Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're searching Pride parade, but we aren't getting any of the NWSL title celebration photos we're looking for. It's Wednesday, November twenty seventh, and on today's show, we'll be talking with US Women's national team legend and Angel City FC co owner Lauren Holiday about being a change maker in the sports ownership space, her meet cute with MMBA player husband Drew Holiday, and how a brain tumor helped her learn how to choose joy.
Plus the PWHL season starts this weekend, and a millennial man in his spoons. Y'all tell us what you collect on vacation. It's all coming up right after this welcome back slices. Here's what you need to know today in NWSL news. The Orlando Pride held their championship parade in downtown Orlando on Monday, and the city showed up and showed out. Commissioner Jessica Berman was in attendance, as was
co owner and former MNBA great Grant Hill. The drinks kept flowing throughout the day and Marta head coach Seb Hines and members of the team's executive leadership address the crowd in front of City Hall. Later on Monday evening. We'll link to the full City Hall ceremony and some sights and sounds from the championship celebration in our show notes.
More soccer news.
The US women's national team heads across the Pond to play a friendly this weekend. The retooled Olympic gold medal winning side will face England at Wembley Stadium Saturday, November thirtieth at twelve twenty pm Eastern. You can watch on TNT, Telemundo and NBC Universo, or stream on Max and Peacock. Then, on December third, the team heads to the Hague, Netherlands, to face the Dutch national team at two forty five pm Eastern. That'll be available on broadcast and streaming in
the same places. They'll be without their triple Espresso frontline of Trinity Rodman, Sophia Smith and Mallory Swanson for.
Both of those games.
All three are resting nagging injuries. And don't forget these two matches will be the last for a legendary keeper, Alyssa Naire, who announced her retirement from international play after all eleven years with the national team. In college soccer, only eight teams are left in the twenty twenty four NCUBLEA College Cup. There will be no repeat winner this year. Vanderbilt upset twenty twenty three champion Florida State in the
second round. In the quarterfinals, it'll be Southern cal versus Wake Forest, North Carolina versus Penn State, and Stanford versus Notre Dame on Friday the twenty ninth. Then on Saturday, the thirtieth, Duke plays Virginia Tech. We'll link to the full weekend schedule in our show notes in college Vibes. The twenty twenty four nc DOUBLEA Tournament is on the horizon. The bracket selection show goes down on Sunday, December first,
at six pm Eastern on ESPN. Sixty four teams make the tournament, thirty two get automatic bids, and the other half are selected by the D one Women's Volleyball Committee. Last season, Texas beat Nebraska three nothing in the championship to win the school's second consecutive title and fourth overall.
The first and second rounds the tournament take place December fifth through seventh, and you can get even more pumped for the volleyball tourney by watching number one ranked pitt play number three Louisville tonight at seven pm Eastern hell of a matchup. Panthers won the first meeting between these teams three to two on their home court back in October, but the Cardinals have been on a nine game win
streak ever since. The winner of the rematchable claim at least a share of the twenty twenty four ACC Volleyball Championship.
Catch the action on.
ACC Network or streaming on ACC Network X via ESPN. Finally, Track and Field News Grand Slam Track, a pro track competition launched earlier this year by four time Olympic champ Michael Johnson, has officially announced the signing of three time gold medalist Gabby Thomas. Thomas's scheduled to compete at all four Slams in twenty twenty five in Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia,
and Los Angeles. All Right, Selicis, we wanted to give you an update today and a college volleyball story we've touched on a few times over the last few months concerning the San Jose State Spartans volleyball team. ESPN's Katie Barnes has done excellent reporting on this and they were on Tuesday's episode of the ESPN Daily Podcast if you want to listen to them discuss their reporting in full, but here's the gist of it from Katie's story.
Now you remember the number.
Of teams were forfeiting matches with San Jose State after an online outlet reported that a member of the team was transgender. Now earlier the season, San Jose State co captain Brooks Slusser joined a federal lawsuit challenging NCAA policy allowing transgender athletes to participate in women's sports.
The latest is this.
On Monday, US District Judge s Cato Cruz denied a motion filed by twelve plaintiffs, including Slusser and a spartan's assistant coach, against the Mountain West Conference. It would have rendered the San Jose State player in question ineligible and removed Wins from the team. The plaintiffs argued that they had their Title nine rights violated due to the participation of a transgender athlete on the San Jose State volleyball team.
The motion also alleged that the plaintiff's free speech rights were infringed upon because they were discouraged from speaking about their opposition to her participation. Now, the player in question has played for San Jose State for the past three seasons without incident. We'll link to Katie's story about the whole situation in our show notes.
Take a read.
The Mountain West Tournament is scheduled to start today in Las Vegas. The Spartans, who received six four FOOIT victories because of boycotts from Mountain West opponents, are seeded second and they'll get a first round by The team is scheduled to play in the semi finals Friday against the winner of today's quarterfinal match between number three seed Utah State and number six Boise State, both schools forfeited to
the Spartans during the regular season. All Right, Slices, this is going to be our last show before Thanksgiving.
We're taking a.
Couple of days off to eat all the food and watch all the shows you recommended. Just a quick reminder that the professional Women's hockey season starts this Saturday, so mark your calendars for the three games this opening PWHL weekend. Also, we're going to talk to Minnesota Frost captain and US legend Kendall Coin Scofield on Monday show. That'll help you get even more fired up for Season two of the PWHL. But before we hit the ice, we're not quite ready
to say goodbye to the field. We've got a little more soccer talk from our incredible weekend at the NWSL Championship, and coming up we're going to hear from ACFC co owner and former US women's national team at NWSL player Lauren Holiday, who I got to sit down with in Kansas City. Part of the weekend's festivities was the presentation of the twenty twenty four Lauren Holiday Impact Award, presented by Nationwide, which celebrates the community involvement of fourteen different
players nominated by their teams. At the media day, an award ceremony, and WSL Commissioner Jessica Berman said this about the no brainer of naming the award after Lauren Holiday.
When we made the decision with Nationwide to attempt to name the award after a human who had outside contribution to women's soccer, to the league, and to the community,
it was a very daunting task. It's hard to imagine that we'd be able to get consensus and have complete agreement across our ecosystem, that everyone would universally feel represents what this award means to all of us, and the process was actually quite surprising, without even prompting anyone with potential names or ideas, when we presented this idea said we'd like to think of someone who could embody the essence of what this award means to the league and
to nationwide and to have it live the test of time. Every single person, without prompting, said Lauren Holiday. And when we call Lauren, of course she said yes, as she always does, and not only is she lending her name to this award, but she's lent her time, her resources, for energy, her ideas, and we're so happy to have her with us and part of carrying the legacy of what this award means to us.
This year's overall winner and fan vote winner BAFC defender Jen Beattie, a breast cancer survivor herself, received thirty thousand dollars to give to Pink Ribbon Good, which provides support for those going through Breston gynecological cancer treatment. And a little Birdie told me that each year Lauren matches with a gift to that year's winner. Two you'll hear from the incredible. Lauren Holliday herself coming up right after this break.
Joining us here on good Games.
She's a former midfielder and forward for the US women's national soccer team from twenty seven to twenty fifteen. A two time Olympic gold medalist and World Cup champ, played professionally for the Boston Breakers in the WPS before joining Kansas City in the NWSL, where she was the league's inaugural MVP in twenty thirteen. When she retired in twenty fifteen, she was a two time champ and the league's all
time leading goal scorer and all time assists leader. A UCLA brewin, she met her NBA star husband Drew Holiday there. In twenty sixteen, she revealed that she was diagnosed with a brain tumor during pregnancy with their first child, and in twenty twenty they co founded the Drew and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund, a program supporting nonprofits, businesses, and educational institutions in five key cities with the goal of
combating socioeconomic inequality and fostering community growth. An Angel City FC owner, the twenty twenty three Muhammad Ali Sports Umanitarian Award winner at the SP's and a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame. We have a lot of mutual friends, so I have so much good dirt that I can't put any of in the interview. It's Lauren Cheney Holliday. What's up, Lauren?
Hi, thank you for having me and I agree. I have heard a lot about you also, but we can talk offline.
Yeah, we just have.
We've been circling each other and whenever someone's oh, did you see Lauren Mike, Oh, actually I haven't met her again, They're like, what, how is that possible? So here we are in this lovely Western conference room making the magic happen. I want to start. We were just talking before we started recording. It's been almost a decade since you retired from soccer. Looking around at this Championship weekend, the parties,
the activations, the enthusiasm, the press, the media. Can you put in perspective the growth that you've seen in the league since you left.
Yeah, first off, almost a decade from retiring makes me feel very old, so that's a little uncomfortable, But just the growth in general is insane. I mean, I played in Kansas City at Shawnee Mission North High School. When we first started playing. We ended up playing at UMKC at the end. Still, I'm pretty sure they would lie about our attendance and they would say, oh, fifteen hundred, and I'm sure there was only six hundred people in the stands. So to come here and see like KC
Current over everything, like the branding. You go on an airport, it's like Kansas City Chiefs KSE Current, You see the buses, you see everything. Just with the branding alone is incredible. I think the Lungs have done a phenomenal job here doing that. The stadium is beautiful, and I think what gets me the most is that we haven't even scratched
the surface of where this is going. Like this is the first right, this is like they're pioneering a new road and it's just the beginning and it's so cool to see and it's full circle for me, But it's just the beginning, and that's what gets me so excited.
Can you simultaneously hold your enthusiasm for what's happening and respect your place in that for having been a part of it when you weren't made as much money and getting the sponsored deals and playing in the purpose built facilities. Can you hold that at the same time as a little bit of like jealousy of like I really wish I was still playing right now.
Yeah, I do think that comes to mind. But I had so much fun playing, Like I think back even to the WPS and now the NWSL, and I'm like, I met some of my best friends, Like we experienced some of the wildest things ever, three flights to a playoff game and you know, like just wild things that like, of course, I'm so grateful to see the growth of the sport. And then also like I get to say, like, I had a really really good time, and I think that is so cool.
That is without knowing you, but of having heard so much about you. That gratitude for the tough stuff is probably why you're such a happy person and so beloved, because instead of lamenting it, you're looking back and being like, hey, but I had the best time. I got the best out of what I had, which is that's really powerful to remember. You've been a part of the USLW League, the WPS, the NWSL. We love celebrating positives, we love celebrating growth, but we also have to be critical in
order to keep improving. And I guarantee you have seen things that leagues have done wrong and are still doing wrong in this current iteration. What do you think stands out to you from over the years.
Yeah, I think for me is people didn't believe, you know, they didn't believe that women's sports was capable of this. It was like, well, what do you want us to do? We're losing money, we're doing this and now like being involved and understanding the business side of sports. It's like a lot of teams lose money, but to have the marketing to have and I think we were still not there, Like the marketing isn't there, We're not being we're not
on the main channels enough. Not everyone is a household name. Yet I think the marketing piece is what comes up for me, Like it was absolutely zero when I played, and now it's like, oh, we're doing something, you know, Like I said, I shout out the lungs for what they're doing here in Kansas City. But it's still such a long way to go. There are still people in cities that there are NWSL teams that do not know that there's a professional women's soccer league in America and that's unacceptable in.
Their cities too.
I remember when I took over as minority owner of the Chicago Red Stars, that was one of the first things I said, is people here don't even know that Megan Rappino, Alex Morgan, these names that they do know are playing here and they could go see them. They don't have to wait for the friendlies when the US one's national team comes into town. But the marketing is so bad, especially in cities that have other professional teams.
And to say the product is the problem and it won't work when you haven't invested enough on the awareness side, on getting on the proper networks and channels is so short sighted.
And so we're seeing that change.
But even in this current NWSL, what do you see and you're like, that's still not We still need to work on that.
The purpose built facilities. I think facilities aren't equal across the league. And obviously in every sports team, one owner might spend more whatever, and there will be some disparities, but there's a vast difference in some of the locations. I think that needs to get better. I think travel where how are we traveling throughout the whole season, not
just the playoffs? Like that is huge, not only for timing, but for recovery for the athletes, for all of that, and I think the investment in women's nutrition, their bodies there were vastly different than men, and just understanding like how we can continue to grow in that and have the ability the access to it without it being on our own dime. So I think that all of those things still in the NBSL can improve greatly.
Ever since you were tired, you've been interested in team ownership and you've taken business classes at Harvard. You've become an athlete advisor for Avenue Capital Group that's run by former Bucks co owner Mark Lasry. Your husband played for the Bucks for a while, won a championship there, and that Avenue Group was reportedly set to take control of the NC Courage. In fact, on our show we reported about the majority ownership by and set to go through.
What's the latest on that? We haven't heard much since that original report.
Yeah, I think that's a dream, right. I would love to be a part of that. It's still in process. I don't know how much that I can divulge in this setting, but yeah, I think that that would be The hope is that I would get to be a part of an ownership group where I had real say and my voice was heard and I had a real role in that. And I hope that it is with North Carolina Courage.
So the dream isn't over yet, even though we haven't heard about.
The dream's not over yet. It's not over yet.
But it's not a sure thing at this point because we haven't heard that it went through all the final league approvals.
Yeah, I don't think it's a sure thing. That hasn't happened. So, Okay, we haven't signed the dotted line yet.
Got it.
What's interesting to you about being a controlling owner because you are a part owner of Angel City, but you want to be in a different role.
How much time do we have? Okay, that is my question, and maybe we get to talk longer after this. But for me, I have a dream. It is not just for the end of CELL. I want to start in the end ofsl But I believe, truly the athletes need to have an ownership stake in their leagues. And I'm extremely passionate about it because I think there needs to
be integrity from the top. And I'm not saying that ownership groups don't have integrity, but an integrity of understanding what an athlete goes through to play the sport, Understanding what I have been through in the NWSL, in the WPS,
and making sure that like our voices are heard. So I think in the ENDBSL, my idea of control, to have a controlling stake in an NWSL team is to create an environment that I want to be replicated across all leagues men's women's internationally in America, but to run it with integrity. Hey, everyone from the top down, like, this is what we believe in, this is what we're shooting for, this is our vision. Right, So everyone is
in alignment, the athlete and the ownership. So sometimes I think there's a disconnect, Right, the ownership wants to win for a vastly different reason than why the athlete wants to win, and so it's like, well, how do we get an alignment. How does the athlete and the ownership want to win for the same reason. There can be nuances. Ownership can care more about one thing and the athlete can care more about another. But if we have that integrity to know that we're both working toward that goal,
I think it's going to change sports. And I think the only way you do that is with an athlete that has a voice in a majority position. And so that's my dream, that's my that's what I want to do. I like look at ownership groups like Michelle O Kang and her voice is so powerful and what she's doing and everything she does, I love it, and I'm like, yes, and let's get an athlete. Let's get a player that played with her, because she's going to change the world.
She already is. And so I think that that's where my passion is. And I'm like, I see that, and I see that I have an opportunity in Mark and Avenue. They've been an incredible partner with me where they say, hey, this is yours, this is you're the expert here, and to give me that taste of like, wow, I am the expert has really like opened my mind, So like what can we do?
Yeah?
You know, I know you're friends with Merret Matthias. She came on the show and I don't know if it made the final cut because she and I were talking for a long time, but one thing she mentioned was hierarchies in sport, and in men's sport, the athlete is at the top of it, the top of the pyramid because they're the product, they're the reason it succeeds. They people understand that they're the value there. And in women's sports there's somewhere in the middle. They're just not valued
the same way. They're not paid the same, the facilities aren't the same, the respect isn't the same, the treatment isn't the same. That's how toxic situations also occur so often in women's sports, because there isn't enough power in the athlete to overcome some of the manipulations or otherwise that come from staff, coaches, ownership. Is it possible to do that without someone like Mark Lazary or the kind of capital behind you to compete, Because what's happened in
the NWSL. There is a woman I was speaking to who is putting in a bid on the Portland Thorns, and midway through the process of having this massive group of women with a lot of money, they said, well, the main owner has to be a billionaire. Wipes out their bit. There's who do we call Oprah and Kylie Jenner? There's like three, right, So when we make it about only money, we end up having mostly majority middle aged
white dudes owning everything. And if they say you're the expert and put you in charge.
Awesome. If they don't, we end up with the same pattern over and over again. How do we stop?
Yeah?
At first off, I think it is consistency, right, we need to have a consistency across the board for the league. If this is our standard, then that's our standard. But then we have to rethink it. How are we getting athletes involved? Yes, isn't a former NWSL player, even a former women's national team player. There's not any of us that are billionaires. There's not one of us that could
come in and do that. But then it's like, oh, we're not taking funds or we don't want funds in the league, or we don't want this, or we don't want that, and so that makes it really hard. So I do think it's special. And there's something about partnerships with a billionaire who says, actually, I'm giving you control because you are the expert. And I think that that's what is so special about Avenue that I've experienced is Mark and his sister started Avenue Capital. Right, Sonya has
just as much. Say she is a powerful woman who believes in women, and they believe in us like they would not partner with me if they didn't believe that I could do it. And even when sometimes I doubt myself, I mean, let's be fair. Sometimes I like what am I doing? Like how do I know? Do I know this? And I'm like constantly reminded that it is possible. But that's how we also rethink sports because I think you said it's different, and I agree with mere. It is
different for women versus men. But also our men don't control the NBA. They don't they the NBA. Yes, there might be a single person that has a little more control, but it's like what if Yes, I know there's been Michael Jordan and the ownership group, but what if it was a whole group of NBA players that took back and owned a team. What if their voice was on the board. What if there was a collective of understanding. And that's where like my passion is. It's like, we're athletes.
We need to take back our sport like we live it. We know what our bodies need, we know how to market ourselves, we understand the nuances of that. Teach us the business side and we could flourish.
What have you learned from the ACFC ownership side, because I feel like I having briefly been in the ownership side and having been an athlete only at collegiate level, and talking to so many on both sides, there is a disconnect sometimes between the athletes saying we want extra.
Y just sat down with Billy Jean King and she said, my issue.
With the athletes is that they're always saying we deserve, we deserve, we deserve, But when I ask them what they know about the business side, it is zero. So they don't know if the people promoting the events are making money. They know they get their check at the
end and that they want more of that. So how do we What have you learned from being on the ownership side that has made you maybe a little bit more empathetic to that side to say the players, Oh, by the way, when they tell you no on this or this, it's not to be dicks.
It's here's how this works.
That's why I think it's so important for athletes to be involved because I remember, like the first meetings I had going through financials right, and I'm.
Like, oh, they lose how much money?
And then you know, talking to Mark and owning an NBA team and he's like, yeah, you could lose their thirty million dollars a year, or like you, your losses could be this and understanding like the P and L sheets and the and and all of that. My eyes were like, oh, well, when the NWSL started, there is absolutely zero way that we could have done anything different than a Southwest flight the night before a game. There was there was no other way. And so I think
that understanding that side. If there is an athlete that is involved that's doing it a we can tell it differently and there's a different level of understanding. But so many times as an athlete were dismissed. It's like I was never told, oh, this is how much money I put in and we're actually losing like a million dollars more than and I have a loss of this amount, Like no one was ever telling us those things. Would
we have met on more understanding, I think so. But also then it's like, okay, well what are we putting into the marketing? What are we And maybe if you take on a collaborative approach where the athlete wants to serve you and wants to do more so that it can build, then that will help. But right now, like you said, there is a DISCONNECTE.
Yeah, it's been probably interesting for you to be married to a male professional athlete. Everything's different, treatment, paychecks, facilities, all the stuff.
But I was told by a little bird that you have a good meet cute with your husband, Drew Holiday.
I think I know that little bird. Yeah, Drew and I met. We met in college and he's younger than me. So I was at the women's basketball game, supporting women's sports, but I was basketball playing high school. I was friends with all the women's basketball players at UCLA. So I went after class sitting by myself. Drew walks in with one of the other freshman basketball players and someone comes up to him. He's like, oh my gosh, Darren Collison,
can I have your autograph? And I'm like giggling because I know he's not Darren Collison. I know he's like, you know, freshman basketball player coming in, And after they leave, he was so gracious, and after they leave, he's like talking to his friend like, what the heck? I don't even look like Darren. And I told him I was like, don't worry, like you're cuter than Darren. And honestly, there was no intention I promise, Sure, but I just thought
he was more attractive and so just facts. We became friends after that, and yeah, that's really cute.
There are cliches about folks who go through tough times and what they learned from it, but they are usually cliches for a reason. A lot of people come out
of traumatic events with a different perspective. Do you find that after the brain tumor, after the support that he gave you, after you had your child in the midst of dealing with that, you were pregnant when you when you learned that you had that, did it change your perspective in all the ways that people say when you have those traumatic events.
Yeah, that's interesting. So I think my whole life has been slightly traumatic. Like I had open heart surgery when I was four years old. I like just how I grew up, everything it was like then soccer. I feel like it all prepped me for that moment. But there's nothing more traumatic than you worrying about your child. And for me, it was like I needed my daughter to
be okay for me to ever be okay. And I think after when my daughter is healthy and thriving, it is completely changed my perspective on what matters and like for me, I am super competitive, Like, don't play Uno with me. I will call you a name and don't know, don't like I will call you a cheater if you beat me, and I have no qualms about it, like you probably did cheat, like truly, I mean if.
You beat me, probably something's up.
Absolutely, and I just lose. I don't lose so obviously, right. I think our Drew and I's biggest fight was over Uno. So I think that that is like a real thing for me. But I realized, like what do I care about most is like how do we make life beautiful? How do we love people? How are you loving on people? And I think that that is what really like changed my perspective of like, yeah, I'm competitive, I like to win. I'm competitive for my husband he's competitive, but I more.
But it's like, no, what matters is like is community, is people, family love, And I think that that's helped me get through a lot.
You have big mothering energy, not only for your own children. You've been coaching your daughter's soccer team, but also I've been told you mother Drew's teammates, whether telling guys, hey, time to man up and propose to your fiance stop messing around?
How about this?
Can I help you with your housing while you're figuring out your move and your divorce?
Like you are now this mother. Did you have that before you had kids?
Or do you think that that comes from having these little babies running around?
I think if my sister was listening to this, she would laugh out loud. I am like the epitome of the youngest child, like forget her school bad, leaves the doors open, forgets to lock the front door, like I am that person locks their key in the car so to hear like I have mothering energy. She would probably laugh out loud, like I probably didn't do my own hair until I got to college, so that is hilarious to me. But I think it's really just like meeting people where they are.
Maybe I should have said big meddling energy.
Oh I like that.
I like meddling energy.
Fro. I'm like, let me tell you how to handle your relationship and your life and your housing. It feels like mothering, but it might just be metal.
It might be meddling. And hey, if you ask, you wanted my opinion, right.
Yeah, because I'm also youngest, not mothering energy. Big meddaling energy. Yeah, yeah, big, let me help you out. I know what's best for.
You, absolutely, I think that I do that too. But you know, if you want to have the conversation, I'm open to giving you my opinion. Sometimes you might have to kick me under the table.
I heard that. Sometimes he says, Okay, that's good.
Yeah, he'll give me big eyes, like, please don't actually say your opinion, maybe like say half of your today and not not the whole thing.
Oh man, we're gonna get along.
Yeah, okay, last question for you, And it might be just big picture and you kind of already spoke to it about like loving on people and spreading love. But is there advice you would give people that never have to go through the ordeal that you did about what they should know from the other side of it, that like, hey, don't wait for this thing to happen to you. Don't wait for this moment where you fear for yourself or someone else you care about to realize X or to start doing X.
I think I would just tell them that it's a choice, like you have a choice to choose joy, and I think it's it's a lot easier than choosing the other like, sometimes everything feels like it's going wrong. I'm a mom, Like I can tell my kids to do something, they don't do it, And it's like I could literally crumble for the day, or you can choose joy, and sometimes I crumble. But it's like I would just tell people, like it's choice. You have a choice to how you
react to things. You have a choice on how you handle a trade. You have a choice on how you handle disappointment, a medical scare, any of those things. And I would say, like, in those moments, choose joy.
You had a choice of how to spend your time today, and you came to this conference room to talk to us, So thank you, so appreciate it.
Yeah, no, thank you for having me. I feel like we could talk for an hour.
Yeah, we probably will later, Okay, we got to take another break.
When we come back, we learn about all the cute little things you like to collect from your travels. It's coming up next, Welcome Back Slices. As we recover from our trips abroad and stateside, we are loving reading about all the things that you collect on vacation. The obvious from the magnet shot glasses, Christmas ornaments, postcards, globes to the less obvious, like coffee, mugs, earrings, and spices. And we got some pretty funny responses from y'all on social too.
At Reviling, Neptune said, spoons because I'm apparently an old woman in a millennial man's body. At Count Nivik said, I usually come back with an extra pound or two from all the food I eat, and it tends to stay with me.
Very relatable. At Funky Old.
Medina, we usually just collect credit card debt for a hot sec. Also relatable at the oh Man Dan, I like to pick up a different form of food poisoning. Whenever I travel, I could really close my eyes and remember each place and the aftermath. And finally, at que Bruby, my wife and I collect photos of our kids, holding up pictures of all the places we could have traveled if we didn't have kids. Well que Bruby, as the meme says, I have dogs, not kids. I'd rather ruin
my carpet than my life. Wink wink. Thanks to your great comments and photos everyone, and that Magnet collection photo Michelle Wow, and thanks as always forgetting in the game. Now here's today's good gameplay of the day. I have to assume none of you were planning to do this, but just in case, please do not show up to your Thanksgiving dinner in an Indian headdress properly known as a Native American war bonnet. Instead, look up what native
land you live on. Learn about the history of your area, the good, the bad, and the ugly. We'll link to a site in our show notes where you can search your location and find out who lived there before you. We always love to hear from you, so hit us up on email good game at wondermedianetwork dot com or leave us a voicemail at eight seven two two o four fifty seventy, and don't forget to subscribe. Rate and review It's easy Watch Surviving Thanksgiving with a stressful family
Dynamic rating five out of five therapist recommendations. Review Number one. Know your triggers and plan ahead for how not to get derailed or set off. Number two. Come with topics of conversation so you're ready to pivot to something pleasant.
Number three.
Set healthy boundaries and accept what's not in your control.
Number four.
If you feel yourself getting stressed, just take a break. Find some busy work to do by yourself. Or just hide in the bathroom for a couple of minutes, take some deep breaths to get regulated, and finally number five, try to find the positive about the people around you, the meal you're eating, the safe home you're in, whatever you got to do, and one in doubt watch the snl adele Thanksgiving sketch together never fails. Now it's your turn,
rate and review and thanks for listening. See you next week. Happy Thanksgiving and happy Native American Heritage Day on Friday.
Good Game, Lauren, Good Game, a.
Couple much needed days off, few Thanksgiving tables without creamed corn.
What are you doing with your lives? People?
Good Game with Sarah Spain is an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by Wonder Media Network, our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones.
Our executive producers are.
Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan, Emily Rutter. Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez, Grace Lynch, and Lindsay Craterwell. Production assistants from Lucy Jones and I'm your Host Sarah Spain