In this episode, we meet Maddie, a 16-year-old senior, who is a three-season athlete. She is a driven and competitive athlete, who also loves school and challenging classes. Balancing all she wants can be difficult, but she shares how she learned her limits.

Her dream school would have less structured time for academics, flexible time for sports, good food, a gym and library of course, but more importantly, a mental health center, and mental health days that students could take without penalty. 

For her age, she is very mature, and has some really valuable advice on how we engage with students. Our words have power as teachers and coaches. While we may not be able to prevent every negative impact, knowing that power is really important in these roles.