What’s Good?

As we gathered around screens across the nation for Super Bowl LVIX (Yay Birds!), we're reminded that some moments transcend sport. Whether you're a die-hard football fan or just there for the commercials and halftime show, the Super Bowl represents something uniquely American: our ability to create moments of shared joy and connection, even in divided times.

This week, we explore stories of community, perseverance, and the magic that happens when millions pause to share in a collective experience.

Firefly of the Week

"Voice in Sport" - Episode 140: Dani Weatherholt, Pro Soccer Player, shares her journey in sport, and reminds us all to only focus on what we can control and how developing a positive mindset and support system are essential in sport and beyond.

The Gift of the Unexpected

Stories That Inspire

The Watch Party That Became a Movement When Sarah Martinez started hosting Super Bowl parties for lonely seniors in her community center five years ago, she never imagined it would spread to 50 cities. "Football was just the excuse," she says. "What these folks really needed was connection." Her initiative, "Senior Sunday Squad," now brings together thousands of elderly fans for not just the big game, but year-round gatherings.

From Sidelines to Touchdowns James Wilson spent 15 years as a high school janitor, quietly staying late to help coaches set up practice equipment. This season, he's coaching his school's first state championship team. "Every kid needs someone who believes in them," he says. "Sometimes that person is wearing a custodian's uniform."

Beyond the Game

Inspiring reads for sports fans and community builders:

• "There’s Always This Year: On Basketball and Ascension" - Long listed for the national book award, There’s Always This Year is a triumph, brimming with joy, pain, solidarity, comfort, outrage, and hope. No matter the subject of his keen focus—whether it’s basketball, or music, or performance—Hanif Abdurraqib’s exquisite writing is always poetry, always profound, and always a clarion call to radically reimagine how we think about our culture, our country, and ourselves.

• "Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln" - Did you know that Abraham Lincoln intentionally appointed politic rivals to positions on his cabinet? He knew that the best way to assemble an effective team was so make space for differing opinions and perspectives.

• “The Boys in the Boat” - For readers of Unbroken, out of the depths of the Depression comes an irresistible story about beating the odds and finding hope in the most desperate of times—the improbable, intimate account of how nine working-class boys from the American West showed the world at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin what true grit really meant.

Weekly Challenge

Create a new tradition around a shared experience. Whether it's a weekly game night or monthly community potluck, start something that brings people together.

Already have a tradition that unites people? Have a great idea that you hope to put into practice? Share it here.

Swag Bag

Be the spark for someone else’s plot twist. Grab some merch from The What’s Good Store and catch the world off guard.

Until Next Season

Whether your team took home the prized trophy or your eyes are still swollen from all the tears, remember that the real victory lies in the connections we forge and the communities we build… sometime that can start on a field, but the game of life will always be more important.