Abigail and Jules here. Our tootsies are up after going HARD in NYC last week for a whirlwind of events. We hit Footie Fest, Fanatics Fest, hosted an Airbnb experience AND a Dove event. We are so incredibly grateful (and tired).

Abigail here: My favorite thing was meeting so many party people. I loved meeting Rose and her mom in the above post. I’m always amazed and overwhelmed when people get emotional meeting me. It’s not something I take lightly and I will never get over it.

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Julie here: My favorite moment was the faux pazookie at our team dinner. It’s a giant big hot ooozy goozy cookie cut like a pizza and I am forever changed. Okay, but seriously I’m still thinking about the energy of Gotham game, but my real favorite moment was Kinger and her wife Ilana hosting the team at their home for dinner.

We thank you both so much for your hospitality.

Also I want to give a huuuuuge shoutout to my sister Krissy who joined the party and helped us with EVERYTHING from cutting and taping cue cards, making bracelets with fans at our Airbnb event, and getting people to open up what is holding them back from feeling confident at the Dove event. It was so great having my real family meet my work family.

Abby here: Even weirder, she is JUST LIKE JULIE. Thank you for everything, Krissy.

Plus, we of course watched the FIFA Men’s World Cup Final. Congrats to Spain. Now, mark your calendars cause, up next? FIFA Women’s World Cup in BRAZZZIIIIIL. I’m not sure that’s going to be described as a slumber party - more like an all-out rave until dawn.

Now onto some SUPER important party people business. QUIZ TIME.

PARTY QUIZ OF THE WEEK

Feel free to hit us up in the comments with all the fun and creative ways you punished your kids. Or how your parents punished you. Or how they celebrated you. Cause you deserve to be celebrated!

🎧 PARTY IN THE PODCAST 🎧

As always we podcasted so hard this week. First up, these besties turned competitors: KK Harvey and Leila Edwards. These women’s hockey superstars are paving the way for a very bright future.

Then, we made you promise at some point that we were not going to shy away from the harder topics, so please enjoy the first part in a series about trans athletes.

Plus, if that wasn’t enough — we did a special bonus episode sponsored by Dove, recorded during our event in NYC about the evolution of women’s sports and confidence.

We get really personal about struggling with body image at different stages in life from locker rooms to menopause.

Plus, Billie Jean King recounts the biggest moments in her sports history in 1973 when she played Bobby Riggs in front of 90 million people. And after she won that match, women told her they felt more confident.

Plus, we are still thinking about this stat that we learned: 70% of avid women’s sports fans are Gen Z. Let’s effing gooooo.

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🏟️ STAN THE FAN 🏟️ (Party People’s Pick of the Week)

This insta comment is our pick of the week. Nora Clement, we see you and feel you. KK and Laila have the type of friendship we all need.

If you missed the post, check it out below.

And finally, grab those popsicles and put your feet in front of the fan cause we’ve got sports to watch!

🥎🏌️‍♀️⚽ THE WATCH LIST 🎾🏀🏈

It’s go time everyone!!

• ⚽ NWSL regular season continues

  • Big Matchups

    • San Diego Wave vs. Seattle Reign - Sunday 7/26 at 2:00PM PST on CBS Sports

    • Washington Spirit vs. Denver Summit - Sunday 7/26 at 4:00PM PST on Victory+

    • Angel City vs. Racing Louisville - Sunday 7/26 at 6:00PM PST on ESPN

  • View full schedule here

• 🥎 AUSL Championship Series

  • Talons vs. Bandits Game 1 - Saturday 7/25 at 10:00AM PST on ABC

    • The defending champions, the Utah Talons, return to the AUSL Championship Series looking to capture back-to-back titles as they will face the winner of the Portland Cascade vs Chicago Bandits.

    • Game 2 - Sunday 7/26 at 11:00AM PST on ESPN

    • Game 3 (if necessary) - Monday 7/27 at 4:00PM PST on ESPN2

• WFA Flag Championship - Sunday 7/26 at 8:30AM PST on AWSN/Prime Video

  • The nation’s top women’s flag football teams compete in a multi-team tournament, culminating in the championship game to determine the WFA Flag Football champion.

We are so grateful to our partners at Ally, Airbnb and Dove for their support to make this Substack free for our listeners/Substackers!

Plus — don’t forget that Dove is donating a portion of their proceeds to keeping girls in sports from now until 12/31. Learn more at dove.com/purchasetodonate

There’s one thing we want to share to all of those who might feel hesitant to watch, support, and cheer for the USA Men’s National team during this Men’s FIFA World Cup.

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We talked about this on the podcast this week — but I want to make sure we shout it from the rooftops.

Supporting the FIFA USMNT in the World Cup ALSO supports the FIFA USWNT team. The money they win goes into a shared bucket.

While global FIFA prize money continues to heavily favor the men, the U.S. Soccer Federation made history by establishing equal pay for both national teams. Under a collective bargaining agreement effective through 2028, the U.S. men's and women's national teams pool 80% of their FIFA World Cup prize money and divide it equally among the players, making U.S. Soccer the only federation in the world to do so.

So, hopefully that helps fill your heart with joy as you cheer on the U.S. Men through this next round. Rising tides raise the boats.

Also, (tease) below Abby reveals who had her at hello below.

🥇PRO TIPS PARTY🥇

Abby here: Jules and I know each other really well. But this week we discovered that we are both passionate about mismatched socks. How come so many single socks with no match come out of the dryer?

• How does it happen?

• Where do they go?

This may or may not be a real bench in Jules’ house filled with socks. Some are partnered, while others have lost their mate. RIP.

First of all, this collection is equal parts hopeful and sad. Jules, what is the plan here?

Julie here: The plan is to make sure they don’t crawl out on their own and are “somewhat” matched

But, we can both definitely agree on this pro tip: The kindest thing you can do for the laundry do-er in your family is to make sure your socks are not inside out.

🌍 WHERE IN THE WORLD IS BILLIE JEAN KING? 🌍

The 2026 Wimbledon Championships are taking place at the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in Wimbledon, London, England. 2026 marks her 65th trip to Wimbledon. 🎾

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And we caught up with her while she’s across the pond to record a podcast episode about… Wimbledon!

🎧 PARTY IN THE PODCAST 🎧

We are hyped about so many things happening on these courts like Serena and Venus matching up. But, this one really did tickle our fancy: a first for us — a fashion highlight.

Naomi Osaka is brining meaningful fashion to the Wimbledon courts and we are here for it. Winning before ever playing. Amen.

***Speaking of fashion — we heard a rumor that everyone is talking about our OOSA hats. Well, good news! You can have one too. Here is a link to our merch, including our Party People, OOSA and OOSA OOSA UHHH hats. Plus, a portion of the proceeds this month is going to support Easterseals.***

Julie here: Plus, Party People we’ve got to talk about Trinity Rodman. When Trinity was asked what former player she’d most want to play she said (drumroll) Abigail!

Abby here: Dude. Huge honor.

Plus, we did our first pod collab with Jockular with E.R Fightmaster and Katie Kershaw (Tien Tran, you were so missed) and we talked about the straightest event on earth: The World Cup. We pitch ideas to queer it up and so much more.

Please enjoy. Would you like to see us do more crossover eps? Hit us up in the comments and let us know!

🏟️ STAN THE FAN 🏟️ (Party People’s Pick of the Week)

Huge shoutout to @christina_renee2 who left this comment on our instagram post.

Now everyone act really cool cause we’ve got some sports to watch.

🥎 🏌️‍♀️ ⚽ THE WATCH LIST 🎾🏀⚽

1. 🎾 Wimbledon

   • Venus Williams and Serena Williams vs. Solana Sierra and Camila Osorio - Saturday 6/4 TBD on ESPN

     • The Williams sisters are teaming up for the first time since the 2022 US Open, but the big question is Serena’s knee after she appeared to injure it late in her three-set singles loss on June 30th.

   • View full schedule here

2. ⚽ NWSL Regular Season Returns after World Cup Break

   • ⚽ San Diego Wave FC vs. Gotham FC - Saturday 6/4 at 5:45pm PST on ION

     • San Diego hosts Gotham, as they are fresh off winning the 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup, but the Wave look to hold their all time winning record, 6-2-1, against Gotham.

   • View full schedule here

3. 🏀 WNBA Regular Season action continues

   • 🏀 Indiana Fever at Las Vegas Aces - Sunday 6/5 at 4:00pm PST

     • The Fever, with Caitlin Clark still out with a back injury, get a major road test against the Aces, as their rivalry continues and look to secure playoff spots.

   • View full schedule here

4. 🥎 AUSL regular season continues

   • 🥎 Portland Cascade at Oklahoma City Spark: Sunday 6/5 at 6:00pm PST on ESPN

     • One of the best AUSL matchups of the week gets the Sunday night ESPN spotlight as Oklahoma City hosts Portland in the heart of softball country

• View full schedule here

5. ⚽ USA vs. Belgium - Monday 6/6 at 5:00pm PST on FOX Sports

   • The USMNT continues their World Cup Journey in the Round of 16 as they take on No.9 FIFA ranked Belgium in Seattle.

6. 🏃‍♀️ Prefontaine Classic / Diamond League Track & Field - Friday 6/3 till Saturday 6/4 in Eugene, Oregon

   • Women’s 100m heat - Saturday July 4th on NBC and Peacock

     • Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who won the 100m Prefontaine in 2025, and Sha’Carri Richardson, who got the victory in 2024, face off as they seek to reclaim the title.

We are so grateful to our partners at Ally, Airbnb and Dove for their support to make this Substack free for our listeners/Substackers!

Plus — don’t forget that Dove is donating a portion of their proceeds to keeping girls in sports from now until 12/31. Learn more at dove.com/purchasetodonate

Abby here: We had a blast at the FIFA Men’s World Cup USA vs. Türkiye game last night. A hard loss for the US team, but a great win for Türkiye AND for our very own Jules and friend Mia Hamm:

Our team also had a great time at the game. Shout out to the WTTP superfan that made it all happen. We thank you.

World Cup Season is in full bloom, and obviously we’ve been doing some seasonal shopping:

Speaking of SHOPPING we want to let you know that our new merch store is up and ALIVE. We’ve got t-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags and hats:

We’re really excited about this gear, and a portion of these proceeds will be donated to a different charity each month.

SHOP WELCOME TO THE PARTY MERCH HERE

Special shout out to fan of Welcome to the Party, Churchill Wu in his new Oosa, Oosa, Uhhhh hat. Also, he seems to have a whistle at the ready, so please don’t go acting crazy around Churchill. He will not hesitate to throw a red flag and bench you.

Is there a charity you’d like us to consider? Please email us at partypeoplequestions@gmail.com.

Now for some important learnings:

🥇PRO TIPS PARTY🥇

Julie here: If you happen to have a lot of gold medals, Abigail has some tips for how to store them and keep them safe.

I really wish I had seen this and taken notes before I mysteriously misplaced my gold medals. But don’t worry. They will turn up. I’m 99’er% sure.

Also, if you are a psychic that specializes in finding lost or maybe stolen items, please leave us a comment below.

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👀 BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE PARTY 👀

They say don’t meet your heroes — but we say give it a try!

Julie Here: Oh sweet baby Jesus. I’m pathetic. 🤣 And while we are up to all these silly shenanigans, where in the world is BILLIE JEAN KING?

🌍 WHERE IN THE WORLD IS BILLIE JEAN KING? 🌍

Abby here: We just learned from BJK’s instagram that she’s receiving an honorary degree from Oxford University because of course she is. And she dropped this gem:

I just might wear the mortarboard to Wimbledon next week! 😉

We’d love to see that. Also, quiz time!

Now let’s get down to business…

🎧 PARTY IN THE PODCAST 🎧

We started the week out with a really important discussion about Title IX:

On the 54th anniversary of Title IX, the three of us look ahead at the future of women’s sports in a rapidly changing college athletics landscape. Joined by Women’s Sports Foundation President Swin Cash and CEO Danette Leighton, we break down NIL, revenue sharing, the NCAA settlement, collectives, and the growing concern that women’s sports and Olympic programs could be left behind as new money floods the system.

Abby here: Deep breaths everyone, we will succeed.

In this Party People Q&A episode, the three of us hand the mic over to the listeners and tackle the questions everyone actually wants answered. From the very real challenge of returning to sports in midlife, when your brain remembers one body and your knees remember another, to the eternal mystery of soccer’s offside rule.

Julie here: Offsides: There’s a blanket, and a dragon, and you can only cover the dragon’s head or feet. Glad I could clear things up for everyone. You’re welcome.

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🏟️ STAN THE FAN 🏟️ (Party People’s Pick of the Week)

And our fan of the week? Dr. G from Spotify. Thank you so much for listening and sharing how playing youth sports impacted your entire life in beautiful ways:

Now get your winning outfit on, butter that popcorn and put those feet up cause we’ve got some sports to watch:

🥎 🏌️‍♀️ ⚽ THE WATCH LIST 🎾🏀⚽

• 🏌️ KPMG Women’s PGA Championship — Friday till Sunday on Golf Channel/NBC

  • A win for Nelly Korda at the 2026 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National would secure two monumental historical records

    • The first woman in over a decade to win the year’s first three major championships, joining an exclusive club with Babe Zaharias (1950) and Inbee Park (2013).

    • Induction into the LPGA Hall of Fame. A victory would provide the exact points she needs to reach the 27-point threshold, granting her this prestigious honor faster than almost anyone in tour history

• ⚽ 2026 NWSL Challenge Cup — Friday at 5:00 PST on CBS Sports

• 🎾 Wimbledon — Monday till July 12th on ESPN

1. 🥎 Utah Talons at Carolina Blaze — Today at 3:00pm PST on CBS Sports

• The top two teams in AUSL go head-to-head in a regular-season match up

2. 🏀 Atlanta Dream at Golden State Valkyries — Tonight at 7:00pm PST on ION

• The East’s No. 1 team runs it back in back-to-back games against the WNBA’s expansion team

3. 🏀 New York Liberty at Golden State Valkyries — Sunday at 4:00pm PST on ESPN

• The New York Liberty travel to the West Coast to face one of the league’s top defenses

4. 🏀 Los Angeles Sparks at Indiana Fever — Saturday at 5:00pm PST on CBS/Paramount+

• The Los Angeles Sparks head to the Midwest as the Fever await an update on Caitlin Clark’s availability.

5. 🥎 Carolina Blaze at Oklahoma City Spark — Monday at 4:00pm PST on ESPN2

• Carolina heads into softball’s capital for one of the best midweek AUSL matchups

We are so grateful to our partners at Ally and Airbnb for their support to make this Substack free for our listeners/Substackers!

Are you feeling all of this FIFA Men’s World Cup fever? We are. No pressure USMNT, it’s lowkenuinely on you right now to unite the entire country and world. You got this.

Here are some of our biggest learnings so far:

1. America LOVES men’s soccer

2. We didn’t know Cape Verde was a World Cup team, NOR did we know it was a country in the world! Boop, there it is.

Now we are HUGE Cape Verde fans, especially of star goalie Vozinha!

3. Abby here: I learned who Balogun is — and that we have a lot in common.

4. Abby still: I also learned how much fun it is to watch and not feel like I want to play for one second.

5. Julie here: Even if FIFA tries to mess everything up, the world actually can make everything right.

6. I’ve learned that I need to up my USA gear game as a fan at games.

7. I’ve learned my kids also love to scream the national anthem.

8. People don’t hate each other. Governments do.

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👀 BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE PARTY 👀

In the mean times, please enjoy this whoopsies:

🎧 PARTY IN THE PODCAST 🎧

Superstar Charlotte North joined us to talk all things Women’s Lacrosse

We covered so many things it makes your head spin like two-point goals, stick-drop celebrations, Whitney Houston vocals, and the very important question: when are Abby and Julie playing lacrosse?

Plus, Abby and Charlotte were like:

Next up, we get into all things WORLD CUP.

The big news so far: Messi. He’s got 16 goals over 27 matches in 6 different World Cups.

And while that is very impressive, let’s all give credit where it is due. The current World Cup record is held by Marta with 17 goals scored in 23 games, mkayyy.

Julie here: I wanna poll the party people. Do you agree with Abigail’s bold statement about Messi vs. Ronaldo:

And, let’s not forget my favorite part of this episode: Abigail’s big reveal that she thinks she was a Viking in a past life.

Yeah, I could see that.

🏟️ STAN THE FAN 🏟️ (Party People’s Pick of the Week)

Shout out to Beatriz, who left us a comment on Spotify.

If you have NO idea what she’s talking about, please turn the volume down and ENJOY:

You’re welcome. Now let’s watch some sports.

🚴‍♀️ 🏌️‍♀️ 🏐⚽ THE WATCH LIST 🎾🥏🏃‍♀️🏀

• 🏌️‍♀️Meijer LPGA Classic — Today till Sunday on Golf Channel

• 🚴‍♀️USA Cycling Pro Road National Championship — Today till Sunday on FloBikes

• 🏃‍♀️USATF U20 Outdoor Championships — Today and Friday on USATF.tv

• 🏈WNFC - IX Cup Championship — Sunday at 1:00pm PST on ESPN2

• 🏐Volleyball Nations League — Today till 7/26 on VBTV

• 🎾Vanda Pharmaceuticals Berlin Tennis Open — Today till Sunday on Tennis Channel

🏀Minnesota Lynx at Golden State Valkyries — Friday at 7:00pm PST on ION

• The league’s top record heads to the Bay Area to face the league’s top defense

🏀Golden State Valkyries at Las Vegas Aces — Sunday at 1:00pm PST on CBS/ Paramount+

• It’s a West Coast heavyweight clash as Golden State rolls into Sin City

🥎OKC Sparks vs Utah Talons — Monday at 5:00pm PST on ESPN2

• The battle of UCLA alumni heats up as two Conference Players of the Year square off

🏀 New York Liberty vs Las Vegas Aces — Tuesday at 7:00pm PST on USA Network

• Two 10-win powerhouses collide in a star-studded WNBA Commissioner’s Cup final

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Are you watching FIFA Men’s World Cup US Mens team Vs. Paraguay today? We are! LET’S EFFING GOOOOOO.

Julie here: I will be at this game screaming my head off.

Abby here: Yes, I too had tickets to this game, and I can’t go because my daughter Amma has a graduation ceremony. You know how much I love a graduation, but this one stings a little (a lot).

And if you are also in the LA area, please come join the party next Friday 6/19 as we have a FIFA Men’s World Cup Watch Party. Tickets are almost sold out, so please don’t miss it - we need you there.

Party people, come joins us to watch Team USA take on Australia on the big screen in LA on June 19th from 11-2:30. Get your tickets: http://airbnb.com/abby-and-julie-jun19

Julie here: Plus, don’t miss Abigail on Megan Rapinoe’s podcast A Touch More from this week. Thank you, Pinoe.

👀 BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE PARTY 👀

First of all, we want to thank our sponsors. We are so incredibly lucky and thrilled to have ads in our podcast. They help us do things like make the podcast and keep this Substack free to anyone who wants to read it!

But sometimes reading the ads is no easy task.

Julie here: I could not get this word out of my mouth, let alone three times in one sentence. Also, please get you a friend as supportive as our own Abigail who helped get me to final victory.

Please enjoy this spectacular behind the scenes fail.

Just a reminder: Get 10% off your first order at OSEAMalibu.com with code Welcome to the Party.

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🎧 PARTY IN THE PODCAST 🎧

From the podcast this week, we did some great reminiscing about FIFA Men’s and Women’s World Cup past. And we share our hopes for the USMNT kicking off today.

Speaking of FIFA World Cup, what happened in 99’? Who knows! Julie just remember’s this gal:

Will the US Mens team get the W? Our biggest wish for this FIFA Men’s World Cup is that the power of our beloved sport can bring us all together to root for our country. We all know we need a unifying force more than ever so let’s go boys!

Next up, we sat down with Jordan Thompson to discuss mental health. She is so young AND so wise AND so tall.

Olympic gold medalist, LOVB MVP, Athletes Unlimited standout, and volleyball superstar Jordan Thompson shares with us about therapy, medication, burnout, taking breaks, finding joy in the game again, and the support system that helped carry her to the Olympic podium.

She also shares how she learned to lead with care, build real trust with teammates, and use the mantra “I have greatness inside of me” when her confidence starts to waver.

That is so wise, wth. Let’s all say it together:

🏟️ STAN THE FAN 🏟️ (Party People’s Pick of the Week)

We have a shoutout from out instagram this week. Thank you @Nagibney for being part of the party. LFG!

Obviously, we encourage you all to stop, drop and watch the USMNT take on Paraguay today. But here are some more sports viewing suggestions for this fine weekend:

🏉 🏌️‍♀️ 🏄‍♀️⚽ THE WATCH LIST 🎾🥏🏃‍♀️🏀

• 🏃‍♀️NCAA Track & Field Championships — Today till Saturday on ESPN/ESPN2

• 🏉Premiership Women’s Rugby Semi-Final — Sunday on Premiership Women’s Rugby on Youtube

• 🥎HSBC Championship — Today till Sunday on Tennis Channel

  • Can Serena Williams defy retirement and win her first doubles tournament back in nearly four years?

• 🥏Western Ultimate League Championship — Saturday and Sunday on Western Ultimate League on Youtube

• 🏌️‍♀️Dow Championship — Today till Sunday on Golf Channel

• 🏄‍♀️Surf City El Salvador Pro — Today till Monday on WSL App

• ⚽️FIFA Men’s World Cup Begins — Friday till 7/19 on FOX and FS1

1. 🥎 Texas Volts at Carolina Blaze — Saturday at 9:00am PST on ESPN

• Former Oklahoma standouts Tiare Jennings and Alyssa Brito face off in AUSL’s opening weekend

2. 🏀 Minnesota Lynx at Las Vegas Aces — Saturday at 5:00pm PST on CBS/Paramount+

• The WNBA’s two best teams face off in in what could be an early Western Conference Finals preview

3. 🏀 Las Vegas Aces at Dallas Wings — Monday at 5:00pm PST on USA Network

• The defending champions head to the Midwest to take on the upstart Wings

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We are so grateful to our partners at Ally and Airbnb for their support to make this Substack free for our listeners/Substackers!

Thanks for being with us here at the Substack Party.
Julie here: We kicked off this week with Abigail’s birthday!

And we compiled a nice list of things we all love about her. Please enjoy (AND please feel free to add your own in the comments).

1. She is Undefeated in Minute to Win It (do we love that?)

2. Will help anyone plan a trip or book last minute flights

3. Our resident tech nerd - can fix anything

4. Will wear all of Julie’s silly costumes and hats - no questions asked

5. Loves being a Mom more than almost anything on the planet

6. Her fandom for people and teams she likes

7. Always wants to donate to our guests’ charities

8. Her passion for music

9. Her openness to try new things

10. Her deep love and commitment to being the best partner to Glennon

11. Her Savvy business sense

12. Her sick glitter tennis shoes she wears to fancy occasions

13. How she embraces any ridiculous scenario Julie puts her in

14. Her over the top, fun competitive nature in all aspects of life

15. Her willingness to be open about her shortcomings - even though there aren’t many

16. How her maternal side comes out for all those she loves - not just her own family

17. Her on-going desire to celebrate and lift others around her up

18. How often she says ‘I love that so much”

19. Her new passion for the UCLA Bruins

20. Her thoughtfulness when others are hurting or in need

21. Her ability to be brash and confident and ‘own’ her power

22. She’s very generous - with her time, her money, her smiles

23. Her childlike wonder when our guests share cool stuff

24. Her ability to go with the flow and not stress… “there are no podcast emergencies”

25. Her joy of graduations and celebrations

26. She is a lifelong learner

27. How she stands up for what’s right & gives voice to those who don’t have one. Her bravery makes me (Julie) braver.

28. SHE CAN SOLVE ANYTHING. Best problem solver on this planet.

29. Her ability to end/wrap group zooms in the flash of a second.

30. She makes you believe you can do anything.

31. She is one of the most loyal and thoughtful humans I know.

32. Her infatuation w/ Love Island

33. Her RSK- random shit knowledge- is thru the roof. (Peptides, hormones, stitches, electric cars, smokers, recipes, data, oh my gosh, data for days…)

34. The genuine love and care she has for our team (best boss eva)

35. People love how fiercely she shows up for others. She doesn’t just talk about empowerment; she pushes people to take up space, use their voice, and lead unapologetically

36. She is the only one in her house who keeps the kitchen sink clean

37. makes people feel like ambition and vulnerability can exist at the same time. She makes vulnerability feel powerful instead of weak

38. She takes a nap every day

39. Her love of golf

40. Her ability to create space for people to feel safe, seen and heard

41. Ten years sober this year!!!

42. She’s always ready to tell you all the positive things she’s thinking about

43. The way she explains sports rules to people who may not be as familiar

44. The way she cares for her teams, on the field, at home, at work, etc.

45. Her openness about her struggles, mental health, and recovery helps people feel less alone.

46. Her eagerness to master ad reads

I can’t wait to see Abs try and top that for my birthday!

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Abby here: You know I love a good competition! *cough* Refer back to item #1 on the birthday list *cough*. But something you might not know about me? I LOVE Whitney Houston. It came up so many times this week that, welp, just enjoy this video from our LIVE event at the Ally house for USWO. We had so much fun!

Julie here: Why was I so locked in on that convo? Also, just a reminder, that if you’re in LA, please come join us IRL for our next live event with Airbnb.

Party people, come joins us to watch Team USA take on Australia on the big screen in LA on June 19th from 11-2:30. Get your tickets: http://airbnb.com/abby-and-julie-jun19

Also, if you’re a listener of the podcast, you probably already know that Abigail also loves doing content meetings for Welcome to the Party, but our brilliant production team thought we should give you a peep behind the curtain to show you why:

👀 BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE PARTY 👀

This week’s important content call discussions included:

• Abby and Julie spent the opening minutes comparing Goodr sunglasses and discussing which family members steal them first.

• Abby’s son Chase apparently wants to host a “bleach our whites together” tub party after seeing a viral laundry hack. We are not currently seeking sponsors in this category, but we’re listening.

• Julie is deeply concerned audience members may swat away her golf balls during a live competition in an effort to help Abby win. This concern was expressed with complete sincerity.

• Abby suggested a future Party Starter on “micro-feminisms.” Julie immediately countered with stories from elderly women at a retirement home delivering comedy gold. One woman’s explanation for why she avoids drinking: “My legs don’t swell. They spread.”

• Julie’s son Declan pitched himself as the podcast’s official men’s sports correspondent and then asked what DEI means.

• A serious conversation about sponsors somehow turned into a debate over neon green wiffle balls, wearable basketball hoops, and whether Abby and Julie should challenge three men from another podcast to a golf showdown.

• Abby’s review of the content call: “I swear to God our content calls could be their own show.” Nobody disagreed

KINGER KORNER

This week while we were recording with BJK her lights went out! You know what she did? She opened the blinds and said, “Champions adjust and adapt.” (mic drop)

🎧 PARTY IN THE PODCAST 🎧

If you haven’t listened to this one yet, you’re going to want to race on over for a feel good time. Racing trailblazer Katherine Legge joins the party fresh off her attempt at one of the most grueling challenges in all of sports: racing both the Indianapolis 500 and NASCAR’s Coca-Cola 600 on the same day.

Hear what she loves about racing, what she’d love to see change about the sport, and why she decided to try one of the most dangerous challenges behind the wheel. We are sweating just thinking about it!

Next, we are joined by Kinger’s brilliant wife Ilana Kloss to chat about Serena Williams’ return.

And we dive into the major player protest at Roland-Garros, and why top tennis stars are pushing for a bigger share of Grand Slam revenue.

Billie and Ilana see this fight as part of a much bigger battle for player power, pensions, health care, and a seat at the table.

🏟️ STAN THE FAN 🏟️ (Party People’s Pick of the Week)

We got such a nice collection of Abby b-day shoutouts. Thank you all for listening, loving and partying with us!

🏉 🏌️‍♀️ 🏄‍♀️⚽ THE WATCH LIST 🎾🚴‍♀️🥍🏀

And finally. People, it’s time to get serious. Grab a can of your favorite beverage and festive coozie cause we’ve got sports to watch!

🏌️‍♀️LGPA U.S. Women’s Open — Friday till Sunday on USA Network/NBC/Peacock

• Nelly Korda is the heavy favorite to win after winning the 2026 Chevron Championship, but after shooting a two-over 73 in the first round, she is sitting tied in second place.

🏉2026 HSBC SVNS World Championship Finals — Friday till Sunday on Paramount+

🏄‍♀️Surf City El Salvador Pro — Friday till 6/15 on WSL App

🚴‍♀️UCI Cycling Women’s World Tour - Giro d’Italia

🎾Roland-Garros Championship — Saturday at 6:00am PST on TNT/HBO Max

• Maja Chwalińska takes on No. 8 seed Mirra Andreeva to crown a first-time Grand Slam

⚽️USWNT vs Brazil International Friendly — Saturday at 2:30pm PST on TBS/HBO Max/Peacock

• USWNT heads down south to São Paulo to face Brazil in a two-match friendly series

🏀Dallas Wings at Minnesota Lynx — Tuesday at 5:00pm PST on WNBA League Pass

• The upstart Wings face an early season test against the top-seeded Lynx

  ---

  We are so grateful to our partners at Ally and Airbnb for their support to make this substack free for our listeners/substackers!

Abby here: I want to start this with a HUGE Party People shoutout to Jules for her incredible win this past week! She won an Emmy for Outstanding Sports Journalism for her ESPN E:60 segment “SAVE: The Katie Meyer Story.”

If you missed it - you can catch the Emmy Award-winning piece here: Watch: Save: The Katie Meyer Story

And listen to our podcast episode with Katie’s incredible parents: Katie Meyers’ Lasting Legacy. Congratulations, my friend.

Julie here: Thank you, Abigail. It felt good because this was the hardest and one of the most important stories I’ve ever helped tell.

Abby here: I’m just so freaking impressed and so freaking proud of you for telling this story!!! And you will have a sick Emmy in your background of the podcast set (yes, I’m jealous!!!!!)

Julie here: Ha. And, I’d like to give a HUUUGE shoutout to our Instagram for hitting 50K subscribers. Our magical social maven Taylor gets 99% of the credit there. As do you, party people. Thank you for liking, following, commenting, sharing and subscribing.

Y’all. How is it the end of May already? May is a month that calls awareness to so many things. We hit on two big ones in our May podcast episodes: mental health awareness and lupus awareness, but there are so many more. For all the ones we didn’t get to shout out, please know we see you!

• Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

• National Military Appreciation Month

• Older Americans Month (Julie is still surprised she didn’t know she had herself her own damn day)

• Jewish American Heritage Month

• Skin Cancer Awareness Month

• Get Caught Reading Month

• National Dental Care Month

• National Strawberry Month

• National Foster Care Month

• National Salsa Month

• National Hamburger Month

• National Water Safety Month

• Correct Your Posture Month

• National Miniature Garden Month

• National Cystic Fibrosis Month

• National Lyme Disease Awareness Month

• Celiac Disease Awareness Month

• And National Asparagus Month

Julie here: Here is something I learned about Abigail this month. She loves May because it’s the season of graduation speeches. More on that below. But we hope May was chockfull of awareness and maybe some cute miniature gardens too.

Abby Here: I can’t believe I just let Correct Your Posture Month float on by this year, AGAIN!

Good news is, June is going to be a banger, too. Just a reminder we have two amazing events coming up that we will be at — and we want you to join us:

Party people, if you are in the LA area and you love golf, join us at the Ally House on June 4th from 5-9pm in Santa Monica. Ally.com/Ally-House Space is limited.

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Party people, come join us to watch Team USA take on Australia on the big screen in LA on June 19th from 11-2:30. Get your tickets: http://airbnb.com/abby-and-julie-jun19

🎧 PARTY IN THE PODCAST 🎧

We promised you last week that we were going to share more about the Kinger’s graduation, so we decided to do an entire podcast episode about it.

Here are some great takeaways that will stay with us after being at this historic event.

• BJK is the first member of her immediate family to graduate college

• The importance of finishing what you started

• The tennis balls that Billie was hitting out into the audience during her speech were not intended for us — they were meant for the graduates. We are going to do some self-reflection on our behavior

Why did Billie Jean start school and then stop? She began at Cal State LA In 1961. She won the Wimbledon’s doubles title that freshman year, and 3 years later she left school to go on the tennis tour. She had one year of college left to complete and 60 years later — she did it.

Check out BJK’s incredible Cal State LA graduation speech here.

Julie here: Abby also left school for sports. Do you think Abigail “lover of graduations” Wambach should head back to campus?

For someone who never graduated herself, Abby’s love of a great commencement speech is inspiring. Also, I think about the one she gave at Barnard in 2018 more than I’d like to admit. Please check this out, my wolf pack:

Abby here: Aww, thanks Jules. You know, I was recently inspired by Eric Church who gave the commencement speech at UNC Chapel Hill. I happened to be across the way at Duke AKA UNC’s rival getting an honorary degree. Who needs a real one?

Party people, do you have a favorite commencement speech? Hit us up in the comments below. We love watching or listening to these on the days we need em most. And congrats to ALL the graduates out there.

Next up, Boxxy joined us!

Shannon Boxx was a teammate to both of us over her incredible USWNT career! And she did it all while living with lupus. We are so happy to shine a spotlight on this autoimmune disease and spread awareness because 1.5 million Americans have lupus, and 90% of those living with lupus are women.

What is lupus? It’s an autoimmune disease that starts to attack your healthy tissue, and it causes inflammation, fatigue and pain. It’s hard to diagnose because the symptoms can overlap with many other conditions and autoimmune diseases.

Shannon Boxx shares her personal experience living with lupus and her long journey to get a diagnosis, which is not uncommon. She shares that as an athlete you just push through symptoms, so it took her even longer to realize what was happening in her body. Something we never even thought about.

Please check out her inspiring story. And if you hear anything about lupus symptoms that resonate with you, please share with your doctor.

🏟️ STAN THE FAN 🏟️ (Party People’s Pick of the Week)

We want to give a shoutout to who reached out with her writeup about BJK’s graduation and the long relay of women’s sports. We love it.

Plus, Jayden - Abby didn’t even remember saying this, but she’s real happy she did:

Thank you both for being with us on this journey! Now, Grab your bullhorns. We’ve got sports to watch, people!

🏉 🏌️‍♀️ 🏄‍♀️⚽ THE WATCH LIST 🎾🏸🥍🏀

1. ⚽️ Gainbridge Super League Championship — Saturday at 4:00pm PST on Peacock

2. ⚽️ Portland Thorns vs Utah Royals — Saturday at 1:00pm PST on ION

• The NWSL’s two best teams collide for first place supremacy

3. ⚽️ Washington Spirit vs Seattle Reign — Saturday at 3:30pm PST on ION

• The Spirit travel to the West Coast for a defensive showdown

4. 🏀 Las Vegas Aces at Golden State Valkyries — Sunday at 12:30pm PST on Peacock/ NBC

• The defending champions face off against the league’s premier defense

5. ⚽️ Angel City FC vs North Carolina Cougars - Sunday at 4:00 pm PST on Victory+

• LET’S GO ANGEL CITY!

6. 🏀 Las Vegas Aces at Los Angeles Sparks — Tuesday at 7:00pm PST on WNBA League Pass

• Two of the league’s most prolific offenses clash for the third time this season

We are so grateful to our partners at Ally and Airbnb for their support to make this substack free for our listeners/substackers!

Thanks for reading Welcome to the Substack Party! Subscribe for free to receive new posts.

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Heyyyy Party people! Memorial Day weekend is almost here. It’s the unofficial kickoff to summer. But no one is celebrating harder than our co-host and BFF Kinger who graduated this week with her Bachelor’s degree from Cal State LA. (Actually, on second thought.... perhaps Abby and Jules are celebrating even harder with lots of WttP energy for KINGER at the ceremony… and Kinger fatheads. Always need fatheads.) She started college in 1961 and 60+ years later she finally got her diploma.

She really continues to just set the bar for how to be an incredible human being, and we thank her for that. Congratulations, Kinger!

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And you better believe we did not miss the chance to be there IRL for this historic occasion. We have so much more to share about this momentous occasion, but we will tease you with this:

We love summer because it’s one of the best stretches on the sports calendar. We’ve got WNBA, NWSL, Wimbledon, and FIFA World Cup and more! We can’t wait to enjoy them all.

But golf lovers, the U.S. Women’s Open is quickly approaching. Please circle this on your calendar: June 4-June 7th. And if you want to celebrate with us, sign up here:

Party people, if you are in the LA area, sign up to come to the Ally.com/Ally-House on June 4th from 5-9pm at the Ally House in Santa Monica to come hang out with us. Space is limited.

But if you can’t make it to that, don’t worry! We’re also doing a FIFA watch party! Sign up here:

Party people, come joins us to watch Team USA take on Australia on the big screen in LA on June 19th from 11-2:30. Get your tickets: http://airbnb.com/abby-and-julie-jun19

While we’re on the topic of summer and sports, we need to share something we are passionate about:

3 Things Young Athletes Need This Summer!

Please check out our episode on burnout. This is a topic near and dear to us because kids are quitting sports in record numbers. They are over scheduled and overwhelmed. So, here are our best tips:

1. Kids need to move their bodies differently.

   Abby here: If I only played soccer for 11-12 months throughout the year, I would have quit. I promise you. You need to mix it up. Go for a hike. Play horse in the driveway. Play pickleball. Do a push-up challenge. Parents, do this with them! Do some fun things with your kids.

2. Let kids be bored!

   Jules here: We over schedule the heck out of everything. Give your kids some downtime. Resilience and confidence gets developed in boredom. Step back and encourage your kids to put away the electronics and let them figure some stuff out. Stop over planning.

3. Build a life that is bigger than their sport

   Abby here: I say this from experience. Read books, get a summer job, learn a new skill, volunteer, hang out with your friends. Find interests that are outside your identity as an athlete because when, not if, the athlete has to retire we need to have other foundational things in our universe.

Let your kid take a break this summer!

👀 BEHIND THE SCENES OF THE PARTY 👀

Here’s a little behind the scenes into some of the shenanigans we get into while recording this party. There are so many special moments that don’t make the final show for obvious reasons — but we love to share them with you.

🎧 PARTY IN THE PODCAST 🎧

First up: Motherhood

In this episode, we: Abby, Julie, and BJK reflect on parenting, “mothering” beyond biology, and the emotional reality of raising kids who are learning to leave home. The idea of motherhood is a huge concept, layered and constantly evolving. And in this episode we scratch the surface of what it means to each of us.

Next, we meet one of our new heroes Rachel Entrekin who just had a historic race as the first woman to win at the Cocodona 250 ultramarathon.

Rachel ran the equivalent of 10 marathons back-to-back through the Arizona desert and mountains. Let us say that another way. She ran 253.3 miles in 56 hours, 9 minutes and 48 seconds. During the race, she slept a total of 19 minutes. And, miraculously, she lived to come tell us all about it.

Not only is that feat enough to inspired you, but then Rachel came and dropped some gems on us like:

AND

AND

Trust us, the hits just keep coming. Add this episode to a “boost your tush” playlist for when you need some mood-lifting.

But we just wanted to flag a special Abigail and Jules moment before we get into talking to Rachel.

Abby Here: I go to an Indigo Girls show every year...and if you tune into this episode you'll be lucky enough to hear an exclusive cover of Watershed, by yours truly.

🏟️ STAN THE FAN 🏟️ (Party People’s Pick of the Week)

We know it’s not easy, and we honor @danyelmoulden3803 for staying the course. Congratulations.

And thank you Deb Maybury for saying what is in all of our hearts this week watching that icon graduate with grace!

Thank you both for being with us in this party.

🏉 🏌️‍♀️ 🏄‍♀️⚽ THE WATCH LIST 🎾🏸🥍🏀

And put on your best game face, cause this weekend is stacked with a few must-see games:

• 🏉 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Championship — Friday to Sunday on ESPNU and ESPN

• 🏌️‍♀️ NCAA Women’s Golf Championship — Friday to Wednesday on Golf Channel

• 🏄‍♀️ Corona Cero New Zealand Pro — Today till Monday on WSL App

• 🎾 Roland Garros French Open — Sunday till 6/7 on Tennis Channel

1. 🏀 Golden State Valkyries at New York Liberty — Tonight at 5:00pm PST on Prime Video

• The league’s No. 1 defense travels to the East Coast to face the league’s No. 1 offense

2. ⚽️ UEFA Women’s Champions League Finals — Saturday at 9:00am PST on Paramount+

• Barcelona takes on Lyon to decide the 2026 European Champion

3. ⚽️ Utah Royals vs Denver Summit — Saturday at 3:30pm PST on ION

• The NWSL’s hottest team faces an upstart Denver Summit team thriving in its inaugural campaign

4. 🏀 Los Angeles Sparks at Las Vegas Aces — Saturday at 5:00pm PST on CBS/ Paramount+

• The Sparks head to Vegas for a Saturday night marquee matchup against the defending champion

5. ⚽️ Kansas City Current vs Portland Thorns — Sunday at 10:00am PST on CBS/ Paramount+

• The reigning NWSL Shield winners host the league-leading Portland Thorns in a massive heavyweight battle

6. 🏀 Dallas Wings at New York Liberty — Sunday at 12:30pm PST on Peacock/NBC

• Two of the WNBA’s most prolific offenses square off in an offensive shootout

We are so grateful to our partners at Ally and Airbnb for their support to make this substack free for our listeners/substackers!

We had quite a week at the party. Does it ever stop? We hope not!

Julie here: I’m in New York hanging with my crew from ‘99ers for The Netflix upfronts, promoting our ‘99ers movie! I can’t wait to share more about this with you all. It was a crazy fun two days in NYC and on set.

Abby here: I’m still fielding texts about this gem:

Whoever this is, the aura and aesthetic is on point. I WISH I was there!!! Looks like a Party:)

We also appreciate this comment from our instagram:

The joy in me sees the joy in this Sparks fan.

Julie here: Also, I want to shoutout my kid. It’s official - Izzy is now a Mustang at Cal Poly SLO, where she will play soccer and continue being a student athlete. Hallelujah. So very proud of her. Speaking of college, Abigail you had a big weekend.

Abby here: I did, Jules. I got my 4th honorary degree. This one from Duke. But speaking of degrees… Billie Jean King is graduating from college next week. Drop a comment of congrats for her on this post, and we will make sure she sees them!

It’s been busy, but don’t worry, we still had time to come together this week and record two epic episodes.

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🎧 PARTY IN THE PODCAST 🎧

First up: PINOE!

Megan Rapinoe joins the party and this might be one of the most honest conversations we’ve ever had on the show. Three years after retirement she’s learning a lot about who Megan Rapinoe is. But does she use the phrase “chap my ass”? She sure does, so we have a feeling she’s actually doing alright!

Life after competition can be so much harder than anyone prepares you for. It’s a long journey, something that we might know a thing or two about. But we know that loss of identity is something everyone can relate to, so we know this one will resonate with all of our party people.

Where will Megan go from here? We can’t wait to watch her soar in this next phase.

Plus, we keep rolling with the vulnerable conversations with the three of us going DEEP into our mental health journeys. Turns out being a person is NOT easy. (Side note: Maybe that should have been the name of the episode.)

Abby here: I share about about my court-ordered therapy after getting a DUI and getting sober. A definite blessing in disguise.

BJK here: I share something I’ve struggled with for a lot of my life that most people don’t know about me!

Julie here: I don’t know what these two are talking about. Life is like the dang breeze coming off the ocean as I play beach volleyball.

✨KINGER WISDOM KORNER✨

Billie Jean has live, laugh, loved a lot of years of wisdom. This one-liner from our mental health episode is a good reminder for our week ahead.

🏟️ STAN THE FAN 🏟️ (Party People’s Pick of the Week)

We want to give a shoutout to Micky the Pirate who left a comment for us on Spotify. Thank you, party friend!

🏉 🏌️‍♀️ 🏋️‍♀️⚽ THE WATCH LIST 🎾🏸🥍🏀

OF NOTE:

• 🥎 NCAA Softball Regionals — Friday till Sunday on ESPN+

• 🎾 Internazionali BNL d’Italia Championship — Saturday at 8:00am PST on TennisTV

• 🏋️‍♀️ USA Streetlifting Nationals — Saturday till Sunday on USA Streetlifting on Youtube

• 🏸 BWF Badminton World Tour - Thailand Open — Today till Sunday on BWF TV on Youtube

• 🏌️‍♀️ LPGA Tour - Kroger Queen City Championship — Today till Sunday on Golf Channel

• 🥍 NCAA Lacrosse Championship Tournament — Today to 5/24

1. ⚽️ San Diego Wave FC vs. Washington Spirit — Friday at 7:00pm PST on Victory+

2. 🏉 Women’s Six Nations — Sunday at 7:45am PST on BBC

3. 🏀 Atlanta Dream vs. Las Vegas Aces — Sunday at 10:30am PST on NBC and Peacock

4. ⚽️ Portland Thorns vs Angel City — Sunday at 3:00pm PST on ESPN/ESPN2

5. 🏀 Chicago Sky vs. Minnesota Lynx — Sunday at 4:00pm PST on WNBA League Pass

Also, we hope all the mothers got celebrated this past Sunday. Everyday should be Mother’s Day! In case you missed it, we (Abby and Julie) answered a few questions about our moms, and being a mom.

What is something you use today with your own kids that you can credit directly to your mom?

Julie here: I call my mom Fruity Judy and sometimes I take it a step further with Fruity Frugal Judy because we grew up shopping at Marshalls, Ross, T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods.

Declan couldn’t care less about shopping, but I’m proud that I’ve taught Izzy about how much further your dollar goes at T.J. Maxx, and it’s finally catching on.

Abby here: I’m the cook in our family, and that is something that I learned from my mom. She was able to manage and navigate a kitchen like no other!!! I also have a pretty even temperament when it comes to stress and anxiety, so when some sort of crisis happens I’m pretty even-keeled about it, and for sure that was something a mother of 7 had to embody during my childhood. I often wonder how she raised 7 children and stayed pretty calm the whole time.

What do you appreciate most about your mom today?

Julie here: 7 kids is just… wow. My mom raised 4, and I’m the youngest. And now I really appreciate my mom’s joy. I think I saw it growing up and probably appreciated it, but now when I think of her I realize she’s a ray of sunshine. She’s a gift. Through the hard, good, bad, my mom has always radiated joy. I could cry thinking about it.

Abby here: One of the things I feel most amazed about and appreciate is that my mother seems to know SOOOOO MUCH about SOOOOO MANY things. During the holidays I often call her to have her talk me through so many different recipes I will make for my family. She is big on traditions and I have tried to replicate some of those in my family. When something happens I know I can call my mom, and she will know what to do!

You both reached the pinnacle of a very public, high-pressure career. Looking back, what was a ‘quiet’ lesson or habit your mother modeled for you that you didn’t appreciate then, but you understand now?

Abby here: My mother (and father) really deeply believed in me and my talents. And when I got cut from a team, or didn’t make a roster, I knew they would always be there for me to maintain my sense of self confidence. Never diminishing the coach or the other players who made it over me, but to keep my confidence high. I’ll never forget the day when I got to call her and tell her I made my first World Cup roster. We both cried pretty hard over the phone, and she said, “remember all those times you didn’t believe?? I never stopped believing you could do this!!” Their belief in me meant everything!

Julie here: You know my mom, both my parents really, they never stereotyped roles or activities. I was a tomboy and played tackle football with the boys and my parents didn’t care. I would have thought back then in the 80s they would cared but they never said anything like, “That’s not what girls do.” I’m so grateful, there was no gender stereotyping, they were like, “Great, just be home by dark so you can eat dinner.” I never wanted to wear dresses and they didn’t care, they never pushed it. Nothing was out of the picture.

Questions about being a mom:

What has surprised you most about yourself as you’ve taken on the role of “mom”?

Abby here: The thing that has surprised me the most was how much bigger my capacity to love became. I didn’t know I could love something MORE! I didn’t know I could be MORE committed to someone else’s joy and sadness. There is something about spending time living a life that is bigger than just the self. Children are a great exercise in that.

Julie here: Being a mom is the greatest gift out there. One of the things that surprises me the most is how stressful it can be. I’m a very steady person. I don’t have a lot of highs and lows when it comes to stress. But, when your kid is suffering or going through something hard, I just don’t sleep. You are only as happy as your least happy child. You feel everything for them because you want them so badly to succeed.

What is the one part of being a mom that surprised you by being fun? Not the ‘rewarding’ or ‘meaningful’ parts—just the parts that make you laugh?

Julie here: Long road trips in the car have surprised me. I never liked them until I had kids. We do Car-aoke, we play games in the car, and they are stuck with me for long periods of time! We have meaningful conversations when I can get them off their phones.

Abby here: I did NOT know they would become some of my best friends and favorite human beings to spend time with. They are so funny, and interesting, and I love how they are a constant reminder to keep evolving and keep growing and to not get stuck in my old ways. They are so cool to me, in ways I will never be cool.

How do you encourage your children to find their own voices and passions when they are raised in a household defined by such high-profile excellence?

Julie here: I think it’s constantly reinforcing. For example with Izzy, she’s a soccer player and I just kept saying you don’t have to play soccer. I want you to play a team sport, but it doesn’t have to be soccer. I want you to play a team sport, be active, I want you to understand what it means to be a teammate, and lose and deal with adversity, and help pick others up and support others and celebrate others. All the great things that teams give you. If any day you want to quit, we are good with that.

Play whatever you want, just enjoy the hell out of it. Stop when it’s no longer fun. That has to be your North Star in everything. In her collegiate career when it gets stressful I say, “stop when its no longer fun. You have to find joy in all that you’re doing. It’s not us who care how you do — it’s gotta be you. You gotta want it and want to play and find your own passion in it.”

Abby here: Glennon and I were very diligent as they grew up, that we don’t have a “standard of excellence” or expectation of excellence. What we dream for them, is to have their own dreams and their own passions for their life and to go after them! The only reason I had the success I had, was because I had the dream and the passion, and worked for years to build it. It doesn’t happen overnight, but it all does begin with a dream or an idea of what I wanted. It’s our job as parents to echo back to our children who they are and what they say they want. It’s their life. Their choices. Their beliefs. Their passions. Those are things we want to support them in. Not curate for them.

What is one ‘parenting script’ you were raised with that you have consciously chosen to unlearn for your own children?

Julie here: My mom was insistent I register for china and fancy crystal bowls and silver. My mom insisted that I would want it for holidays. But I have already gotten rid of it because I don’t want to pass it on to my kids, so Izzy and Declan, you’re welcome. It’s not worth it.

Abby here: “Because I said so!” This phrase was said to me a lot, and I found it to be very limiting as a person. I didn’t understand why we couldn’t have more communication around difficult situations and topics. And I think the parenting memo our parents’ generation got, was it was their way or the highway. We have tried more of a communications approach to parenting and got curious and asked a lot of questions.

What do you wish your career / your community / your country understood about motherhood?

Abby here: Mothers should be paid for all the invisible labor that goes into being a mother. There are so many expectations for mothers to keep the whole world of the family spinning and it’s a lot of work. In fact Glennon had to coach me on this early in our marriage. Sharing the mental load of the household CAN be 2 parents’ responsibility.

Julie here: Motherhood is the greatest gift in the world. Moms can fix anything. Moms can solve all problems, they are all-knowing. They know how to come together, they get shit done. They multitask. They can take care of other people, they are empathetic but strong. They are all about the community, all about nurturing but also leading. They are doing everything all at the same time. There’s not one thing a mom could not do. In mom’s we trust. If someone said “Who’s the best person to solve this most impossible dilemma” I’d say a group of moms. Without hesitation.

We had a “pinch me” week and we hope that you did too.

It started with an amazing event on Sunday with Her Story called Girls In Motion where hundreds of tween and teen female athletes - and some of their coaches - gathered to talk about body image, social media and sports. It was so moving and impactful for us to be included in these important conversations. We so wish that an event like this had existed when we were coming up.

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Plus, we recorded a live podcast episode with some incredible guests, so stay tuned for that one.

🎧 PARTY IN THE PODCAST 🎧

Next in a true ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! moment we sat down with Malala and recorded an amazing episode:

We talk about the importance of women’s sports, how it’s a growing global movement, and a business opportunity. We also discuss how sports can drive equality, access, and real change for women, and the fight to support the Afghan Women’s National Team under Taliban rule.

Malala shares how much sports has meant for her and her confidence as well, which led to her and her husband Asser Malik (please never ask the Kinger to pronounce his name, just trust us on this one) to launch Recess Capital last year. The venture aims to invest in leagues like the NWSL and WNBA, with the goal to foster equality and provide funding for female athletes.

If you need some inspiration this week, please dive in. It’s one we’re going to be thinking about for awhile.

Plus, as we roll into Mother’s Day weekend we were very lucky to sit down with Azzi Fudd and her mom Katie!

Azzi had no problem connecting with us, but her mom Katie tried 3 different devices, 2 browsers and then had to call in help — but we finally got to the good stuff!

Azzi goes into detail about what it was like having a mom who was also her coach and her role model. Turns out, it wasn’t always easy, but it was always appreciated. (Now we’re crying.)

We also discuss how emotional being a mom is, see above. As parents we definitely live all of our kids highs and lows. Azzi had some low moments playing college ball, and Katie tells us how they got through it all.

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Plus, you don’t want to miss Azzi Fudd in her very first pro WNBA game THIS WEEKEND when the Dallas Wings take on the Indiana Fever.

Bonus: Azzi let’s us know in the pod why she chose the number 35!

How are you celebrating Mother’s Day? Please let us know in the comments.

👕PARTY IN THE MERCH👕

Did someone say merch? We are so incredibly honored to be part of this mashup:

Citizens of Humanity x Welcome to the Party x BAWSI limited-edition capsule. Citizens of Humanity will donate 100% of the retail selling price from each style sold to BAWSI, supporting their work to expand access and opportunity for girls through sports. Buy here.

🏟️ STAN THE FAN 🏟️ (Party People’s Pick of the Week)

Now it’s time for a special fan shout out. This week the three of us talk about the Kentucky Derby and Cherie DeVaux, who made history as the first female trainer ever to win the derby, at 23 to 1 odds.

Her horse was in last place, but in the final round Golden Tempo came through! We posted the clip on our instagram and @clippyma4 left a comment that we could feel in our bones. Thanks for being at the party with us!

⚽ THE WATCH LIST 🎾

Here is the watch list for the weekend!

🏀 WNBA Opening Weekend

• Dallas Wings vs. Indiana Fever: Saturday, May 9 @ 1:00 PM ET — ABC

• Chicago Sky vs. Las Vegas Aces: Sunday, May 10 @ 3:00 PM ET — ABC

  • Note: Portland Fire also makes their debut Saturday night vs. Chicago at 9:00 PM ET on NBA TV.

⚽ NWSL

• Angel City vs. San Diego Wave: Saturday, May 9 @ 8:45 PM ET — ION

• Gotham FC vs. Boston Legacy: Saturday, May 9 @ 6:30 PM ET — ION

• Washington Spirit vs. Racing Louisville: Saturday, May 9 @ 7:30 PM ET — ION

• Portland Thorns vs. Bay FC: Sunday, May 10 @ 12:30 PM ET — ESPN / ESPN+

🥎 Conference Softball Tournaments

• SEC Tournament (at Kentucky):

  • Quarterfinals (Thursday): All games on SEC Network.

  • Semifinals (Friday): 3:00 PM & 5:30 PM ET on ESPN2.

  • Championship (Saturday): 3:00 PM ET on ESPN2.

• Big Ten Tournament (at Maryland):

  • Quarterfinals (Thursday): All games on Big Ten Network (BTN).

  • Semifinals (Friday): 5:00 PM & 7:30 PM ET on BTN.

  • Championship (Saturday): 4:00 PM ET on BTN.

🥍 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament

• First Round (Friday): All matches streaming on ESPN+.

• Second Round (Sunday): All matches streaming on ESPN+.

  • #2 North Carolina: 12:00 PM ET on ESPN+.

  • #3 Maryland: 12:00 PM ET on ESPN+.

  • #1 Northwestern: 2:00 PM ET on ESPN+.

🏒 PWHL Walter Cup Playoffs

• Montreal Victoire vs. Minnesota Frost (Game 3): Thursday, May 7 @ 7:00 PM ET — YouTube (League Channel) / Fox 9+ / Scripps Sports

• Boston Fleet vs. Ottawa Charge (Game 3): Friday, May 8 @ 7:00 PM ET — YouTube (League Channel) / NESN / Scripps Sports

• Montreal Victoire vs. Minnesota Frost (Game 4): Friday, May 8 @ 8:30 PM ET — YouTube (League Channel) / Fox 9+ / Scripps Sports

• Boston Fleet vs. Ottawa Charge (Game 4): Sunday, May 10 @ 3:00 PM ET — YouTube (League Channel) / NESN / Scripps Sports

Podcast Episodes:

• Watch Welcome to the Party with Malala

• Watch Welcome to the Party with Azzi Fudd + mom Katie Fudd

Follow @welcometothepartyshow on:

YouTube — ⁠@welcometothepartyshow⁠

Instagram — ⁠@welcometothepartyshow⁠

TikTok — ⁠@welcometothepartyshow⁠

Email — partypeoplequestions@gmail.com

Heyyy party people!!!

Julie here:

You might be wondering how did we - the dream team of Billie Jean King, Abby Wambach and Julie Foudy - get together and decide to start creating content all about Women’s sports?

It feels like you asked the hypothetical question: If you could choose 3 women’s sports legends to hang out with, laugh with, learn from, and grow with — who would it be? And WE answered YOUR call. Or maybe you were playing Fuck, Marry, Kill cause you roll like that. We’re not here to judge.

But we are here to party!

On the xxth day of the month of xx in the year of xx Abigail Wambach found herself feeling lost. She stepped away from the world of women’s sports for 10 years to focus on being a great wife to her lovely partner Glennon and a great mom. But, Abs began to wonder, what do I do when my youngest goes to college?

The answer was clear: Women’s sports. Abby shared with Glennon, she wanted start a women’s sports podcast. The idea filled Abby with purpose. But what happened next could have only been divine intervention.

Suddenly Abigail found herself at an Angel City game and she happened upon me - and not to brag, but my bff BILLIE JEAN KING.

Abigail understood the forces at play, that her guardian angels were at work to put her in this very place, at this very time to ask the most important question. Will yous podcast with me?

And what did I say to Abigail in all of her adorable vulnerability? Direct quote: “Thats crazy. Kinger and I were just talking about that!”

And suddenly it was all coming together.

Abby here:

You might be wondering how Jules and BJK know each other, so I’ll give a little background. When Jules was in her mid-20s she was invited to a roundtable of women from all different sports backgrounds. She doesn’t know how she got invited, and if we’re being honest, I don’t know how I didn’t get invited, but moving on. During that lunch, Kinger shared the iconic story of the original 9.

You might know the story, but you might not, so here we go: In September 1970, Billie Jean King and eight other players aka the "Original 9"risked their careers by signing $1 contracts with Gladys Heldman to start a women's professional tour. Willing to face bans, they sought equal pay and a platform for women's tennis. Here is the iconic photo of them holding up their dollar bills:

Now, when Jules heard this story in her mid-20s it was perfect timing. She was about to sign a contract that she felt like was unfair. BJK told Jules to get the team together - to use their voice and use their power. And most importantly, do not sign.

Billie Jean and Jules have been friends ever since.

Billie Jean here:

I used to say to Julie, you have a blank canvas. What do you want to build for the next generation? You’re probably not going to benefit from what you’re trying to build now. But what do you want to give to the next generation?

There’s a misconception that women’s sports has made it, but there’s so much further to go. That’s what I want people to know. To the current players — there’s still a long way to go.

Cause we all have to be willing to stick together. And that’s exactly what we’re doing here.

Abby here:

When you are a professional player, your world is smaller. When you retire you feel like you are on the outside. But we need to create more opportunities for former players to still be involved in women’s sports.

Julie here:

Women’s sports is so much more than one athlete or one league. It’s a movement for good. There is light, love and there are all these social elements and cultural elements that separate us from men’s sports because we’ve had to fight for equality. And parity.

That is what THIS party is all about.

You don’t have to be a hardcore sports fan. It’s about community. This community of party people. Welcome to the Party.

Hit us up in the comments and let us know who you’d like to see at this party!

Heyyy Party People!

This one goes out to all our fellow sideline parents. We’ve got some “tough love” to share, and while it might not be what you want to hear, trust us—we want what’s best for you and your kids.

If anyone gets the struggle, it’s us. We went from being leaders on National Teams to sitting in those collapsible beach chairs, trying (and sometimes failing) to keep our cool while watching our own kids figure it out. As both former players and current parents, we’ve learned some crucial lessons on sportsmanship and how to actually show up for your kid—which, honestly, sometimes means not showing up at all.

Before we dive into the do’s and don’ts, let’s remember why we want them out there in the first place. Go sports!

Why Staying in the Game Matters

This statistic is a total gut-punch: 70% of kids stop playing sports by age 13. We need to flip that script. The benefits for the 30% who keep playing are too big to ignore. Studies show that girls who stay in sports are:

• More likely to finish college and land higher-paying jobs.

• Statistically less likely to face teen pregnancy.

• Equipped with better mental health outcomes and lower risks of suicide.

Let’s be real: raising a teenager is a wild ride. We’re all for anything that increases their chances for a healthy, happy life.

The Sideline “Don’ts”

So, how do we keep them in the game? It starts with us. We have to re-train the adults on the sidelines.

• Don’t yell at the refs, the coaches, or (heaven forbid) the other kids.

• Winning is not the priority. Period.

• Keep your “big feelings” in check. Don’t be “that person” at the rec center or the stadium. It’s not about you!

The Lollipop Strategy

Abby has a secret weapon she uses with Glennon: The Lollipop Trick. Bring a bag of lollipops to the game. If you feel the urge to scream, pop one in. Better yet, hand them out to the other parents and say: “I’m struggling to keep my mouth shut today—maybe you need one of these, too?”

When you bring that “hot head” energy, you aren’t showing your kid you’re invested; you’re just adding to their anxiety. They need to stay present and cool to perform—they don’t need to feel your stress from the sidelines.

Best Practices for Sports Parents

If you want your kid to develop true autonomy and a love for the game, try these shifts:

• Avoid Attending Practice: This is their space to explore, fail, and grow without looking over their shoulder to see your reaction.

• Foster Internal Motivation: We want them to be self-starters who play because they love it, not to fulfill our unspent athletic dreams.

• Untie Your Ego: Your kid’s scoreboard is not a reflection of your parenting. Support the effort, not just the result.

• Let Them Own the Journey: They need to learn from their own mistakes. Our job is to be the safety net, not the director.

Do you have a “sideline fail” or a tip that keeps you calm? Drop a comment below and let’s talk it out!

Plus, we just went hard on burnout in youth sports. You do not want to miss our tips for parents in this episode of the podcast!

And remember, let’s have fun!