pytallman

Who’s Afraid of The Big Bad Bench?

I was a bench warmer. For a long time. I know all about sitting the bench, riding the pine, being a scrub, third stringer, token player and last one picked for teams. I know the feeling of going to the huddle after warming up for a game, surveying the lineup and looking for my number in oneContinue reading “Who’s Afraid of The Big Bad Bench?”

Teammates Are For Life

Teammates are for life. Anyone who has played a sport longer than a year or two knows that there is a special bond between people who have gone into battle together. A roster full of strangers at the start of a season, you are molded into a team over the next seven or eight months. Strangers no more,Continue reading “Teammates Are For Life”

Sports Messed Me Up!

I have written a lot about the benefits playing sports had on my life. Truly an amazing experience and one in which to this very day and this very moment, I can cite incredible opportunities and experiences. But, I didn’t escape unscathed. Sometimes I scratch my head at my thought process and think to myself “man, sports really messedContinue reading “Sports Messed Me Up!”

10 Valuable Characteristics You Are Developing Through Sports – Right Now

I might not be as mighty as I once was in the physical sense, but everything I developed in sports is still alive and well (and kicking) in me as a person. So, how will I accomplish my goals, dreams and live out my passions in the new year? I’m going all-in on what IContinue reading “10 Valuable Characteristics You Are Developing Through Sports – Right Now”

You Have the Formula

Years ago, I experienced success as an athlete. It wasn’t easy. I was not a natural athlete. I was small. I had an attitude problem. I didn’t listen. I did things my way. I was sassy and stubborn. I was passed over for teams. I was not seen as a threat. I was underestimated. But IContinue reading “You Have the Formula”

Breathing With God

When my daughter was a baby, I spent a lot of time helping her fall asleep. An extrovert even in the womb, it was hard for her to settle down for the night. Never ready for the party to end, too much to say, too much to still see and experience. She was tired, but didn’tContinue reading “Breathing With God”

8 Signs You Might Be A Former Collegiate Athlete

Even though I graduated from college before some of you were even born, this stuff is still as fresh as the morning rain. I wouldn’t change a thing, but trust me if you were a collegiate athlete, you know that the struggle is entirely real. 1.Good Enough Doesn’t Cut It – You cannot get through aContinue reading “8 Signs You Might Be A Former Collegiate Athlete”

Comparing Apples to Oranges

One of my coaches once told my parents: “Look, we aren’t comparing apples to apples here. We’re comparing apples to oranges.” You know what that meant? It meant I wasn’t one of the good kids. I wasn’t strong, naturally athletic nor was I very big. I wasn’t one of the apples. I was an orange. And oranges didn’tContinue reading “Comparing Apples to Oranges”

Eventually, It Breaks

This morning at church, I sat in the front row and sobbed. My contorted face and streaming tears were only visible to the musicians on the stage in front of me. I doubt anybody saw me, even though, I wasn’t trying to hide my tears. They flowed freely, the rows behind me unaware. This morning, my AuntContinue reading “Eventually, It Breaks”

300 lb. Back Squat

“You don’t have time to feel sorry for yourself, you have a family and a child who needs you,” words my therapist said once upon a post-partum depression. It sounds harsh, but it was true. I didn’t have the luxury of wallowing about anything anymore. Not that I’m one to wallow anyway, but in thisContinue reading “300 lb. Back Squat”