Built by Borda

We talk a lot about wanting our girls to be confident. But confidence doesn’t really come first. It comes from doing the things that feel hard, especially when they aren’t totally sure they can do them yet.

Trying something new, struggling a little, failing and trying again, getting stronger, coming back after an injury, or speaking up when something doesn’t feel right. All of those experiences are giving them evidence that says, “I can handle hard things.”

As a mom, coach, and PT, I don’t think our job is to make everything easier for our girls. It’s to give them the tools, support, and opportunities to figure things out and realize just how capable they are.

Because the hard things are going to look different as they get older. And I want them to already have that voice in their head that says, “I can figure this out. I can get back up. I can do hard things.”

That’s the confidence I want us to help them build.

It’s that time of year…

Some of you may already be back at school, and around here, most kids are heading back this week. And I’m feeling it a little differently this year because I’ll officially have a kindergartner. 🥹

Back to school is exciting, but for athletes, it’s also a BIG shift in routine.

Earlier mornings. Long days at school. Homework. Practice. Less downtime. And somehow we’re still expecting our bodies to recover and perform at their best through all of it.

So as schedules start filling up again, these are 4 things I want athletes (and parents & coaches!) thinking about:

⚡️ Sleep
⚡️ Stress
⚡️ Strength + prehab
⚡️ Eating!

None of these have to be perfect. But having a plan, and building some consistency, can make a huge difference in how you feel, recover, and perform.

I’m going to spend the next few weeks sharing more practical back-to-school tips for athletes, and I want to make them things you actually need.

What would be most helpful right now? Sleep? Managing a crazy schedule? Stress? Strength/prehab? Eating during the school day? Something else?

Tell me below & I’ll use your answers to help plan what I share next! 💕

Coachable athletes need coachable coaches. 👏

I really think that part of the conversation matters.

It’s easy to say, “She doesn’t listen.” “She won’t make the correction.” “Her attitude is the problem.”

But coaches …before deciding an athlete is simply “uncoachable,” we also have to be willing to look inward.

Am I communicating this in a way she understands?
Have I explained the why?
Do I know what might be behind her reaction?
Have I built enough trust that she knows my corrections are coming from a place of wanting to help her?
Is there another way I could teach this?

Sometimes the athlete needs to adjust.
And sometimes the coach does.

And athletes … this goes both ways.

Your coach is there to teach you, challenge you, correct you, and hopefully help you become better. You’re not going to love every correction. You might be tired, frustrated, embarrassed, or having a bad day.

Those feelings are valid. But you still get to choose how you respond.

Listen. Ask questions. Try the correction. Give effort. Speak respectfully. And remember that being coached isn’t a personal attack, it’s part of becoming better.

The best coaching relationships aren’t built because one person does everything right.

They’re built when BOTH people are willing to listen, communicate, adjust, and keep showing up for each other.

That’s where growth happens.

It is NOT normal for your back to hurt.

Back pain is one of the most common things I see in gymnasts …but just because it’s common doesn’t mean we should accept it as part of the sport.

And here’s the bigger conversation I want to have:

What if we cared about our backs BEFORE they hurt?

What if we focused on getting strong, moving well, building capacity and preparing gymnasts’ bodies for the demands of the sport before pain became the reason we had to pay attention?

So much of what I see with back pain and back injuries has things we can address earlier.

But prevention only works if we actually make it a priority.

If you’re at National Gymnastics Congress in Phoenix, come hang out with me Saturday morning! I’ll be talking all about Creating Healthy Backs and what we can do to help gymnasts stay healthy, strong and doing the sport they love.

And if you know a gymnast, parent or coach who needs to hear this … give it a share 🩷

Swipe through & share your favorite!

It’s cool to get stronger instead of chasing smaller.

It’s cool to speak up when something hurts.

It’s cool to prioritize prehab and recovery.

It’s cool to care about the person more than the performance.

It’s cool to coach with humility and keep learning.

It’s cool to parent with unconditional support.

It’s cool to fuel your body, work hard, and think long-term.

Because the goal has never been to create athletes who just perform well for a moment. It’s to build athletes who love their sport, trust their bodies, and have the confidence to advocate for themselves.

The chicest thing? Building athletes who are strong, healthy, and confident. 💗

That’s what we’re about at Built by Borda.

Strength isn’t just about how much you can lift.

It’s about whether your body can actually control the movements your sport demands.

Can you…
✔️ Land without your knees collapsing?
✔️ Control a single-leg squat?
✔️ Balance on one leg?
✔️ Move through your ankles?
✔️ Stabilize your core?
✔️ Fully recover from old injuries?

None of these tests can perfectly predict whether you’ll get injured…But they do tell us where your body might need more attention.

That’s the goal.

Not waiting until something hurts…Finding the weak links before they become injuries.

This is exactly how I evaluate athletes every day.

Because better movement + better strength = athletes who feel better, perform better, and stay in their sport longer.

How many of these could you pass? Be honest.👇

If you’re ready to build a stronger foundation instead of chasing injuries after they happen, that’s exactly what we do inside the Built by Borda Wellness Club. Comment PREHAB for info!