Nationals Reflection: A Weekend of Highs, Lows, and Lessons

Three athletes. Three different outcomes.

One unified mission—to grow, reflect, and return stronger.

Start with Listening

One of the most important parts of any meet—especially one as big as Nationals—is how we reflect on it.

After a competition like this past weekend, every athlete asks themselves the same questions:

“What could I have done better?”

“What should I have done differently?”

But here’s what I’ve learned: those questions don’t belong to the coach.

They belong to the athlete first.

As a coach, Nationals isn’t my time to teach. It’s my time to shut up and listen.

This isn’t about me. It’s about creating space for athletes to process, express, and evaluate—on their terms.

The Emotional Landscape: Individual Paths on a Shared Stage

The emotional tone of the weekend? It was varied.

Each of our three athletes experienced Nationals in completely different ways. We had:

• A bomb-out, where training didn’t translate to the platform.

• A 4-for-6 performance, with a return to the national stage postpartum.

• A 6-for-6 day, complete with a PR snatch and a career-best showing.

What stood out to me wasn’t just their results—but how each athlete owned their performance.

Despite the highs and lows, none of their energy bled into the others’.

We’re a team, yes—but we handled each athlete’s journey separately, with care and respect for their individual process.

The Bomb-Out: When Success in Training Doesn’t Transfer

This was the hardest.

This athlete had been putting together a fantastic training block. Everything was on pace. Everything looked like it should.

But when she stepped onto the platform… it didn’t click.

As a coach, I’ve reflected deeply on this. I noticed nerves creeping in the days before. I saw the anxiety—but I didn’t dive into it early enough. That’s on me.

We’ve since talked—openly and honestly. We both want the same thing: growth.

We both agreed that asking the harder questions sooner is the path forward.

Not every bomb-out is just a performance issue. Sometimes, it’s emotional. Sometimes, it’s about feeling seen, grounded, and safe.

And that starts with me.

The Comeback: 4-for-6 and Back on Stage

Fourteen months ago, this athlete had a baby.

This weekend, she stepped back onto the national stage—not to win, but to prove something deeper: I still belong here.

She hit 4 out of 6 lifts. It wasn’t a personal best. It wasn’t a medal performance.

But it was a huge win.

Her presence alone, her ability to fight through a training rebuild, and her execution under pressure—these are the victories that don’t show up on a scoreboard.

I told her afterward: “I’m proud of the journey you made to get here. Your success was already created before you ever stepped on that platform.”

The Breakthrough: 6-for-6 and a Statement Performance

On the other end of the spectrum, we had an athlete put together one of the best meets of her life.

She hit a PR snatch, went six for six, and delivered every lift with poise and control.

This wasn’t luck. It was the product of sacrifice, discipline, and total buy-in.

What made me proud wasn’t the numbers—it was how present she was in every moment.

All I wanted for her was to feel it. To embrace the stage, the lights, the payoff.

She earned every bit of it.

Reflections That Surprised Me

During our post-meet talks, I asked each athlete where their head was at.

And I was surprised by what I heard.

One athlete admitted to being scared—truly scared—to step on the platform.

Another was full of confidence, saying she just wanted to prove she belonged.

Each mindset was valid. Each conversation taught me something new.

If I Could Go Back…

If I could go back and speak to each of them the night before their session, here’s what I’d say:

• To the athlete who went 4-for-6: “I’m proud of everything you did to get here. You’ve already won—now go enjoy the lift.”

• To the athlete who bombed out: “You belong here. This platform doesn’t define you. Let your work do the talking.”

• To the athlete who went 6-for-6: “Be present. You’ve earned this moment. Let it soak in.”

Final Thoughts

Nationals will always be more than medals. It’s where stories unfold—stories of redemption, growth, courage, and honesty.

Whether you PR, bomb out, or just hold your own, the reflection afterward is where the real coaching (and learning) begins.

I’m grateful to be in this process with each of you—and we’re already building toward the next one.