Melissa Harder

• Traffic: 2008-2012, 2014-2016
• Birthday: March 5, 1980
• Past teams: Krafty (High School), UBC Thunderbirds (1998-2002), Team Canada 2008, Ruby Cruz, Capitals, Stache, PNW Basic
• Why did you start playing? My high school home economics teacher was Teresa Fong, one of the players on GOO (pre-cursor to Traffic from long ago!). She taught me the game and started a team at our high school.
• What are your greatest strengths as an athlete? Grit. Motivation. Focus. Resiliency. 
• How do you handle pressure? As Billie Jean King once said, "pressure is a privilege". I loved playing in the big games, loved competing with the best of the best on the field. Overcoming adversity as an athlete helps to shape who you are (both on and off the field). On the field, sometimes I would retreat into myself, ask a teammate to help get me out of my funk, throw a little on the sidelines. Off the field, I used to prepare for big games by reviewing plays, talking to teammates about how to be there for them to make sure they were getting what they needed from me.
• How do you avoid burnout? Well, I wouldn't say that I balanced this the best. I had a couple of really serious injuries during my career that mostly sidelined me for big chunks of seasons. I think the advice here is to make sure you're taking care of yourself mentally and physically - find a routine that works for you and adjust and listen to your body when it tells you something.
• Pre-game routine: I'd start with a light jog - this is where I start to connect to myself and focus on what I want to accomplish when I get on the field. Active stretching- getting lose, some chats with teammates doing the same nearby, keeping things light. Sprints - get those legs moving Throws - I would throw in every direction (to understand the wind) but I was also a firm believer that I didn't want to waste my "good throws" in warm up. So I didn't throw a ton, just enough to get a feel for the conditions.
• How do you mentally prep for games? Similar to how to handle pressure and adversity, preparation meant reviewing plays, chatting with teammates, going over specific parts of my game that I'd been working on.
• How do you approach setbacks? Shank (old Furious Alum and former Traffic coach) always used to tell me "Have a short memory". That was about not dwelling on mistakes or miscues. That mentality of trying, failing, regrouping, trying again, succeeding. That's part of the game.
• Do you recommend any resources? To understand the mind of an athlete, I always liked to read their autobiographies. Even Netflix shows like Break Point, Full Swing, Drive to Survive ... you can see how these athletes perform at the highest level, what they do to prepare, learn about their competitive mentality. 
• What is your favorite quote? "Pressure is a privilege" - Billie Jean King