Beyond The Athlete High School Summit
Day 1 — Identity & Confidence
Today's conversations explore what happens when we look beyond performance and begin supporting the whole athlete.
We'll look at identity beyond sport, mental health and well-being, and the ways athletes can understand their experiences, relationships, purpose, and influence through a broader lens.
The goal is to help the adults supporting female athletes better understand what may be happening beneath the surface—and how they can help athletes build confidence, self-awareness, resilience, and a stronger sense of who they are beyond the game.
VIP Bonus Conversation
Watch the Live Closing Conversation Replay
Hear the speakers come together for a candid conversation about identity, confidence, leadership, belonging, recruiting, college readiness, and preparing female athletes for life beyond sport.
What We're Exploring Today
Female athletes spend years developing skills, relationships, discipline, confidence, and resilience through sport.
But their development cannot stop at how they perform.
Day 1 explores the person behind the athlete—how identity develops, what supports mental and emotional well-being, and how sport can become a platform for connection, purpose, leadership, and impact.
Session 1
Preparing Female Student-Athletes for Life Beyond Sports
Tori Barker
Founder, Beyond Her Game
Topic
IDENTITY BEYOND THE ATHLETE
Tori Barker explores the question every female student-athlete eventually faces: What happens when the game ends?
Drawing from her experience as a Division I softball player and founder of Beyond Her Game, she helps parents, coaches, and mentors prepare young women for life beyond sports.
This powerful presentation offers practical ways to build confidence beyond performance, strengthen identity beyond athletics, and help student-athletes step into their next chapter with purpose and possibility.
As You Watch, Consider
If sport were removed from the introduction, how would the athlete you support describe who she is—and are we giving her enough opportunities to discover that person before the game ends?
Your Takeaway: What is one conversation you could have with a female athlete now that would help her begin thinking about who she is beyond her sport?
Resources From Tori
Take the Conversation Beyond the Session
Use these conversation guides and tools to help female athletes build confidence, strengthen identity, and begin preparing for life beyond sport.
BEYOND THE GAME
Family Conversation Guide
A practical guide for continuing the conversation about identity, confidence, and life beyond sport.
Conversation Guide
Download Guide →FOUR QUESTIONS EVERY PARENT SHOULD ASK
Conversation Starter
Four powerful questions to open meaningful dialogue with your athlete.
Conversation Guide
Download Conversation Starter →READINESS CHECKLIST
Life After Sports
A readiness checklist to help athletes prepare for the transition beyond competition.
Checklist
Download Checklist →PARENT'S GUIDE
Raising Confident Female Athletes
A parent's guide to building confidence in female athletes on and off the field.
Parent Guide
Download Guide →Session 2
Wellness Matters Beyond the Athlete
Dr. Marissa Edwards-Burrell
Director of Vision + Wellness, B.E. Collective+
Topic
MENTAL HEALTH + WELL-BEING
In this session, Dr. Marissa Edwards-Burrell explores the connection between mental and physical health in female athletes through the lens of health psychology and her experience supporting athletes.
From performance pressure and identity to recovery, confidence, and balance, she challenges the adults around young athletes to look beyond the scoreboard and consider the whole person.
Participants will leave with practical ways to recognize changes, create healthier conversations, and support female athletes in becoming well—not just performing well.
DON'T JUST ASK HOW SHE'S PERFORMING.
ASK HOW SHE'S DOING.
As You Watch, Consider
When you check in with a female athlete, are you asking primarily about how she is performing—or are you creating enough space to understand how she is actually doing?
Your Takeaway: What is one change you can make in how you check in with an athlete so she feels supported as a whole person, not only as a performer?
Put It Into Practice
Use the CHECK Framework
A simple framework to help parents, coaches, educators, and athletic leaders check in with female athletes before challenges become a crisis.
Connect
Connect before you correct. Especially after a difficult performance, connect with the person before immediately discussing what went wrong.
Hear
Hear what she is actually saying. Use open-ended questions, listen carefully, and understand that sometimes she may need advice, encouragement, problem-solving, or simply space.
Expand
Expand your definition of wellness. Wellness is more than being injury-free. Ask about sleep, stress, recovery, nutrition, hydration, school, relationships, and whether she is still enjoying her sport.
Catch
Catch changes early. Pay attention when something feels different or persists. Notice changes in mood, energy, sleep, motivation, relationships, school, or sport.
Keep
Keep her identity bigger than the sport. Do not only ask what kind of athlete she wants to be. Ask what kind of person and young woman she wants to become.
STRENGTH ISN'T ALWAYS PUSHING THROUGH.
Sometimes strength is resting, speaking up, asking for help, or recognizing that something needs attention.
Resources From Dr.
Take the Conversation Further
Use this resource to continue supporting the whole athlete beyond the session.
WELLNESS
Wellness Resource
A downloadable resource to continue supporting the whole athlete beyond the session.
Downloadable Resource
Download Resource →Session 3
Don't Just Develop the Athlete. Expand Her World.
Ashley Danielle Allen
Founder & Executive Director, A.B.C. Sports Foundation
Topic
SPORTS DIPLOMACY + ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT
Ashley Danielle Allen explores how sport can become much more than competition for a young female athlete. Through the lens of sport diplomacy, she shows parents, coaches, educators, and athletic leaders how athletics can build confidence, create meaningful connections, expand cultural awareness, and open doors to education, careers, leadership, and opportunity.
Using her framework of Confidence, Connection, and Culture, Ashley challenges the adults surrounding female athletes to look beyond traditional athletic pathways and ask a different question: Where can this sport take her?
Ashley's Three Cs
As You Watch, Consider
Where can this sport take her—not only athletically, but socially, academically, professionally, culturally, and as a leader?
Your Takeaway: What is one opportunity you could expose a female athlete to that would help her see a bigger future through sport?
Put It Into Practice
Don't Just Develop the Athlete. Expand Her World.
Ashley leaves parents, coaches, educators, and athletic leaders with four practical ways to expand what sport can make possible for a young female athlete.
1
Expose Her
Look beyond traditional athletic pipelines and introduce her to leadership programs, career development, sports business events, cultural exchanges, service opportunities, mentorship, summits, and other experiences that broaden what she can see.
2
Ask a Different Question
Instead of only asking "Where can she play?" begin asking "Where can this sport take her?"
3
Develop the Whole Person
Develop the athlete, but also develop the communicator, leader, student, future professional, and young woman. Help her learn how to introduce herself, ask good questions, follow up, communicate with adults, and advocate for herself.
4
Let Her See the Possibilities Early
Expose her to women leading, working internationally, building careers, creating businesses and nonprofits, and turning their athletic experiences into opportunities beyond competition.
Don't just develop the athlete. Expand her world.
The field, court, track, or pool is not always the final destination. It can be the starting point.
VIP All-Access
Join the Day 3 Closing Conversation
VIP All-Access members are invited to the Day 3 live Closing Conversation—a moderated discussion bringing Summit speakers together to go deeper into the themes, questions, and ideas explored throughout the three days.
VIP All-Access also includes 90-day replay access, the Day 3 live Closing Conversation and replay, and additional Summit resources.
Explore All Three Days
Day 1
Identity & Confidence
September 22
You're Here
The Conversation Doesn't End Here.
The goal of the Summit isn't simply to watch the sessions. It's to take these conversations back to the athletes, families, teams, schools, and communities you influence.