Sue Stanley-Green is an amazing athletic trainer, teacher, wife and mother.  She is a pioneer in the field of athletic training.  She truly lives an empowered life by living her dream dispite stereotypes in sports.  Read about her journey here:

I have been asked to contribute to this blog and share my experiences as a female in the world of athletic training and to celebrate Athletic Training Month.  For those of you who don’t know what an Athletic Trainer is, you are not alone.  We are the best kept secret in the health care arena.  We are the medical professionals that you see running onto the football field to attend to an injured player.   The football field or basketball court is where we are most recognized.  Emergency care for an athletic event is only a portion of what we do on a daily basis.  We take care of all the health care needs of high school, college and professional athletes.  We prevent, treat, and rehabilitate injuries.  We deal with nutrition, eating disorders, heat illnesses, and every other condition that may affect an athlete.  We care for those same athletic injuries and illnesses in sports medicine clinics, in the performing arts (like the Radio City Rockettes, Cirque de Soliel, professional dance companies), the military and industry.  We care for astronauts, soldiers, factory workers, and week-end warriors.  It is a fun, exciting medical profession that allows us to work with motivated, temporarily disabled people and get them back to play or work as quickly and safely as possible.

I started as an Athletic Training Student at the Ohio State University.  I had no idea what an athletic trainer was, but it sounded pretty cool.  It was a combination of working with athletes and “helping people.”   My students still tell me that is why they go into athletic training.  Thirty years ago, women only took care of female sports, and males only took care of the men’s sports.   There were only a handful of female athletic trainers in the country.  I had no idea at the time that I was a pioneer in the field.  Today that realization just makes me feel old!  I fell in love with athletic training and set my goals very high.  I wanted to eventually work as an athletic trainer at a Division I University.  I was told at Ohio State by my male counterparts that I wasn’t as good as they were because I didn’t work with football.  Few women in the country were allowed to work football.  This made me more determined that I would break that barrier. 

After earning my masters degree at Purdue University, (and working with the football team), I spent a year at East Carolina University on my way to fifteen years of working at the University of Kentucky.   I was hired to work with the women’s basketball team and with football.  The Head Athletic Trainer needed help with football and was happy to accept a woman onto the staff.  There was a newly hired football coach at UK, Jerry Claiborne, a disciple of Bear Bryant.  He was an old school football coach that had no desire to break barriers and have a female on his all-male staff or to work with his 150 football players.  There had never been a full-time female athletic trainer in the South Eastern Conference (SEC) who worked with a football program.   Coach Claiborne was a tough, hardnosed coach, but was a great and fair man.  He allowed me the opportunity to work football and to prove myself.  He respected hard work and liked the relationships I developed with the players and their families.  The football players didn’t care about gender.  They cared if I was good at my job and if I was worthy of their trust.  I loved working football.  It was a new challenge every day.  I have to admit it was very cool running out on the field in front of 100,000 people and to be on national television.  What I really loved the most were the players.  They were such big, tough guys to the outside world.  We were lucky enough to see them as young, sensitive, kind, funny kids who entertained us every day.  The movie, “The Blindside” was a great movie and really hit home to us.  We gave a lot to our players, but they gave just as much back to us and touched our lives in so many ways.  Coach Jerry Claiborne was a wonderful man.  He provided me with an incredible opportunity, and it was up to me to succeed or fail.  He and I became great friends and admired each other tremendously.  I learned so much about honesty, fairness and values from Coach Claiborne. 

I had several women mentors along the way who empowered me to set my goals high and to work hard to reach them.  Linda Daniel, my head athletic trainer at Ohio State instilled a strength in all of “her girls” to stand up for themselves and to prove women can be as good as men in athletic training.    My fellow athletic training students at Ohio State fought the gender battles side-by-side with me and are my best and forever friends today.  It turned out the males that I worked with at the University of Kentucky and in the SEC were the ones who empowered me to be the best athletic trainer I could be.  It is important to note that I worked hard to be the best athletic trainer, and not the best female athletic trainer.  I always wanted to be known as an athletic trainer who just happened to be a female.  My friends and colleagues were the ones that encouraged me to become involved in athletic training at the national, district and state levels, to travel all over the world with USA Basketball, and to eventually teach the profession I love.  That Head Athletic Trainer that hired me to work beside him on the football field….  I married him 17 years ago.  He and I were the first couple inducted into the National Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame together 5 years ago, and I was the sixth woman ever inducted.   He and I are back working side-by-side at Florida Southern College, just like we did for so many years at UK.  Today we also share the joy (and challenge!) of raising our 14 year old daughter, Logan.  My athletic training success has everything to do with the support I received from both male and female friends and colleagues, plus the determination and responsibility I felt to break the barriers to make it easier for the females who follow me into the wonderful profession of athletic training.

Sue Stanley-Green – Hall of Fame 2004

Hello, blog readers! I just want to tell you that I am having pretty much the coolest experience of my life ever right now, which I will tell you all about another time. I am on this total high. It’s so great!!

So if I’m not blogging about my right now, what the heck am I blogging about? Good question. I told someone recently that I felt like I’d lived a week in two days. It’s been that crazy and non-stop. (Anybody feel the same out there?) I come home every day, exhausted and sore (I’ve decided I need new shoes, because none of the 500 pairs I own are professional, comfortable, and supportive all at once). And you know the funny thing? I love it! It feels good to know that my energy has been spent on something that benefits me as well as other people. Although I’m really tired, I’m also energized not only because I’m helping others, but because I love what I’m doing. It makes me happy.

Plus, I look super cute all dressed up for work – I mean, this is a no-lose situation here!

Our guest blogger, Tina, is a mother of three and wife of Bill. She is a talented lady and one of our favorite people. She shares her thoughts about a most difficult situation. Thank you, Tina. We all love you for your honesty and humor in the midst of trial.

Motherhood is a daily lesson in humility, at least for me. Take, for example, the little experience I had just a few years ago. I was doing my daughter’s hair for church one Sunday morning (a rare act for me at the time) and—horror of horrors!—I noticed something move. I wanted to rub my eyes. Was I hallucinating? Nope, there it was again. A tiny looking bug, smaller than a grain of rice. In her hair. Yup, it was head lice. Suppressing my desire to jump up and down and scream, I took those ten calming breaths they used to natter on about, and tried to calm down.
I was powerless to prevent a shrill tone in my voice. My daughter knew something big was occurring as I demanded of my husband, “Look, here! What do you think? It’s lice, right?” He muttered something non-committal as I went into full-combat mode. I requested that my husband stay home with the kids—I had church responsibilities, and we didn’t want to infect anyone else—and calmly suggested that he shave the boys’ heads, military-style.
After my due diligence at church, I decided my “ox was in the mire”, and went to our local large-mart to acquire every last lice removal product known to civilized man. Here’s the lesson in humility. Forget buying family planning or feminine hygiene products…true embarrassment is achieved with the perusal and purchase of lice-removal shampoo. To compound my problem, it wasn’t found in the shampoo aisle (where it should’ve been, and I could have been pretending to examine the merits of full-body versus moisturizing while in reality studying the brands of lice shampoo.) No, it was in the First Aid aisle! So, I had to pretend to study bandages (Antibiotic included? Fabric? Plastic?) while surreptitiously gathering intelligence on the various brands of lice shampoo. In the end I purchased a dozen of the most likely-looking boxes, (with overly-optimistic names like “Lice-B-gone” and “Lice-X”) wishing vainly that I had brought a hat and dark sunglasses inside the store. Ah, mortification at its finest!
Long story short, we eradicated the lice threat. As a bonus, I believe I actually learned a few things from the experience. I learned that those so-called lice shampoos don’t work, but that the combs do a fair job getting the nits. Also, five gallons of olive oil worked through the hair, and the application of a cheap shower cap (overnight, or at least four hours) does a fair job at sending those little buggers to their eternal rest. Marathon combing sessions are a great way to bond with your daughter. Additionally, any promises made to your teenager who comes to complain after you made him cut his hair (even though he didn’t have lice), and the subsequent teasing at school forces you to promise (rashly and emotionally) that you will never make him cut his hair again, will be remembered each and every time you make a comment about the hair for the rest of his life. It’s those rash promises that you remember the most. Good times.

These one-word titles that begin with the letter “C” seem to be popular lately:  “Connection,” “Compassion,” and now “Commitment.”  Funny, huh?

Well, since I made my commitment to all of you last week to work on my attitude, I wanted to let you know how I was doing.  And as much as I would love to tell you that I’ve done great, I’d much rather tell you the truth…which happens to be that I haven’t done that well.  But!  there is an upside:  I have been more conscious of when my attitude is lousy, and have started to take that consciousness and turn it into action.  So, although I still wallow in my negativity more than I should, I now take steps to overcome it more than I used to.  Yay progress!

So I ask, what changed?  What exactly was the catalyst that sent me from where I was to where I am?  (Hint:  look at the title of this blog.)  Yes!  That’s it!  My commitment!

Can I tell you how much it meant to me to know that out there in the great wide expanse of the internet, there were people to whom I had made a commitment?  Granted, some were people I do not know and may never meet, and most of the ones I do know wouldn’t say anything even if they knew my commitment wasn’t perfectly kept, but still–I had made a commitment, and I was going to keep it.  That fact gave me courage and resolve to do the thing that I found difficult, but which I had promised to do. 

Commitments are hard–sometimes to make, sometimes to keep.  But I have found through this and other experiences that commitments are also empowering.  The accountability they require is motivating.  What can you commit to do that will empower you?

Marissa is on a leave of abscence today and so we are posting a previously posted blog.  Enjoy!

I’ve pretty much always loved baseball, as well as most sports, and country music. Until recently, no one really knew of my love for these things. Somehow, when I was a kid I got this funny idea that if I liked these things no one else would like me. This is a weird thing, I know…but that’s what I thought.

I’m guessing that this funny idea came from the fact that during a particularly impressionable time in my childhood the people around me just weren’t into baseball, most other sports, or country music. I’m not quite sure how this idea, that if I liked these I would be rejected, stuck with me but it was so important to me to fit in that I suppressed my love of baseball, most other sports, and country music.

Thankfully in recent months, I have slowly allowed myself to love these things for real and spend time learning about and listening to them choosing not to care too much about what other people thought. I created a Taylor Swift station on Pandora Radio and listen to it often. I purchased a Tampa Bay Rays hat and wear it almost everywhere. I watched part of the World Series on television and a handful of college football games when my schedule allowed. I embraced without reservation the fact that in my Athletic Training major I get to associate with athletes on almost a daily basis. I started going to more of their games.

And do you know what? My family didn’t kick me out for liking different things than they do and have still supported me with my love of sports and country. My friends still talk to me and I’ve made dozens of new ones just by possessing these interests more openly. I now know way more about baseball, which I love learning about. I like country music more than I ever thought I would now that I know more songs and artists, and most of all I love my life way more by being myself.

So whatever part of you there is that you might be scared to admit and share, I say go for it! You will be so much happier being true to yourself and those who really love you will love you still. I know…I tried it. There is such an invigorating feeling that comes when we choose to be who we really are and want to be. Whether it’s baseball and country music or flamingos and parasailing, I say go for it. Live your life fully and completely going confidently in the directions where you find joy.

How will you show others how awesome you are by being true to yourself this week?

Pauline is our guest blogger today. She is the mother of 4, grandmother of 15, great-grandmother of 9. She is known for generosity—and her biscuits—and she is a true southern girl who cooks for those she loves. Pauline shares an experience with her great-grandson from a few years ago.

I have had problems with my eyes for years. I needed cataract surgery and we had to postpone it until the inflammation in my eyes calmed down. When I finally was able to have the surgery on my eye, I had to wear a patch for seven weeks. It was a long time. I worried that my grandchildren would be afraid of me. I didn’t want the patch to scare them. Our favorite activity is for me to read stories to my grandchildren. I love for them to sit on my lap or by my side as we read. I didn’t want to miss that because they were afraid of me with a patch on my eye.

I came to my daughter’s house for dinner one Sunday after my surgery. I was sitting on the couch in her living room and John, then 3, said to me, “Eye hurt?” pointing to the patch. I said it did. None of my great-grandchildren were afraid of me. During the next seven weeks, our relationship was the same.

After the seven weeks were over and my patch was removed, I was again at my daughter’s home for Sunday dinner. I was sitting on the couch and John came up to me and said, “Eye all better now?” None of the other children ever asked about it. None of them were afraid. John was so compassionate and so feeling with his great grandma and her eye surgery.

How can we show compassion today?

We have a friend who said that our family is experiencing the hardest time in our lives. I know others who have as great challenges as we have and some who are experiencing greater challenges right now. We reached the point, long ago, when I thought we had all that we could bear. Still things kept coming.

I marvel at the lessons God has given to us during these difficult times. I think of them as gifts of love. I am amazed at the many miracles He has created to share His love with us.

One of the great gifts of love he gives is friendship. In the last two weeks, I found that friendship and love can remain with us without frequent contact and I am awed by the amount of love that I can feel. I felt the strength of sustaining prayers. I felt the concern of others. I was literally enveloped in the arms of love.

I wish, sometimes, that life was not so hard. But how else can we learn the lessons so that we can grow to be more like God? I am grateful for the strength of my children and my husband through our experiences in the past year. How marvelous and great are the many bounteous blessings of our God in our lives.

I want to share one experience of the many great gifts given to our family. Last Thursday afternoon, after an especially long and trying day, my friend and I were going to visit someone who is sick. She was unable to see us and so my friend said that we could go for a ride. We did.

We decided to go shopping because she needed a new wallet. We went only in two stores. The second store, she found the wallet she wanted and I decided to buy one for me. My friend decided to give the wallet to me as a gift. I hesitated, but decided to be a gracious recipient.

I put the wallet in my bag and carried it around for a few days. Tuesday, I had a doctor’s appointment and I placed the check to pay the doctor in the new wallet. When I pulled it out to pay the doctor, I felt a sense of newness. I needed to have things that were new. I needed to get rid of the things that reminded me of my old life and start fresh. I hadn’t realized that such a small thing, a wallet, would help me move forward. It did. And each time I see it or touch it, I think of my dear sweet friend, who has been my strength over many years. Thank you, DeAnne. Thank you for understanding and loving me.

There are so many people who remain nameless right now, but someday, we will feel free to share their names and their gifts to us during our trials. I thank you too.

How can you show your love to a friend today?

The weather changes.  People change.  Even Facebook changes (pretty often, actually, much to the complaint of many of my friends).

We change the laundry.  We change the TV channel.  We change our hair cut, color, and style.

Those things on the first list are things we have no control over (like, I seriously doubt that we’ll ever get a “Dislike” button, no matter how many groups are devoted to “petitioning” for one; my reasoning for this must be saved for a future blog…maybe).  But the second list?  Yeah, I definitely have a say in when laundry gets done, what shows we watch, and what color my hair is, and I’d bet that you do too (well, at least some of the time ).  There are many changes which you control.

Control is something I ponder pretty frequently because I really, really like to possess it…when it’s convenient (haha!).  Such a desire for control can cause me some serious stress, most of which is totally unnecessary–and I am absolutely, totally sure that you never, ever do that to yourself.  Right?

But just in case there are a few of you out there like me, I’ll continue.  Of course there are TONS of things we can’t control–the length of the drive-thru line, others’ behavior, your genetics, and many, many more–and they drive us crazy!!!!  But, see, here’s the secret to help all you control freaks out there (and over here):  there is ALWAYS something about it we can change…

Our attitudes!  You’ve seen, just as I have, the effects of a particularly good or bad attitude on the whole atmosphere of a room, a meeting, a home.  What if that attitude were yours?  I confess that much of the time, my attitude’s been pretty lousy lately.  I’m committing, right here on the World Wide Web to all you friends, neighbors, and total strangers that I will change it.  I don’t promise to be perfect, but I promise to do better.  (See this blog for a discussion on that.)  Because…

We can change our clothing.  We can change diapers.  We can change our attitudes.  And doing so, we can change the world.

Well dearest fans who read my blogs faithfully it has come to that one magical time of the week where you will hear once again the words which I have to say to you. Perhaps you recognize this title from a song that came out in a hit movie about a year ago. This movie was viewed by me and my college friends on opening night. We arrived really early and smushed inbetween oodles of 12 year old girls along with siblings, mothers, aunts, best friends and anyone else who could muster half as much love as they had for their future husband Zac Efron to watch the movie for the very first time…
We screamed with everyone else as he captured the screen along with the rest of the High School Musical cast. It was definitely a night to remember.

As cheesey as it is for me to actually admit that I have a somewhat hidden love for HSM now, the moment, as well as that song has meant something to me for a while.

All I wanna do is be with you…

There are and have been lots of people I’ve felt that way toward. In the movie it has to do with two people in love however I know it can mean sooo much more than that. Sometimes all I want to do is be with my mom folding laundry on her bed and talking about boys or friends or boyfriends. Sometimes all I wanna do is be with my friends or watch a movie with my little brother. All I wanna do on certain afternoons is go shopping with my sisters or make a run to the library. I often feel like all I wanna do is be with the characters in my book and write the story of their lives. And sometimes, often among the most important of times all I wanna do is be with myself listening to my heart and contemplating the deepest desires of my soul.
So whoever it is you wanna be with today…find a way to spend time with them even if it’s only a phone call or letter. You can feel mpowered by being with those you love.

Stephanie, our guest blogger today, is always ready to share her kind thoughts with those around her. She is a devoted mother and woman of great faith. She recently took up working with stained glass, and her quiet kindnesses speak volumes of her character. Enjoy!

It is the little things in life that help us along our way. I have read the blogs about empowering us to become better people, mothers, nurturers, sisters, etc. and thought I have little to nothing to contribute and have been putting off blogging as requested by the ladies who initiated this site. Then I stopped at a fast food restaurant on a busy day from running errands, feeling a bit frazzled. As I got my meal and sat down I saw a woman come in who looked more frazzled than I did. As she got her meal and looked for a seat our eyes met and I smiled at her. She seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and sat a couple of tables from me, but facing me. We both ate in a silent companionship, strangers yet somehow acquaintances. As I finished my meal and prepared to go my way, she hesitantly spoke, very softly like she was afraid someone might hear her. She thanked me for smiling at her. She told me she had had a very trying morning and my smile brought her reassurance and comfort. It was a little thing and I don’t know who this sister of ours was, but it made me feel good to hear I had helped bring her comfort in a trying time. I left the restaurant with a lighter step and a smile in my heart. So sisters, smile as you go about your day, you never know who may be watching and needing that smile.

Thanks Mary Lynn for helping to create this venue. It was inspired.

Steph