Live from the Stanford Wrestling Coaches and Leaders Clinic, this episode is a real, in-the-room conversation about what it actually takes to grow girls wrestling. Moderator Ellen Tillman leads a panel with Alex Glaudé, Wendy Lien, and Becky Clark, digging into the barriers that keep girls out, the reasons they leave, and what it takes to get more women into coaching and leadership.

We discuss the fear of being the only girl in the room, the conversations nobody has about weight and body image, what changes when girls actually see a female coach, and the practical stuff: team rituals, all-girls practices, interest meetings, that keeps girls in the sport once they've started.

A note on the audio: this was recorded live in front of an audience, so you'll hear some audience questions and comments mixed in, and the sound quality shifts here and there. We kept it in because the conversation is worth it.

More on the panelists:

Ellen Tillman - Executive Director and Founder of Beyond the Podium. Women’s Varsity Head Coach at American High School and a middle school coach with Fremont Warrior Wrestling Club. Purdue University Graduate with a B.S. in Youth, Adult, and Family Services, where she also served as manager of the wrestling team. Her professional experience includes Teach For America, Beat the Streets Bay Area, the Parent-Teacher Association at the site, city, and district levels, and various roles within her local school district. Across her work in education, athletics, and youth development.

Becky Clark - founder and head coach of Grit N Grace Academy in Watsonville, California. 2nd at the 2002 California Girls State Wrestling Championships (63kg) before wrestling collegiately at Menlo College. She earned Women’s College Wrestling All-American honors in 2004 (67kg) and 2005 finishing 3rd (72kg). Assistant wrestling coach at Watsonville High School.

Alexandria Glaudé - Assistant Women's Wrestling Coach at Menlo College. 2025 US World Team Member at 72kg, 6x US National Team Member, 2x Collegiate National Champion, 2x US Open Champion, Pan American Champion, U23 World Bronze Medalist

Wendy Lien - Parent of two wrestlers since 2017, who attended Blach Intermediate School and Mountain View High School (MVHS). Served as a parent lead for the MVHS wrestling team for the past 8 years. Treasurer of the CARTC/CWC

What makes a great coach?

It’s not just about teaching skills or winning games/matches. The coaches we have, especially when we’re young, can shape our confidence, our relationship with sport, and even the way we see ourselves.

In this episode of Weigh Ins, I sit down with Rayelle Ross to talk about the coaches who shaped her athletic journey, the difference between being pushed and simply being criticized, and what it really means for a coach to invest in an athlete as a whole person.

Rayelle shares her experiences as a previous collegiate basketball player, Licensed Social Worker and PhD student, navigating different coaching styles, transitioning from male to female coaches, as well as being coached by her own father.

Together, we explore the balance between tough love and genuine support, the role coaches can play in an athlete’s mental and emotional well-being, and why understanding an athlete beyond their performance can completely change the coaching relationship.

Because coaching isn’t just about developing better athletes. It’s about helping develop better people.

BONUS SOLO EPISODE :)

Recently, someone on instagram asked me how I deal with the fear of never being as good as I was before my injury? Everyone is still continuing to get better and I'm sidelined...

Valid question.

This question got me reflecting back on the first time I tore my ACL and both meniscus 5 years ago. While an injury is never ideal, it can produce a lot of good if you're open to it.

In this episode of Weigh Ins, I sit down with 2x Rugby Olympian & Olympic Bronze Medalist, Naya Tapper, to talk about the unlikely path that led her to elite rugby.

We dive into what it means to be a Black woman in physically demanding sports, the pressures of leadership, learning to be okay with being misunderstood, and why sometimes being a good leader means being willing to be the “bad guy.”

This week on Weigh Ins, I sit down with Randi Miller, 2008 Olympic bronze medalist and one of the pioneers of women's wrestling in the U.S., competing at a time when the sport barely had a platform for women, let alone Black women. She was one of my earliest role models in this sport; people used to tell me to watch her because our body types were similar, and having that representation meant more than I realized at the time.

We talk about what it took to navigate somewhat uncharted territory— finding her voice and her confidence when it felt like things were stacked against her, and what she carries from that journey into how she shows up as a coach today.

Honest, unfiltered, and long overdue. Weighing in on what matters.

Real weigh-ins measure what's true, and so does this show.

Instagram:

@weighinspodcast

@coach_randi_8

There's always been this assumption that you can't coach boys the same way you coach girls... turns out there IS a coaching method out there that can and HAS worked at the highest level.

This week's guest is my high school wrestling coach–– a Canadian National Champion in wrestling and judo, a Pan-Am and Commonwealth champion, and an Olympic hopeful whose journey changed forever three weeks before Trials. We talk about coaching without ego, leading from love instead of control, and what it's like being a woman who coached boys' varsity, JV, and girls' wrestling all at once— often the only female head coach in the room. Honest, unfiltered, and long overdue.

Real weigh-ins measure what's true, and so does this show.

INSTAGRAM & TIK TOK

@weighinspodcast

BONUS SOLO EPISODE, woohoo!

Join me on the scale while we explore the perceptions of age, the significance of success at different life stages, and the importance of living wholeheartedly regardless of age. I'm sharing personal insights on aging, societal expectations, and embracing authenticity. I had one too many people tell me I don't look 29 and that clearly sent me on a spiral 😂

In this episode, I sit down with my old friend Sydney Hunter, to chat about her journey from track star to American Gladiator. She discusses the importance of confidence, representation, faith, and pursuing passions with purpose.

Watch American Gladiator: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0GSBW6TMF?lv=shuf&channelId=500&plpRedirect=mhFallback

Follow Syd on socials:

IG - @__sydhunter

Tik Tok - @sydbarbz

Following God's will sounds great, that is, until He asks you to walk away from something you love.

Alex built most of her life around wrestling. God spoke to her through wrestling so in some ways, it came as a surprise when He called her to a mission. In this episode, we go back to the beginning: how she found herself on the mat, what her faith has meant to her long before this decision, and the exact moment the idea of a mission stopped being hypothetical and started being real.

This isn't a conversation about giving something up. It's about what it takes to choose your faith when it seems counter to "success", what she was afraid of losing, what she hoped to find, and how she's seen God working in her return to the mat.

Weighing in on what matters.

Angela Hill didn't set out to make history.. She found herself in a Muay Thai gym with plans to just get fit with her husband. Then, the snowball effect took off leading to her becoming the first African American woman to fight in the UFC. In the world of combat sports, an athlete's identity often intertwines with their fighting style and persona. Angela embodies this connection through her journey from a shy child to a fierce competitor in Muay Thai and MMA.

In this episode, we will explore Angela's unique path, how she embraced her fighting persona, and the lessons she learned along the way.

Weighing in on what matters.

Instagram handles:

@weighinpodcast

@angieoverkill

@glaudealex