A Big Lesson From a Little Soccer Player

November 9, 2021 | By

I’ll never forget an interaction I had coaching a 9-year-old soccer player several years ago. As a center midfielder, with more running demanded from her (typically) than other positions on the field, this little soccer stud came off the field one game frustrated and gasping for air, asking, “Coach Kimmy, why is this so hard?!”

My response – “What would you rather, run around in a field of roses?!” – isn’t what makes this story, but her response – erupting in laughter, most certainly is. 

Of course, I don’t mean to suggest that frolicking in a field of flowers wouldn’t be great. (I actually think it sounds pretty lovely.) I do, however, mean to highlight on a broader level, that obstacles, messiness, and problem-solving are what make life more interesting, not less. And can we appreciate the opportunity they provide us to live a more expansive life?

There’s a palpable cultural shift that occurs when we unite with others through our struggles, not around them.

11/9/21 WOD

DEUCE ATHLETICS GPP

Complete 4 rounds for quality of:

7 Barbell Floor Press
8 Seated Single Dumbbell Overhead Press (ea)

Then, complete 2 rounds of the following for reps:
Max Elevated Pushups

Then, complete the following for reps:

AMRAP 8
1 7th Street Corner Run
12 American Kettlebell Swings (44/26)
5 Box Jumps (24/20)

DEUCE GARAGE GPP

Make 4 Attempts at the following complex:

1 Hang Power Snatch 
1 Power Snatch

3-3-3
OH Squats

Then, AMRAP9

6 HSPU
9 Slam Balls
200m Run

Then, complete 3 rounds for quality of:

:45 Plank Hold
:45 Rest

Originally from Northern Virginia, Kimmy is a high-voltage human with a passion for optimal experience. She has a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Communication from George Mason University, where she was a two-sport NCAA Division I athlete (soccer & track), and taught communication courses for four years. After college, Kimmy spent a decade coaching and teaching in Virginia prior to moving to California. She is an NLP Practitioner, XPT Level 3 Coach, CrossFit Level 2 Trainer, and was the 2018 Virginia State High School Coach of the Year, where she led her soccer team to a state title in her second year as head coach. Kimmy created and currently runs the Breath & Exposure program at DEUCE Gym. Committed to a lifetime of better understanding human perception, Kimmy is enthusiastic about teaching others how breath, exposure and movement can help them live healthier, more peaceful lives.