Empowering the Next Generation: Girls Softball, Leadership, and the Power of Women Coaches
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of leading a softball clinic for the Millbrae Girls Softball Association. About 50 players, ages 4–10, joined us to prepare for the upcoming season. Together, we worked on throwing and fielding fundamentals, shared lots of encouragement, and exchanged plenty of high fives along the way. While every player showed […]
Next One’s Good: Teaching Young Athletes Confidence, Focus, and Mental Toughness
Graham Betchart is a well-known mental performance coach for basketball players, and I recently had the opportunity to hear him speak. He founded a mental skills training firm and is the author of Play Present. Betchart teaches athletes to focus on the “game within the game,” encouraging them to stay fully present rather than playing […]
Creative Softball Practice Ideas for Youth Coaches
Last week, I led the Spring Coaching Clinic for the Pacifica Girls Softball League. This season, the league is implementing age-specific skill development standards and providing coaches with structured practice plans to support player growth. During the clinic, I shared practical tools and strategies to help coaches confidently and effectively implement those plans with their […]
Helping Players Calm Big Emotions in Youth Sports
At a recent coaches’ workshop, a coach asked me how to handle a crying player whose feelings had been hurt. I gave a brief answer in the moment about how a coach can help manage big emotions, but the question stayed with me. It immediately reminded me of Dr. Lisa Damour’s glitter jar metaphor. Dr. […]
Coaches as Energy Managers: A Simple Framework for Leading With Intention
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about how coaches are, at their core, energy managers. We are constantly paying attention to what’s happening with our teams and individual players. Reading the room, noticing shifts, and responding in real time. Most often, coaches and leaders are energy givers. We observe what’s needed in a moment and […]
A Year of Leadership, Consistency, and Growth in Women’s Sports
The Positive Coach – 2025 Year in Review At the start of 2025, I didn’t know how much would change by the end of the year. What I did know was that I needed to stay open. Open to learning, to letting go, and to what came next. Looking back now, I see a year […]
Leadership Lessons from Coach Natalie Nakase and the Golden State Valkyries
This weekend I had the opportunity to hear Golden State Valkyries Head Coach Natalie Nakase speak at The Golden State Foundation’s Coaches Unplugged. Coach Nakase broke records and shattered glass ceilings in her first year as a head coach, earning the WNBA’s Coach of the Year Award after she led the Valkyries to the first-ever […]
Book Review: Coaching Gen Z with Betsy Butterick’s Strategies
Betsy Butterick’s new book, Kids These Days- Effective Strategies for Coaching Gen Z and Beyond, is a fantastic resource that I recommend adding to every coach’s toolbox. Butterick combines research and her own experience as a communication specialist and executive coach for college athletic departments, coaches, and athletes into practical tools coaches can implement immediately […]
How Sports Build Leadership: Four Coaching Strategies to Empower Young Athletes
Learning to lead is one of the greatest gifts my experience playing youth sports has given me. From an early age, I recognized myself as a leader and understood how my energy and demeanor could influence a group. I knew what it felt like to stand on the mound, take a deep breath, and throw […]
Emotional Safety in Sports: What I Learned from the Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport
This week, I attended a virtual training session for coaches hosted by the Center for Healing and Justice Through Sport (CHJS). Their philosophy is simple but powerful: sports can be a vehicle for healing. Their workshops help coaches understand the science behind emotional regulation and how to create safe, inclusive environments where children can truly […]