This is Kinda Awkward

*Takes deep breath*

Oh hi, it’s me Melissa, your Good Game concierge to all things youth sports. We’ve been at this a little over a year, and I have yet to directly make a plea for you to upgrade to a paid subscription. But a lot of you have anyhow, even beyond my relatives. Some of you had enough belief in the mission from the start to click the “paid” button. Some of you have found value along the way and opted to upgrade. To the current Very Good Gamers, I am floored and grateful.

There’s no right time to ask people to pay for your work. Though Substack has about 2.7 billion pieces with advice on the topic that runs the gamut. It’s true that I’m asking you to consider upgrading because journalism is real work. Planning. Research. Transcribing. Writing. Rewriting. It’s all a grind. It’s also true that a Good Game subscription is less per month than a good latte. But I’m really asking you now to upgrade because of the growing collection of anecdotes from readers that have incorporated Good Game into their own family’s youth sports journey. It warms my heart to hear from parents that gave themselves or their kid a little grace from something they read here. Or the parents and coaches who send me their stories and concerns, a few of which I’ve turned into new pieces. In summary, we’re past the proof of concept phase but need your support to continue growing Good Game and serving the youth sports community.

Aside from supporting Good Game, a paid membership will now give you access to the archives and a paid-only piece once a month. I’ll likely add more perks down the road like a random giveaway here and there. But namely, I’m humbly asking you to support Good Game so we can keep producing content that informs, empowers & ultimately contributes to a healthier youth sports landscape.

If you’re interested in upgrading but under any financial strain, please DM me and I’ll hook you up.

I can’t thank you all enough for your support, and cheers to Year 2!

❤️❤️❤️ Melissa