Break The Stigma Inc.

09/04/2026

🏓 ONE WEEK TO GO! 🏓
The countdown is officially ON! 🔥 Just ONE WEEK until the Break The Stigma Pickleball Tournament!
Sign up here!!
https://mopickleballclubevents.ticketspice.com/smash-the-stigma-pickleball-2026

📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM Start
📍 747 Gravois Bluffs Blvd, Fenton, MO 63026
Whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player, there's a division for you!
🏆 Round robin → single elimination
🎉 Prizes for winners
💚 Play with purpose
🧠 Support mental health programs for first responders & their families
You have ONE WEEK to rally your team, grab your paddle, and get registered!
👉 Don't wait until the last minute. SIGN UP TODAY!
Play. Compete. Make a difference.
Strong minds. Brave hearts. Unbreakable together.

Get tickets online for Smash the Stigma Pickleball 2026 here.

09/03/2026

Our hearts are heavy today as we join the community in mourning the loss of Firefighter Willie DeBoise. 🕯️

Firefighter DeBoise dedicated his life to protecting others, embodying the courage and selflessness that define the St. Louis Fire Department. His service will never be forgotten, and his sacrifice will always be honored.

Our deepest thoughts and prayers go out to the DeBoise family during this incredibly difficult time, and to his brothers and sisters at the St. Louis Fire Department who grieve the loss of one of their own.

Rest in peace, Firefighter DeBoise. Thank you for your service and sacrifice. 🚒🖤.

08/28/2026

08/28/2026

🎾 TWO WEEKS AWAY! 🎾
Our Break the Stigma Pickleball Tournament is just 2 weeks away!
📅 Saturday, September 12, 2026
⏰ 5:00 PM
📍 747 Gravois Bluffs Blvd, Fenton, MO
Whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or advanced player—come play with a purpose and support the mission! 💚
All proceeds help Break The Stigma Inc. continue providing mental health education, resources, and support for first responders and their families.
🏆 Prizes for winners
🎾 All skill levels welcome
💚 Great cause, great competition, great night
Don't wait—get your team signed up today!
👉 Register at

https://mopickleballclubevents.ticketspice.com/smash-the-stigma-pickleball-2026

Or on the events tab at
www.breakthestigmainc.com⁠�

or scan the QR code on the flyer.

Get tickets online for Smash the Stigma Pickleball 2026 here.

08/23/2026

Dont forget about the Break The Stigma Pickleball Fundraiser to support our mission. Come out and join in a fun filled evening. It could be your first time playing or you can be a pro, its all about the mission. There is different classes if you want to play from rec to advance. So get signed up, share with everyone. Let's make a dofference together!

08/11/2026

🎙️ NEW EPISODE OF KITCHEN TABLE TALK!
Available on all major platforms. Search Break The Stigma Inc!

What First Responder Research Really Tells Us

What happens when research meets the firehouse?

In Episode 14, we sit down with Brittany Hollerbach, Associate Scientist and Deputy Director with the Center for Fire, Rescue, and EMS Health Research, for a conversation about the research shaping what we know about first responder health.

We talk about mental health, sleep, occupational health, family, organizational policies, and the challenges of turning research into something first responders can actually use.

But this conversation goes even deeper.

How do we bridge the gap between what the research says and what first responders experience every day?

How do we get good information out of academic journals and into the station?

And how can we use both science AND lived experience to build healthier, stronger first responder communities?

This episode is a reminder that research only matters if we can turn it into action.

🎧 Episode 14 is available now.

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/1z21ylF4aXJXgvDLWzO3SI?si=NzzEZhYfQDO6hR4mYkevoA

Amazon
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8640e2e3-be09-456d-9437-c1f4d8cd998a/kitchen-table-talk-a-break-the-stigma-inc-podcast?ref=dm_sh_gzqMyfvMOFR4wUnXG9Y8Jy1PY

Apple
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kitchen-table-talk-a-break-the-stigma-inc-podcast/id1850861536

Listen. Share it with your crew. Start the conversation.

Because the research doesn't matter if it never reaches the people who need it.

EMS MentalHealthAwareness ScienceToTheStation FirefighterWellness MentalWellness

08/11/2026

🎙️ NEW EPISODE OF KITCHEN TABLE TALK!
Available on all major platforms. Search Break The Stigma Inc!

What First Responder Research Really Tells Us

What happens when research meets the firehouse?

In Episode 14, we sit down with Brittany Hollerbach, Associate Scientist and Deputy Director with the Center for Fire, Rescue, and EMS Health Research, for a conversation about the research shaping what we know about first responder health.

We talk about mental health, sleep, occupational health, family, organizational policies, and the challenges of turning research into something first responders can actually use.

But this conversation goes even deeper.

How do we bridge the gap between what the research says and what first responders experience every day?

How do we get good information out of academic journals and into the station?

And how can we use both science AND lived experience to build healthier, stronger first responder communities?

This episode is a reminder that research only matters if we can turn it into action.

🎧 Episode 14 is available now.

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/episode/1z21ylF4aXJXgvDLWzO3SI?si=NzzEZhYfQDO6hR4mYkevoA

Amazon
https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/8640e2e3-be09-456d-9437-c1f4d8cd998a/kitchen-table-talk-a-break-the-stigma-inc-podcast?ref=dm_sh_gzqMyfvMOFR4wUnXG9Y8Jy1PY

Apple
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kitchen-table-talk-a-break-the-stigma-inc-podcast/id1850861536

Listen. Share it with your crew. Start the conversation.

Because the research doesn't matter if it never reaches the people who need it.

08/04/2026

What is emotional intelligence? And why should you care?

You've probably heard the term "emotional intelligence" thrown around and figured it wasn't for you. Fair. So here it is in plain terms.
Emotional intelligence is just being able to do four things: notice what you're feeling, manage it instead of letting it drive, read what the people around you are feeling, and use all of that to handle the moment better. That's it. No fluff. You already do pieces of this every shift without naming it.
Here's why it matters in our line of work. On a bad call, your body wants to react, heart pounding, tunnel vision, running on pure instinct. EI is what gives you the half-second to respond instead. Same situation, better outcome, because you stayed in the driver's seat instead of getting hijacked by adrenaline.
And it doesn't clock out when you do. The hardest transition a lot of us make isn't call to call, it's the drive home. You can't walk through your front door carrying what you carried on shift. The people at that table didn't run the call with you. Being able to notice you're still wound up, and shift gears before you snap at your kid over nothing, that's EI too. Most of us were never taught it. That's on the job, not on you.

So how do you build it? Start simple:

Name it. When something hits you, put a word to it. "I'm angry." "I'm fried." Naming a feeling takes power out of it.

Pause before you react. One breath. That's the whole gap between reacting and responding.

Check in after shift. Two minutes. What did you carry home tonight, and does it belong here?

Ask someone you trust. We've all got blind spots. Other people see them.

Here's the part nobody tells you: EI works like any other intelligence. You're not stuck with what you've got. You learn it, you practice it, you train it, same as any skill that matters.

This is the work under the work.
Check yourself like you check your gear.