We are so excited to welcome Adrienne Moore to our Lead Consultant team! She has spent twenty years working in coaching, youth development, and program facilitation out of Seattle, WA. She has worked for organizations such as Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center, University of Washington Center for Leadership in Athletics, Up2Us Sports, and currently supports the King County Play Equity Coalition. Adrienne was a collegiate student athlete at Western Washington University and holds a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington Evans School of Policy and Governance.
WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?
Like so many folks I don’t really have a typical day – which is awesome. My whole life I’ve been into a lot of different things, and my work life reflects that as well. I’m lucky that most of my days involve collaboration with really smart people who are trying to support youth, coaches, and programs. It might be writing, chatting with folks about a program idea or new partnership, or planning for and facilitating a training depending on the day.
WHAT ASPECT OF YOUR ROLE AS A LEAD CONSULTANT AND TRAINER AT WE COACH DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST?
One thing I was worried about when I decided to move into the independent contractor and consulting world was losing the energy and wisdom of a team. Being connected with We Coach not only gets me connected to a community of folks who are working on similar projects but truly are thinking at the cutting edge of the field.
WHAT HAVE YOU DISCOVERED IS YOUR MOST EFFECTIVE METHOD OF LEARNING? HOW DOES THAT TRANSLATE INTO YOUR TRAINING/LEADERSHIP?
I learn best by seeing then doing. I’ll pick a skill up best if I’m able to visually see it and then try it myself. That gets reflected a lot in my work as I tend to rely heavily on visual representations of concepts and frameworks to drive a point forward or teach. I think a lot about the form and function of a conversation or training and how design can help move a group through learning together. I spent the first few years in college as a design/art major so maybe that’s part of my history I bring with me!
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT YOURSELF SINCE WORKING IN SPORTS-BASED YOUTH DEVELOPMENT?
It’s reaffirmed how important it is for me to find a good team. I’ve met the sharpest, most inspiring people doing this work. I’m at my best when I feel like I’m working as part of a greater team towards something big and able to find some moments of levity and fun along the way – even when the work itself might be very sobering and serious.
IF YOU COULD DO ONE JOB, ANY JOB FOR JUST ONE DAY, WHAT WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
I did some river guiding in my outdoor educator past, so I’d probably go back and run Browns Canyon on the Arkansas River in Colorado on a sunny day.
WHAT’S ONE PIECE OF WE COACH CONTENT THAT YOU FEEL MOST RESONATES WITH EITHER KIDS YOU COACH OR YOU WISH YOUR COACHES KNEW WHEN THEY COACHED YOU?
Knowing the basics of how the brain works and how that translates to behavior is so simple and compelling. It may seem out of reach or out of the scope for casual youth sports coaches, but it’s not! By presenting simple, super relevant facts about key parts of the brain, it gives coaches a whole new lens for how to relate to and interpret behavior. The understanding and empathy that unlocks allows for the kind of positive relationships we know are key to maximizing the positive power of sport for youth healing and learning.
TELL US TWO BOOKS YOU’D RECOMMEND- ONE THAT’S PROFESSIONAL BASED AND ONE THAT’S PERSONAL BASED.
Professional – Emergent Strategy, Adrienne Maree Brown
Personal – for something fun and light, a comic I enjoyed recently! The Avant Guards