Ep. 126: Youth Sports Parenting Goals: 5 Game-Changing Goals for Raising Great Kids
When youth sports end for your kids, what do you hope they—and you—take away from the experience? Friendships? Scholarships? Life lessons? Have you ever stopped to think about it? In this episode, the guys talk about the importance of setting sports parenting goals that help guide your decisions along the journey. They share five key goals for parents to consider—ones that can inspire you to create your own vision for what you want your family’s youth sports experience to be.
Ep. 125: NBA Champ & Olympic Gold Medalist Derrick White
In this episode, Boston Celtics guard Derrick White shares his journey from an overlooked multi-sport athlete in Colorado to NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist. He reflects on overcoming doubt, earning his way from Division II to the pros, and learning to stop being his own toughest critic. Derrick also shares lessons from his time with Team USA alongside LeBron, Steph, and KD.
Ep. 124: Ep. 29: 14-Year NFL Veteran & Former Pro Bowl Tight End Greg Olsen
In this episode, Jeff, Britt, and Brad talk with 3x Pro Bowl Tight End, 14-year NFL veteran, and NFL on Fox analyst Greg Olsen. Greg shares insights from his youth sports journey, coaching his kids, and founding YouthInc, offering advice on guiding and supporting young athletes both on and off the field.
Ep. 123: Youth Sports Parenting: How to Deal with Bad Coaches, Favoritism, and Yelling
What should you do when your child’s coach isn’t being fair? Or when winning seems to matter more than development? What if the coach is constantly yelling at the players? In this episode, the guys dive into common challenges parents and kids face in youth sports, offering practical insight on when to step in, when to stay out, and how to use these moments to teach valuable life lessons. The discussion is honest, engaging, and full of perspective for every parent navigating the youth sports journey.
Ep. 122: National Champion, Alabama QB & ESPN Analyst Greg McElroy
On this episode, we talk with ESPN college football analyst and host of the Always College Football podcast, Greg McElroy. Greg shares his journey to becoming a National Champion quarterback at Alabama, offering inspiring lessons for young athletes. His stories from playing under Coach Nick Saban are both entertaining and insightful, and his reflections on the challenges of youth sports provide encouragement for athletes of all kinds.
Ep. 121: Sports Psychologist and Counselor Riley Nickols: Understanding & Supporting Mental Health in Youth Athletes
Dr. Riley Nickols, sports psychologist and founder of Mind, Body, Endurance, shares insights on mental health in youth sports—covering performance anxiety, perfectionism, eating concerns, and the emotional toll of injury. He offers guidance for parents and coaches on recognizing signs, supporting young athletes, and promoting overall well-being.
Ep. 120: Coach Ballgame: The Right Approach to Sports Parenting & Coaching
If you aren’t familiar with Coach Ballgame (James Lowe), you are missing out on one of Major League Baseball's best and most important ambassadors. This week, the guys have an inspiring conversation with Coach Ballgame, learning about his story as a talented college player to being MLB’s representative to promote the fun and life lessons available to youth players all over the country. Coach Ballgame shares a pivotal moment in his baseball career, involving a college at bat against Justin Verlander. He discusses how his relationship with Joe Buck led to his current role with MLB, and share the primary message he takes to kids, parents, and coaches around the country. This episode is full of positive, challenging, and specific advice for youth coaches and parents to ensure kids learn the game, learn to love the game, and most importantly, learn important life lessons from the game - and his message extends beyond the diamond to other sports and activities. If you are a youth coach or parent, you don’t want to miss this fun and informative episode.
Ep. 119: Dr. Mark Kovacs: What You Need To Know About Physical Development in Youth Sports
On this episode, we welcome back renowned Sports Science expert Dr. Mark Kovacs, who shares a wealth of valuable and practical insights to help coaches, parents, and young athletes understand many critical physical development factors for boys and girls, emphasizing strategies to enhance performance while also minimizing the risk of injuries and long-term burnout. Dr Kovacs shares valuable scientific information including the risks of overtraining during peak growth spurts, the prevalence and impact of Vitamin D deficiency for athletes, the importance of annual bloodwork panels and what to test for that impacts performance, the differences in development of girls vs boys, and much more. In addition, we discuss the risks of sport specialization, and have a very interesting and fun discussion, based on his experience and expertise, on which sports requires the highest level of athleticism, and which skill, from all sports, is the most difficult. This conversation is packed with great information to help ensure young athletes - boys and girls - are physically in the right place to maximize performance and prevent injuries.
Ep. 118: Mental Performance Coach Justin Su'a: Developing a Winning Mindset For Young Athletes
Struggles with confidence, poor body language, negative self- talk, and response to failure are just some of the mental performance challenges that young athletes must overcome to maximize their performance. On this week's episode, we discuss these challenges and more with Mental Performance expert Justin Su'a. Justin was previously the Head of Mental Performance at IMG Academy, before working for the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and Cleveland Browns, as well as with PGA golfers and ATP tennis players. In addition, Justin co-hosts the popular Diggin Deep podcast with former MLB players. Justin brings his expertise, experience, and positivity to our conversation, inspiring parents, coaches, and kids to train the mental side for success both on and off the field.
Ep. 117: "TAKE BACK SPORTS" with ESPN Executive Kevin Martinez
“Take Back Sports” is a major new Youth Sports initiative from ESPN focused on some of the critical challenges in Youth Sports. This week, Kevin Martinez, who heads up this initiative for ESPN, joins us to talk about four critical areas of challenge in Youth Sports and what the Take Back Sports initiative is doing to help bring about solutions that will impact the next generation and the future of youth sports. Kevin transparently discusses the reasons ESPN has taken an active role in helping address today's challenges in youths sports, as well as some of the partners that are joining in this endeavor.
Ep. 116: 7x National Champion HC Nick Saban
Head Coach Nick Saban won seven national championships on his way to being known as the GOAT of college football coaches. On this episode, Coach Saban shares his story of how he reluctantly got into coaching - he had planned to be in the car dealership business - as well as insights into his thoughts about player development and a commitment to individual excellence and value over winning. He also talks about leadership, his toughest challenges as a coach, and what his doubt taught him about accountability that shaped his leadership style. Finally, Coach Saban also shares his thoughts on NIL, the transfer portal, and the state of college football.
Ep. 115: Inside Sean McVay’s Coaching Mindset, NFL Rivals & Life as a Dad Pt. 2
In Part 2 of our exclusive interview with Super Bowl-winning head coach Sean McVay, of the LARams dives deep into the world of NFL coaching and leadership. Coach McVay shares his most valuable advice for young coaches, discusses the NFL head coaches he respects and loves to compete against, and offers a rare, personal look into how he’s learning to balance the intense demands of NFL life with being a new father. This video dives deep into Sean McVay's unique approach to football strategy, team culture, and what it really takes to build a winning organization in today’s fast-paced culture. Whether you're a fan of the Rams, a student of the game, or a coach looking for inspiration and insight, this episode is packed with leadership lessons, behind-the-scenes stories, and powerful takeaways from one of the brightest minds in football.
Ep. 114: The Rise of Sean McVay: From NFL Rookie Coach to Super Bowl Champion Pt. 1
In Part 1 of our exclusive conversation with Coach Sean McVay, the youngest Super Bowl-winning head coach in @NFL history opens up about the early years that shaped his love for sports, leadership, and life. McVay shares stories from his days as a high school state champion quarterback and an elite-level youth soccer player, where his passion for preparation, toughness, and team-first mentality took root. With heartfelt humility, he reflects on the powerful influence of his parents, his legendary grandfather John McVay (former GM of the 49ers dynasty), and the coaches who mentored him through high school and the NFL. This video dives deep into Sean McVay’s rapid rise, his innovative coaching style, and how he transformed the Rams into champions. Discover the pivotal moments, leadership decisions, and the mindset that brought him from rookie coach to NFL glory.