Remembering Our Why

Last week was one of those perfect spring North Carolina afternoons with (Duke) blue skies, warm sun and the once barren trees now filled with fresh green leaves. The kind of day that made you want to lace up your cleats and run around just because you could. I was outside with my daughter, tossing a lacrosse ball around and just talking about our day.

Sports have an amazing way of slowing down the world a little.

We started talking about why we love sports, what they’ve taught us, how they’ve shaped who we are.

That moment reminded me of being a kid again—playing football with my brothers in the backyard, not thinking about scholarships or wins and losses. Just the pure joy of the game. And it hit me: somewhere along the way, we grow up and start treating life like a checklist instead of a playground.

Sometimes I need to remind myself I’m that kid in that picture, wearing the Steelers uniform and dreaming one day of putting on a real NFL jersey. It allows us to truly appreciate why we fell in love with something in the first place.

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As we kept throwing the ball back and forth Emerson asked me, “Why was football perfect for you?”

I had to stop for a second and really think about that.

Football was perfect for me because it demanded everything from me—physically, mentally and emotionally. I told her I loved the physicality, the discipline it required and I learned how to be a great teammate. Reflecting on it even more while I write, football gave me structure and an escape when life felt chaotic. It taught me how to lead, how to follow, how to get back up when I was knocked down. It gave me purpose. It gave me teammates who became family. And it gave me a platform to talk about things like this, with you.

Of course Emerson had no problem listing her favorite sports and what each meant to her.

Football: “…that helps get your anger out”

Soccer: “it’s fun and I get to play with my friends”

Basketball: “I love shooting hoops and practicing…like Caitlin Clark”

Lacrosse: “…it’s really hard, but when you catch and shoot the ball, it’s a lot of fun”

That simple question reminded me how important it is to stop and reflect—not just on what we do, but why we do it. Why was that career path, that passion, that pursuit perfect for you? What made you push through the fears or doubts when everything else felt uncertain?

As adults, we forget to think like kids. We overanalyze, overwork, overcomplicate. And in doing that, we start to fixate on all the things we aren’t instead of embracing who we are. But kids don’t think that way. They play. They imagine. They ask questions like Emerson did.

I’m learning more and more how important it is to be present. Not too far in the past or the future so that we can take in the moments that become the memories we cherish most. Watching my kids laugh in the yard, enjoying a warm spring day, hearing a question that makes me stop and reflect… those are the moments that matter.

So this week, I encourage you to pause and ask yourself:
What was perfect for me and why?
What does my childlike self still love to do?
How can I carry that joy and curiosity into the rest of my life?

Be where your feet are.

Reflect on your why.

And never stop thinking like a kid.

See you next week,

– Matt

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