Women's sports are growing faster than ever, creating new opportunities for the next generation of female athletes.

In this episode of Beyond Her Game, Tori Barker sits down with Jose Sanchez, founder of HERisUS and Women's Flag Football Head Coach at UC Davis, to discuss why the future looks different for today's young athletes and what it will take to help them thrive.

Jose shares the personal story behind HERisUS, the role sports played in helping his daughter overcome adversity, and why community, mentorship, and athlete-first development are critical to creating opportunities for girls in sports.

Together, they explore the rapid growth of girls' flag football, the future of women's sports, the responsibility coaches have in shaping confidence and leadership, and how investing in young athletes creates a lasting impact far beyond the field.

If you're a female athlete, parent, coach, or supporter of girls' sports, this conversation offers valuable insight into the opportunities ahead and why the next generation of female athletes may have more support, visibility, and opportunity than ever before.

Connect with Jose:

Website: https://herisus.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachjhsanchez/

HERisUS Foundation: https://www.instagram.com/herisus_foundation/

Learn more about Athlete-First Weekend: https://herisus.org/hiu-athlete-first-weekend

Who are you when the sport that shaped your identity comes to an end?

In this episode of Beyond Her Game, Tori Barker sits down with former competitive swimmer, grief counselor, and founder of Whole Person Conversations, Melissa Douaire, for a powerful conversation about athlete identity, grief, and life after sports.

Melissa shares her own experience of losing the identity she built through years of competitive swimming and explains why athlete transition is often a form of grief that goes unnamed and unrecognized. Together, Tori and Melissa explore the emotional realities many athletes face after graduation, retirement, injury, or the end of their playing careers.

They discuss the loss of community, routine, purpose, and identity, while also highlighting the leadership, resilience, accountability, and life skills athletes carry with them into their next chapter.

This episode is for current athletes, former athletes, coaches, parents, and anyone navigating a major life transition.

Connect with Melissa:

Website: https://www.wholepersonconversations.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissadouaire

Subscribe to Beyond Her Game for conversations that help female athletes build confidence, leadership, identity, and success beyond sports.

Coaches shape far more than athletic performance.

In this episode of Beyond Her Game, Tori Barker sits down with former Division I softball player, educator, and founder of The Positive Coach, Claire Rietmann-Grout, for a powerful conversation about the lasting impact coaches have on confidence, leadership, identity, and emotional safety for female athletes.

Together, they explore what great coaching really looks like, why connection comes before confidence, and how coaches help shape the next generation of female leaders both on and off the field.

Claire shares insight from her own experience as a former athlete, coach, and educator, while also discussing the importance of supporting coaches themselves — especially at the youth level where many volunteer coaches are shaping athletes during critical developmental years.

The conversation also dives into why positive sports environments matter more than ever, how coaches can create emotional safety for athletes, and why sports are about developing humans first — not just performance.

Whether you’re a coach, athlete, parent, or mentor, this episode is an important reminder that the right coach can change the trajectory of a young athlete’s life.

ABOUT CLAIRE RIETMANN-GROUT:

Claire Rietmann-Grout is a former Division I softball player, educator, coach, and founder of The Positive Coach. Through her work, she helps youth coaches create stronger team cultures through connection, communication, leadership, and confidence-building strategies that support athletes both on and off the field.

CONNECT WITH CLAIRE:

Website: https://clairerg.net/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/clairethepositivecoach/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claire-rietmann-grout-385b8525/