Real stories.Real impact.
Athletes Speak is where current and former athletes tell the After We Play community what their sport was actually like, on the field and off it. We are looking for you to share yours.
Meet Scott Roussell
The founder of After We Play on what Athletes Speak is, what it is not, and the one question he is asking you to answer.
Your story,in your own words.
There is no camera crew, no production call and no interviewer asking the next question. You get the questions in advance, you sit with them, and you record your answer on your own phone when you are ready.
It does not need to be polished. It needs to be true. That is the only thing Athletes Speak asks of anyone who takes part.
Three steps,and none of them are hard.
Sign up
Fill in the form at the bottom of this page to be a featured Athletes Speak video.
Get the guide
You receive a short how to guide covering how to film your video on your own phone, and the questions to answer.
Record and send
Film it in your own time, in your own words, then upload it with the link we send you.
- Format
- Self recorded video
- Length
- Three or four minutes
- Questions
- One of three, plus the signature
- Tone
- Honest and conversational
Pick one.Then answer the last one.
Three to choose from. Answer whichever one you have something real to say about, and leave the other two.
Tell us about a moment when the game became bigger than the joy of playing it. When did your identity become attached to your performance instead of your love for the game?
What do you wish someone had told you when you were fifteen years old?
Who are you today because of sports? Not because of your accomplishments, but because of what you experienced along the way.
If one athlete hears your story today, what is the one thing you hope they take away?
Scott's shorthand for what counts: identity, failure, a coach who changed you, the season you almost quit, the thing you wish someone had told you when you were fifteen.
The full wording of all four questions is in the guide below.
Set up inabout a minute.
- Use your smartphone, your laptop, or any video camera.
- Natural light is best. A window in front of you, not behind you.
- Speak directly into the lens.
- A simple set up is better. You do not need a stage or props.
- You do not need to memorise your answers. Speak from the heart.
- Speak slowly.
- Film it a few times and keep the one you like best.
Most people speak faster on camera than they think they do. A pause is not a problem. It is usually the moment just before the best thing gets said.
If you stumble, stop, take a breath and start the answer again. Nobody is watching the raw file except the After We Play team.
Athletes Speak self recording guide
What the program is, how to film on your phone, the camera set up, and all four questions in full. Read it before you record.
Share your story.Help make sports better.
You do not need a following, a highlight reel or a perfect story. You need to be willing to say the true thing about what your sport actually cost you and gave you. Fill this in and we will send you the guide.
Athletes Speak submissions are read by the After We Play team. If you are under 18, ask a parent or guardian before you sign up.
One story,one lesson.
The only thing Athletes Speak asks of you is the same thing it asks of every participant: tell the truth.
Somebody is going to watch your video and recognize themselves in it. One story, one lesson, passed from one athlete to another. That is the entire program, and it is why the polished version is worth less here than the honest one.
Free guide
The Complete Athlete
Tell us who you are and the download opens straight away. No cost, and you can unsubscribe whenever you like.
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