Melissa DiedeMelissa Diede

What inspired me were my teammates. I competed with exceptional athletes. We worked hard in practice so when game time came around it was fun! We trusted each other and depended on each other play our positions. We were self-disciplined and set high expectations for ourselves.

One memorable highlight was a soccer game against undefeated and number one ranked Lakeridge. As goalie, coming into the game, I was a bit nervous envisioning shots fired like cannonballs. I’ll never forget their first shot taken from about 20 yards. When I caught it I thought, “Is this all you’ve got?” The didn’t shoot cannonballs, though they were very skilled. They took 50 shots on goal to our 5. We won 3-2 in what Coach Ken Trapped calls the biggest upset in girls soccer history! Lesson learned: Don’t believe the hype about your opponent or let it psyche you out.

Another lesson learned is: It’s not the fall that defines you, it’s how quickly you pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back in the game that counts. Life, like a ball, keeps coming at you, so face it head on. Everyone makes a mistake now and again; learn from it and improve going forward.

Athletic competition, teamwork, goal setting, rules and sportsmanship helped to form how I approach work and life as an adult. It has given me an inner confidence to take on challenges. The lessons I learned from team sports help to develop the necessary skills to cultivate a rewarding and successful career as a Safety Management Consultant.