. . . when it came to stress and anxiety, practicing my sport were my meds . . .

It's funny how turning 44 can change a person's perspective. Suddenly, I am looking back on my life and reminiscing about the experiences that led me to where I am now. 

As a kid, I was raised in the San Fernando Valley, a suburb of Los Angeles. Back in the 1970's, it was decided that local school kids would be bused to other neighborhoods. My parents had two choices. Either move, or register me in the school district where my dad worked as an art teacher. That started an 11 year adventure of attending school 30 minutes away from my home.

At 2:30 p.m. the bell rang and I spent many days' waiting until my dad came to pick me up, about an hour after school. Like many school teachers, his passion was his students and their success.  Once we returned home, he was tired, grabbed a beer and napped on the couch. 

I had two coping mechanisms. First God, and the knowledge that I was a child of a loving Heavenly Father, and the second to practice my athletic ability. I tried out for every sport. 

By the end of high school, I had played 5 different sports at the varsity level. That seems impressive to some, but to me, it was the only reason to attend school. I was an average student, but athletics gave me the community that I needed. 

And now as an adult, I feel the same. 

I coach girls athletics to help them feel the same community that I needed. Team inclusion is the most important aspect of my coaching. In fact, chemistry among players, and helping them play together is the foundation of how I coach. It's also the key to surviving the human experience. The relationships that we have with each other. 

The great part of Beachbody fitness is that they have researched based solutions to fitness, and they have made these solutions available to everyone (not just the elite who can pay for a trainer). But the difficult part, is connecting with you. 

I am now on a new social network site called Periscope (Tiffhanderson). I invite you to find me there. You can see me without make up and in a live setting where I actually work out and I can answer questions spontaneously, and live. 

To make a periscope appointment with me, just reply and we'll set it up. 

Enjoy the last wonderful moments of summer! 

God Bless you! 

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