Playing the Long Game: Sobriety, Sports, and the Power of an Internal Team
Sobriety isn’t just about not drinking—it’s about building a life you don’t need to escape from. The way we win at this game is the same way we win in sports: by building skills, trusting ourselves, and playing the long game with purpose and intention.
Title: Playing the Long Game: Sobriety, Sports, and the Power of an Internal Team
Excerpt:
Sobriety isn’t just about not drinking—it’s about building a life you don’t need to escape from. The way we win at this game is the same way we win in sports: by building skills, trusting ourselves, and playing the long game with purpose and intention.
Sobriety is a High-Performance Sport
One of my favorite ways to explain sobriety is to compare it to elite athletics. At the start, it’s like stepping onto a tightrope just inches off the ground. You feel shaky, unsteady, and unsure of your footing. Over time, with consistent practice, you move higher—not in danger, but in strength and perspective.
In sports, we know the difference between average and excellent lies in the invisible work—habits, conditioning, mindset. Sobriety is no different. It’s not just the act of not drinking—it’s the skills you develop to navigate life without relying on alcohol to manage stress, amplify joy, or numb pain.
Building Your Internal Team
One of the most powerful frameworks I’ve learned—and use with clients—is Internal Family Systems (IFS). Think of it as your internal team roster. Inside you are different “parts,” each with their own personalities, needs, and roles:
The Rebel who protects you when life feels unfair.
The Joy-Seeker who reminds you to laugh and play.
The Problem-Solver who thrives on learning and strategy.
When I was drinking, some of these parts were sidelined. Others were overworked and exhausted. Sobriety gave me the clarity to call everyone back onto the court and learn how to work together.
In coaching, athletics, and entrepreneurship, the same principle applies: when your “team” is unified, you’re unstoppable.
Ditching the Shame Game
Before I got sober, I carried so much shame about drinking—especially given my family history with alcohol. I thought if I admitted it was a problem, it meant something was wrong with me.
But here’s what I’ve learned: drinking was my best survival strategy at the time. It was my way of coping with life’s harder moments, even if it came with a cost. When I reframed my story this way, shame dissolved. Instead of blaming myself for not knowing better, I could thank myself for surviving—and choose a different set of tools for the future.
The Power of Steady Training
In sports, you don’t go from the couch to the championship overnight. You show up for the drills, the practices, the recovery work. In sobriety, we train too:
Emotional regulation in year one—learning how to process emotions instead of drowning them.
Physical regulation in year two—honoring and strengthening the body, rebuilding trust with it.
Ongoing mindset work—staying connected to yourself so you can weather whatever life throws your way.
The wins in sobriety aren’t always flashy. They’re often the quiet victories—breathing through a stressful moment, saying no to something that doesn’t serve you, feeling fully present in a joy-filled day.
Why This Matters Beyond Sobriety
The skills I’ve gained in sobriety have made me a better coach, athlete, and entrepreneur. They’ve taught me how to lead myself first—how to notice when I’m out of alignment, how to get back on track, and how to play for something bigger than the scoreboard in front of me.
If you’re in the early stages of this journey—or even just sober curious—remember this: you’re not just quitting something. You’re building something. You’re assembling your internal dream team, committing to the long game, and setting yourself up for wins that will ripple through every part of your life.
