The Next Act

ACT 16 PART 2: Kirsten (Lewis) Robles - ACT 16 PART 2: Kirsten (Lewis) Robles - Using Your First Act to Find Your Next Act, Impact, & Legacy

Listen to Kirsten’s First Act of Tennis in “ACT 16 Part 1” -  Life after tennis was unique for Kirsten. Because she had already unexpectedly experienced what life without her sport was like, she was able to fully feel the gratitude and joy at the end of her second chance at tennis. She wasted no time finding ways back into the tennis world, only this time on the coaching side of the court. The lessons, skills, and character that formed her as an athlete were a catalyst for her coaching career, where she turned programs from failing to success like she did at Kentucky as a player. This First Act carryover, paired with a life-changing trip to Ethiopia, paved the way to being the Executive Director of the Atlanta Youth Tennis & Education Foundation (AYTEF) and shaped the lasting impact and legacy she seeks to have going forward. https://www.tiktok.com/@thenextactpod⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@thenextactpod] ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thenextactpod/⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/thenextactpod/] ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@thenextactpod [https://www.youtube.com/@thenextactpod] Episode markers: (00:00:15) - Feeling After Tennis Ended (00:03:39) - Feeling of Life No Longer Revolving Around Tennis (00:06:11) - What Helped You Find Your Next Act? (00:11:31) - Best & Toughest Part of Life After Tennis (00:14:15) - Next Act: Biggest Adjustment (00:20:24) - Next Act: Replacing Tennis/Athlete Piece of Identity (00:24:11) - Keep Using Your Athleticism (00:25:16) - Next Act: First Act Characteristic That Helped in Next Act (00:26:00) - Learning to Deal with Failure (00:30:15) - Next Act: New Competitive Outlet (00:35:39) - Using Your First Act In Your Next Act (00:40:19) - Dream Next Act (00:43:17) - Next Act: What is Your New Guiding Direction? (00:49:43) - Next Act: Redefining Success (00:56:15) - Putting Your Best Foot Forward (01:07:35) - What Does a Life Well Lived Mean to You? (01:10:38) - How Do You Want to Be Remembered?

ACT 16 PART 1: Kirsten (Lewis) Robles - Elite Tennis, Identity Shifts, and a Second Chance

Remember when you were a kid and you wanted to be a professional athlete when you grew up? Now imagine you find a sport where you discover a hidden talent and lots of early success. Not only are you winning against your age group, you’re beating kids 4 years older than you. Then come the sponsors and you’re ranked as a top prospect and not only is your dream a possibility, you’re actually on a trajectory to become that pro athlete. Now imagine you have an injury that is undiagnosable and untreatable by even the best doctors and specialists and that dream that was in your sights is gone. You realize your identity was tied to something that is now over and you don’t know who you are anymore. What would you do? Kirsten (Lewis) Robles doesn’t have to imagine, because this is her story. Kirsten’s First Act of tennis is marked by the highs of success, the lows of circumstances out of her control, and the gratitude of a second chance and new identity. https://www.tiktok.com/@thenextactpod [https://www.tiktok.com/@thenextactpod] https://www.instagram.com/thenextactpod/ [https://www.instagram.com/thenextactpod/] https://www.youtube.com/@thenextactpod [https://www.youtube.com/@thenextactpod] (00:00:00) - Intro (00:22:00) - Cheers to Next Act: Alex Morgan (01:06:00) - Kirsten Intro (03:29:00) - First Act: Athlete DNA (04:55:00) - First Act: Discovering Tennis Talent (08:19:00) - First Act: Elite Tennis Prospect (11:05:00) - First Act: Injury Period (13:27:00) - First Act: Identity Shift Out of Tennis (19:19:00) - What Separated Tennis? (22:54:00) - Getting Back to the Pros? (24:16:00) - Why Kentucky Tennis? (27:44:00) - Day in the Life (31:45:00) - What Separated Kirsten as a Player? (37:28:00) - Favorite Memory: Alabama Homecoming Comeback (42:34:00) - Mindset Going Into a Big Match: Empty the Tank (47:28:00) - Favorite Part About UK?

DRAFTING College Football Bowl Games with the MOST AURA

In College Football, some bowl games make you cringe when your team plays. There's no extra prestige or bragging rights in winning or even being there. So which bowl games throughout history have the most Aura? The games where it feels like there's more on the line. The bowls that carry more pride in victory, and more sting in defeat? Keiton and Matthew's picks may surprise you in another installment of the TNA DRAFT series.

BLIND RANKING Former Athletes in Media Crews

Many athletes dive into their Next Acts in sports media, especially as part of a gameday crew for the sport they played in their First Act. Which ones do it the best? The first BLIND RANKING kicks off a new series for The Next Act hosts.

ACT 15 - Versatility, Rolling with the Punches, and Leadership in your Next Act, with Chaz Moore

College football is one of the most demanding activities to subject yourself to. It requires you to be “all-in” just to give yourself a chance at success at one position, let alone all over the field. Players from the state of Michigan that have proven it’s possible to be a football Swiss Army Knife include Jabril Peppers, Josh Metellus, and Chaz Moore.  Growing up the son of a football coach, Chaz learned the in’s and out’s of the game that allowed him to have the versatility to play any position his team needed to be successful. His jack-of-all-trades abilities carried his football career from high school to D3 powerhouse Mount Union and back to the great state of Michigan at D2 Davenport University.  But what does this type of versatility look like in one’s Next Act? It looks like managing a painting and remodeling company that requires you to wear many hats, experiencing the other side of playing by coaching high school football, and rolling with all of the unexpected punches life throws you along the way.  I’ve known Chaz since high school, and it was an absolute pleasure to talk with him about his First Act of football (00:03:49-00:09:31), what it’s like to transfer schools as a college athlete (00:09:31-00:13:55), Identity being tied to athletics (00:13:55-00:19:42), The transition out of football (00:24:33-00:29:22), and Navigating changes and uncertainty (00:29:22-00:35:54). Chaz also shares what life looks like now in his Next Act (00:35:54-00:43:13), and Redefining structure and success (00:43:13-00:53:00).  If you’ve ever felt like you lost a piece of your identity after your First Act ended, like you’re drifting through days without an end goal, or that you haven’t found that new passion or purpose that will leave you fulfilled, join us as we learn and grow together on The Next Act. WATCH the full episode and clips - https://youtube.com/@thenextactpod [https://youtube.com/@thenextactpod] Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Tik Tok - @thenextactpod