Former Olympian: If You Have A Body, You Are An Athlete
Share This Resource
Erica McClain was the #1 ranked triple jumper in the US from 2008-2010 and competed on Team USA at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In January, 2015 she founded PATHworks (@PATHworksInc), a youth development company that merges sports participation and academic learning for middle school students through a sports-inspired curriculum.
McClain was a sponsored Nike track athlete and loved the inspiring Nike slogan "If You have a body, you are an athlete." If you are willing to put yourself out there in a sports setting, you should have the opportunity to play and grow no matter how talented you are.
McClain believes this saying is important for the overall well-being of kids and goal setting. Kids should have opportunities to play regardless of talent because being physically active is so vital for psychological development.
Related Resources
Video
Former Olympian Erica McClain urges coaches to help athletes re-frame failure as a positive teachable moment.
Video
Dan James talks about the fear disabled people have when first trying sports and the joy it leads to.
Article
Working with Olympians has allowed me to see the significant role that great character plays in success.
Video
Olympic Gymnastics Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson suggests athletes just have fun in the pressure-packed moments.
Video
Dan James on how important it is for athletes to give themselves permission to be who they want to be.