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Competitive Edge EQ

@competitiveedgeeq

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Emotional skills development for student-athletes 🖤 Workshops for parents & coaches.
Every Play Counts, Every Emotion Matters!

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

ONE YEAR. Four acts. One mission. 🖤

Swipe through the year that built us.

ACT I — Planting seeds. Strength Beyond the Game is born in quiet rooms, and Lisa shows up to speak one day after losing her father. Resilience, practiced in public.

ACT II — The crescendo. 70 posts in one July. Five living legacies honored. One unforgettable night at Bowie State, with our student-athletes crowned on live TV.

ACT III — After the confetti. We grieve Terrence Butler, we grow, and Lisa wins the Power of 100 DC pitch. A local movement becomes a recognized force.

ACT IV — Finding the fire. This October, the account stops celebrating and starts confronting — and the movement finds its voice.

136 posts. Countless student-athletes. One belief: every play counts, every emotion matters.

Which moment was yours? Tell us below. 👇

#CompetitiveEdgeEQ #YearInReview #StudentAthlete #MentalHealthMatters #StrengthBeyondTheGame by @competitiveedgeeq

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2 days ago

October is National Depression and Mental Health Screening Month, and I thought it was incredibly important to broach this subject with Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Craig Hodges.

Mental health is a topic that is far too often overlooked in activism.

As we continue discussing Colin Kaepernick and inspiring young athletes to have the courage to stand on their convictions, no matter what weapons are formed against them, we also have to talk about the emotional and psychological toll that comes with taking that stand.

With the alarming rates of suicide among student-athletes and media personalities continuing to mock, ridicule, and demean athletes who publicly discuss their mental health struggles, this conversation is more important than ever.

We tell young athletes to be courageous. To stand tall. To sacrifice. To speak truth to power. But are we also teaching them how to protect their peace, safeguard their mental health, and survive the backlash that comes with that courage?

That’s why I wanted to ask Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf and Craig Hodges how they managed to keep their mental health intact while the NBA and much of the country treated them like Public Enemy #1 simply for standing on their principles.

I’m incredibly thankful for the honesty, wisdom, and vulnerability they both shared in their answers. 🙏🏾

Link to our full discussion is my bio under The Rematch
Also available on YouTube

#mentalhealth #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #mentalhealthsupport #mentalhealthadvocate by @competitiveedgeeq

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2 days ago

@etanthomas36 on the pressure nobody sees — the weight athletes carry when the cameras are off and the crowd goes quiet.
Toughness was never supposed to mean silence.
What's one thing you wish someone told you about handling pressure? Drop it below — somebody needs to read it today. 👇
#StrengthBeyondTheGame #StudentAthlete #MentalHealthMatters #MoreThanAnAthlete #CompetitiveEdgeEQ taken in Maryland/Washington DC by @competitiveedgeeq

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2 days ago

Young people stay quiet. 🤫

Not because they have nothing to say — because they've learned what it costs to say it.

@etanthomas36 on the silence our athletes carry — and what it takes to break it.

When did you learn to stay quiet? And what would it take for you to speak now? 👇

#StudentAthlete #MentalHealthMatters #StrengthBeyondTheGame #MoreThanAnAthlete #CompetitiveEdgeEQ taken in Maryland/Washington DC by @competitiveedgeeq

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2 days ago

@profoundpurpose said the quiet part out loud: the car ride home has become the second game. The film session. The place where joy goes to be graded.
And here's the tension she named so honestly: yes, you have every right to guide your child. You are responsible for helping them navigate this space. Nobody is asking you to go silent.
But guidance and pressure wear the same jersey — and your kid can feel the difference.
The question isn't whether you speak on the drive home. It's through what lens: are you parenting the athlete's performance, or the human being's heart?
They will forget the score. They will never forget how the car ride felt.

Parents — what's one thing you do on the drive home to keep the joy in it? 👇

#YouthSports #SportsParents #StudentAthlete #MentalHealthMatters #CompetitiveEdgeEQ taken in Maryland/Washington DC by @competitiveedgeeq

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2 days ago

Grateful beyond words. 🙏💛

Competitive Edge EQ has been selected as an award recipient through @grapevinegiving and Power of 100 DC!

This donation goes straight to the mission: giving student-athletes the emotional skills to thrive — on the court, and long after the game ends.

To every woman of Power of 100 DC who believed in this work: thank you. You didn't just write a check. You invested in whole human beings.

Every play counts. Every emotion matters. 🖤

#Grateful #YouthSports #StudentAthlete #MentalHealthMatters #CompetitiveEdgeEQ taken in Maryland/Washington DC by @competitiveedgeeq

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3 days ago

48% of kids play for fun. Only 12% are chasing a scholarship.

So why are 44% overwhelmed most days — and why does the average kid quit at 12?

The game is still beautiful. The pressure is not. 🔥

#YouthSports #StudentAthlete #MentalHealthMatters #MoreThanAnAthlete #CompetitiveEdgeEQ by @competitiveedgeeq

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3 days ago

This is what building the WHOLE athlete looks like. 🔥

Just wrapped an emotional skills development workshop with @archbishopcarrollgbb — and these young women showed UP. Not just for drills. For the real work: identity, emotional awareness, sisterhood.

The jersey comes off one day. The human being underneath deserves the same investment as the athlete.

Thank you @coach_caldwell for leading the way — champions for life, not just for the season. 🖤

#StudentAthlete #MentalHealthMatters #GirlsBasketball #YouthSports #CompetitiveEdgeEQ by @competitiveedgeeq

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4 days ago

THEY ARE NOT JUST ATHLETES.

We have to stop shrinking human beings down to a stat line.

Yes — the system is broken. We celebrate them when they win and go quiet when they're struggling with identity, pressure, and "who am I without this game?"

But @profoundpurpose isn't just calling it out — she's building the fix.

In this video she breaks it down: give our young people the tools to build their toolkit *now*. So when the jersey comes off — in middle school, high school, college, or the pros — they know exactly who they are.

Because you are SO much more than an athlete. You're a human being having a human experience who happens to play a sport.

Tag a student-athlete who needs to hear this. 🖤🔥

#MoreThanAnAthlete #StudentAthlete #MentalHealthMatters #YouthSports #CompetitiveEdgeEQ taken in Maryland/Washington DC by @competitiveedgeeq

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5 days ago

Sometimes burnout doesn’t look like quitting.
Sometimes it looks like showing up while feeling completely empty.
If you’re constantly exhausted, disconnected or overwhelmed, don’t automatically label yourself as lazy or unmotivated.
Your mind needs care too.
🧠 Save this for your next mental check-in.

#sportspsychology #athletementalhealthmatters #mindyourgame by @competitiveedgeeq

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5 days ago

The spotlight can magnify greatness, but it can also magnify pressure.

During our *Strength Beyond the Game* conversation, @etanthomas36 spoke candidly about the intense scrutiny student-athletes face when they make the courageous decision to prioritize their emotional and mental well-being. In a culture that often celebrates toughness, he reminded us that true strength is not just competing through adversity, but recognizing when you need support and having the courage to seek it.

Etan’s message resonates far beyond sports. Student-athletes are more than their performance, statistics, or highlights. They are people first, deserving of the time, space, and support needed to care for their mental and emotional health.

The conversation continues, and so does the responsibility to create environments where wellness is valued just as much as winning.

#StrengthBeyondTheGame #MentalHealthMatters #StudentAthletes #EmotionalWellness #everyplaycountseveryemotionmatters taken in Maryland/Washington DC by @competitiveedgeeq

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5 days ago

Today, @archbishopcarrollgbb young women leaned into the work of emotional intelligence with courage, authenticity, and heart. Through reflection, discussion, and connection, they created space for one another, supported their teammates, and demonstrated what true leadership looks like both on and off the court.

A special shout-out to @coach_caldwell, whose commitment goes far beyond basketball. His dedication to developing, nurturing, and protecting the whole student-athlete is something truly special. He consistently invests in their growth as young women, leaders, teammates, and people. That kind of care matters, and it shows in the culture he has built.

To the players: thank you for showing up fully, trusting the process, and embracing the challenge of growing your emotional intelligence. Your willingness to learn, listen, and support one another was inspiring to witness.

The future is bright for this program. 💙🏀
#CompetitiveEdgeEQ #EmotionalIntelligence #ArchbishopCarroll #GirlsBasketball #StudentAthleteDevelopment taken in Maryland/Washington DC by @competitiveedgeeq

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6 days ago