Teamwork

I have played organized team sports since I was a wee lass.  I remember when my mom signed me up for Rainbow Soccer in Chapel Hill, NC at the ripe old age of 6.  I was terrified.  My coach stuck me in the goal (no clue why), and it was the worst experience ever.  Stuff flying at me at high speeds, standing around doing nothing when stuff WASN’T flying at me at high speeds, my defense doing NOTHING to stop any advances from the other team, etc.  I almost quit, but I stuck with it for a few more years.  Things got better by the time I was 10, and I was no longer confined in the goal.  I was a forward, and I was the leading goal-scorer on my team.  I was fast, I was agile, and I had a deadly accurate kick.  It’s no wonder that I continued to play soccer well into my 20s – I was suited perfectly for it, and I absolutely adored it.  I loved sprinting at top speed, I loved pushing other girls off the ball, I loved shooting, I loved diving, I loved slide-tackling people in the mud……I could go on, but we’d be here a while. Perhaps what I loved the most, aside from the physical aspects, were my teammates.  I have played multiple sports and was a part of over 20 different teams in my glory days.  The only individual sport in which I participated was track, and that was just to keep me from getting fat in between soccer and softball seasons.  Teams provided me with many things: camaraderie, accountability, and confidence are among some of the things.  My immediate circle of friends in middle school and high school were my fellow teammates.  We spent so much time around one another, and we knew everything about each other.  I felt like the girls on my team were my sisters – they were my family, and some of them still are.  These girls were so special to me, and I never wanted to disappoint them.  So I worked my butt off in practice, and I always gave 100% during games.  I didn’t want to leave anything to chance, ever, for my sake or for theirs.  The girls were also a great source of inspiration and confidence for me.  If I made a bad play, or missed a ball, they would come and slap me on the butt and say, “C’mon, Polisson, you got this.  Shake it off.” I knew these girls had my back and they wanted to see me succeed.  At the end of the day, you win as a team, and you lose as a team. After I graduated from college and hung up my cleats, I found myself yearning for this team spirit.  I ran a half marathon, but there’s nothing team-oriented about that.  Sure, I ran with people during training runs, but during the race, it’s every woman for herself.  I didn’t like that – at all.  I wallowed around for a few more years, bored and without a sense of purpose.  After picking up the weights and drastically changing my physique, I found Leigh Ann Yeager.  I started training with Leigh Ann, and now I train with a group of girls appropriately called the “Yeager Bombs.”  I love the YBs: we are all different.  Some are mothers, some are married, some are still in their mid-20s (must be nice), some are models, some are nurses, and some are trainers themselves.  Yet, every Sunday, we all come together and BEAST it out in the gym.  I find myself slipping back into my “team captain” role – I yell at the girls when I can tell they need a push, I give 100% in hopes that they will, too, I try to go faster with each grueling round, and I shout something funny when I think the room needs it.  And, in turn, the Yeager Bombs push me.  The sweat dripping on the floor, the grunts, and the weights being thrown to the floor all motivate me to work harder and to be better.

The YBs competed together at the OCB Yorton Cup, and we had a blast.  We traveled up to DC together, we stayed in the hotel together, we got spray tanned together, we sat backstage together – it was mucho fun.  When it was time to hit the stage, we all screamed for each other.  And when the dust had settled, 2 of us had hardware.  I was proud of each of the YBs, because I know everyone worked hard, everyone gave their all, and, most importantly, everyone prepped in a healthy, sane manner.   It didn’t matter if anyone placed – it mattered that we all got on stage, we all faced our fears, and we all accomplished our goals.  Even though figure is an individual “sport,” the YBs have provided me with a team feel unlike no other.  I will NEVER prep for or compete in a show without my girls ever again. For those without a team, look for a workout partner.  You’ll find that you work harder, lift heavier, and take fewer breaks when you have someone around you.  That results in greater calorie burn, and thus greater weight loss over time.  Try it for a month and see how you do!   Beth is an NPC and OCB figure competitor and has been competing for 3 years.  When she’s not rocking the stage in her stiletto heels, she’s either at work as Project Manager at a Pharmaceutical company in Durham, NC or she’s in the gym training clients or teaching spin classes.  In her very minimal free time, Beth likes to sleep, eat, play with her dog, and spend time with her boyfriend and friends (who also like to sleep and eat).