This episode is a not-to-miss conversation for anyone curious about how lessons from sports can enrich recovery. Hosted by Alysse Bryson, this dynamic episode welcomes Chris Marshall, founder of Sans Bar, and former college basketball athlete and coach Anne Skriba, co-hosts of the “Clean Play Podcast.” Together, they offer profound insights and genuinely motivating stories about the overlap between athletic devotion, community and living a meaningful sober life.
Why Sports and Sobriety Go Hand in Hand
Anne Skriba gets to the heart of the matter in the opening moments: “I speak the language of sport to relay my experience.” For Anne, the discipline of basketball — the practice, the teamwork, the highs and lows — is the template by which she approaches sobriety. Chris Marshall echoes this, drawing a parallel between training and recovery: “Sobriety is a choice we make every single day. That kind of devotion is much like practicing your free-throw shot every day… That’s devotion. That’s love of the game.”
The why behind the “Clean Play Podcast” is clear — Chris and Anne are passionate about helping others discover that the discipline and perseverance they see in athletes is the same energy that fuels a strong, long-lasting recovery.
Building Authentic Community
A central message of the episode is the power of authentic community in both sports and sobriety. Chris and Anne met during online meetings for The Luckiest Club, a virtual sober support group, and quickly bonded over their shared love of sports and their commitment to living sober. This connection led to forming the “Clean Play Podcast.”
“We just kept talking,” Anne laughs. “Chris was like, ‘We should do a podcast.’ And then we just did it.” Sometimes, the best support is found not on the field, but in the willingness to show up and be vulnerable.
The idea of “just push play” became a metaphor for their approach to recovery and life: commit, show up and keep growing, even when you don’t have it perfectly planned out.
Role Models in Recovery: The Power of Representation
The podcast proudly highlights guests who are breaking ground in both sports and recovery. Chris and Anne share their awe at interviewing Lauren Anderson, the first principal Black ballerina with the Houston Ballet, who now also shares her recovery story. For Chris, Lauren was an icon growing up in Houston — her willingness to be “out and proud” about sobriety was incredibly impactful and rare.
Anne also explains their approach to booking guests: “I just DM’d Lauren… and she was so gracious.” This openness reflects the core belief in Clean Play’s mission — that reaching out, sharing and supporting one another is transformative.
Chris and Anne don’t just focus on celebrities; they spotlight the everyday heroes, like John, a Sans Bar regular whose journey to connection and community in sobriety shows just how powerful sober spaces can be.
A Sober Shift in Sports Culture
The episode shines a light on a growing movement: alcohol-free spaces at sporting events and a new appreciation for wellness among athletes and fans. Alysse describes Recovery Day at the Mariners, an event bringing more than 2,000 sober fans together at the ballpark, with alcohol sales turned off in their section. Anne mentions the Oklahoma City Thunder, who famously skipped the champagne after their NBA win, setting an example for young athletes everywhere.
Chris gives the broader context: “Heineken 0.0 outsells alcoholic Heineken in some countries. Globally, people are drinking less.” Mocktails, nonalcoholic beers and sober tailgates are now mainstream, making it easier than ever to enjoy sports — or life’s big moments — without alcohol.
Key Takeaways
Sobriety as a Daily Practice:
The analogy of sports practice to sobriety is the episode’s central theme. Staying sober isn’t about one big gesture — it’s about daily commitment. Like athletes, sober individuals have to “wake up and decide who [they’re] going to be,” Chris urges.
The Universal Language of Sport:
You don’t have to be an athlete to get the message. Anne often worries about “going too deep” with sports analogies, only to find listeners relate to the lessons of dedication, teamwork and resilience.
Community Makes All the Difference:
Both sports and recovery rely on authentic connection. Whether you’re playing in a stadium or sharing in a support group, having teammates makes both the tough moments and the celebrations richer.
Role Models Matter:
When high-profile people recover out loud, it chips away at stigma and inspires everyone to pursue health and wellness.
Sober Life is Fun:
The episode closes with humor and fashion — from Bryson’s bedazzled Nike shoebox to sneaker talk — illustrating that living alcohol-free doesn’t mean living dull. “From dance floors to the ballpark, sobriety is framed not as deprivation but as embracing life with presence, memory and passion.”
The Brand’s Why: Playing Full Out in Sobriety
Chris and Anne’s enthusiasm for “Clean Play Podcast” and their sober lives is infectious. Their why is devotion — to both recovery and a purposeful, connected, joy-filled life. “You have to find things to do that you enjoy, because you’re giving up something you thought you enjoyed,” Alysse notes.
For Anne, coaching on and off the court is now her calling, helping others navigate identity shifts and find purpose in sobriety. For Chris, community-building remains at the core of Sans Bar and his advocacy.
The “Clean Play Podcast” reminds us that we can transform the energy once spent on self-destruction into the pursuit of greatness, connection and fun — both on the court and far beyond.
Sober or sober-curious, remember: The game of life is best played full out.
Hosted by Alysse Bryson & Tamar Routly, and produced by Podcast Impact Studio, The Sober Curator Podcast brings sober lifestyle, pop culture, & recovery to the mic. Alongside Alysse & Tamar, rotating global contributors join as co-hosts to explore zero-proof drinks, sober travel, quit lit, entertainment, & mental health. This is sober media with personality, perspective, & a glitter bomb of honesty. Sober-curious or living alcohol-free, we’ve got you! We’re not here to help you get sober. We’re here to help you live sober: and love it.
Some people look at a mountain and see a party. Ben Coombes used to be one of them: magnums of rosé at lunch, shots on the chairlift, and more near misses than he can count. Then he tried something nobody in a ski resort does. He did a sober season.
Now Ben runs Soberski, alcohol-free chalet weeks in Méribel in the French Alps, and he’s our newest Sober Curator contributor. Alysse and Tamar (a snowboarder, it turns out) talk with him about what happens when you keep the mountain and lose the après.
In this episode:
Ski, work, or drink: pick two. Ben’s seasons driving guests for a luxury chalet company
The sober season that became an Instagram page, then a business
The first booking came from New Jersey, and Ben thought it was a scam
Never skied? Ben’s guest who went from zero to flying around the mountain in about six hours of lessons
Private chefs, cold plunges, daily yoga, and evening workshops
The January 22 to 29, 2027 week in Méribel, and who it’s for (sober, sober curious, or just done with hangovers on holiday)
Ben’s pick for your queue: “The Gentlemen” on Netflix
Why Ben didn’t build a support group on a mountain. He built a room.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Cold open
01:29 You got sober. Now what?
04:06 Falling for the mountains at 21
05:13 Ski, work, or drink: pick two
06:36 The sober season experiment
08:43 Tamar’s 20-year-old snowboarder brain
09:36 Rosé at lunch, shots on the chairlift13:41 A word from our sponsor: Aura House
14:30 January 2027 in Méribel
15:34 North Americans welcome
18:06 Never skied? Start here
24:39 Watching strangers become friends
28:53 Pop culture pick: The Gentlemen
31:36 The Sober Swap, new in Backstage
35:13 Yoga, cold plunges, evening workshops
37:48 He didn’t build a support group. He built a room.
38:37 Where to find Soberski
Sober Shots:
“If I can not drink in a ski resort, then I can probably not drink anywhere.” (Ben Coombes)
“You are allowed to go somewhere ridiculous and beautiful to find him or her.” (Alysse Bryson)
Mentioned in this episode:
– Soberski | Instagram @s0berski
– Backstage with The Sober Curator: https://thesobercurator.com/backstage-with-the-sober-curator/
– The Sober Swap, our new October Backstage hang
– Krysty Krywko, “Skiing Sober: Rewriting Après-Ski Without Alcohol”
Getting sober matters. Staying sober matters more.
SEASON 2 MERCH: https://shopthesobercurator.com/
This episode is brought to you by Aura House. Save 10% with code TSC10: https://go.shopmy.us/p-64140200
SC RESOURCES: – Meet the Contributors – Alcohol + Substance Use Disorder Guide – Recovery Nonprofit Resource Guide – LGBTQ+ Recovery Resource Guide
CONNECT: www.thesobercurator.com | The Sober Sip newsletter: https://www.thesobercuratornewsletter.com/ | @thesobercurator on Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube + Pinterest
Love the show? Rate, review + follow. It takes 60 seconds and helps more people find us. Feedback + guest ideas: thesobercurator@gmail.com
Hosted by Alysse Bryson with co-host + producer Tamar Routly. For informational and entertainment purposes only; not a substitute for professional advice.
Music: TSC S2 theme “Sober Shots” created by Alysse Bryson using Suno AI, under Suno’s commercial license.
THE MINDFUL BINGE: Running Point Review: Kate Hudson Runs the Show—And I’m So Here for It! ????
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