I’m a hype woman.

Have you ever been on the sidelines with me at a baseball game? With your kid or my kid playing? My kids have retired from baseball, breaking my heart a little, but trust me – even if it’s been a whole year since my kids have played, the parents and teams I cheered on the sidelines with remember me.

I’m not just a good and loud clapper, I’m a total champion for every kid’s at-bat and for every play attempted. I have a booming voice that can reach way out to left field. I grew up in a small town doing community theater in the summers. The stage was down a little gravel path from an outhouse, all set in the woods. Every kid in those summer productions knows what it means to “talk to the outhouse.” I talk to the outhouse all game long.

I can never really tell what’s going to come out of my mouth, but families and players on both teams can rest assured it’s going to be affirming, supportive, and probably silly. I don’t usually like a ton of attention, so it’s not about me being funny – it’s about bringing up the energy of the game and of each player. And it’s about diffusing some of the self-doubt and hyper-competitiveness that can lead to bad decision-making and cruel behavior.

This type of hype matters for the energy of the whole game. It helps my kids and other players keep a light heart, know they’re seen and affirms their growth and mastery of different discrete skills as individuals and as a team.

I’m learning to be a good soccer sideline hype woman, but it’s a learning curve.

Do you need a booster shot of affirmation to ready for your next challenge? Do you need help finding your voice and talking to the outhouse? Let’s talk.

PS - You can book a 5-minute free hype call or a longer coaching session. I can’t wait to cheer you on.