Unstoppable Athlete - Mental Resilience for Teen Athletes

#38 - Ready for Tryouts? How to Show Up Prepared and Be Unstoppable S3.2

Tryouts aren’t just about how well you play—they’re about how you show up. In this quick episode, Sara and Michelle break down what athletes can do in the weeks leading u

#37 - Before You Blame the Coach S3.1

When your athlete is frustrated about playing time, confidence, or a coach’s decisions, it’s tempting to step in and fix the problem—but that may not be what they need. I

#36 - Coaches Kids - The Good, the Hard, and the Unexpected S2.18

What happens when the person driving you to practice is also the one running it? In this special roundtable discussion, Michelle sits down with three athletes—Callie, Emm

#35 - 5 Green Flags of a Great Coach (Hint - its Not About the Volleyball) S2.17

Fresh off a weekend of graduations, Sara and Michelle reflect on the relationships, life lessons, and lasting impact that sports can have on young athletes. What begins a

#34 - Beyond “Good Job”: Building Confidence Through Honest Feedback S2.16

Many well-meaning parents and coaches believe confidence comes from praise, but confidence is actually built through effort, growth, and overcoming challenges. In this ep

#33 - The Real Win: What Nationals Taught Us About Success, Sport, and Life

Fresh off what may be her final Nationals as a youth volleyball coach, Sara reflects with Michelle on the lessons that mattered most—not the wins and losses, but the grow

#32 - When Your Teen Pulls Away: Why Coaches, Teams, and Strong Women Matter

In this episode, Sara and Michelle explore the tender and tricky stage of adolescence, when teen girls naturally begin pulling away from their mothers while forming their

#31 - When Sitting on the Bench Is Still Playing for the Team

In this episode, Sara and Michelle unpack a provincial silver medal weekend that became a powerful lesson in team culture, resilience, and competitive maturity. Sara refl

#30 - Coachability: The Skill That Changes Everything S2.12

In this episode, Sara and Michelle start with a conversation about travel, discomfort, and the value of being open to unplanned experiences, using Sara’s upcoming trip to

#29 - Confidence First, Results Follow: The Playing Time Paradox S2. 11

This conversation unpacks the tension between confidence and performance in youth sports, highlighting how many athletes wait for success to feel confident, when in reali

#28 - Playing Time Gets Complicated: What Parents and Players Need to Know About Confidence, Roles, and Team Decisions in Youth Volleyball S2.10

In this episode, Sara and Michelle unpack one of the toughest parts of youth girls volleyball: balancing playing time, confidence, fairness, and team success. Drawing on

#27 - Car Ride Coaching: How Parents Accidentally Crush Confidence S2.9

The drive home after a game is one of the most powerful moments in your athlete’s week. Emotions are high. Identity feels fragile. And what you say — even casually — can

#26 - Holding the Line from the Sidelines: A Volleyball Mom on Parenting Through College Volleyball Challenges

Sara’s long time friend, and former teammate, Kim is the mom of Sadie and shares about the experience of allowing her daughter to figure it out through her challenges. 

#25 - Not All Sunshine and Rainbows - The Untold Side of College Volleyball ATHLETE INTERVIEW

Sara has a chat with Sadie about a pretty bumpy first two years playing US college volleyball. When a coach turns “bad” how to do you stick it out or decide to change pla

#24 - When a player isn't thriving with a coach S2.6

As a parent we can rush to protective mode, but can we get curious first? Asking our athletes questions to help them self-reflect. What is the coaching looking for from

#23 - Mean Girls and Team Dynamics Episode S2.5

Sara and Michelle turn their camera on while they debrief from the past weekend. A few themes came up around team dynamics and the potential appearance of mean girl behav

#22 - When Players Quit COACH EPISODE S2.4

Sara has a question for Michelle about when players choose to quit playing. What can we do as coaches, and what part can the athletes take responsibility for? Top 3 Take

#21 - Empower Her Sport Summit Recap S2.3

Michelle shares her key takeaways from the Empower Her Sport Summit she attended in Calgary, Canada this past weekend. https://www.empowerhersportsummit.com/ Visit www.s

#20 What teens need to know to start goal setting S2.2

Develop the habit of goal setting.  Start by writing them down. This will give you a map of where you want to go and also helps you keep your intention and motivations c

#19 Parent Led Goal Setting for Athletes S2.1

Habit of goal setting.  Process vs performance goals. Bounce back - the skill of recovering from a setback. For perfectionism - focus on effort and know that change comes