I'm going to do something that will make my wife very happy.

I'm going to admit that she was right all along.

I've had good conferences in the past, but this one may have been the best, and it was due to one simple change. This was not a lecture but an activity that all the adults who attended participated in. The Sustainability Game was my presentation this year, and the game is versatile enough that it can be played in a classroom setting if need be. This was not a lecture with limited participation by the attendees. They played the game for at least half the time, and I gave them some connecting concepts from the game to real life. Then, I was quiet while they discussed the game and asked questions of me and each other. It was the most "organic" conversation I've had in a presentation before because they had so much to say based on the experience they had playing. It wasn't contrived, but instead enthusiastic and curious.

This went so well that from here on out, my presentations will not be about theory or "how I do things." Instead, they will always be active and involve the participants in the game—no more lectures. I should have released this sooner because this is something that I preach to my coaches. Talk less, let them play, and discover more. The more we talk and fall in love with the sound of our voice, the greater the chance the audience (child and adult) begins tuning us out. So again, you were right, Stephanie.

To celebrate the conference's success and give those people who wanted to come but didn't have the opportunity to understand the Sustainability Game, I am adding it to the growing section of free games that can be downloaded in the individual resources section. The game is simple enough to be played by all ages, but the discussion becomes more enriching the older the students become. I hope you enjoy it as much as my students did, both children and adults!