Jennifer G. (NDI#27) (10 Posts)

Jen has had a fascination with the Disney culture since her first trip with her family when she was 12. After discovering that there was a community of people who were “as crazy as she was” about her love of all things Disney, she started finding ways to visit WDW more often and give back to the community. In 2010, Jen started her own company, Hyperion Travel, and became a Disney Destination Specialist. As an avid endurance athlete and a college volleyball coach, Jen is very connected to the WDW athletic world. She also trained and completed the 2010 Walt Disney World Marathon. As a pet travel specialist, Jen brings unique destination advice to her clients by "experiencing the magic" with her bulldog, Lucy. You can follow Jen and Lucy on Twitter at @hyperionginn and @thedisneydog, or visit her website, hyperiontravelco.com, or Lucy’s website at disneydogblog.com.

Photo Credit: Serena Skretvedt, NDM 332

Every girl is a princess.  It doesn’t matter if you are at Walt Disney World or not.  Of course, there are different kinds of princesses:  the humble kind, the bossy kind, the obnoxious kind.  As a college volleyball coach, I deal with ALL different types of princesses.  And sometimes, 18 year old princesses are the worst (No offense to any 18 year olds reading this).

I am always looking for ways to motivate my players.  Often I lean back on what I know best:  My Disney Spirit.  Walt always had encouraging or real words for his staff.  He was a no nonsense type of guy, and that’s the way I like to be with my players.

Last season, on the day of our first home match, I wanted to find something that would be a surprise and a treat for the girls as motivation.  I could easily find something to write on the white board.  Making cupcakes or a baked good would be an easy fix, but it would also help negate what I had worked all pre-season on, which was to get there behinds into shape!  As the 6 PM game time approached, I was having a very hard time figuring out what I should do.

On a trip up to my local Walgreens for a daily Diet Coke, (I’m coaching 18 years olds – I need all the caffeine I can get!) something caught my eye.  I found some Disney princess lip gloss and body glitter sticks.  There were red ones for Ariel, yellow for Belle, blue for Cinderella, green for Snow White, and pink for Sleeping Beauty.  Perfect!  They would love these!

When I got back to the gym, I tied ribbons around each vial of glittery substance and placed them in front of the player’s lockers.  We wear Under Armour uniforms, so I would often write You Must Protect This House on the board in the locker room.  As I stood there with the dry erase marker in my hand, it came to me.  On the board in big red letters I wrote, “Protect Your Castle!”  Yes, I know.  It is cheesy, but it was a way for me to bring the Disney Spirit to my players.

I am constantly looking for little things to do to work Disney into my professional life as a coach. How do you work Disney into your professional life? I would love to hear your thoughts and ideas. Post a comment on the blog and let me know!

Contributed by: Jen Ginn (NDI#27) Jen is the DDL Pets and Sports Blogger. She is also the creator of Hyperion Travel Company.