“Chest Out. Heart Open.”

Reclaiming a Phrase. Redefining Strength.

It started with a phrase I’ve heard too many times to count.

“Say it with your chest.”

In locker rooms. On sidelines. During arguments.
It shows up as a challenge — a demand to speak louder, bolder, more aggressively. A posture meant to intimidate. A dare to escalate. And most dangerously, a test of whether someone is “man enough” to back up their words.

But what if that phrase didn’t have to mean what it always has?

What if the chest wasn’t a symbol of puffed-up pride or inflexibility, but a container for belief, conviction, and emotional fluency?

When I sat down to flip that phrase, here’s where I landed:

• The chest isn’t where we store ego. It’s where we hold heart.

• It’s not a billboard for bravado — it’s an anchor for values.

• And “saying it with your chest” isn’t about volume anymore. It’s about alignment.

I don’t want our players — or any young man in this work — thinking they have to perform manhood when things get hard. That’s the trap. That’s what leads to harm.

I want them living from a place that’s rooted in something real. Something that doesn’t need to shouted out to be true. Something that holds empathy and strength in the same space.

So we turned all that into a shirt. It’s bold enough to wear. And if you let it — it’ll challenge you to grow into it too.

CHEST OUT. HEART OPEN.
Not puffed to intimidate.
Expanded to make room for what matters: Empathy, compassion and connection.

Coach Prompt #1:

Who on your roster has already earned this shirt? Who do you want to grow toward it?
And what would it mean to order these for your whole program — and then take a moment to explain why before handing them out?

Want to order?

• Single shirts: Click here

• Bundles for teams/schools: Fill out this form

• Custom option: Add your school or program logo to the back neckline

• Prefer to talk directly? DM me with your order request