Growing up in Washington, I had a pretty simple dream: I wanted to be Mia Hamm.

Women's sports weren't nearly as visible back then, but I paid attention whenever I got the chance. I attended the USWNT practices just to watch Mia Hamm train. I wanted to see how she moved, how she worked, and how she carried herself. I cheered on the Seattle Storm – sitting in the stands completely captivated by Sue Bird’s leadership, competitiveness, and command of the game. At home, I watched Serena Williams compete with a level of confidence and intensity that challenged what I thought female athletes were allowed to be.

They played different sports, but they showed me something important: There wasn’t one way to be a strong female athlete.

You could be competitive. Quiet. Loud. Powerful. Composed. Relentless. You could take up space. You could lead in your own way.

They expanded my understanding of what was possible.

Soccer became the place where I started figuring that out for myself. I spent countless hours in the backyard juggling, kicking soccer balls into fences my parents wished I'd leave alone, and running up every hill I could find.

That passion eventually took me to Gonzaga University, where I played Division I soccer. I went on to earn a master's degree in kinesiology, specializing in sport psychology, from Boise State University and pursued doctoral studies in sport psychology at West Virginia University.

Today, those experiences shape the way I coach and why I started Breaking Lines.

I want young athletes to have a place where they can train hard, ask questions, make mistakes, build confidence, and discover who they are beyond wins, losses, and expectations.

The female athletes I looked up to helped me see what was possible. Breaking Lines is my way of helping the next generation discover that for themselves.

Break. Build. Become.