Blog
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The Future of Sport in Canada: Why We Can’t Stay Silent Any Longer
Canada’s Future of Sport report exposes a broken system plagued by abuse, poor governance, and neglect. As both an athlete and coach, I’ve lived this reality—harassment, trauma, and silence. Sport should build kids up, not break them down. Real change demands accountability, funding, and protection for every child.
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The Letter You’ll Never Send: Why Writing a Closure Letter Sets You Free
Still carrying unsaid words and emotional weight? This free BellaZinga closure letter template helps you release the drama, reclaim your peace, and get the last word — without sending a single text. It’s healing, it’s private, and it’s 100% for you.
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You’re Not Listening to Her: A Medical Advocacy Story
A single mom’s raw story of fighting to get her autistic daughter the care she deserves—while navigating sexism, gaslighting, and systemic failure in the Canadian healthcare system. If you’ve ever had to shout to be heard, this one’s for you.
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Hypermobility, Autonomic Disorders, and Autism: Unraveling the Connections
Hypermobility, autism, and autonomic disorders are connected in surprising ways. From joint pain to sensory challenges, these overlapping conditions impact daily life. Understanding the link can help with diagnosis, treatment, and support. Read on to learn more about managing symptoms and advocating for neurodiversity at MomCoachBoss and BellaZinga!
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POTS and Autism Comorbidity: Understanding the Connection
This article is the result of a unique collaboration between advanced AI tools and my own expertise. While AI assists with generating ideas, research, and drafting content, every piece is carefully reviewed, fact-checked, and refined by me to ensure a consistent tone and professional insight. It’s a blend of technology and human touch, working together…
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Why “Connect and Pitch” is a Bad Strategy on LinkedIn: A Cautionary Tale Featuring “John”
Tired of LinkedIn pitches that feel more like spam than genuine connections? Discover why the ‘connect and pitch’ strategy fails and how it’s turning professionals off. Dive into a hilarious real-life encounter that highlights the importance of authenticity, respect, and trust in networking. Let’s make LinkedIn less cringe-worthy together!
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From Resolutions to Real Solutions: Sustainable Growth Strategies for Single Parents
The post discusses the challenges and drawbacks of traditional New Year’s resolutions, advocating for a continuous growth approach instead. It suggests focusing on micro-resolutions, setting flexible goals, and creating a ‘not-to-do’ list to reduce stress. The advice is particularly relevant for single parents, promoting self-care and community support.
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Understanding ARFID: A Guide for Parents
Join me as I share my experience with my daughter’s Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), and reveal the severe challenges it presents during mealtimes. Unlike typical picky eating, ARFID involves intense anxiety and aversion towards certain foods. Understanding, empathy, and appropriate strategies for managing ARFID are needed, and the support for affected families is paramount…
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A Journey of Symbols and Sensitivity: Finding the Right Design for Neurodiversity
The journey of creating a neurodiversity symbol evolved from a butterfly to a phoenix, ultimately settling on a tree representation. The tree symbolizes individuality and community support while reflecting the diversity and resilience of neurodivergent individuals. Advocating through fashion fosters conversations around acceptance, promoting a deeper understanding of neurodiversity.
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Tamra Judge’s Autism Announcement: A Mother’s Perspective
Tamra Judge’s recent autism diagnosis has elicited mixed reactions, particularly from autism parents who feel her casual announcement undermines their struggles. The author reflects on the intense challenges of raising an autistic child, highlighting sensory sensitivities, bullying, and executive functioning difficulties. It emphasizes the need for compassionate yet critical discussions surrounding autism.
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Unlocking Voices, Bridging Worlds: How Technology Empowers Autism Communication
AI Assisted You, like many, may believe that the power of technology lies in its ability to connect us with people and information. It’s true; technology has indeed transformed the way we interact with the world. But what if I told you that for some, technology is not just a tool for connection—it’s a lifeline?…
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Thanksgiving Analysis, Autism: Understanding the Holiday’s Impact on ASD Individuals
Written with the help of AI. Thanksgiving is a time-honoured tradition celebrated with family and friends, involving a feast, gratitude, and togetherness. For individuals with autism and their loved ones, navigating the holiday can present unique challenges, such as sensory overload, changes in routine, and social expectations. By understanding these factors, creating an autism-friendly environment,…
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What Skills Single Parents Bring to the Workplace: Unstoppable Jugglers in Action
As a single parent, you might think that juggling family and work commitments is a Herculean task. But have you ever considered the exceptional skills you’ve acquired through this balancing act? Your unique experiences as a solo superhero can actually translate into valuable assets for your workplace. There were over 10 million families in Canada…
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The Hidden Crisis: Autism and Relational Bullying
This is why it’s so important we start having honest conversations about bullying and its effects in our schools – especially regarding autistic girls. We need to create safe learning environments that are aware of these dynamics and how to prevent them in the first place.
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Pathological Demand Avoidance and Autism: A Quick Primer
PDA stands for pathological demand avoidance. It’s a subtype of autism spectrum disorder (ASD). PDA involves an extreme avoidance of everyday demands, often driven by high levels of anxiety.
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Where Did I Go? Psychological Effects of Being a Single Mother
Back in Februrary, a commercial for Go RVing Canada appeared on our screens, prompting people to “Find their wildhood.” I’m sure you’ve seen the spot, but in case you haven’t, you can check it out for yourselves. The story tells of a man searching for more than the stressful, monotonous, grind of our modern existence.…
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A Dance Recital Like No Other
I won’t ever take something like watching a dance recital from the audience for granted again. I’ll tell you why.
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Unleashing the Power of SEO: Tips and Tactics for Boosting Your Website Ranking
Boost your site’s visibility and drive traffic with SEO. Learn to optimize content, utilize keywords, and track progress for a turbocharged website ranking.
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The Power of Perseverance: You Have What It Takes, Don’t Give Up!
I’ve always found hope when I needed it. Sometimes it came to me in disguise, but I always recognized it. How can you find hope? Here’s what worked for me.
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Checkout Challenges: With a Healthy Dose of Gaslighting
Would this have been different if I had not been a woman? I can’t help thinking that this was gaslighting behaviour at its best, telling me I was crazy because I voiced my distress and my limitations.
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ADHD Symptoms You Might Not Know About
It’s been another tough week for my neurodivergent kiddo. Well, if I’m being truthful, it’s been a difficult few months capping off a lifetime of difficulties. From her feelings of isolation to medication moodiness, school avoidance, and everything in between, it sometimes feels like she’s always swimming upstream, and I’m powerless to help her.
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The DOs and DON’Ts of Using Social Media to Attract Customers to Your Small Business
You’ve done the research, made a plan, worked yourself to the bone, and your business is finally up and running. Congratulations! It’s time to push your business to the next level with social media. But wait, where do you even begin? Don’t worry; we’re here to help. In this blog, we’ll be discussing the essential…
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Challenges and Rewards of Raising a Neurodivergent Child as a Single Mom
As a single mom to a child with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and generalized anxiety, I’ve had more than my fair share of struggles. Here are a few examples of the unexpected twists and turns you might encounter on this journey.
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The Importance of “Culture” in Our Youth Sport Organizations
I speak often about how important the “culture” of any organization is, but when it comes down to it, it is a complicated concept that few people understand, and, in my humble opinion even fewer value as an important factor in the success of skating clubs.
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6 Things I Learned from Starting a Podcast
I never thought I would be a retired skating coach. Skating was my passion, my life and my reason for getting up in the morning. Coaching quickly became my new passion after University, and I had always envisioned myself as one of those coaches sitting on a stool teaching from the boards at 90, still…
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Coaching Neurodiverse Athletes
So in an effort to save my fellow coaches some time as they work with athletes that may have these invisible disabilities, I thought I’d compile a list of the things I’ve experienced and information I’ve researched in an effort to better help YOU help YOUR students.
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25 Tips and Apps for Homeschooling During the Coronavirus
I can’t imagine what it must feel like to have the choice of homeschooling thrust on you out of a necessity to stay alive, and I empathize with every single parent out there who finds themselves homeschooling during the Coronavirus.
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Suggestions to Increase SkateCanada Coach Satisfaction and Longevity
It happened again. For what seems like the millionth time, I am watching a coaching colleague go through the ringer in their skating club. Devalued, underappreciated, and gas-lighted, my friend is on the verge of leaving behind a successful coaching career because of the anxiety that seems to surround the profession. Two years ago, I…
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SkateCanada Canskate: Has It Lived Up to the Hype?
As a coach with 30 years experience working in the Canadian figure skating system, and a skater of 47 years who also amateur coached, (I can’t be that old, can I?) I’ve seen and coached in nearly every variation of learn-to-skate program offered by SkateCanada. From the N.S.T. program, to Parent-and-Tot, to Learn-to-Skate, and EVERYTHING…
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A Book Review of “Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success
Product: “Smartcuts: How Hackers, Innovators, and Icons Accelerate Success” by Shane Snow Price: Kindle Price $17.99 Cheapest Place to Buy: Amazon.ca Note: I do NOT currently receive any perks or money from my reviews. My goal is to give my HONEST opinion about books and resources that can help anyone be a better coach, administrator,…
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Single Mom
So, just because I define my “single mommyhood” with these parameters, does that give me the right to judge others who call themselves single mothers?
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Here’s to the Coaches
I have been incredibly lucky to practice my craft alongside some of the best coaches in the world; coaches who care, and go the extra mile for their students, time and time again. Coaches who have inspired me, challenged me, and taught me so very much. So as I step away from the world of…
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A Product Review of “Raddish: A Cooking Club for Kids”
Product: Raddish Cooking Club for Kids Price: Cheapest Place to Buy: RaddishKids.com My Rating: 9/10 Overview: I promised myself this year I would lead the homeschool charge from a place of strength when planning our curriculum. So often, we try to work on the things we see “lacking” in our children instead of focusing on…
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Why We Judge
According to the great God Google, judgment is defined as “the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions”. I find this rather ironic, since more often than not, the conclusions made about single parents, and particularly single parents of children with ANY type of exceptionality contain neither consideration or common sense.
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Sports Parents Get a Bad Rap
Parents can be our biggest allies as coaches. It is OUR job as coaches to figure out how to communicate effectively with them, set the parameters for expectations for them and what they can expect from us, and create a positive learning environment.
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Coaching Advice to My Younger Self
If I could go back in time and give advice to my younger coaching self as she was starting out, here are the things I would tell her.
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THE CHAIR
I’d like to share with you an incident that I have yet to reconcile within myself as to whether I was right or wrong; whether I over-reacted or under-reacted, whether I was defending myself or being petty, whether I was calling out someone for trying to take me down a peg or whether I was…
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TO SPEAK UP OR NOT SPEAK UP-That is the Question
I wrote this piece in January 2017 after the controversy surrounding the judging of the women’s event at the 2017-2018 US National Figure Skating Championships. In light of Ashley Wagner’s bravery for coming forward with her allegations of sexual abuse, I thought it only appropriate to re-post.
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