The Pressures That Kept Me From Loving Soccer

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From the time I was a little girl, I strived to please others. I thrived on praise and attention, and put all my efforts into being recognized and acknowledged. It was something I felt internally, but was never able to look inside, and see that was where my troubles were brewing. I happened to have gravitated toward soccer at the age of four. Not only did I enjoy it, but I stood out, and it came more natural to me than it did to others. It provided me a sense of accomplishment. It was clear from the start that soccer was my sport, and wasRead More →

Erin Konheim Mandras Blogs About Maryland's Melo Trimble

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A couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to attend a University of Maryland basketball game. They played at the Xfinity Center  in College Park against Wisconsin. My husband and I are avid college basketball fans. He went to Maryland, and I went to Michigan State. We can all agree it is much more fun to be a Spartan than a Terp, but we will put that aside for now. Because of him, and Maryland having joined the Big Ten Conference, I accompany him in watching the games. Though I may not be a true Marylander or Terrapin, I can appreciate each player’s storyRead More →

The "Carrot and Stick"

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I was a considerably motivated child, but, the truth is, my ability to reach my utmost potential was mostly a credit to extrinsic incentives. Admittedly, I was driven to achieve goals for tangible rewards or pressures, rather than solely for personal fulfillment. It started as an elementary school student. I would bring home my homework, read the directions, barely, and then rush through it as quickly as possible like it was a race. Everything was a race to me — even in school. Whether it was solving math problems, reading a chapter book, or even writing an essay. Unfortunately, I didn’t fall under the categoryRead More →

"But, you are all muscle!"

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“You have an athletic build,” is the phrase I have heard since my body began developing and puberty occurred. Prior to that point, I was a tiny, petite girl, always low in the charts in both height and weight. I suppose it was because I was too active to sit down and eat, or I was blessed with great genes. Whichever the reason, I never had to worry about my weight during my early childhood. It seemed my body began maturing and changing at the same time my social life became more elaborate and glamorous. It was the start of high school when I beganRead More →