I learned how to drive to the hole, dunk, and shoot.  But if the game goes into overtime all I do is dribble a little.

...and helped with building endurance and energy bursts. I'm not surprised that you have a gymnastics background after experiencing your bounding energy!  

has taught me to keep a positive attitude on the dates and here on the board ... Not to mention motivating, encouraging, inspiring, exhilarating and praising my team

focus, agility, and the challenge to control something between your legs.

gymnastics

I am all kinds of flexible

Self-explanatory....

Tennis - I know when to hold my serve!
Basketball - I know when's the right time to shoot!

Sports, Coaching, Business & POSITIVE Pep Talk - Long but hopefully inspiring post...

Great question Natalie!

My Sports: Gymnastics, Dance, Cheer, Soccer, Softball, Skiing, etc.  
I also love Teaching/Coaching & giving Pep Talks to inspire others.    

Youth sports and Coaching taught me many things about life! Most of these apply to my approach in business, this industry and how I try to live life.  

 
I wrote and gave a presentation on this topic awhile back for work...

 
Here's part of my notes: (I felt like I was giving a TED Talks presentation. HAHA!)

Whether we like it or not, we live in an interesting time... our personal and professional lives are more intertwined than ever. We can now research individuals as easily as we can the organizations for which they work. The line between work and life is ever-indiscernible. Smart organizations are designing in equal part to personalities as they are critical skills. We should celebrate all of it!

Sports taught me flexibility, fitness, focus, planning, persistence, teamwork and communication—skills that helped me succeed in my professional career (of 10+ years).

(Not in any particular order.)

Take care of yourself – mind, body, heart and health – because nobody else can or will do that for you. Always, always, always trust your gut.

Stretch your muscles and exercise your brain.  

Never underestimate the value of a strong mind – it is indispensable.

Attitude & Sabotage
Attitude really is at least half the battle. Be aware of your own habits of mind because they translate to habits of motion.
"If you think you can't - you never will. Close your eyes and imagine yourself actually doing it. Change your attitude and thinking. Now go do it." - A Gymnastics coach.
One of the lessons that I grew up with was to always stay true to yourself and never let what somebody else says distract you from your goals. So when I hear about negative and false attacks, I really don't invest any energy in them, because I know who I am.
"You cannot expect to live a positive life if you hang with negative people."
“Those who pray for your downfall are concentrating negative thoughts towards you, without taking cognizance of the slippery ground in which they are standing, which could lead to their downfall.”  
― Michael Bassey Johnson

Pride follows success, not the other way around. Our egos are often our own worst enemy.

You cannot win people over with half-hearted commitments.

You can ignore the advice and direction of your coaches and teammates all you want, but at the end of the day it’s your ass that is going to suffer from your incompetence, not theirs.

Working with teammates teaches people how to communicate and work together, while mastering a specific technique instills discipline and persistence. These lessons are not limited to athletics. Studies show that sport can improve young people’s learning performance and encourage a desire to succeed academically. This skillset will last with them forever.

Have a plan.

Avoid drama.

Learn something new daily!

If you need help, don't be afraid to ask for it!

Always be grateful.
Nobody can achieve success alone. Thank those who've helped you along the way!
There are many less fortunate people in this world who would love to be where you are today!

Smile.
It can change your mood and the energy of others around you.

Pay it forward.
Help someone if they ask for it!
Contribute positively to society in someway.

Be Bold.
No one wants to see anyone fail by fault of poor coaching; a grand responsibility to say the least. Coaches either develop greatness or cement bad habits. If you're going to coach someone or a team - be a leader and know what you're doing!  

Have Fun!
If we instill that giving ones best effort matters...it will!
It is always more enjoyable to share victory.
We take things waaay too seriously.  
That deal you lost, the deadline you missed, the presentation you screwed up... none of it matters! People will remember you for the way you conducted yourself: your degree of honesty, your ability to make tough decisions seem logical, your willingness to take one for the team.

The best way to win trust is to earn respect. Respect is earned by succeeding on the field through developing camaraderie.  

People unfortunately will rock your world (or win the game) if you are not in control of the situation.

Don't quit.
Quitters never win and winners never quit!

Teamwork is awesome!  
Probably one of the most rewarding aspects of being involved in a sport is that sense of family and support that you get from your teammates. I could never have made it without the encouragement of my teammates and coaches.  

My point of posting this besides to inspire you to be your best is to also encourage others - not to tear them down!
 
In the end, we all want to win, make some friends along the way and to finish the game of life with our heads high!

 
This is one of the many reasons, I encourage all of us to get along, support one another and make this a safer community! PLEASE STOP BASHING EACH OTHER! It accomplishes NOTHING!  
IMPO, there's no reason to compete against anyone but ourselves! Let's all be the best we can be by working as a TEAM!  

 
“The greater the loyalty of a group toward the group, the greater is the motivation among the members to achieve the goals of the group, and the greater the probability that the group will achieve its goals.”  
― Rensis Likert

“With teamwork, any little contribution you make yields greater output when it meets the contribution of others, and guess who gets the plus? Everyone in the team!”  
― Israelmore Ayivor

 
________________  THIS CONCLUDES WHITNEY'S PEP TALK PRESENTATION! HA! ________________

Much Love,
Whitney Cohe