Raising the Resilient Athlete

In This Episode The say-do gap — Why parents say they want their kids to "just have fun," but the survey reveals many wish they'd trained harder themselves. How that regret quietly leaks into how we parent. It has to be kid-led — Carl on why real drive can't be installed from the outside, using Jalen Brunson (kid-led) vs. cautionary tales of childhoods sacrificed for a pro dream. The "design a pro...

In This Episode What opting out really looks like — Not getting in the car, refusing to sub in, going through the motions, the flat "I don't care." "You lost the race AND you set a personal best" — Why swapping "but" for "and" changes everything, and why a "moral victory" only works if the kid actually believes it. Validation before strategy — The story of the kid who didn't want to hear "you did...

Topics covered: What makes a sore loser? The difference between healthy competitive drive and unhealthy responses that get in the way of play What's happening in a kid's brain during a tough loss or bad play — and why it's not the moment to teach life lessons The "wait out the storm" approach — how to offer physical comfort without coddling, and why timing matters Age-appropriate strategies — what...

Raising the Resilient Athlete — Episode 1: The Nervous Nelly In this debut episode, host Rob sits down with child and family therapist Betsy Carmichael (Alvord Baker & Associates) and Carl Ehrlich , founder & CEO of Flag Star Football and former Harvard football team captain, to talk about nerves, anxiety, and how sports can be a powerful training ground for life. What We Cover: Nerves are...