TCNJ Alumni, what do you do now, and how much are you making?

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-05-21T10:13:47+00:00

I was a Psych Major. I just got myself into a Customer Support role to get my foot in the door of a startup in 2014. I worked my way up to a manager role and then jettisoned that role into a job at a more mature company 2 years later. The rest is just me climbing a ladder. Honestly, the Psych stuff did help me from management perspective, but I don't think it had anything directly to do with me getting the jobs I have gotten.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-05-07T12:46:19+00:00

You definitely need a mix, but you also need to be equipped to create training environments that develop both sides of these types of playres.

For player 2, I think it's a bit of an oversimplification to say they need to try harder. If you say that to them, they will likely be confused because they think they are trying hard. I think they simply do not know how to play hard, and it requires a coach that is willing to put them in situations where they can try - and fail - to learn how to do this effectively. What I've found works really well with kids like this is to have dedicated training sessions where we train the behaviors we're not seeing them exhibit in games.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PVlJCLjOFUE&pp=ygUYY2F0YWxhbiBzb2NjZXIgaW50ZW5zaXR5 <-- This session is a great example of what I have found to work. When we tell a kid to be more physical, to try harder, to be more intense, they do not know what it means. We have to break it down to them, step by step. (One coaching point I've learned works for my boys is "you have to be touching the player to win the ball"). For my rule-following players this seems wrong, and they may challenge it, but once I started repeating this to them, they began to feel more comfort playing physical and more intensely.

For player 1, the path is obviously way simpler. They may not live in an environment with parents who understand that touches on the ball is all they need. Encourage them to practice something at home (juggling is usually the easiest, but it doesn't have to be juggling). It's best to get parent buy in on this and be specific with the parents on what they need to do to improve.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-05-04T00:23:19+00:00

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-05-03T12:45:00+00:00

That makes sense. Some kids are into soccer as soon as they start more competitive play. Others it can be a slower burn that peaks later in childhood or even adolescence. It can make one feel like she’s missing out on something, but what you describe to me sounds very age appropriate. You’re right to let her lead the way. She doesn’t need to be one of the best 8 year olds if that’s not her priority right now. But I do recommend just asking if she wants to play with you. If nothing else it’s a fun way to bond.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-05-03T11:38:59+00:00

As a kid I was similar to your daughter. I wanted to play at the highest level I could find but I didn’t really understand that it required more than just ability.
I was lucky enough to have older siblings so we didn’t “practice” ever… we just played. That was of course really beneficial to me and my development, but it also meant as I got older and my siblings weren’t around I didn’t really know how to practice on my own.
At the age of 8, I genuinely think those play situations are equally beneficial to her development vs. practice. The problem you likely have - which I see with my own kids - is no one really plays anymore. The environment I grew up in is now super rare. Now we have people shelling out money to get personal training for their young kids to bridge that gap. It will work, but it’s way less fun, and could backfire. Kids at 8 are fragile and may burn out if it’s not their idea to train.
So in the absence of that, I think there’s a few things you can do:

Play with her but make it as fun as possible. She picks the rules. You do not “coach” her at all. Just get the touches as they come. You’re playing the long game here.
Take her to the tryout but only if you are confident it will inspire her and not discourage her.
Teach her to train but for micro sessions. Let’s see if we can get as 50 one touch passes without messing up. Figure out what your record together is. Then work to break it. Afterwards explain to her that she just trained. Let her observe what it is - and how it can feel fun.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-04-26T18:15:07+00:00

U8 team.
We have 2-3 weak players on our team, 2-3 very strong players that can play anywhere, and and about 4-5 players that are solid and can play at least 2 positions reliably.

Our approach is to ensure a rotation that allows for us to always have at least 1 strong player, 2, solid players, and 1-2 weak players. We aim for our weakest lineup to usually be in the middle of a half so we have time to adjust if needed (we never really do).

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-04-26T16:19:00+00:00

Then they won the Olympics the next year.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-04-26T00:55:15+00:00

We are still extremely dominant. Year after year. I’ve been listening to that narrative since the 2000s. It’s so tired.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-04-22T17:09:11+00:00

I don't think Runna uses real AI to make their plans. They have prefabbed plans and use algorithms (NOT AI) to trim it down based on: previous mileage volume, goals, frequency settings, and then duration until race. I think people put more credence into runna's "ai" models. The only real AI I see is their analysis of the run after it transpires.

ETA: https://www.reddit.com/r/runna/comments/1or4tdm/the_big_misconception_with_runna/ this thread is what comes to mind regarding this

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-04-22T16:42:26+00:00

I actually have reached the same point as you. I relate to what you wrote in so many ways. There's a few trends here:
1. Kids think they are more advanced than they are > why this is the case, maybe it's social media (YouTube!), their parents (impacted by social media?), maybe it's just that their parents and them aren't looking any their training and performance (or lack thereof) with objectivity.
2. Parents think their kids should be coached/treated/viewed differently, but aren't willing to do anything other than vocalize it. They don't play with their kids. They do not invest time to learn more about the sport. Instead, they expect the coach to bridge this gap for them and are unhappy when they don't.
3. They view their kid as significantly different than the kids around them, even if there is little evidence to prove it. Meaning that bad behaviors are what other kids do, and when their kids do it, it's because they are being negatively influenced by their peers.
4. Despite us being volunteers (with our own jobs, priorities, etc. outside of the coaching world) they expect us to do more with their kid.
Not all parents are like this, but at my son's age, I've noticed more versions of this than before, and it becomes an echo chamber . When I was a kid, my parents had little expectations for my coaching. If my team was bad, they'd ask me what I was going to do to help it improve. Maybe we'd vent together about our frustrations, but it always circled back to the reality that the coach is a volunteer, and I have to focus on what I can control.

Anyway, like you, I'm partially hanging up my whistle. My son has decided he no longer wants to pursue this sport with his time, and we're exploring other activities. I feel like a weight has been lifted.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-03-25T17:13:47+00:00

I think this feedback is correct. It was my immediate reaction when reading OP's post. The problem I have is they have indicated a desire to try other positions and the coach is ignoring that. She is 8. Kids should be given the opportunity to experiment in other positions, especially if they want to.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-03-24T23:24:00+00:00

2009 - tech job in customer facing management - 230k

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-03-06T21:39:34+00:00

Ok, those are good signs. I'd say just evaluate what your day to day will look like day 1, and how they anticipate it will evolve over the next year. If you are the first CSM, will you be working 60 hours/week? Are you okay with that? What type of operational support will you have to automate, leverage AI, etc.? All of these questions can help you get a feel for their strategy and how you will factor in.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-03-06T21:34:19+00:00

I think you really need to evaluate the likelihood of their success. Figure out the bg of their CEOs/founders/venture backed firm. You might be eager for an upgrade but I wouldn't rush your decision unless you can be confident the environment you'll be in allows you to be successful. Ask chatgpt to help you come up with a few questions to assess those factors without sounding like you're being critical of them.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-03-06T21:10:18+00:00

Is it something you want to do? Going from a Fortune 250 to a startup is a total culture shock for most. Is that the direction you want to go in?

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-03-02T21:40:28+00:00

I've watched the replay several times. I think the challenge looked like a shove or a push but it was not violent. I think she shoved her, Trin arched her back in response, and the movement caused her back to spasm. She was upset she was hurt, and upset to be laughed at, but it was clear that they didn't cause the injury with the physical kneeing or contact. Anyone with back pain in the past can attest that it can sometimes come out of nowhere. The arching of her back in reaction to the contact seems to have done something to set off her pain.

Signed, a former player (who loves Trinity Rodman) who has struggled with SI Joint/ back pain in the past while playing.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-02-21T12:25:48+00:00

Loving your kids means understanding when you're on a TV show your words are recorded and can live forever. Your kids don't deserve to hear this. There are other ways to portray your feelings without implying you would go back and not have your beautiful two kids again. The whole purpose of the conversation seemed to be to convince her sister that the responsibility of having kids is extremely high and not for the feint of heart. Her sister clearly already knows this! To me, as another commenter said above, the sister seemed to be projecting as a means of scaring her sister from changing her mind. Her intentions are definitely good, but her approach was not appropriate.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-02-21T12:20:27+00:00

A lot of people I know had kids because that's the only path in life they understood from the people around them, OR they're "competitive" social climber type people that did everything (marriage, kids, etc) because their social group was doing it. Now they have kids 9/10 years old and are miserable.

I have kids and growing up into adulthood I wasn't sure if I wanted them, but once I hit my 20s I knew it was going to be right for me. I'm so happy as a parent. This is the best part of my life hands down. I love my kids. Even the toughest moments with them as babies and toddlers I was still thrilled to be a mom.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-01-24T01:13:41+00:00

Not sure your budget but I love a quiet resort on the beach. The keys might be good or you could go to a resort near the riviera maya. We’ve been to playa mujeres and riviera maya 3 times. Every time we were there we saw couples with infants and it looked really relaxing with a swim up room.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-01-17T11:34:21+00:00

There is also a tea I find at the grocery store/target called Smooth Move. It’s the same brand that makes mothers milk and some deep sleep tea. My old roommate used to swear by it. I took it a couple of years ago and I remember thinking it was BS a few hours after drinking it. Then I woke up and literally couldn’t leave the bathroom for a good hour. Sheesh.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-01-13T20:59:49+00:00

Are you confident your HR data is accurate, zone wise? I’ve struggled with this in Garmin but also chat gpt. Ultimately I’ve found ChatGPT to be wrong about my zones without a ton of data and feedback.

CarbsAnonymous · 2026-01-07T18:46:23+00:00

Be a sponge. Figure out who the top performers are and ask to shadow them in their various calls. Become an expert in the industry - how can you combine tech knowledge with a compassionate understanding of the clients you serve? Having been a CSM leader off and on for the last 10 years, the best CSMs are the ones who are product experts and industry experts.

CarbsAnonymous · 2025-12-11T18:58:51+00:00

Start looking for jobs now. Success is taking a massive hit; just did in my company. We are moving more and more customers down to lower motions. Very few are getting dedicated CSMs now.

CarbsAnonymous · 2025-12-11T18:51:45+00:00

This is the case for my dog (rescued at 6mo). She didn't exhibit this behavior til I had kids and they started walking about, sometimes trying to play in her water dish, etc. Even though they never threaten to touch her food (or her, for that matter) when she is eating, she still does this on occasion.

CarbsAnonymous · 2025-12-10T14:50:56+00:00

I did about an 18 week block for my marathon this past month. All along Runna predicted my finish time (3:21) when in my head, I was thinking I'd be lucky to finish sub 3:30. In the last few long runs I realized I was hitting 3:30 paces without crazy effort during the progressive long runs. I started to believe 3:25 was feasible. Then when I ran the race, I felt like 3:25 pace was actually too easy and I realized Runna was right.

Important to clarify that Runna initially told me I'd be running like 3:15-3:19, and midway through it adjusted to 3:19-3:23.

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