I’m leaving on a jet plane, no wait I mean my old rusty car, don’t know when I’ll be back again.
I’ve always dreamt of going to the Olympics. Once when I was younger, after losing yet another big game, I was crushed. My mom said to me, “If you don’t really want this you can just
walk away”. I never considered that as an option, I wanted it then and I still want it now. I picked myself up to battle another day with the Olympics as my inspiration to carry-on.
This season I have a new team and it was supposed to be our building year but of course Covid destroyed all those plans. Monica and I are three time National Champions and its hard to believe that we will be going into this Olympic Trials season as the underdogs.
We all sat down, virtually, as a team to talk the hard truth about our situation. This team is exciting. The ladies are amazing, we are focused, driven and all on the same page. We want our shot at the Olympics and it’s not just a wish, we have a plan.
We concluded that in order to make our Olympic dream a reality we needed to train like never before. We know we have to make up for lost time so we decided to move in together and make it happen. We rented a house near our Olympic training center and from now until the Olympic Trials it will be curling all day, everyday.
I found a quote that said “There is no glory in practice, but without practice there is no glory”. We know this is going to be a challenge for all of us. It’s never easy being away from home and its never easy living with other people. Hard work, sacrifice, commitment, and practice is what it will take and the Olympics is the reward.
My car will be loaded to the brim and my AAA all paid up (I don’t trust my car after last time!). Here we go, 100% in for the pursuit of our Olympic dream. Follow along on this new and sure to be interesting journey. Updates and drama to follow!
@teamjsinclair
I play guitar. a far more experienced musician once told me that “you play like you practice.” It’s easy not to take practice as seriously as a game — don’t make that mistake. practice like it’s real, lest your performance in crunch time suffer.
Build the confidence of your young, new teammates to trust what they will learn during training. Come game time, they’ll only be asked to do what you’ve already prepared them to do.
My church pastor once told me “There is peace in preparation.”
Learn the shots, understand the strategy, believe that you can do in game time what you’ve done thousands of times in practice. Confidence is everything. This saying sounds like an oxymoron; but it is profound: “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re probably right.” Get your team to believe that they can.
In the military, we trained so that when it all became real, we already knew what to do and how to do it. Crowds, lights, and cameras don’t steal your skill & knowledge. Sports psychology: Game time is not learning time. Trust that all the repetition of practice has stored the knowledge in your subconscious and coupled with the muscle memory of proper technique reduces the stress so you can just perform. People often encourage by saying, “You got this” or “You can do this,” because you can — you already know how and have proven it to yourselves countless times in training.
And remember, you have a lot of us cheering you on — some of us from thousands of miles away.
Peace Jamie.
Jamie, I always believe in you. From the first time I saw you, I said to myself, “She is a winner!” Your accomplishments are many, and you’re far from finishing what the Lord has in mind for you. You’re not alone in anything. In fact, you can have anything if you feel it. Let your victories be what defines you further. I want you to be Olympic Gold Medalists representing the United States of America 🇺🇲
A sports psychologist told me once “peak performers have peak presence.” Embracing your ability, coupling with a vision of victory, your teammates are your allies. You can do this!
I want you to win every game because I know you can. Someone has to win. Why can’t it be you? You have what it takes to define a champion 🏆 and have proven it on the ice. I am so happy you continue to try ♥️ because it creates a new story for others to come along and share it.