My name is Silver Edwards and I am a mother of three beautiful kids, a wife, an educator of over ten years, a girls competitive soccer coach, a former division 1 soccer athlete, a daughter, and a sister. I played soccer for what feels my whole life. As a 15 year old young girl, I worked hard at my craft day after day and had my heart set at playing the highest level possible. Throughout my high school years, I was a standout athlete and given many accolades. With these accolades, I had set high expectations for myself and felt validated with every athletic and academic accomplishment. This hard work paid off as I committed to playing soccer at Loyola Marymount University, a division 1 college level.

(Go Lions!).

However, I struggled my first year of college and had a hard time adjusting to the environment. I struggled in practice and games. I felt like a failure, played afraid, had so much self-doubt and just overall, not confident with myself. I was so focused on getting results or seeking to achieve something that I was missing the lessons of the journey. At the end of my first year, I shifted my mindset and learned three valuable lessons 1) there is no such thing as failure but everything is an opportunity for growth, 2) believe in myself, and 3) I control my efforts and my responses. My confidence grew and my second year, I returned and was voted team captain. My love for the game continued throughout my life and inspired me to be a competitive soccer coach. As a coach and a mentor to many young ladies, this experience made me recognize a missing aspect – the mental mindset components. I observe coaches focusing on technical and tactical training but neglecting the mental mindset. Emphasizing the significance of pre-practice, pre-game, and during-game rituals is crucial and shouldn’t be underestimated. Establishing a positive mental mindset has the potential to elevate both individual and team performance, paving the way for remarkable results.

My goal is to fire up young female soccer athletes on how to be the best version of themselves and develop skills they can use for the rest of their lives. As a mother, educator and competitive coach of over ten years, I know first hand, every female athlete encounters challenges, and by nurturing confidence, they become equipped to manage and recover from setbacks in both their personal lives and athletic competitions. I know in my heart that all female athletes need to work on their mental mindset because, let’s be honest, if we feel confident, we play confident.