Founder, Heidi Alexander 

When I was in seventh grade . . .

I lobbied my school board to create the first girls’ high school ice hockey team. I can still vividly recall the oppositional arguments such as “ice hockey is too physical for girls”, “girls are not interested”, and “no one will watch”. This experience sparked a lifelong commitment to empowering women and girls and advocating for equal opportunities.

Having the opportunity to play ice hockey in high school enabled me to attend a top tier liberal arts college and captain a Division III ice hockey team. I was team MVP and recipient of the Amherst College Women’s Ice Hockey Captain’s Award for Work Ethic, Commitment, and Leadership. I worked hard during those years and learned a great deal about on and off-ice training, teamwork, leadership, and mindset. I took what I learned to law school and became a lawyer and advocate for underserved and underrepresented communities. Now, I help lawyers, often stressed by challenging workloads, to improve their well-being, find purpose and satisfaction in their careers, respect and prioritize their personal as well as professional lives, and to be effective advocates for their clients.

I’ve continued to coach, play sports, and serve as a mentor. I coach my daughters’ soccer and ice hockey teams, as well as help to direct Newton Youth Hockey’s (NYH) Learn to Skate, Learn to Play, and Girls’ Program; assist the Newton Girls’ Varsity Hockey and Needham Girls’ Junior Varsity Ice Hockey teams; coach with Dynamic Women’s Ice Hockey; provide goalie skills training to local ice hockey programs; and coach individuals and groups at CrossFit Newton. Often, as the only female coach/volunteer parent, many of the girls flock to me for direction and encouragement. I’ve made it a goal to recruit more female coaches because I believe in the importance of having strong female role models. I’ve participated in and helped create mentorship programs for girls and women of all ages.

Some other examples of my commitment to empowering women and girls include receiving a grant to lead a sports program for girls in underrepresented communities; writing a college thesis on gender self-concept in female athletes and law review note on women’s reproductive health; helping minority and economically disadvantaged women start businesses; working on legislative policy impacting women and girls; providing pro bono legal representation to women and their families experiencing gender-based violence; designing a national initiative to celebrate and encourage women in legal technology; and launching and leading a support group for attorney moms.

I started My Strong Squad to support strong women and girls through athletic training and mentorship, and to increase our network of women coaches and mentors.

My Strong Squad is YOUR Strong Squad. Together we can help turn strong girls into strong female leaders who will transform the world.

Credentials

• CrossFit Level 1 Trainer

• Coach, Needham Girls’ Junior Varsity Ice Hockey

• Goalie Coach, Newton Girls’ Varsity Ice Hockey

• Coach, Dynamic Women’s Ice Hockey

• Coach, Newton Youth Hockey Goalie Skills

• U.S. Center for SafeSport Trained

• Mentor, Amherst College Women’s Athletics

• Volunteer, Girl Scout Troop

• Leader, SuperMom for Lawyer Moms

• Founder, American Bar Association Women of Legal Technology

• Member, Supreme Judicial Court Mentoring Working Group

• Former Lawyer

• Mom of Three Girls