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)
- 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.”
Honesty and coming forward is the most liberating thing you can ever do, for yourself. Cool Podcast.
Yet another powerful truth about honesty. True leaders are those who are brave enough to be honest to themselves and to those who love them. For they are the seeds of change and growth for our civilization.
Thank you, Lewis and Robbie for being you and sharing yourselves.
-Truly inspired.
jasontreu yes! robbierogers
LewisHowes have a great Sunday!!!
Thank you Lewis and Robbie for bringing your goodness and authenticity. I am truly inspired to bring my best to the table because of you gentlemen.
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MegNovinskie thanks! robbierogers
Dear Lewis, Thank you for sharing Robbies beautiful, frank, honest coming out story. Indeed courageous thing to do and one that millions of people around the world live in fear. It is a subject close to my heart both child abuse and coming out. I am currently coaching few European celebrities that currently are living in the chains of shame, fear, guilt, and judgments that come from simply being Gay. The homophobia in Sports industry is a reallity for many sports people around the world. Although in UK we have moved quite forward with legislation, the truth remains that most sports man are not out and fear to be out. I set up www.thevelvetjourney.com to help Gay, Straight and Bisexual men be able to Love one another, evolve, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Loved the interview, I look forward to connect. Sending you both Love, Light, and Peace.
@LewisHowes robbierogers thank you guys for doing this interview.. It was a real eye opener, as well as a real touching one for me personally, with an issue very close to my heart.. Being able to express the fullness of your being, and being able to just be yourself fully, no matter what your quirks, what your idiosyncracies, or however you are different from others shouldn’t be something we need to fight or struggle with… it should be ingrained into our society and culture.. And that you’re able to pave the way, by being so bold as to come out, and take a stand, and still be a professional athlete, and thrive in an environment that wasn’t as accepting of being gay in the past, is a real inspiration indeed..
Just found the post you mentioned in the podcast Robbie:
http://robbiehrogers.com/blog/2013/2/23/the-next-chapter
– Lewis, you might want to link that up in the show notes.. It’s a deeply personal, yet moving post, not least because of it’s simplicity and conciseness..
Thanks for being pioneers, in a world where men aren’t encouraged to be open and honest, and keep up a macho appearance.. But where emotions, and being personal are a crucial part of who we are and what we need to embrace as a society if we are to move forward, and thrive, in a world of diversity, and difference..
The healthiest eco-systems in nature exist where there is the greatest diversity in the eco-system, whilst being gay or straight are not ‘huge’ forms of diversity, being able to acknowledge, engage with, and discuss emotions, and feelings opens up a world of being, that just was never a part of the mainstream 100 years ago for men.. For that, thank you for paving the way and being pioneers.. and coming from a place of genuineness and heart..
Honesty and coming forward is the most liberating thing you can ever do, for yourself. Cool Podcast.
Yet another powerful truth about honesty. True leaders are those who are brave enough to be honest to themselves and to those who love them. For they are the seeds of change and growth for our civilization.
Thank you, Lewis and Robbie for being you and sharing yourselves.
-Truly inspired.
jasontreu yes! robbierogers
LewisHowes have a great Sunday!!!
Thank you Lewis and Robbie for bringing your goodness and authenticity. I am truly inspired to bring my best to the table because of you gentlemen.
MegNovinskie thanks! robbierogers
Dear Lewis, Thank you for sharing Robbies beautiful, frank, honest coming out story. Indeed courageous thing to do and one that millions of people around the world live in fear. It is a subject close to my heart both child abuse and coming out. I am currently coaching few European celebrities that currently are living in the chains of shame, fear, guilt, and judgments that come from simply being Gay. The homophobia in Sports industry is a reallity for many sports people around the world. Although in UK we have moved quite forward with legislation, the truth remains that most sports man are not out and fear to be out. I set up www.thevelvetjourney.com to help Gay, Straight and Bisexual men be able to Love one another, evolve, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Loved the interview, I look forward to connect. Sending you both Love, Light, and Peace.
@LewisHowes robbierogers thank you guys for doing this interview.. It was a real eye opener, as well as a real touching one for me personally, with an issue very close to my heart.. Being able to express the fullness of your being, and being able to just be yourself fully, no matter what your quirks, what your idiosyncracies, or however you are different from others shouldn’t be something we need to fight or struggle with… it should be ingrained into our society and culture.. And that you’re able to pave the way, by being so bold as to come out, and take a stand, and still be a professional athlete, and thrive in an environment that wasn’t as accepting of being gay in the past, is a real inspiration indeed..
Just found the post you mentioned in the podcast Robbie:
http://robbiehrogers.com/blog/2013/2/23/the-next-chapter
– Lewis, you might want to link that up in the show notes.. It’s a deeply personal, yet moving post, not least because of it’s simplicity and conciseness..
Thanks for being pioneers, in a world where men aren’t encouraged to be open and honest, and keep up a macho appearance.. But where emotions, and being personal are a crucial part of who we are and what we need to embrace as a society if we are to move forward, and thrive, in a world of diversity, and difference..
The healthiest eco-systems in nature exist where there is the greatest diversity in the eco-system, whilst being gay or straight are not ‘huge’ forms of diversity, being able to acknowledge, engage with, and discuss emotions, and feelings opens up a world of being, that just was never a part of the mainstream 100 years ago for men.. For that, thank you for paving the way and being pioneers.. and coming from a place of genuineness and heart..