Calling all moms, friends of moms, spouses of moms, kids of moms—do I have a podcast episode for you!

This is an episode for anyone and everyone, because we all know a mom, and there are a lot of them in the officiating ranks. Laura Praus, a volleyball official from Nebraska, and I tackle our experience as reffing moms in this open, honest, and vulnerable conversation.

Laura is also a board member of the Nebraska Women’s Athletic Leadership Alliance (NWALA) and has valuable insights to share as an athletic leader. She is so smart and so kind, and it was a delight to wade into this fun topic with her.

I hope you enjoy!

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Do you want to become a sports official? If you live in Nebraska, you can go to nsaahome.org to find more information. To find contact information for a state association in another state, click here.

You can subscribe to Her Call at hercall.substack.com (it's free!). Click the link to learn more!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hercall.substack.com

I want to reintroduce two football officials to you on this month’s podcast! Kelli Kaps (Sutherland, NE) and Heather Lee (North Platte, NE) spoke with me recently about their seasons.

We had a ton of fun chatting about how they got started as officials, what they’ve been surprised about, and how gosh dang hard it is to find a good pair of football officiating pants.

Kelli and Heather are two football moms-turned-officials, and they will inspire you with their grit and humility as we discuss their experiences.

And as a bonus, I will share a quick story about how Her Call is making a difference.

Tune in! You won’t regret it :)

P.S. I highlighted Kelli and Heather last fall in a series called “The One Percent”. Read Kelli’s story HERE and Heather’s story HERE.

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Do you want to become a sports official? If you live in Nebraska, you can go to nsaahome.org to find more information. To find contact information for a state association in another state, click here.

You can subscribe to Her Call at hercall.substack.com (it's free!). Click the link to learn more!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hercall.substack.com

The purpose of Her Call is to advocate for greater female presence in sports officiating. Achieving that goal takes a village, and I’m glad to have Ron Higdon as a part of this village.

Ron understands the benefit of adding females to the officiating ranks, and he is intentional toward advancing this goal. He brings a wealth of experience from his coaching days to his current position, and he has used this expertise to sanction girls’ wrestling in Nebraska.

Ron is thoughtful and is always willing to lend a helping hand. I hope you enjoy this conversation!

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Do you want to become a sports official? If you live in Nebraska, you can go to nsaahome.org to find more information. To find contact information for a state association in another state, click here.

You can subscribe to Her Call at hercall.substack.com (it's free!). Click the link to learn more!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hercall.substack.com

If you were around when Her Call launched in September 2024, you might remember my story about this week’s guest (read that story here). Kim Kwapnioski, a volleyball official from Columbus, Nebraska, joined me again in June to continue our conversation.

We discussed her experience, spanning 32 years as a registered volleyball official, and her more recent roles as an NSAA Evaluator and NHSOA Board Member. Kim shares helpful tips for new and seasoned officials while also giving the backstory of Norfolk’s “Volleyball Day,” inaugurated in early June.

Kim is focused, has high integrity, and loves to help people learn the game. I hope you enjoy this conversation!

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Do you want to become a sports official? If you live in Nebraska, you can go to nsaahome.org to find more information. To find contact information for a state association in another state, click here.

You can subscribe to Her Call at hercall.substack.com (it's free!). Click the link to learn more!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hercall.substack.com

In this episode of the podcast, I speak with Jennifer Schwartz, Executive Director of the NSAA. Jennifer discusses her 25-year career with the organization, shares some of her proudest moments, and offers encouragement to officials.

Jennifer is a seasoned professional, innovative, and kind-hearted. I so enjoyed this conversation, and I hope you do too!

To sign up for the NSAA Officials Summit on August 2, please click HERE!

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Do you want to become a sports official? If you live in Nebraska, you can go to nsaahome.org to find more information. To find contact information for a state association in another state, click here.

You can subscribe to Her Call at hercall.substack.com (it's free!). Click the link to learn more!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hercall.substack.com

Sandra Serafini is a former FIFA soccer referee and current evaluator and trainer of soccer referees around the world. She also enjoyed a 17-year career in academia at Duke University with an emphasis in neuroscience/neurosurgery.

Simply put, Fini, as she is known by those around her, is, as they say, kind of a big deal.

It was an honor to interview such an accomplished person, but talking with Sandra was like having coffee with a good friend. She is witty, personable, and smart as a whip.

We had a lengthy conversation that covered a range of topics such as her start as an official, the strategies she used to slay the dragons on the pitch, and how she evaluates officials using clarity and compassion. You will learn some neuroscience as you listen, and might be amazed to learn how old Sandra was when she tossed her first coach!

I think you will love this conversation! Thank you, Fini, for giving your time to our community!

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Do you want to become a sports official? If you live in Nebraska, you can go to nsaahome.org to find more information. To find contact information for a state association in another state, click here.

You can subscribe to Her Call at hercall.substack.com (it's free!). Click the link to learn more!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hercall.substack.com

You are going to love this episode!

Sara Sinani, a track official from Olathe, Kansas, talks about how starting a race is much more than just shooting a gun. We get into the nitty gritty of her craft and have a wonderful conversation about balancing our officiating lives with our relationships and careers.

I highlighted Sara on the Her Call platform in March—you can read that piece here.

Sara is thoughtful and wise, and is not afraid to tap into her emotional side to find joy in her work as a track starter.

I hope you enjoy this discussion as much as I did!

Do you want to become a sports official? If you live in Nebraska, you can go to nsaahome.org to find more information. To find contact information for a state association in another state, click here.

You can subscribe to Her Call at hercall.substack.com (it's free!). Click the link to learn more!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hercall.substack.com

I introduced Megan Herz to you on the Her Call Platform last week, and this week we will continue the conversation! In this episode, I talk with Megan about how she learns her game, and she gives some suggestions for networking. We also talk about officiating at the college level. We discuss camps and clinics, the challenges of working at this higher level, and how this challenge can make us better officials.

This conversation is not just for softball umpires—any official can gain nuggets to help them make their best call!

Megan has over 20 years of officiating experience, and she brings acquired wisdom to this conversation. She is enthusiastic about her craft—don’t miss this engaging conversation!

Do you want to become a sports official? If you live in Nebraska you can go to nsaahome.org to find more information. To find contact information for a state association in another state, click here.

You can subscribe to Her Call at hercall.substack.com (it's free!). Click the link to learn more!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hercall.substack.com

Her Call is a community for female sports officials and those who support them.

In this episode of the Her Call podcast, I interview Jacque Tevis-Butler! She is the head girls soccer coach at Millard West High School in Omaha, Nebraska, and the founder of the Nebraska Women’s Athletic Leadership Alliance (NWALA).

Jacque talks about what makes a great sports official from her perspective as a coach, and also what frustrates her. She shares some great nuggets that can be helpful to sports officials in any sport. Jacque also talks about her brainchild, NWALA. She discusses the history of the effort and what this group aims to achieve for female athletic leaders in Nebraska. Jacque gets real about the isolation that so many female athletic leaders feel but also provides positive tips for navigating this challenge. We discuss implicit bias, networking, and so much more!

Jacque is wise and passionate about providing support for female athletic leaders. Listen in to get to know Jacque and her impressive work!

To join NWALA, go to https://www.nwala.org/membership. Membership is free!

Do you want to become a sports official? If you live in Nebraska you can go to nsaahome.org to find more information. To find contact information for a state association in another state, click here.

You can subscribe to Her Call at hercall.substack.com (it's free!). Click the link to learn more!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hercall.substack.com

Her Call is a community for female sports officials and those who support them.

In this episode of the Her Call podcast, I interview Dana Pappas, Director of Officiating Services with the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). Dana brings her almost 30 years of experience as an advocate for officials to this wide-ranging conversation. We discuss the usual topics: recruitment, retention, and support. But we also dive into mental health and how she as a female has navigated the male-dominated culture of athletic leadership. Dana is personable and knowledgeable--you won't regret listening in.

Do you want to become a sports official? If you live in Nebraska you can go to nsaahome.org to find more information. To find contact information for a state association in another state, click here.

You can subscribe to Her Call at hercall.substack.com (it's free!). Click the link to learn more!

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hercall.substack.com