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If you know my name, "Dr. Jen Welter"- it is probably because I was the first female coach in the NFL.
What you will learn is that the same mentality and ability to see things differently, which helped me be successful in the world of professional football combined with my PhD in psychology, and countless years working with kids give me a unique problem solving ability which I bring to everything I write.
I often say, I love my Brand of crazy, because most of the things I have done were the things I have been told I was crazy for doing... but it has been the crazy combination of my education and experiences that have made me believe in the possibility of real world magic, and to embrace being multidimensional.
On the football field, at 5'2" inches, I was one of the smallest players, but I became great by realizing that I could not out-big anyone. My greatness was in being underestimated, and actually winning by being little and fast instead. My out little them philosophy brought me great success as a player. A 14 year women's pro football career including 4 "Super Bowls" & 2 Gold Medals as a member of the 1st & Second US National team.
Because there was no career path for a woman in football when I played, I decided to get my Masters in Sport Psychology and my PhD in Psychology. A career that was for years made up of Work by day, play football by night, and go to school by very late night, taught me the value of hustle and the beauty in being multi-faceted. In 2013, I became the crazy combination of a football playing doctor...
From there, I guess you could say I helped start a revolution by playing with the Texas Revolution and becoming the first female to play running back in mens pro football... yes, as funny as it sounds, I tackled the world of men's pro football by being tackled by men!
The revolution continued when I became a coach for the Texas Revolution the following season, then joined the sidelines of the Arizona Cardinals as an assistant inside linebackers coach, and shattered the glass sideline to become the first female coach in the NFL.
My First book, Play Big. Lessons in Being Limitless from the First Woman to Coach in the NFL came as a result of that experience, and believe it or not, it was yet another barrier to break. Every publisher turned it down with the reason, "Women in Football doesn't sell." My response. "I am pretty sure I was the first, so how many times have you tried?"
But that's the power and pain of being first, you see something before others see it. You do things, that others will later repeat. But as you climb, you will be told you are wrong, you don't belong, and you are not that strong... hence my philosophy, "I love my brand of crazy!"
I am committed to opening eyes and changing minds. It took me a long time to find my place and explore my voice. So as an author, I love to explore the world, world views, and even communication in new ways.
I am currently focused on children's books. Though this may seem like a big leap from football and even my PhD. I have a deep foundation in play and drawing therapy, and I have been using the these techniques in my work with kids. I have a passion working with kids and giving them ways to speak through "Critters" and play in the spaces of motion and emotion to get "Fitter."
This is where the Critter Fitter series was born. Call it creativity from chaos. Through Critter Fitter, we are creating real-time fresh content for the world.
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