Episode 291: The Retired Athlete’s Secret: How to Win Again When Sports Are Over with Anne Skriba

Aug 27

Ever felt the sting of an identity shift, like when a lifelong pursuit suddenly ends, leaving you wondering what’s next?

For Anne Skriba, basketball was everything. But when she quit athletics for a “secure” sales job, the loss of structure, routine, and identity careened her into a harmful relationship with alcohol.

I’ve heard this story so many times: when we stop doing the thing we love, the thing that once defined us, we start to lose pieces of ourselves. Without that passion to anchor you, it’s easy to drift into numbing habits.

Fast forward to today, Anne is the founder of Clean Play Coaching, host of the Clean Play Podcast, and a 5X Certified Coach. Before recording this interview, Anne celebrated ONE THOUSAND DAYS alcohol-free. To say this shift has changed her life is an understatement.

In this episode, Anne talks about transforming that former athletic identity into a winning mindset and the pivotal moment that shifted her relationship with alcohol that will blow your mind.

If you want to help others change their lives too, apply for the Empowered AF 5X Coach Certification Program by August 31 to get $1,000 off your tuition.

IN THIS EPISODE:

Anne’s raw journey from college athlete and coach, and how the void left by sports led to a complicated relationship with alcohol
Why so many former athletes (and ambitious strivers) lose themselves after “retiring” from their greatest passion, and how reclaiming a winning mindset is possible at any age
Anne’s therapist’s powerful question that sparked her thousand-day (and counting) alcohol-free lifestyle and a complete personal reinvention
Why opting out of alcohol is the ultimate act of courage and athletic-level grit, and how Anne empowers marginalized and underrepresented communities to join the movement

REFLECTION QUESTION

Reflect on parts of your identity that were once central to who you are (like being an athlete, performer, or achiever). How has your sense of self shifted as life has evolved? Where do you still cling to an “old story,” and what new identities or roles might be waiting for you to embrace?

“Athletes are so creative and they see the game and thus the world in such a unique way. And so I think they're always looking for a new, fresh way to extract the most joy and extract the most out of anything that they're doing. So if we can take something that they love and not have to reinvent the wheel, but help them to see it in a different way and help them to see it in a way that isn't about winning or losing or isn't solely about performance, it can really help them make that shift in their mind that this is something that is going to last much longer than if they win the pickup game or they win a race, but it's something that can actually go with them for the rest of their life.” - Anne Skriba

“What do we really adore our athletes for? Their ability to tolerate discomfort. And not only do they tolerate it, but they choose it. And what is more brave, courageous, than to choose a life where you are choosing consciously, daily to show up for all of the world and all of the things that life throws at you without numbing?” Anne Skriba

LINKS/RESOURCES MENTIONED

Check out the Clean Play Podcast, visit Anne’s website, check out her free Inner Mamba guide, her free scouting report, and the book she mentions in this episode, Quit Like a Woman by Holly Whitaker.

If you know you’re meant to help other people change their relationship with alcohol and achieve deep healing (along with their bigger dreams), apply for the Empowered AF 5X Coach Certification Program – and get 5x certified as a world class alcohol-free coach, mindset coach, success coach, NLP practitioner, and hypnosis practitioner. Apply NOW for the early bird special and get $1,000 off your tuition.

Awarded the most empowering book in the sober curious genre, be sure to get your copy of Euphoric: Ditch Alcohol and Gain a Happier, More Confident You today and leave your review.

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