Youth $ports

Episode 77: Jordan Heuglin (Trinity Boys Soccer Head Coach) 🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Jordan Heuglin, head soccer coach at his alma mater, Trinity High School in Louisville, KY, to talk about winning at a high level without losing perspective. Jordan reflects on his unconventional soccer journey, the pressure parents and players feel in today’s youth sports landscape, and why culture—not...

🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Cameron Korab, founder of the Youth Sports Business Report, to unpack why the word business makes so many people feel uncomfortable when placed next to youth sports and why ignoring that reality might be hurting families more than helping them. With the industry valued at $54 billion and projected to skyrocket to $300 billion by 2035, Korab breaks down what’s dri...

Episode 75: Jordan Parker (Closest thing we have to a co-host) 🎙In this week’s episode, Jordan Parker and I yell at clouds for an hour and 45 minutes. Just kidding, sort of. A few clouds were yelled at, but we also had an interesting dialogue about 4 big things: The recent study about Harvard giving more As than ever and how that translates to youth sports.  The insane prices of sporting events th...

Episode 74: Jess & Jen Langer (Sisters, former tennis players) 🎙 In this episode: I sit down with sisters Jess and Jen Langer, who grew up side by side in the intense world of competitive youth tennis. One sister rose through the national ranks while the other burned out before high school, and together they unpack how personality, pressure, and identity shaped two completely different athleti...

Episode 73: Dan Blewett (Coach, Speaker, Former professional baseball player, author)   🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Dan Blewett, former professional baseball player, current author, coach and speaker, for a reflective conversation about masculinity, sports culture, and what it truly means to be “tough.” Dan unpacks how our culture shapes boys and how sports can still be a healthy place to f...

Episode 72: Greta Jarvis (Founder of Center for Active Women) 🎙 In this episode: I sit down with the founder of the Center for Active Women for a powerful and eye-opening conversation about the complicated relationship between female athletes, food, body image, and sport. From disordered eating to the taboo topic of missed periods, we dig into what’s really going on beneath the surface of today’s...

Episode 71: Andi Johnson (Georgetown College Hall of Famer and Chief Policy Officer & Director of Regional Engagement for Commerce Lexington) 🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Andi Johnson, Georgetown College Hall of Famer and Chief Policy Officer & Director of Regional Engagement for Commerce Lexington. From dominating the court to dominating the boardroom, Andi embodies the long-term po...

Episode 70: Dylan Meyer (Founder & CEO of Legacy of Legends)  In this episode🎙: I sit down with Dylan Meyer, the Founder & CEO of Legacy of Legends to talk about his evolution from young sports enthusiast to entrepreneur and advocate for positive change in youth sports. 🔹 From Fan Page to Founder How a kid making photoshops for his favorite player, Dwayne Wade, eventually started running...

Episode 69: Ryan Lemond (Former high school sports reporter/current KSR co-host) 🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Ryan Lemond, co-host of Kentucky Sports Radio, whose true passion has always been high school sports. From his days covering Friday night lights for LEX18 to reflecting on how youth and high school athletics have changed over the years, Ryan brings stories, perspective, and a dose of...

Episode 68: Wade Gilbert (Award-winning professor, highly acclaimed author of “Coaching Better Every Season”) 🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Wade Gilbert, an internationally renowned coaching scientist, award-winning professor at Cal State University-Fresno and author of the highly acclaimed book “Coaching Better Every Season.”  🔹 The Science of Coaching Coaching isn’t just an art. It’s roote...

Episode 67: Katie "Katrina" Moore (Former collegiate athlete turned youth sports parent) 🎙 In this episode: I sit down with my former college soccer teammate, Katie "Katrina" Moore, who is navigating the world of youth sports now as a parent. The constant conundrums that come up, putting her former athlete mind at odds with the reality of the interests of the kids she's raising. Lessons, regrets,...

Episode 66: Vincent Minjares (Aspen Institute- ACL Pledge) 🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Vincent Minjares of the Aspen Institute to dig into a topic that’s personal for me: ACL injuries. I’ve lived through one myself, and I’ve coached far too many athletes—especially female soccer players—through this brutal setback. The phrase “It’s not if, but when” has become way too common. But after this...

Episode 65: Jordan Parker (5-time pod guest, Hot Take expert) 🎙️Jordan Parker comes on the Youth $ports Podcast for an unprecedented 5th time and today’s episode is meant to lighten up the air a little bit… It’s time for a Hot Takes ONLY episode. Almost ALL of the hot takes had nothing to do with sports (with a few sprinkled in).  Teasers: 🔹How can club soccer teams justify the $ they charge and...

Episode 64: Michael Lippert (Former soccer coach, current realist) 🎙 In this episode: Michael Lippert brings the unfiltered voice of truth to Youth $ports. Known for saying the hard things most people avoid, Lippert challenges long-held assumptions about pay-to-play, professional coaches, and the upside-down pyramid of youth sports. His central thesis? “Everything in youth sports today is better t...

Episode 63: Scott Spillman (Executive Director of Mudsock Youth Athletics) 🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Scott Spillman, executive director of Mudsock Youth Athletics in Fishers, Indiana. We unpack what happens when an entire town decides youth sports should be about community first instead of chasing wins and dollars. From volunteers powering the system, to Marvel-movie moments of survival,...

Episode 62: Brandon Ramsey (KSR/Basketball Scout) 🎙 In this episode: Brandon Ramsey is ankle-deep in the high school and college basketball worlds: former college coach, high school scout, and basketball analyst for Kentucky Sports Radio. If he says it, you can trust it. Together we unpack the real recruiting process for 98% of players who aren’t top-20, 5-star prospects. From inflated promises to...

Episode 61: Brenda Hilton (CEO of Officially Human) 🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Brenda Hilton, CEO and founder of Officially Human, to talk about the people in stripes who keep the games fair but often are the lightening rod for the most criticism. We dig into the emotional temperature of the stands, why fans lash out, and what it actually takes to humanize officials in youth sports. From f...

Episode 60: Wilder Treadway (Former Associate Director of Athletic Communications- Stanford Women's Basketball) 🎙 In this episode: There’s a good chance this will go down as one of my all-time favorite episodes. It’s long, but worth every minute. I sit down with Wilder Treadway to take a hilarious, heartfelt, and at times jaw-dropping journey through our early days at Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR),...

Episode 59: Steve Boehle (Academy 48 Charter School) 🎙 In this episode: I talk with Steve Boehle about the non-traditional charter school he has started in Arizona called Academy 48. Will this type of innovative model be the wave of the future in tackling some of the problems in youth sports, or are there still too many unknowns? 🔹 Bringing Back the Good in Youth Sports Steve Boehle saw what was...

Episode 58: Stephanie Arnold (YMCA Executive Director of Philanthropy) 🎙 In this episode: I talk with Stephanie Arnold, the executive director of philanthropy for the YMCA in Lexington, Kentucky—and a self-proclaimed “YMCA Hype Girl.” We dive into the real mission of the Y: community, inclusion, and making youth sports accessible for everyone. From volunteer coaches to rec leagues, swim-offs to sn...

Episode 57: Rodney Johnson Jr. (University of Louisville Cornerback) 🎙 In this episode: I talk with Rodney Johnson Jr., a defensive back for the University of Louisville whose road to big-time college football was anything but easy. From growing up in New Orleans to surviving major injuries, changing schools, and defying the odds, Rodney’s story is one of resilience, raw honesty, and relentless be...

Episode 56: Ryan Galanaugh (Rec soccer parent turned club soccer parent) 🎙 In this episode: I talk with Ryan Galanaugh, a youth sports Dad whose daughter recently made the big switch from recreational soccer to club soccer at the age of 10. In the 1st half of the episode, he broke down the decision-making process that led to the "leveling up." 365 days later, we recorded the 2nd half of the episod...

Episode 55: Necolle Banks (Swim instructor who learned to swim at 43 years old)   🎙 In this episode: I talk with Necolle Banks, a swim coach and community leader who didn’t learn to swim until age 43, then made it her mission to ensure others didn’t have to wait that long. Her story is one of transformation, access, representation, and breaking generational barriers. From public pools in Louisvill...

Episode 54: Chris Tinius (St. Xavier High School Athletic Director) 🎙 In this episode: I talk with Chris Tinius, Athletic Director at St. Xavier High School in Louisville, Kentucky. A longtime coach turned administrator, Tinius opens up about the unique pressures, pride, and purpose behind running one of the top athletic departments in the nation. From historic rivalries to modern-day transfer cha...

Episode 53: Caroline Laramie (Ice Hockey Mom) 🎙 In this episode: I talk with Caroline Laramie, a parent deeply embedded in the world of Northeast youth hockey. From town leagues to elite club teams, she’s seen it all—and she’s not shy about calling out the cracks in the system. We dig into hockey’s cultural norms, the pressure cooker of competitive youth sports, and the darker side that often goes...