From playing shorthanded in the championship game to navigating the "bro culture" of youth sports, welcome back to another unfiltered conversation on The Lookback Rule Podcast!In Episode 4, we break down our very first season coaching youth softball in Colorado. We dive into the big decision behind bumping our 10U daughter up to 12U to play with her sister, what draft day looked like as newcomers, and how we built a winning regular-season routine around smart practice strategies and clear communication.Then came the championship game against an undefeated powerhouse. With players out sick, an unexpected emergency room trip mid-game, and only 8 girls taking the field, everything that could go wrong did. Hear how the team rallied for an unforgettable win!We also take on a critical topic in youth athletics: why we desperately need more women stepping into coaching and board positions, how youth sports create future female leaders, and why investing in rec softball matters more than ever.Key Stats Mentioned:Fast-pitch participation is up +19% in two years (SFIA).94% of women executives played sports, and 69% of women who played hold formal leadership roles (EY/espnW, Women’s Sports Foundation).Subscribe for more candid stories, coaching systems, and honest takes on youth sports culture!

Some seasons you play. Some seasons you say goodbye to.

Jeff and Kelly look back at their final season coaching Texas softball: the year that ended with the first Twisters team ring, and the year that ended with a moving truck pointed toward Colorado.

They talk about what that ring actually meant after everything it took to get there, what it's like to coach a season knowing it's your last one with that group, and what it takes to pack up a softball life and start over in a new state.

Rings are great. The people you win them with are better.

Chapters:00:00 Welcome back and recap00:50 It's big girl softball now02:04 I love coaching 12U Softball02:39 Coach Kelly starts actually coaching more as an assistant 04:45 You can't just talk at girls. You need to teach and demonstrate them so they understand05:08 The candy trick11:00 Drama always at tournaments!16:01 Every time we do a tournament the girls level up16:43 She quit soccer and fell in love with Softball20:47 We were known for our team culture 27:30 We closed our chapter with Prosper Baseball and Softball Association (PBSA)

10U is where you find out what you signed up for.

Jeff and Kelly get into their first full season coaching 10U softball: the chaos, the learning curve, and their first real run-in with That Parent. (Every coach gets one. Theirs came early.)

They also relive their daughter's first all star championship, still one of their favorite memories in the game, and talk about how that whole season quietly set the tone for the kind of coaches they are today.

Every coach has a season that shapes them. This was ours.

Jeff and Kelly Mirabella kick off The Lookback Rule by going back to the very beginning of their softball coaching journey. First team, first mistakes, first lessons the field taught them the hard way. If you coach, or you love someone who does, start here.

Two blanks to fill: your posting cadence, and the team or league name if you want it in there for searchability. If you tell me the age level you started with and roughly what year, I can work those in and make it a lot more specific.