Welcome to Strong Girl Talk, where we dive into the latest in sports science, performance, and well-being—all with a focus on women and girls in sport. This week Sasha and Molly are chatting about all things back to school for parents, coaches and athletes.

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Back-to-school season is more than sharpened pencils and new running shoes—it’s a chance to reset. For parents, coaches, and athletes, this transition is about more than just schedules; it’s about building habits that set us up for success in sport and in life. Here are our top five reminders to keep the focus on balance, joy, and growth as we head into a new season.

Top 5 Back-to-School Takeaways

* Prioritize Routines, Not PerfectionNew seasons bring fresh starts—build consistent routines instead of chasing flawless schedules.

* Make Sleep Non-NegotiableSleep is the real performance enhancer for both school and sport. Protect those hours.

* Fuel for Focus and PlayEncourage balanced nutrition as part of the day—pack snacks that support both energy and recovery.

* Communicate AuthenticallyParents and coaches, check in beyond “how was your day?” Ask better questions to support kids emotionally and socially.

* Leave Room for JoySchool and sport can feel structured—make sure there’s still time for fun, unstructured play, and moments that spark joy.

This episode is packed with insights for parents, coaches, and athletes—from building routines that last, to keeping sport joyful, to remembering that growth doesn’t only happen on the field or track. Whether you’re heading back to school, into a new season, or just hitting reset, these takeaways are a reminder that the small, consistent choices we make every day shape the athletes—and humans—we become.

Shoutout to Skadi Sports Psych for their newsletter featuring our chat with their latest team addition Hannah Silva Breen plus back to school tips. We spoke with Hannah on June 20th, you can check out that episode here.

We also mentioned a few of our other previous episodes in this episode including The Secret to Raising Active Kids with Juliet Starrett, Our conversations covering World Athletics Return to Sex Testing, and we’re also reminding you about The Art of the Debrief as we head back into the classroom with our kids.

Sports Highlights:

The US Open is underway in Flushing Meadows, NYC! Venus Williams made her return to the court at 45 and with very minimal preparation took a set off 11th ranked Karolina Muchova. US Open former star, and Venus’s sister, Serena, posted last week about using a GLP1 for weight loss and it’s sparked some discussion! What are your thoughts on Serena’s choices?

UCI Mountain Bike is back after a 6-week break. We’re stoked for to watch this weekend following. Kate Courtney’s win and course record at the Leadville 100mi ‘Race Across the Sky’ and some riders having done the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. We were wrong and right in the episode, along with a mountain bike world cup, World Mountain Bike Championships also start this weekend.

Diamond League action is back. Faith Kipyegon ran the 2nd fastest 3000m of all time at Silesia! Nikki Hiltz won their first 1500m Diamond League. Keely Hodgkinsonstamped her return in the 800m, winning in dominant fashion at Silesia and then again two days later in Lausanne. It’s also the Diamond League finals this weekend. Winners in each event get an invite to the World Championships later this month.

We forgot to mention UTMB, the big trail series over in France. We’ll bring some highlights next week but the races have been fab.

The Rugby 15’s World Cup is underway in the UK. Canada is in Pool B having won their first game. Canada plays Wales next on Saturday. Pool play goes through the first week in September with quarterfinals starting the second weekend.

Remember you can follow Molly and Sasha on Social Media including:

Molly - @mollyjhurford @stronggirlpublishing

Sasha - @SGollishRuns @Yellow_Running_Shoes

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