what parents and Student Athletes Say About Working With Us

Our daughter Miranda was transitioning from an EDP league team to a top ECNL Soccer club and she was looking to build her self confidence and discipline to excel in her new team. This implied an even bigger time commitment, which, combined with the academic demands of a top prep school, required outstanding time management skills.

Working with Jen & Luke in the one on one sessions made a tremendous difference because conversations were completely focused on her, and her challenges and her opportunities.

Working with Jen & Luke helped Miranda to clarify and prioritize her goals, on and off the field, and structure them into achievable and measurable actions to gauge her progress and maintain focus.

It enhanced her confidence and reduced performance anxiety when playing at a top level and with/against older players (she was one of only two freshman on the Varsity team).

It helped her establish a mindset of self-awareness and reflection to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement to continue progress towards goals.

Miranda’s confidence to take on any new challenges was boosted. She did not hesitate and was more vocal about her goals and became more effective communicating with coaches and teammates. She walks into challenges without fear and with confidence and that has opened opportunities to take on tougher situations without hesitation.

She seemed to really enjoy the 1-1 coaching program with Jen & Luke. She always finished her sessions with a smile and a renewed sense of accomplishment, understanding of things she did well, and a calm but focused mindset to tackle opportunities going forward. She was calm and collected and confident to take on the next set of challenges. Every single time, she remarked how helpful Jen and Luke were, and how they listened and provided tailored guidance, which was incredibly motivating to stay on course.

The price of the coaching program was absolutely worth it! We believe that the skills she gained go far beyond her performance in soccer. They will help her in many other aspects of growing into a confident and strong young woman. In a time where teenagers face so many pressures and communication overload, this program cuts through all of that to turn life’s challenges into something that is achievable and not stressful.

Each conversation with Jen and Luke truly brought joy and personal growth to our daughter. The combination of two different, but aligned perspectives with experience competing at the highest level, was a powerful reinforcement of the strategies and tactics that would help our daughter achieve her goals.

We believe that any student-athlete who wants to compete at the highest level and is transitioning from Middle School to High School or from High School to College would benefit from working with Jen & Luke. These are crucial transition points in their lives, and having Jen and Luke as mentors is truly an exceptional opportunity.

The value of this investment in your child’s growth and future goes beyond athletic performance. This program builds confidence, structure, and awareness that helps them take on challenges in social, school, and highly competitive athletic environments. It really takes a village to raise highly competitive student-athletes and Jen and Luke’s ability to connect with teenagers and their expertise is a rare find. They are truly committed to your child’s success and are partners with you.

~ Laura and Louis (Parents) and Miranda (Freshman Soccer Player)

“Before joining Her Power Academy I was doubting myself a lot.

I put so much pressure on myself.

After losses I would be really miserable and I’d not talk.

I was scared of making mistakes. I was feeling anxious and depressed and it got to the point where I didn’t want to play anymore.

Some of the benefits I experienced through going through the HPA program are that I am now more confident on the field.

I am more comfortable with my position and my skill level.

I no longer worry about others very much.

Now I think about the mistakes and how they can help me improve rather than being stressed by them.

The way I’m eating has improved a lot thanks to the nutrition module.

Before the program I would have no rest days even if my body was in pain.

My mindset was “if I am resting, someone else is working.”

Now I’m taking care of my body a lot more.

If a hamstring is hurting, I ice it and take care of it more than I used to.

I do focus on recovery a lot more now because I don’t want to take a year out of my season because I didn’t take care of my body. And I don’t want to get burned out for college.

The thing I most enjoyed about the program was after meetings or watching videos I’m less stressed. They relieve the stress off of me. I get to talk about what’s going on each week which helps me a lot.

Over the past 12 weeks the depression I was experiencing went down from an 8 to a 3. And the anxiety I was experiencing went from a 9.5 to 3 or a 4.

The thing I really enjoyed was the separate modules and learning different life skills in each one.

And I mostly enjoyed the live coaching calls where we asked questions and Jen and Luke would give us feedback.

Even when listening to the other girls’ questions, I’d use Jen and Luke’s answers and apply the tools to my life now and also to the future when I’ll need that information.

Overall it was really great for me because before I joined HPA I was so down on myself and had so much anxiety. Now I’m less anxious and less hard on myself and a happier person. Now I am going into my junior soccer season (as one of the fittest players on the team!!) and starting back up with school in the fall, and I think these new tools will continue to benefit me a lot.”

~Katelyn, 16 YEARS OLD

“Before enrolling Katelyn into Her Power Academy we were ready to get her a therapist because of the anxiety and depression she was going through.

She took to heart what everyone else would say to her. She was feeling a lot of pressure to perform and score for the team and the fans.

She was always so hard on herself and it was making her miserable. She used to be miserable after practices and that wasn’t her usual self because she loved the game. It just got too much and it started affecting her school work and the rest of her life.

Since joining Her Power Academy I’ve seen the difference in Katelyn. You can see the difference when she comes home now after practices and games. She used to be miserable after practices. Now she is smiling again!

She learned a lot about nutrition and other life skills inside the course portal. She’s learned not to listen to teammates who give her a hard time, she’s learned how to not be so hard on herself, and she’s learned how to enjoy the game again.

She is a much happier person. She really enjoyed all parts of the program, especially the 1-1s as part of the Elite program.

The positivity with her is amazing. Jen and Luke are so upbeat and positive. Everything she has said about Jen and Luke has been wonderful.

She has told us multiple times that this was the best Sweet 16 present.

The program honestly made such a positive impact. She is such a different person now. I can’t express how much of a difference Her Power Academy made for her. Thank you again. Jen and Luke came into Katelyn’s life at a perfect time.”

~SANDY

MOTHER OF KATELYN, 16 YEARS OLD

“Before signing up to the Her Power Academy program my daughter Audrey was experiencing anxiety. She was stressed about school and was unable to sleep at times due to the anxiety and this was making things more stressful for her. We were noticing she was beginning to drift in certain areas.

Some of the benefits Audrey experienced going through the HPA program were the life skills you don’t usually get as a 13 year old girl, like how to deal with anxiety and how to use her time better rather than procrastinating.

We even noticed that after we got back from a trip away Audrey took the lead on a family project by making a list of what we were going to get done and when. This is when I noticed the young woman coming out.

What a great opportunity for her to get a head start on these tools (rather than through trial and error). You gave some structure to her thinking around nutrition, helped her build foundational tools for the anxiety, and helped her move closer to her goals. She is feeling so much better having a handle on the anxiety.

I think she’s carrying herself differently and has much more confidence.

On the soccer field, she’s able to reflect and have a better sense of what she wants to do.

She is able to figure out what her goals are and to figure out what she needs to do to get to her goals, which is huge.

Overall it’s given her a sense of confidence and awareness of herself. I feel that will really support her as she heads into these new places where she has to make new choices and decisions… Where she has to figure out how to come to those decisions and be solid with the path she’s making.

I would say the Her Power Academy program would be ideal for young student athletes going into high school and college. Probably 8th graders and on. Anyone in a transition period would benefit too.”

~Parents of 13-year-old Audrey

“We sought out HPA because Maggie wasn’t reaching her full potential like she was before. It felt like there was something holding her back. We knew her skills were there but she was missing a little something. Also, as a parent, you don’t want your child feeling stressed out in her sport. And Maggie was experiencing some of this.

We met Jen through a workshop she did for our soccer club. And I was surprised that I didn’t have to push Maggie to get on the free strategy session with Jen. Maggie really wanted to do it! Once we had the strategy session with Jen we all felt it was something that we were looking for to help guide Maggie in the right direction.

Now Maggie seems more confident in general: on the soccer field, as well as in her personal life with starting high school, and in her general demeanor. In Illinois, we didn’t go to school for a year and a half with COVID, and as part of that friends, groups changed. I do think that was hard for Maggie. So developing that self-confidence and social skills and getting to know herself on a deeper level at HPA really helped her.

We definitely feel that Her Power Academy was worth it.

I recommend HPA to student athletes who are engaged and self-motivated (vs the parent forcing it on them). I think that helped Maggie get more out of the program.”

~Leanne, Mom of 14 Year Old Maggie

~HUNTER, 14 YEARS OLD

“Before joining Her Power Academy I was experiencing anxiety, was stressed about school, and was unable to sleep at times due to the anxiety and this was making things more stressful for me.

What I most enjoyed about working with Jen and Luke was the 1-1s I had. Because they were able to have a little more focus on me and the specific stuff I was having a hard time with.

I also enjoyed the weekly calls because I could ask questions and listen to other girls’ questions that related to my life. To hear and learn from the experiences of the other girls in the program was really helpful.

The workshops were great too. I liked the performance anxiety workshop and I liked the back-to-school planner workshop (FYI at HPA this is now called the Quarterly Goals & Plan Creation workshop).

I learned a lot from the course and a lot from Jen and Luke in the coaching groups.

I now have much less anxiety, better social skills and feel less worried and more confident.”

~Audrey, 13 years old

“What inspired me and my parents to sign on at HPA is that sometimes in soccer I didn’t feel as confident as I should have. My dad kept saying: “You’ve got to get your swagger back.”

Some of the benefits I experienced going through the program at HPA is that I got my swagger back!! I’m playing free now. I’m not afraid of making mistakes. I’m playing how I want to and also being myself. In the past when I’d make a bad pass I used to make it a bigger deal than it was. It used to get to me a lot. Now, instead of making it a big deal, when I make a mistake I just say: “It’s ok, next time do this instead, or try this.” When I am in the situation again my plan usually works.

My confidence overall has improved… In school, with my school work I am more decisive. Instead of second guessing myself I stay with what I feel is right. I’m also more calm in social situations.

What I enjoyed most about HPA is that the assignments were really clear and not difficult. And in the weekly coaching calls, if I didn’t want to say something (because I wanted to learn from listening), Jen and Luke didn’t force us to. It was always an option. Jen and Luke were understanding and gave different solutions to help.

I recommend HPA to girls who are lacking confidence and don’t know how to improve.”

~Maggie, 14 Years Old

“Some of the benefits I experienced from going through the HPA Program were to my confidence in social situations. I’ve never really been outgoing except for people who I’m close with. I’m more of an introvert who prefers alone time.

But I learned that I could expand my social life. I am now more outgoing. In soccer tryouts, I am now introducing myself. Before somebody would have to talk to me first. Now I will introduce myself to others.

Also, I realized that a lot of other girls in the program were going through the same things as me. I used to feel like I was alone and the only one. Knowing that there were other people going through the same things and that they were overcoming them… That helped me a lot.

The biggest results I got are that I love that I can understand myself better now. I got to know myself better and what I like better (for example: hobbies I’m going into, and I’m getting into good routines that I’m used to and that really work for me).

I loved the course and how it was fun to go through. I liked the personal 1-1 calls the best. I feel really lifted and happy when I’m with Jen and Luke. I also like the group calls too because I get to hear about the other girls’ problems and we all get through them together.

I would recommend Her Power Academy for people who have some struggles in social life, confidence, friendships and their sport.”


~ CORI, 14 YEARS OLD

“Before we started working together I lacked confidence in relationships, myself and in what I wanted. Nutritionally I wasn’t making the healthiest decisions for myself. I wasn’t feeling right in my own body. Jen basically helped me with everything: nutrition, relationships, fitness, thriving in my own body. She knows exactly how to help people with that, it works really well and she’s really good at it. I remember basically everything we talk about because she teaches it in a way that I am able to apply every single day. Now I feel cleaner. I feel better about myself. I feel more confident. I feel balanced. Jen helped me go from zero to 100. She helped me grow from a girl into a young woman. She played a big part in that.”

KASEY, 15 YEARS OLD

“It’s so important to learn what Jen teaches – nutrition, relationships, self-care, mindset, intuitive eating, proper hydration – because I had no idea and now I feel so much power and I’m still learning so much. It’s amazing, wow! If you told me 5 months ago that ‘this is who you’ll become if you just put in the effort and work with Jen…’ I wouldn’t have believed it. And it seems like such a short time for such a drastic change… but I’m just so grateful that I’ve grown so much, I have such a better perspective, and have so many more tools that I can use for different situations (that I definitely did not have before). I know that she is coming from a place of 100% wanting to help, not wanting to sell something.”

HAYDEN, 14 YEARS OLD