GRL Talk: Real Conversations for Real Growth
Essays and tools on leadership, agency, and the stuff nobody hands you a script for — real, not perfect.
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Pickleball Is Losing the Plot (And So Are We, If We Let It)
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.
Belonging Isn't a Bonus, It's the Playbook
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.
Why we love sports movies: Belonging Before the Win- Why Sports Movies Still Move Us
Watching Little Giants with my son reminded me of something sports movies have always gotten right: belonging comes before success. From The Sandlot to Remember the Titans, these stories resonate because most of us have felt like outsiders at some point — and finding a place where we belong changes everything.
Is the Pink Tax Real? What Girls Learn About Worth Before They’re 18
The pink tax is real — and it teaches girls early lessons about worth, fairness, and belonging. Here’s how it shows up in sports, school, and leadership.