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EP 10-Professional Soccer Player Emily Menges: on her secret to getting fit, the value of reading, and imaginary friends

March 16, 2017 by Kendall Johnson in Interview, Podcast

Professional soccer player Emily Menges had an adventurous childhood growing up with three brothers in Garden City, New York. She attended Georgetown University. While there, she earned the Big East Defensive Player of the Year and was a Mac Herman Trophy semi- finalist (equivalent to the Heisman) in 2012 and 2013. After college, she was drafted to the Portland Thorns. In 2016 she earned the Team MVP and the was voted Player of the year by the fans.

Because of her stellar season, she recently received a call-up to camp with the full US national team.

Emily has a wild imagination. This made for an entertaining conversation. We covered a wide array of topics, some of which people may think we are a bit crazy, rest assured, this is an accurate statement.

In the first portion of the interview, Emily talks about what it’s like juggling another  job while playing professionally, her obsession with books, the novel she has been writing since high school, and the characters in the book, of which have been living in her head since she was a child.

In the second portion of the interview, we dive into soccer: how Emily’s hate towards track motivates her during fitness, what it was like getting voted Player of the Year by  Thorns fans, why Christine Sinclair and her slurp mustard before games, and how she logs the more miles in a game than anyone else on the team, even though she’s a center back.

Show Notes:

:51  Who is Emily Menges?
2:56  Welcome Emily!
3:25   What is Emily’s favorite candy?
5:22   Emily’s off the field job
6:02  How does Emily juggle two jobs?
7:23  Emily’s unique dual personality
8:57  Is Emily an introvert or extrovert?
9:50  Emily’s brothers
12:35  Is Emily ever in a bad mood?
13:13  What is Emily’s favorite book?
16:32  Kendall’s top 10 books for female athletes  
19:40  Why doesn’t Emily want to grow up?
21:25  What is Emily writing today ?
32:13  Why does Emily log the highest mileage on the field?
33:48  Track nightmares
39:40  Emily player of the year 2016
40:18  Favorite Thorn moment
41:12  What is Emily’s one belief people think is crazy?
45:50  What non-athlete does Emily look up to?
46:25  What does Emily wish her 18 year old self knew back then?
48:12  Emily’s mental and body pregame prep
49:39  Emily’s favorite coffee
49:58  game day routine
50:24  Why do Emily and Sinc slurp mustard?
51:38  Emily’s favorite failure
53:26  How does Emily hope to be remembered?
54:22  Emily’s one simple tip for female athletes

 

 

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March 16, 2017 /Kendall Johnson
arrow living, Emily Menges, female athlete, Portland Thorns, soccer
Interview, Podcast
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“There isn’t anything Kendall does without pouring everything she has to offer into it. She cares enough to not be scared to say what you might not always want to hear. She’s already been a great mentor. She is someone I admire so much. She doesn’t make excuses and will achieve what she is after.”
— Allie Long, USWNT World Cup Champion
“Few people have positively impacted me on or off the field as much as Kendall. She has a unique ability to help elevate all of the lives she comes in contact with. Through her own pursuits, triumphs, and trials, she has accumulated a wealth of different approaches to professional and personal growth. It is impossible to spend time with her and not walk away as a better version of yourself.”
— Michelle Betos, NWSL Goalkeeper of the Year
“In the world of professional athletes, you are surrounded by self-motivated people who are all working to a varying degree of “obsessive” to push themselves as hard and far as they can physically, mentally, and psychologically go. This doesn’t even begin to describe Kendall’s approach to all aspects of life. She lets nothing slip through the cracks and has a natural ability to put her passion to practice. Anyone who sits down in a conversation with Kendall will leave smarter, challenged, and with their perspective on life considerably altered.”
— Emily Menges, NWSL Champion
“I met Kendall at a challenging time in my life, and from the start, I felt comfortable sharing those challenges with her. After I first opened up to her about it, it was easy from then on out because she always helped me see my feelings are valid; my experiences and my story are my own, and I can make them to be what I want. She helped me find the beauty in times of struggle and she somehow managed to respond to my life hurdles, and her own, with an open mind and a good laugh. She has helped me to believe life works for us, not against us, and my life has become better for that. She is an amazing teacher.”
— EJ Proctor, Duke goalkeeper
“I have played soccer almost my entire life, and something that I have always struggled with is my mindset and confidence. As someone who strives to train, play, and perform at the highest level all of the time, it is very frustrating to be set back by my tendency to let my mind get in the way of my play. My goal is to play soccer at the highest level possible–to be recognized as a top player at Kentucky, play professionally, and compete on the national team. I have tried many mental techniques surrounding my game in order to help maintain a steady mindset throughout my seasons, but I have struggled to find strategies that are the best fit for me. 

I have calls with Kendall very consistently and she always creates a space that makes me feel completely at ease and comfortable to share whatever is on my mind. Something that I really appreciate about talking with her is that she really wants to know and learn about me as a person, and we never immediately get into the soccer portion of the call. It is really comforting to know that I always have someone as knowledgeable and thoughtful as Kendall to talk to about the highlights and setbacks of my life and soccer journey, and I feel really confident in my future plans after talking with her. Not only do I feel like I am doing everything I possibly can to accomplish my goals as a result of the training schedule that we often work on together, but we also discuss and build upon different approaches to improve my mindset, such as journaling, visualization, mental plans and steps going into training, and morning routines.

I have learned so much from Kendall and have felt such a big difference in my confidence not only as a player, but also as a person. I have grown to trust my own voice and opinion on another level, as well as increasing my confidence in my knowledge and preparation. I have seen such a big difference in my mental and physical space as a whole and I always look forward to our next call. Thank you so much Kendall, I cannot express how much I appreciate all of the time, effort, support, and thoughtfulness you put into and bring to every one of our calls!”
— Elle, University of Kentucky commit

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