Surviving Youth Sports

Youth sports are supposed to be about the kids. But somewhere between travel teams, private training, exposure, money, playing time, and adult expectations, it can become hard to tell whose experience it really is. Frank Decembrino, founder of Clubhouse Baseball Academy and longtime leader of the Boilermakers baseball program, joins Rhett to talk honestly about the business and culture surrounding...

Expectations Can Steal the Joy of Youth Sports When does “I want to get better” become “I have to get better or I’m falling behind”? Mental performance consultant David Durand joins Rhett Parker to talk about the pressure surrounding young athletes and how quickly sports can become tied to identity, expectations, comparison, and fear of failure. David shares his own experience specializing early,...

What does a Division I head coach actually look for when recruiting your kid? University of Washington Head Baseball Coach Eddie Smith has recruited and coached players across nearly every level of college baseball, including stops at LSU, Notre Dame, Virginia, Tulane, Utah Valley, and Lower Columbia. And his message to families navigating today’s youth sports landscape is simple: you can’t buy yo...

Parents get called “crazy” in youth sports all the time. But what if a lot of that behavior comes from parents trying to navigate a system they don’t fully understand? Former competitive figure skater and youth sports parent Alyson Stemas joins Rhett to talk about raising a competitive young golfer, the pressure parents feel to keep up, and what happens when families invest significant time and mo...

Parents spend years driving to practices, sitting through tournaments, paying for lessons, and helping their kids chase their dreams. But somewhere along the way, how many parents start losing themselves in the process? Bill Hoopes, longtime softball coach, tournament director, author, and founder of Lead Your Journey, joins Rhett to talk about the pressure surrounding youth sports from both sides...

Expectations can inspire young athletes. They can also quietly steal the joy that made them fall in love with sports in the first place. Most parents don’t set out to create pressure. They simply want what’s best for their kids. But when winning, rankings, playing time, scholarships, or even the money we invest begin to shape every conversation, the experience can shift from the child’s journey to...

Craig Bishop: What Parents Say They Want vs. What They Actually Chase What do parents really want from youth sports? Most of us would say development. But when the pressure of competition sets in, do our decisions tell a different story? In this episode, Rhett Parker sits down with longtime coach, parent, instructor, and facility owner Craig Bishop for an honest conversation about the realities of...

Girls are quitting sports at twice the rate of boys by age 13 , and it’s not because they don’t love the game. In this episode of Surviving Youth Sports , Rhett Parker sits down with Coach Breanne Smedley , former collegiate volleyball player, high school coach, mental performance coach, and founder of The Elite Competitor, to explore the unique pressures girls face in youth sports. From perfectio...

What if the pressure we feel in youth sports has less to do with our kids and more to do with ourselves? In this episode, Rhett Parker sits down with Jonathan Carone, founder of Healthy Sports Parents, for an honest conversation about the hidden emotions that shape so many youth sports decisions. From parent validation and identity to burnout, overtraining, and the pressure to chase opportunities,...

Lindsey Nadler knows what it’s like when sports become your entire identity. A former Division I softball player turned mental performance coach, Lindsey joins Rhett Parker for a conversation about the pressures facing today’s athletes and why many kids are carrying more stress than ever before. From social media rankings and constant comparison to helicopter parenting and the fear of failure, the...

What is the youth sports dream really costing families? In this episode of Surviving Youth Sports, Rhett Parker sits down with Bobby Minor, a former Division I player, coach, recruiting evaluator, organization director, and father who has spent decades around the game of baseball. Together, they unpack the rising costs of travel sports, the pressure created by rankings and invitations, the reality...

Justin Furtado, founder of BTG Basketball and host of Beyond the Scoreboard , joins Rhett for an honest conversation about one of the most uncomfortable parts of youth sports: not playing. From playing time battles to overinvolved parents, Justin and Rhett explore how the lessons kids learn through disappointment often matter more than the scoreboard. They discuss why being on the bench isn’t alwa...

Former MLB All-Star Michael Saunders knows what it’s like to chase the dream. From representing Canada in the Little League World Series to spending nearly a decade in the Major Leagues, baseball has been a huge part of his life. But today, he’s navigating youth sports from a different perspective: as a dad. In this episode of Surviving Youth Sports, Michael shares why none of his kids play baseba...

What if the biggest threat to youth baseball isn't a lack of talent, but the system surrounding the game? This week, Rhett sits down with Deven Morgan, Director of Youth Baseball at Driveline Baseball, for a conversation about athlete development, pitch counts, multi-sport participation, overuse injuries, and the growing pressure families face in modern youth sports. Deven shares why "kids are not...

What if the biggest youth sports decision isn't which team your child joins, but whether they ever had the chance to choose for themselves? This week, Rhett Parker sits down with Jason D'Rocha, Vice President of Sportball, to discuss early specialization, parent expectations, and why exposing kids to multiple sports may be one of the most important investments families can make. The conversation e...

This episode is one of the most important conversations we’ve had on Surviving Youth Sports. Rhett sits down with Carson Leiden from A World Free of Suicide, Corey and Kelly Widman from Widdy’s Work, and Carlos Ramirez from JR98 Inc. to talk about mental health, suicide prevention, pressure, identity, grief, and the realities many athletes and families quietly carry. The conversation explores how...

This week on Surviving Youth Sports, Rhett sits down with coach, parent, endurance athlete, and fitness business owner Devon Brown for an honest conversation about burnout, pressure, rankings, recruiting, and what happens when youth sports starts taking over family life. Devon shares what it’s like raising three boys on completely different athletic journeys, including one son currently ranked #1...

Matt Dumouchelle joins Surviving Youth Sports to talk about youth hockey, athlete development, parenting, and the pressure surrounding modern youth sports culture. Matt is a contributor for The Coaches Site, host of Coaching Crossover, and someone deeply involved in helping youth sports organizations improve the experience they create for kids and families. This conversation explores: • Early spec...

Alonzo Mitz and Logwone Mitz join Surviving Youth Sports as the show’s first father-son duo, bringing two different generations of football, parenting, and perspective into one conversation. Alonzo shares his journey from Florida to the University of Florida and the Seattle Seahawks, while Logwone reflects on growing up in Washington, becoming a multi-sport athlete, and navigating life after footb...

Derek Bingham joins Surviving Youth Sports for a personal conversation about what it really looks like to coach, parent, and stay present in the middle of a busy sports life. As the longtime head baseball coach at Lake Washington High School, Derek has spent more than two decades helping other people’s kids grow through sports. But this episode goes deeper than wins, titles, or coaching experience...

Jason Collinsworth, host of the I Hate Soccer Podcast , joins the show to talk about a question more families are starting to ask but don’t always say out loud: When did youth sports stop being fun? After more than 20 years of coaching and working closely with players and parents, Jason has seen the same patterns play out again and again. Pressure from adults. Club culture driven by status. Kids s...

Drew Reiners, founder of West Coast Premier Tournaments, joins Rhett Parker to unpack a side of youth sports that rarely gets talked about. With nearly two decades of experience running large-scale baseball events, Drew shares what it actually takes to organize tournaments that thousands of families depend on each year. This conversation goes beyond schedules and logistics. It explores the tension...

Brandon Harmon is a college baseball coach at Gonzaga, a dad of three, and right in the middle of what he calls the youth sports blender. Something every day. Practices. Games. Car rides. Repeat. In this conversation, he and Rhett Parker talk through what that actually looks like. The nonstop schedule, the pressure to chase opportunities, and the challenge of balancing development with enjoyment....

At one point, Andrew Walling was at the top. Throwing mid-90s. Big opportunities. A path that looked like it was only going one way. Then it didn’t. Injuries, pressure, and the weight of expectations started to take over. Confidence slipped. The yips showed up. And for the first time, he questioned if he even wanted to keep playing. This episode is about that fall… and the climb back. Finding the...

Rhett sits down with longtime coach and mentor Marc Wiese, whose career spans youth baseball, high school state championships, college programs, and USA Baseball. Having coached his own sons and thousands of players along the way, Marc brings a perspective shaped by both success and reflection. This conversation centers on what youth sports really becomes over time. The relationships, the environm...