Girls drop out of sports at twice the rate of boys. The number one reason is not time or talent. It is that sports stop being fun due to overwhelming pressure from coaches and parents. In Episode 37 of Do I Need My Racket?, host Cindy Swain looks at where that breakdown happens. She talks about the power of words and how those words, good or bad, can stay with kids for decades.

Cindy opens the show on the other side of the microphone. A podcast growth agency cold-called her, claiming instant results. After 90 minutes of reframing her answers to a barrage of questions, she said no to a ridiculous $14,000 price tag with no guarantees. It is a working example of how words can be persuasive and powerful tools that can create doubt.

Drawing from 10 years of high school sports announcing and as a lifetime athlete and coach, Cindy shares real life stories of girls and coaches. Some examples build them and some tear them apart. She calls all of us to be accountable for what we say, because words matter more than we think!

A small town girl started with a simple song. She’s now a big town woman and writing a worldwide symphony. Listen to Bonnie Lowe share her heartfelt story.

Its been 50 years since Podcast host Cindy Swain lost her sister Carla to heinous crime. She shares insight into pain loss love and healing.

Brittany Beaubien works harder than 70% of us at the gym. She does it with so much poise and grace that the rest of stop and watch.

When you touch an ocean on one end with grace hope humility strength courage and love…..what do you find on the other end?

The sun connects us with life. We watch the same sunsets but with different views. Victoria Gutierrez, Fort Hays State University women’s wrestling coach, is empowering young women to be confident, strong, resilient, and self reliant all under the Kansas sun….same sunsets with different views.

Everyone has a Breaking Point. Hannah Miller, former Olympic hopeful figure skater, describes that exact moment for her. Now she’s moving beyond the ice and changing the world.

Karen Sprinkel-Ancelet, renowned trauma expert, author, and podcaster talks tennis, trauma, and what to say.

Why do women think their story is not important or valued? Overcoming cancer, running 17 -100 mile ultramarathons and hiking the Appalachian trail is absolutely a story worth hearing.

Be unapologetic about who you are and who you want to be: Brickyard - Sugar and Scream - Maditude Adjustment - The Great Aches State - Cream Cycle