I don't know about you, but my weekend included a parade. One that I was in! (Thank you to the Apple Blossom festival for asking me to be part of their big weekend of festivities.)

I was prepared for the smiling and waving - elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist. But I was little surprised by the amount of conversation that takes place on the parade route. The was a lot of small talk with folks as the car slowly made it's way down the two-mile parade route. Most of the small talk was about the Mariners or the fact that it was raining during the parade. Easy enough conversation starters since most people know me from Mariners TV broadcasts and the rain was a huge talking point for everyone. 

Sometimes small talk isn't that easy or obvious, which is when these sports topics could come in handy. 

I see sports connections and conversations everywhere – including the kitchen.

This week I’m launching a new season of I Cook, You Measure. If you haven’t heard about the show or watched an episode here’s what you should know – it’s part cooking instruction, part entertainment and all about connecting over food and wine. I cook with athletes and we talk sports, but mostly we’re just human beings eating and laughing together. It’s a show that could be a conversation starter for you, your family and your friends. You can find every episode of the show online and look for a new one dropping Thursday. Make sure to like and subscribe.

Here are a few other sports topics you can use this week.

We're back with more episodes of I Cook, You Measure presented by Safeway starting this week!

If you're new to the show here's what you can expect - a lot of laughs and stories with a side of sports talk thrown in while mixing it up in the kitchen. 

Season 4 was shot on location during Spring Training in Arizona which means there's a definite baseball vibe to these six episodes. 

You'll find new episodes (and every episode of the show) on YouTube. Make sure to subscribe so you don't miss the show or the Bonus Bites for each episode. 

Want the ingredients list, wine pairings or fun facts about each episode? This is where you'll find 'em. 

Finally, if you decide to cook along with us and make any of the recipes featured in the show, send me a picture and share your results!

You know that realization that you should have followed up and meant to send a note weeks, maybe even months, ago? We’ve all been there and then been in a position of trying to figure out what to say to get back on the radar without things being too awkward.

Here are my suggestions:

1. State the obvious. There’s no need to lie or to make up an excuse. Be honest in saying that it’s taken longer than you intended to follow up.
2. Use sports. Hockey and basketball playoffs are underway. That means we’re nearing the end of those seasons giving you a timeline to reference and create natural follow up opportunities. It might sound something like this: 

"It hit me while watching the NHL playoffs that we haven’t connected since the Winter Classic back in January. It’s taken me far longer than I intended to reach out. I’d love to get coffee on the books before we get to the Finals.”

Here are a few other sports topics you can use to spark a...

I don't spend a lot of time watching golf, but I do spend a fair amount of time reading golf headlines and stories.

In fact, it's how I've determined I'm currently a fan of Scottie Scheffler (which isn't too hard since he's the top-ranked golfer in the world.) You know what else? Reading headlines has given me enough information to engage in plenty of conversations with my golf-loving friends and colleagues. 

The moral of the story is - all you need are a few headlines like the ones listed in this week's list of sports conversation starters. 

Caitlin Clark is the most prolific scorer in college basketball history. The records she set at Iowa led to storylines sports fans around the country followed. 

The increased popularity and viewership of women's basketball can be directly traced to Clark. 

Her career and accomplishments have spark countless sports conversations, but here's what I keep thinking about - if it was my job to coach Caitlin Clark, what skills would I need to support a superstar talent? 

Thinking outside the box scores leads us to a different type of conversation altogether, one that could benefit every leader because it's ultimately about the high performers on your team. 

There's no question Clark is highly motivated on her own, but she can't win by herself. No one can. Her individual efforts get a lot of attention, but her team is the reason she won. So think about that in terms of the rising star in your organization and the high performers you manage. How do you create an...

The solar eclipse is making headlines this week, but I don’t expect to see anything but clouds Monday. I live in the Seattle area where cloudy, drizzly weather is common and highlights how unreliable (and boring) the weather is as a conversation starter. And yet it’s still the fallback for many people in small talk.

Level up those interactions and your conversation skills by having a handful of topics at the ready including these sports notes making headlines this week.

Sports is a great way to start a conversation – no foolin’!

You don’t have to stick to sports. Go ahead and think outside the box scores by talking about a sports adjacent topic. Top of mind for me are travel plans, favorite ballpark foods and best college memories. The topics listed below can help you springboard into all of those topics – no April Fools!

Athletes train for change because it’s part of the job. They’re going to take the field, court or pitch and be forced to change direction.

It’s rare an athlete gets to run straight ahead unimpeded while doing their job, (the exception being track athletes, of course.)

They expect change, so they prepare for it.

In fact, if you were to watch practices you would discover that most of practice is about making adjustments and changing direction. They anticipate the scenarios they’ll encounter in a game or match and create drills that help them respond effectively.  

Anyone who’s ever played sports would tell you that’s what practice is for.

So how are you practicing for change in your career?

This is another example of using sports to think outside the box scores and have a bigger conversation about preparing for change.

• How are you training yourself to be resilient and respond effectively when change happens?
• Do you spend time encouraging your...

I bet your brackets are busted… and I’m willing to bet that’s a good thing, at least when it comes to conversations and thinking outside the box scores.

No one wants to be wrong, but in a low-stakes activity like an NCAA bracket it’s actually a good reminder. You might have done all the research, watched a ton of games and made the most educated guesses of your entire friend group – but you can’t control the outcome of games. That fact alone is worth thinking outside the box scores for this week.

In addition, things that don’t go according to plan often make the best stories and conversation starters. I’m rarely intrigued by the story that starts “Everything went according to plan…”

Just a couple things to keep in mind during small talk this week. If you want more than a busted bracket to talk about, here are a few other sports topics making headlines.