for all things flowers, lavender, and, my latest endeavor into hopeful propagating. I’ve also recently started following @sun_flower_steve for all things sunnies.
VEGGIES, ROOTS, HERBS: All you need to know about this category is that I’m drying my own basil, thyme, rosemary and oregano to give as Christmas gifts. That’s right, I’m gifting my dried plants to people. Herbs, lettuces, tomatoes and most rooted veggies are slightly harder to grow than sunflowers, but not my much. It’s like adding strength and conditioning to your skill training. You may experience a bit more frustration in the process, but, you will make the garden gains. Most table herbs and spices are also super hardy, and get really big – which makes them fun to grow.
Rooted veggies like carrots, radishes or beets show you they are doing their job by putting up really good numbers (or leaves, I guess). You know something is happening, but you can’t see what is happening. Once the top of the root starts to pop up out of the soil, you have yourself a winner – I mean, veggie. The real lesson here is that beneath all the glam and glitz of what is seen, there is growth happening underground. Just like us.
@epicgardening is my guy for figuring out why my pumpkins aren’t growing, how to eat from my garden for a month (sooooooo not there yet), and how to make the best of a small space.
HOUSEPLANTS: My favorite houseplant account to follow is @happyhappyhouseplant I started following her after killing multiple houseplants. Not that I really cared too much about chucking them into the trash, but as an athlete, I knew I could figure this puzzle out. As a result, I’ve come to love the process of caring for my houseplants. One thing she said the other day that I loved, like really loved was this:
“The biggest mistake new plant parents make is treating plants like decor. Plants make our spaces pretty but they are NOT decor. They are actually living things!” – Happy Happy Houseplant, Owner, Mandi
If that isn’t wisdom for us all! See, plants are a great reminder that we are all living things. While our leafy friends need sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to photosynthesize and grow, we have human needs that need to be met regularly in order to grow and thrive. Being involved in the growing process of plants reminds me that not every seed will sprout, not every plant will thrive and that we need to not treat ourselves as a piece of decor.
Let me say that another way. Your identity as an athlete isn’t just to decorate a room or a team or for the sole use and purpose of another human being. If you coach or parent young athletes, hear this: your athletes are not there to decorate your ego. They need encouragement, they need to be challenged appropriately, they need to be nourished, they need they need adverse conditions so they can figure out how to stand their ground.
Sports and athletics and even coaching can sometimes make you think everyone needs to be fixed, everyone is qualified to win, we all get to make it to the bigs, or that all our goals should be met. Plants teach you no matter how deep your roots, you aren’t guaranteed to grow or survive the winter (or summer ball).
A FEW NOTES ON MY PLANTS: I started small, with plants that were already potted from the nursery. Each season, each year, I’ve grown in confidence at what is possible with good soil, water, sunlight and a lot of patience. I have planted so many things that never came up and I’ve planted things I had to pull up because they would overtake and choke out the whole area – ahem, I’m talking to you mint. I’ve propagated, I’ve started plants from seed, and, I’ve learned that pumpkins are really hard to grow in a desert. But I keep trying and I keep learning about plants and about myself. It’s hard to be simple after you’ve been a competitive athlete, but I’m trying.
Coach Tallman has been involved in high performance sports all her life. As an athlete, Priscilla played at the University of Georgia and earned 1st team All-Conference for all four years, including SEC Freshman of the Year and SEC Player of the Year. She also earned 1st Team All-America honors her junior and senior years at UGA. She went on to play on the USA National team, USA World University Games and professionally in Europe. In 2006, she was inducted into the prestigious Georgia Athletics Circle of Honor for excellence in representing her sport and the University.
Coach Tallman has also coached at the high school, club and collegiate levels as a coach and has worked with every level of sport, including professional volleyball athletes as a mindset and mental performance coach.
She combines her knowledge of Sport Psychology principals and her education in Clinical Psychology to bring increased performance as well as education and resources for mental wellness in student-athlete populations.
She has an undergraduate degree in Psychology from The University of Georgia and a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Vanguard University. Her “30 Day Champions” Journal was studied and researched by graduate students from The College of Health Solutions at Arizona State University in Spring, 2022 and has been used by over 1,000 athletes, coaches and parents.
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