Oh, where to start. I guess from the beginning would only seem reasonable. I grew up in a quiet part of Nashville, Tennessee. The smallest big city in the South in my opinion. It is still a place where you can go anywhere and see someone you know, yet has grown so much in the past 10 years. Anyway, I grew up in Nashville, went to an all girls, private high school where I competed in soccer, basketball and softball at the varsity levels and played club soccer as well for over 7 years. When I graduated high school I headed to Richmond, Virginia where I attended the University of Richmond, which I will argue is the most beautiful campus in the country. It is a park-like setting with intricate architecture and pristine landscaping. Everything is picturesque, it makes you want to learn and to pursue excellence, which is what I attempted to do.
I graduated in 4 years with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and a minor in English. I continued to desire more education and longed to integrate my love of sport and competition into my professional career. I began to explore graduate programs in psychology looking at programs in clinical, counseling, social and school psychology before stumbling upon a newly developing field called sport and exercise psychology. I could not imagine a more perfect way to combine my two areas of expertise and use them to reach out to others as well.
I bet few of you have ever been to Statesboro, Georgia. But I would also bet that the majority of you know that it is home to Georgia Southern University and the inspiration for the Allman Brothers infamous “Statesboro Blues”. This was my home for the next 2 years as I pursued my degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology. It was such a nice change of pace to live in a simple town with no big chain restaurants or department stores, no expectations, and no rushing around. Everything was laid back and comfortable. The perfect environment for the pressures of higher education. I was offered a graduate assistantship and began to try my hand on the other side of the classroom. This time I was behind the podium instead of behind a desk. It was empowering. I was finally able to tell others how important it was to make healthy choices, to be active and to educate themselves on what it meant to live well. I taught Fitness classes, nutrition classes and golf classes. What an amazing opportunity to test my skills and grow my experiences with different types of individuals at all levels of ability and understanding.
When my journey at GSU ended I found myself farther from home than I ever would have imagined. In the Spring of ’05, just before graduation I was asked if I would take a placement in the UK. A small town called Darby, with a struggling secondary school called St. Benedicts was in need of a fitness program makeover. The girls at the school were inactive and very unwilling to comply with school standards. Again I had found myself faced with an opportunity of invaluable growth and learning. I was living in a college dorm as a 25 year old, playing dorm mom to the 17 and 18 year old students in my flat, offering counseling and advice concerning a slew of life issues. On top of that I was without a car, walking everywhere, including to the supermarket, to work and for leisure. What a great problem to have. I still find myself longing for that culture and wondering why Americans have to drive everywhere, even two blocks over to grab a cup of coffee. Regardless, there I was, knowing not a soul and learning everything as I went along. Unchartered territory for a girl who grew up with her life planned out down to the bow in her hair.
And so there I was, Masters degree in hand by the spring of ’05 and now exploring the next step along the educational path. While I was in my Masters program, I was educated about the professional opportunities post graduation and was convinced that if teaching was my passion that a PhD was the most logical next step, as this would be the only way to secure a full time position at any accredited University. So off I went in search of a doctoral program that would continue to tempt my thirst for knowledge, learning and teaching. Middle Tennessee State University offered a degree in Human Performance. This seemed a perfect supplement to my Sport Psychology degree as it was more focused on the physical and pedagogical aspects of performance, giving me a wonderful combination of the mental and physical dimensions. In 2006 I took a part-time instructor position in Belmont University’s Sport Science department where I have been teaching ever since. I graduated in the summer of ’08, a Doctor of Human Performance, a published author of articles and a dissertation entitled the Relationship between Perceived Competence and Perfectionism in Competitive Sport.
In the past two years since my graduation I have gotten married, written a book with my husband (www.stewartbreeding.com), started a private consulting practice (www.mindbodydoctor.net) and became the director of operations for Corporate Health Partners (www.chp-inc.com). I have coached high school varsity soccer at Harpeth Hall, tried my hand at personal training, continue teaching, counseling and living! It has been amazing. I have developed a division of Focus Fitness dedicated to young women’s fitness and mental strength training, and I have learned much about the wellness industry and the corporate environment. All of these aspects are so fundamental to my career goals, and the ability to know as much about changing as many different lives as possible! I cannot imagine slowing down, or settling for one goal when there are so many unrealized opportunities around us. I hope you feel a part of my journey, because whether you know it or not, you have become a part of who I am and I am now a part of who you will become. I wish you nothing but love, success and contentment with who you are and all you are capable of becoming. Find the MindBody connection and there is nothing you cannot accomplish.
