One day when I lived in Columbus, Ohio, I was walking into a coffee shop to watch a soccer game with my business partner, Sean.

Sean pointed out a guy sitting outside the shop as soccer star Robbie Rogers, who had played for the USA in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

I’m pretty clueless about soccer, so I didn’t even know who he was.

But we said hi anyway.

Turns out he had just barely gotten cut from the World Cup team and was feeling down.

That started a friendship that has lasted through the years and across countries.

Today on The School of Greatness, I get to sit down with my good friend Robbie Rogers and talk about something he did that was harder than getting cut from the World Cup Team.

He is the first male professional athlete to openly come out as a gay man and keep playing in his sport.

And he just released a book about this experience, Coming Out to Play.

To say Robbie is an inspiration is an understatement.

On a personal note, Robbie’s coming out was a huge inspiration for me to open up about being sexually abused as a kid. (I shared my story here on the podcast)

If you know someone who is struggling to find the courage to open up about anything they are keeping inside that needs to come out, please share this episode with them.

I am so proud of Robbie and loved catching up with him on Episode 110.

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The School of Greatness Podcast

“Sometimes you have to give people who love you a chance to really love you.”

Some questions I ask:

• What is the feeling like of getting so close to your goal and then getting cut?
• What did people say to you as a kid that made you think you couldn’t be gay and play soccer?
• How long did it take you to write the letter for your site when you came out?
• How did it feel after you hit publish on the post?
• Do you feel like being in the closet held you back in sports?
• What were you afraid of in coming out?
• What message do you have for someone who has been holding onto something for years?

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

• How the locker room can mentally scar kids
• What happened when he came out publicly online (his story went viral)
• The struggle in being open about his life after keeping it all in for so long

• What he would have done differently earlier in his life
• About the opportunity he has to connect and talk to his team about being a gay athlete (and their support)

“Going into detail is what helps people connect.”

• The damaging effects of keeping  such a big part of you secret
• What it’s like to learn how to date for the first time in your mid-twenties
• How the process of writing his book helped and challenged him
• Plus much more…

Continue Seeking Greatness:

• Buy Robbie’s new book Coming Out to Play
• Follow Robbie (especially his fashion on Instagram)

Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

• Check out Onnit and their optimal performance products. Use the code “greatness” to get 10% off your next order:

• Music Credit: Stay (feat. Dive Deep) by Daktyl

You may also like these episodes:

• How to Heal Yourself with the Power of Your Mind
• What Sharing My Childhood Rape Taught Me About Being a Loving, Vulnerable, Free Man
• How to Overcome Addictions and Be Courageously Vulnerable with Glennon Melton

Did you enjoy the podcast?

The podcast has been blowing up lately! I LOVE hearing feedback and how these episodes impact your life. Robbie has been a huge inspiration to me. What are you inspired to open up about after hearing his story?

 “You have to give people a chance to really get to know you.”