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So I was entering my freshman year in college, and had a conversation with my parents about my choice of major. Based on my interests, we discussed various ideas. I was 18 years old. Up until that point, I had dedicated my entire being to the sport of soccer. The amount of time I put into training, practice, and games was so immense that I couldn’t envision just walking away from the sport. It was at that time, I declared I wanted to coach college soccer immediately following my playing career at Michigan State University. My parents were extremely supportive, but, obviously, there was notRead More →

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The pressure I felt as an athlete began even at the young age of five. I played forward on my team, and my job was to score goals. If I didn’t score goals, then I believed I failed, or didn’t meet expectations. I didn’t even need a coach to put pressure me–I put it on myself. When a coach did, it became double whammy. And, how long could I go before I hit a breaking point and was no longer able to bear pressure in a healthy manner? “GET ON THE LINE,” were the famous words my teammates and I heard throughout our entire  soccer careers.Read More →

Erin Konheim Mandras Blog

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After developing, battling, and overcoming an eating disorder as a collegiate athlete, I learned an incredible amount not only about myself, but of the prevalent issue that so many of us struggle. I believed my success in recovering was possible because of the incredible support system I had within the Michigan State athletic department; stemming from the administration, to the medical staff, to strength and conditioning personnel, and then to my very own coaches. After such a tumultuous event in my life, my dreams became clear, and I knew there was only one career I desired to pursue: and that was coaching. My coaches setRead More →