By Halley Griggs
A question I often ask my players is simple, but powerful: What drives you? Who drives you?
This is a new take on The Draw — a Monday motivation moment to kick off the week. Because goals don’t exist in a vacuum. Once you set one, there’s a roadmap. And along that road, there’s usually someone who helps move you forward — someone who challenges you, sharpens you, and ultimately makes you better.
As a coach, I’ve always believed that growth happens when you lean into the hardest matchup.
Ellie Johnson is a defender who demands your best — physical, fast, disciplined, and relentless. You know when you’re going up against her that you’re going to have to lock in mentally and raise your level. And the players who sought her out in practice weren’t avoiding discomfort — they were preparing.
I think about Katie Barr in those moments. Going against Ellie in practice wasn’t about winning the rep. It was about getting ready for the reality that, on game day, she was going to draw the best defender from opposing teams. Ellie helped prepare Katie for exactly what she was going to face — and that preparation mattered.
The same was true with players like Chloe Humphrey, who consistently wanted to go at Ellie in 1v1s. Not because it was easy, but because she understood that the challenge itself was the training. In pushing Ellie, she was also being pushed. That’s how standards rise.
I learned this lesson as a player long before I coached it.
At Syracuse, our mile and 300-yard shuttle runs were clear benchmarks. They told us what kind of shape we were in when we entered the season, and whether we were improving as the year went on.
One of my teammates, Lindsey Steeprock, understood that better than anyone. She wasn’t the fastest player on the field — but she had the fastest 300-yard shuttle time. She did the homework. She knew exactly what that test demanded, and she prepared for it relentlessly.
After falling short of making the team her first year, she came back with a goal: make the team. She trained with intention. She nailed the benchmark. And in doing so, she raised the bar for everyone else.
I knew that, on 300-yard shuttle days, if I lined up anywhere near Lindsay and stayed close, my time was going to be better. She became the standard. And standards, when set the right way, make everyone around them better.
So, heading into this week, ask yourself:
What’s the benchmark you’re training for?
Who is the person helping prepare you for the hardest matchup?
And are you doing the homework required to meet the moment?
Find your Ellie.
Find your Lindsey.
Be the teammate who raises the bar.
That’s Monday motivation. Let’s get after it. 🥍