Questions we cover in this episode:

1. When did you first start thinking, “We may have taken this whole youth sports thing a little too far,” and what were you seeing that concerned you?
2. Why is it so easy for well-intentioned parents to let scholarships, achievement, competition, and sports become a bigger part of their family’s identity than they intended?
3. With rankings, stats, tryouts, playing time, wins, and losses everywhere, how can parents help kids separate “how I performed today” from “who I am”?
4. As a pastor and coach, what Christian values do you believe sports can help develop in kids, and how can parents and coaches be intentional about building them?
5. You write about gentleness in a culture of criticism, especially on the sidelines and during the car ride home. What do kids actually need from us in those emotional moments after a difficult game?

Bonus Question:
If you could convince every sports parent to stop chasing one thing and start prioritizing one thing, what would those two things be?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. Your mission with the Sports Reclamation Project is to "bring the joy back to youth sports." Where do you think we started losing that joy, and what are adults getting wrong?
2. You describe the chase for better teams, exposure, rankings, and scholarships as the "race to nowhere." How can parents tell the difference between providing opportunities and getting caught up in that race?
3. After 25 years of coaching, you've been open about experiencing burnout yourself. What are we asking of youth coaches that's making good people want to walk away, and what needs to change?
4. What did your military experience teach you about leadership that has influenced the way you coach kids? And what parts of military-style leadership don't belong in youth sports?
5. If winning isn't the best measure of a youth coach's success, what should parents actually look for when evaluating their child's season?

Bonus Question:
If we handed youth sports completely back to the kids for one season and let them redesign the experience, what do you think they'd keep, and what would they immediately get rid of?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. You built a youth soccer league in your own community. What did you see in the existing youth sports system that made you think, "We can do this differently or better?"
2. You talk about building leagues from the mission down. What does that mean, and how does a clear mission influence decisions around coaches, competition, playing time, and parents?
3. With so much attention on club and travel sports, why are strong community-based and recreational leagues still so important to the future of youth sports?
4. If a local youth league feels like it has lost its way, what are two or three realistic changes that could make the experience noticeably better for kids and families?
5. For the parent or coach who's thought, "I could build a better youth sports program," what do they need to understand before actually trying to start one?

Bonus Question:
If you could redesign youth sports from scratch and weren't allowed to copy the system we have today, what would you build differently?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. What makes lacrosse uniquely valuable for young athletes compared with some of the other sports they could be playing?
2. True Lacrosse focuses on developing the complete athlete. What does great development actually look like for younger players, and what should parents pay attention to beyond goals, wins, and team placement?
3. What's one trait you consistently see in kids who continue improving year after year that has nothing to do with talent?
4. What's one thing youth coaches spend too much time worrying about, and what's something they don't spend nearly enough time on?
5. What's something you see parents rushing young lacrosse players toward that you'd rather see them slow down and develop first?

Bonus Question:
If you were trying to convince a 9- or 10-year-old who's never picked up a lacrosse stick to give the sport a try, what would you tell them is the most fun thing about lacrosse?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. Youth sports can be incredibly rewarding, but they can also be overwhelming. What are some of the biggest lessons you've learned as a parent navigating it all?
2. Was there a specific moment or experience that made you realize tournament families needed better information and resources?
3. Parents spend a lot of time planning around tournaments. What are some mistakes you see families make over and over that create unnecessary stress?
4. What are some of the best tournament hacks you've learned that can save sports families time, money, or sanity?
5. If you could sit down with every new sports parent before their first travel tournament, what's one piece of advice you'd give them that would save the most time, money, or frustration?

Bonus Question:
If you could magically fix one thing about the youth sports tournament experience tomorrow, what would it be and why?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. Looking back on your years of coaching, what challenge made you realize there had to be a better way to teach the game?
2. What separates players who simply know the game from those who can read and anticipate what's happening around them, and can coaches intentionally teach that skill?
3. Great practices keep every player engaged. What are some things the best youth coaches do to keep kids thinking and learning instead of waiting for their turn?
4. If we want athletes to become better decision-makers, how should coaches balance giving instructions with allowing players to figure things out for themselves?
5. Parents naturally notice goals, assists, and wins. What are some of the small improvements you look for that tell you a player is truly developing, even if it doesn't show up on the scoreboard?

Bonus Question:
What's something you've completely changed your mind about as a coach over the last 10 to 15 years, and how has it changed the way you teach young athletes?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. Parents and coaches sometimes mistake ADHD behaviors for laziness, lack of effort, or simply not paying attention. What are some common signs of ADHD adults might notice in a sports setting, and what misconceptions often lead us to misinterpret those behaviors?
2. If you walked onto the practice field with a volunteer coach who had several athletes with ADHD, what are two or three simple changes you would recommend that could immediately help those kids succeed?
3. Sports can be emotional, and many kids with ADHD struggle after mistakes or when they feel frustrated. What are some practical ways parents and coaches can help them reset and get back into the game instead of spiraling?
4. If there's one piece of advice you'd give parents raising a young athlete with ADHD, what would it be? What do those kids need to hear and experience most from the adults supporting them?
5. Every athlete gets nervous before a game at some point. How can parents and coaches tell the difference between healthy pre-game nerves and anxiety that's actually holding a child back? What are some simple things adults can do to help?

Bonus Question:
Imagine there's a coach listening right now who just found out one of their players has ADHD. What's the first thing you hope that coach understands before they step onto the field for their next practice?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. Parents and coaches spend a lot of time teaching skills, but not always emotions. If emotional intelligence was treated like another skill to practice, what would that actually look like for a young athlete?
2. After a tough game, how can parents and coaches recognize what an athlete actually needs emotionally instead of immediately offering advice?
3. You talk a lot about self-awareness. What are a few simple habits young athletes can build to become more self-aware and mentally stronger throughout a season?
4. Many athletes believe they're supposed to feel confident all the time. Is confidence really the goal, or are there other mental skills that matter even more under pressure?
5. Youth sports can become an emotional roller coaster for athletes, parents, and coaches alike. How can adults create an environment where kids feel safe to learn, compete, and make mistakes?

Bonus Question:
If you could eliminate one phrase from youth sports forever, what would it be, and what would you replace it with?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. Families often feel like they have just 24 or 48 hours to make a decision after tryouts. Do you think the youth baseball tryout system is broken, and what would you change?
2. You've built a baseball club around teaching the game "the right way." What does that actually look like beyond wins and losses?
3. What separates a coach who's simply running drills from one who's truly developing players?
4. If you took over a brand-new youth baseball team tomorrow, what are the three things you'd focus on during the first month to have the biggest impact on player development?
5. Parents often judge coaches by wins. If you could convince every parent to measure a coach by something else instead, what would it be?

Bonus Question:
What's something that's become completely normal in youth baseball today that you think we'll look back on ten years from now and wonder, "Why did we ever do it that way?"

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. Coaches and parents often say, “Be more confident” or “Be more aggressive.” What’s the relationship between confidence and aggression in youth sports, and how can adults help kids develop both in a healthy way?
2. You’ve worked with athletes from age seven through high school. What’s one mistake well-meaning parents and coaches make that slowly chips away at a child’s confidence?
3. You’ve spoken about the professionalization of youth sports. What concerns you most about the direction youth sports is heading, and what can families do to keep the experience healthy while still allowing kids to chase big goals?
4. Parents often wonder if they’re pushing too hard or not enough. What are some signs that a child is experiencing healthy challenge versus unhealthy pressure?
5. If you had five minutes with every volunteer coach before their first practice of the season, what’s the one piece of psychological advice you’d give them that would have the biggest positive impact on their players?

Bonus Question:
Imagine a talented 10-year-old athlete tells you, “I’m afraid to make a mistake.” What’s the first conversation you have with that child, and what’s the first conversation you have with their parents?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. A lot of youth athletes today seem to struggle with confidence. From your perspective, what’s creating that confidence problem in sports right now?
2. Do you think parents and coaches sometimes accidentally make athletes more anxious or fearful without realizing it?
3. What’s the biggest difference between athletes who recover quickly from mistakes and the ones who spiral after something goes wrong?
4. In youth sports today, there’s so much pressure around performance, rankings, travel teams, and social media. How do we help kids stay competitive without making sports feel overwhelming?
5. What are some simple things volunteer coaches and sports parents can do that genuinely help build confidence in young athletes?

Bonus Question:
Do you remember something a coach said or did when you were a youth athlete that affected you, either positively or negatively?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. Youth sports are getting expensive fast. What are you seeing parents and teams struggle with the most right now?
2. When a team needs money, most people think “fundraiser.” But sponsorships are a little different. How should parents and coaches think about sponsorships in a more practical way?
3. A lot of parents and coaches probably feel awkward asking businesses for money. What’s the right way to approach that conversation without making it uncomfortable?
4. What are some creative ways teams can provide value back to sponsors beyond just putting a logo on a shirt or banner?
5. For the parent or coach listening who says, “Our team could really use help, but I have no idea where to start,” what are the first three steps they should take?

Bonus Question:
What’s one mistake teams make when trying to raise money or get sponsors that can actually hurt their chances of getting support?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. At what point did you realize youth sports had quietly turned into a full-time job with a payment plan?
2. What’s the most ridiculous youth sports expense where you just had to stop and laugh?
3. As a sports dad, what’s more exhausting: the money being spent or the amount of time youth sports consumes every week?
4. What’s something in youth sports culture that parents have accepted as “normal” that is actually insane when you really think about it?
5. If someone completely outside the youth sports world followed your family around for one tournament weekend, what do you think would shock them the most?

Bonus Question:
What’s the best sports parent survival hack you’ve learned to help save money, time, or sanity while navigating youth sports?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. What’s the biggest misconception parents and coaches have about how officials make decisions during a game?
2. If every youth sports parent had to referee just one game, what do you think would surprise them the most?
3. What’s the difference between a coach who challenges a referee respectfully and a coach who becomes a problem?
4. What can coaches do when one of their players isn’t treating a referee the right way?
5. If you could install one new rule for youth sports sidelines tomorrow, what would it be, and why?

Bonus Question:
What’s one thing you’ve seen a coach do during a tense game that instantly earned the respect of the referee crew?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. What does a mental performance coach actually do?
2. What’s one of the biggest mental-side challenges you see in youth sports today?
3. What led you to get involved with Athlete Narrative and helping athletes through the recruiting process?
4. What’s something about recruiting that would surprise most parents or athletes?
5. If a parent knows nothing about helping their athlete get “found,” what process should they start with?

Bonus Question:
What golden tip would you give every coach or parent for helping athletes with the mental side of the game?

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. When you look at youth sports today, what’s something adults have normalized that you think is actually hurting kids?
2. A lot of parents and coaches say they want kids to love sports long term, so why do you think so many athletes eventually stop playing?
3. Can there be a balance between coaching hard and having fun?
4. What’s something you’ve seen a coach or parent do that completely changed the emotional tone of a team, either positively or negatively?
5. If a volunteer coach wants to create a better environment but is figuring it out as they go, where should they start?

Bonus Question:
What’s the number one thing we can all do to help create a more positive environment for kids?