Episode 18: Kobe Johnson (Soccer parent/Former soccer player) - A story of sacrifice and love in the world of youth sports. - The 5-6 day weekly grind of being a high school athlete - Sports can teach kids life lessons: Managing time, prioritizing, working with others, etc. - When you sit down and actually add up all of the expenses (10K, 20K... etc...), is it really worth it? Would it have been better to just put that $ into a college fund? - Some advice on the ID camps. You can't do them all. Pick wisely. Ask questions. Do your research. - Coaches need to be honest with kids and parents, but kids and parents also have to want to hear it. Delusion is a powerful drug. - Doesn't have to be a "D1 or bust" mentality. It's all about finding the right fit for YOU as a player. Don't worry about the clout of D-1. - The sacrifices parents make in order to help their children reach their dreams... - Kobe has no regrets. She takes the "we will make it work" mentality and believes this is what she signed up for in being a parent. It's worth it to her to be there for her daughter. - What happens if after 10+ years of putting time, energy, money, travel, etc. into a sport... your kid decides they are finished. They don't want to play anymore. Then what? - Sports can be a way for a parent to bond with their child. It can be a lifelong connection. - Advice: Be REALISTIC with your child. Not everyone's child is Kobe Bryant or Sophia Smith. A little honesty won't kill them. - Uh oh... We forgot the HOT TAKES.
Episode 17: Katie Filiatreau (Physical Therapist) - The frequency in which Early Sports Specialization is happening these days is ALARMING! (Spoiler alert: It's NOT good for your kids' long-term future) - Comparison: Using patient-first language vs. Using athlete-first language. Are we unintentionally putting pressure on our athletes when parents refer to themselves as "Soccer Moms" and "Baseball Dads?" - The pressure to return to play as quickly as possible. But you only get 1 body, 2 knees, 2 shoulders... Long-term vs. Short-term - TRUTH BOMB: Early specialization leads to higher risk of overuse injuries. Specialization does NOT equate to greater higher level success at the sport. Diversification is actually statistically better. - With the crazy schedules these young athletes are having to keep... Do they really even LOVE the sport anymore? - Parents help teach kids what they love. Do they really love the sport that much, or is it just the only thing you've allowed them to be exposed to? - A mind boggling story of the parents of an 8 year-old holding their child back (flawless academically) so he would be more developed in high school for his baseball "career." - Which begs the question... Should we be making major life/academic choices based on athletics? Especially at a young age? - It's a problem if the youth sports system makes you feel behind if you haven't already started playing for a travel team by the age of 12. - You can work harder than everyone else and the reality is... you still might not be as good as they are. And some of it comes down to... GENETICS! - An increase in athletes presenting with chronic pain issues at dangerously young ages. - Shift from injuries due to just overuse to injuries due to central nervous system problems (cell phone use, mental health issues, lack of sleep, social relationships, etc.) - Straight from the mouth of a Physical Therapist: YOUR CHILD NEEDS AT LEAST A 3 MONTH BREAK from their sport, and ideally 6 weeks consecutively. (They can play other sports in that time). - Beware of coaches, organizations, trainers, etc. who are telling you otherwise or who are telling you to specialize early. - Will medical advice be the tipping point to spark change? Or will it be kids or young adults who have just finished up their youth sports career saying, "We aren't going to do this anymore." - Advice: Don't sacrifice your athlete's long term future for a short term pay off that may never even come...
Episode 16: Tansy Coats (Parent of 3/Elementary school teacher) - The struggles of juggling the weekly youth sports schedule of 3 children. - Constantly dividing and conquering. "It takes a village." - The inequity in opportunity to participate in sports based on family structure, support, transportation, financial ability, etc. -Sports are supposed to be the great equalizer... but have we created yet another system of haves and have nots? - Setting boundaries as a family such as only playing 1 sport per season. - What about the "other siblings" who may not play sports? Where do they fit into the equation? - Even at young ages, there's an over-emphasis on winning and a lack of emphasis on development. - A comparison: Early tracking of children in education vs. Early tracking of children in youth sports. - If we have trophies, rings, wrestling belts, "signing days," etc. for kids by the age of 10, what's left for them to experience later in life? - TOO MUCH! We don't have to celebrate every small victory in life like it's the Super Bowl - Are we really doing all of the "extra" for a social media post? - And of course... MORE HOT TAKES!
Episode 15: Jordan Parker (Our 1st repeat guest) - The Youth $ports Podcast is officially 15 episodes old! We've talked about a LOT of topics. - This episode serves as a bit of a recap/halftime episode, where we discuss some of the underlying themes and topics of the podcast so far. - We discuss the biggest takeaways from Episodes 1-14. - Jordan turns the questions in Ally's direction to ask some questions about the logistics of the podcast and reflections on the process. - THEMES: Maybe college scholarships being the "end goal" is part of the problem, FOMO, early specialization, traveling at the expense of development, youth sports being used as a status symbol, identity being too wrapped up in sports, etc. - Parker does not hold back in dropping some truth bombs that need to be heard. - A Tom Hanks hot take for the ages!
Episode 14: Katherine Southerland (Founder of a free, all-girls Galaxy Basketball League) - Southerland started a COMPLETELY FREE basketball organization for K-5 girls only in Louisville Kentucky (Galaxy Basketball Incorporated). - Lack of opportunities for young girls who want to play basketball. - Co-ed teams exist, but sometimes only 2 girls play at a time. - Basketball SHOULD be one of the MOST accessible sports, but AAU is making it so expensive. - Are some AAU programs just making money off of families, playing in too many games/tournaments/showcases at the expense of development? - People just wanting to be able to say “My kid plays AAU,” yet they can’t hit a right-handed layup. - Investing money in youth sports is really investing in your community’s future. - The program was selected as 1 of 50 non-profits all over the United States (1 of 5 girls basketball related programs) to receive the 2024 Sports 4 Life grant. The Women’s Sports Foundation 4 Life program, co-founded by WSF and ESPN in 2014 and supported by the likes of WNBA star Sue Bird, utilizes the power of sport to build a solid foundation for Black, African-American, Hispanic and Native American girls to thrive on and off the field of play. - This grant allows the 2024 season for Galaxy basketball to be FULLY FUNDED
Episode 13 Guest: Mallory Shake (Former Division 1 Swimmer) - Mallory tells the story of what it’s like to be identified at a very young age as being exceptional at a sport (by breaking an Olympic swimmer’s previously held record at 8 years old) - The tug of war playing 2 sports: 1 that you play because you’re really good at it and 1 that you play because you love it. - Should you choose the sport you’re good at or the sport you love? How long can you do both? - The pressure of prioritizing the sport you’re told you are best at. - Maybe playing a 2nd sport that you are less serious about is a good breath of fresh air. - The major differences between individual sports vs. team sports - Swimmers are just a different breed… - “I never had a multi-sport athlete who wasn’t one of the best players on my team.” - Tunnel vision: Why has playing a sport in college become the end all be all of youth sports? Should it really be the light at the end of the tunnel? - Learning to identify who you are outside of sports when that’s all you’ve done your whole life. - The REALITY of playing a Division 1 sport: It’s not always pretty. - The dream isn’t always the dream…The Sophomore slump. Anxiety, lack of sleep, depression, injuries, unbalanced life, long road trips, eating disorders, etc. - The struggles, while hard in the moment, help mold you into the person you become as an adult. - MORE HOT TAKES (Watch out Disney Adults and Teachers)
Episode 12 Guest: Cy Tucker (7-time state champion, Hall of Fame coach, my Dad) - The blessing of being able to sit down and have a conversation recorded with my Dad is not lost on me… (He also just so happens to be a 7 time state champion and Hall of Fame girls soccer coach). - Humble beginnings. Learning the game just by playing, without lots of structure and outside influence. - The unique bond soccer helped create between a father and daughter. - Coaching without an ego. Doing whatever it takes to win, including an offside trap story for the ages. - The secret sauce behind winning 7 state titles: CULTURE, CULTURE and more CULTURE - Reflecting on some funny memories, touching moments and unforgettable experiences as a coach for over 40 years - The gift of being able to see potential and value in players/people where others don’t. - Be a STAR IN YOUR ROLE. - HOT TAKE: The worst question in all of youth sports: “What can I do to get more playing time?” We explain why this common, simple question can be so frustrating and what the better question might be for a player to ask a coach.
Episode 11 Guest: Jennifer Smith (Retired youth soccer parent) - Now that her kids are older, Jennifer Smith reflects back on her time as a youth sports soccer parent. Hindsight is 20/20, but she would have done a lot of things differently... - Non-sports parents on the outside looking in saying... "Are you crazy?" (Like when you reschedule a flight to Italy with your family that has been planned for years for a soccer tournament...For an extra $2,000) - Whatever it takes not to miss out. Swipe the credit card. Figure it out later. - Because of all of the money people are spending on youth sports, the result matter THAT much more. - The pressure of pay to play on coaches when it comes to playing time decisions - Extra training: The "secret starter training" - The perpetual fear of falling behind (even if it means overuse injuries) - Walking a tight rope financially every month, taking on a 2nd job, hoping you make ends meet - Relief that the 1st college bill is actually CHEAPER than the Youth sports bill - If you don't play club sports, it's hard to even make a high school team these days - And a comparison for the ages: Youth sports to Multi-Level Marketing Pyramid Schemes - AND MORE HOT TAKES!
Episode 10 Guest: Sara Martin (Former volleyball coach) - Hear stories from a coach who fell in and out of love with coaching... - We are all TOO ACCESSIBLE these days. Cell phones make it instant gratification/communication. Remember phone trees? - The golden years of coaching: Before it gets too serious and it's still about the love of the game. - Club sports aren't for the best players anymore, they are for everyone. - Doing what's "best for the team" is harder and harder to get players AND parents to buy into. - Everyone is on board for what's best for the team until it impacts THEM. - "Parent Goggles" - The unique challenges that women coaches face: Family, sacrifices, stereotypes, being treated differently than their male counterparts, etc. - "For male coaches winning is the expectation. For female coaches, winning is not enough." - 98% of parents are supportive. The 2% can drive coaches away from the profession.
Episode 9 Guest: Mike Webster (Basketball Official/Referee) - Everyone loves their youth sports, but without refs... There IS no youth sports. - Referee abuse is a real issue and it's causing MAJOR ripple effects with shortages nationwide, across all sports. - Losing more #s in officiating than we are gaining. Not a sustainable model. - Quality officiating is declining because there's no incentive to improve. Even bad officials HAVE to get games because of low #s. - As coaches, players, fans... you want to show up to a game and trust that you are getting quality officials. - If you're yelling at officials, you aren't coaching your team. - If something doesn't change with ref shortages, it won't be a pretty picture. And rural areas will be impacted the most disproportionately. - Will the shortage actually impact/change behavior toward refs? - What causes rational people to act so crazy toward refs? - The average person doesn't know nearly as much about a "call" as they think they do...
Episode 8: Linda Flanagan (Author/Researcher, Take Back the Game) - Author of Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania are Ruining Kids' Sports-- And Why it Matters - Sports used to have a different, less central role in family life - Obesity problems in America... sports are linked to better outcomes in life. So why are we making them more expensive and LESS accessible? - Pay to play is shutting out potentially great players. - 3 major cultural shifts that have caused drastic changes in youth sports: Decline in public funds/private enterprises capitalizing, OBSESSION with our kids, colleges tying athletic performance to admissions. - It's dangerous when sports become your identity, or even worse... when your child's sport becomes your identity as a parent. - "Empty Nest Coaches"... Yes, this is a real thing - Are adults taking care of themselves and their own physical and mental well-being?
Episode 7: Trip Rogers (Centre College Women's Soccer Associate Head Coach) - Hear the truth about recruiting Myths and Misconceptions from a college coach - There is NO RETURN on investment when it comes to club/travel sports. I repeat, there is no such thing as a return on investment. - No one is earning a scholarship at 10, 11, 12 years old... College coaches do not care where you're traveling at that age. Save your $$$ - College coaches salivate over multi-sport athletes - Do colleges bear some responsibility for the youth sports machine if they are only recruiting at the big/expensive showcase events where only certain clubs have access? - Did you know... Most people go to college regionally? Only 2% go further than 5-6 hours away. - Not all scholarships are created equal. Most people are NOT getting full rides. - Recruiting RED FLAGS: Poor body language, social media habits and parental dialogue. - ID Camp advice - Surviving college athletics sets you up for success in life/career - HOT TAKES are back!
Episode 6: Matt Bomeisl (A3 Baseball Academy Owner/Director) - A3 Academy: An alternative path for high school age athletes, designed to give an edge to serious athletes to prepare them for college/professional baseball. - Travel sports are emphasizing creating "mercenary teams" that meet up to play in showcases, but does this come at the expense of development? - American sports mentality vs. other countries: More distractions, less unstructured play - Are these academies the future of high level sports? And if so, are kids missing out on a more well-rounded high school experience? - Landing on the right side of history with alternative paths. Don't wind up like Bishop Sycamore... - Are we teetering in a territory where student-athletes are now becoming athlete-students? - There's nothing wrong with pushing your kids to greatness
Episode 5: Nate Valentine (North Laurel HS Basketball Coach, home of Reed Sheppard) - High school basketball coach of Reed Sheppard (Former Kentucky men's basketball player and 3rd pick in the NBA draft) sheds light on the story of a kid who decided to stay home and play for his hometown team. - The value of playing for your community - If you're good, they'll find you. More pathways than ever exist today... - Valuable lessons can be learned from high school sports and your role within a team - Are we turning teenagers into professionals too soon with things like NIL, transferring at will, bypassing traditional high school programs, etc.? - If high school basketball is good enough for Reed Sheppard... it's good enough for "Little Johnny" - 3 of the top 4 NBA draft picks in 2024 who played college basketball also played high school basketball in their hometown.
Episode 4 Guest: Betsy Huckaby (Current collegiate athlete, Univ. of Louisville) - Slow and steady wins the race: A blueprint for what youth sports CAN look like... A late bloomer turned Division 1 athlete (University of Louisville) - The value of growing up as a multi-sport athlete and being a good teammate. - How adversity can change the trajectory of an athlete's career. - Not everyone has the same drive... and that's okay. - The quandary of athletes being encouraged to skip out on high school sports - Does Division 1 college athletics feel more like a job or can you still find joy? - More HOT TAKES
Episode 3 Guest: Drew Watts (Performance Coach) - We broach the topic no one wants to talk about... Injuries -The impact of over-scheduling at a young age - Is the emphasis on GAMES, GAMES and more GAMES coming at the cost of free play, creativity and recovery? - At some point, will level headed adults start to say no? - A concerning increase in overuse injuries - Variety isn't a bad thing and recovery time is important - The ACL epidemic
Episode 2 Guest: Katie Wells (Youth sports parent) - Has the current generation of youth sports parents been gaslit as the "participation trophy generation" and as a result, raised exceptional overachievers? - Analogizing youth sports to the "Promposal" - Have we replaced participation trophies with participation national champions? - A lack of quality recreation leagues - An alarming statistic about the # of athletes who quit by high school - Advice for the all important post-game car ride - More HOT TAKES
Episode 1 Guest: Jordan Parker (Youth soccer coach) -Has youth sports broken you? - The commitment (both time and money) to youth sports is happening faster than ever and at a younger age than ever. And a Double Dutch analogy for the ages. - Expectations vs. Reality. If the parents are the customer, are we giving them what they want? - Maybe we are all taking ourselves a little too seriously... - Youth sports parents and their presence on social media. - Hot Takes
This episode is a brief trailer, introducing the Youth $ports Podcast, the story behind it and previewing some of the upcoming content. Stay tuned for the 1st official episode, dropping Wednesday, June 19th.