I grew up on courts, and pickleball gave me back the girl who played for the love of the game. Lately, though, the “right way to play” has come with a cold shoulder. A reflection on belonging vs. fitting in, mean girls who never aged out, and who we make room for on the court.

Here are 5 things I wish someone would have told me when I got my first administration job at 30. Maybe they did tell me then but it took awhile for it to really sink in. From listening to meal planning and everything in between.

After a long, amazing, exhausting conference week, a tech-free walk becomes a real lesson in preventing burnout — with the research behind why micro moments of mindfulness actually work, plus simple ways to try it tomorrow.

You didn’t sign up to teach life skills. You signed up to coach a sport. Turns out, for the kids on your roster this year, those might be the same thing. An open letter to every coach starting a new season this month.

I never felt like I belonged on my basketball team, and thirty years later it still shows up when I'm not invited to pickleball. A March 2026 research review says belonging isn't a nice-to-have for kids either — it's a real driver of their mental health and whether they stick with a sport. Here's the science, my son's story, and four scripts coaches can use to build belonging on purpose.

A soccer field conversation about genies turned into a goal-setting framework for kids under 11. Scripts and language swaps coaches and parents can use today.

We journal when everything falls apart, but almost never when things are good. Here's the research-backed case for taking notes on your best days — so you always have a way back.

Celebrating people well starts with truly seeing them. Learn how to notice what matters to others — and avoid celebrations that miss the mark.

Money's tight and everyone's exhausted — but gratitude doesn't cost a thing. Here's the exact 3-step formula (yes, borrowed from leadership training) for writing a thank-you note someone keeps forever, plus four ready-to-use examples.

Two weeks into lacrosse season, I got an email from my son's science teacher. It wasn't about missing work. It was the kind of email parents like me don't always know how to receive. What changed? A team. A place where he belonged. Belonging isn't soft — it's physiological, it's measurable, and it starts with us as leaders. Take the free audit and find out where your program stands.