Youth $ports

The Ides of March Madness

Episode 90: Jordan Parker (Multi-time guest)
🎙 Jordan Parker returns to the pod, and as always, we start with a quick life update… including the latest installment of “old man” observations that somehow keep getting more relatable with age.
🔹 March Madness once again provides a fascinating lens into the current youth sports landscape, with themes that mirror conversations happening at the grassroots, high school, and club levels.
🔹 The “best of the best” will always be heavily recruited and pursued, but even elite college programs are built with players who took less traditional paths. Iowa’s Sweet 16 roster featured Division II players, junior college athletes, and 3-star recruits… a reminder that development journeys are rarely linear.
🔹 Iowa head coach Ben McCollum’s emphasis on recruiting “tough dudes” who want to be part of something bigger than themselves reinforces the continued importance of culture, humility, and fit over hype.
🔹 Even genetics occasionally tells a story: Cooper Koch’s Sweet 16 performance echoed his father J.R. Koch’s contribution to Iowa’s 1999 tournament run. 
🔹 Financial realities are reshaping competitive balance. Arizona head coach Tommy Lloyd noted that NIL and revenue disparities could create a breaking point for mid-major programs, raising questions about long-term parity in college sports and the trickle-down impact in youth sports.
🔹 The development vs. exposure debate continues. Players like Malachi Moreno, who stayed with their local high school programs, contrast with athletes pursuing alternative routes like Overtime Elite. The conversation isn’t about one “right” path, but about making moves when the results and readiness warrant it.
🔹 Basketball skill vs. basketball feel: some players accumulate highlights, while others learn how to truly play the game. Development environments often shape decision-making, adaptability, and long-term growth.
🔹 Multi-sport athletes continue to appear on big stages. Florida contributors Thomas Haugh (volleyball background) and Alex Condon (former soccer goalkeeper) reinforce the value of diverse athletic development.
🔹 Parents and social media influence doesn’t stop at youth sports. High-profile college situations illustrate how family involvement can impact athlete growth. Dawn Staley’s message about allowing kids to work through challenges serves as an important reminder about fostering independence and resilience.

The Elephant In The Room

Episode 89: Jeffrey Hou (Founder of Granville Peak search fund)
🎙 Jeffrey Hou, founder of the search fund Granville Peak, joins the podcast to help explain the growing role of private equity in youth sports and what investors see when they look at the industry.
🔹 Regardless of how people feel about it, private equity has undeniably entered the youth sports space and is beginning to shape the future of leagues, tournaments, technology, and training businesses.
🔹 Jeffrey explains that he doesn’t necessarily see the conflict as youth sports vs. private equity, but rather the difference between good stewards and bad stewards of the youth sports ecosystem.
🔹 He believes capital can absolutely belong in youth sports, but the real question is whether that capital is aligned with better outcomes for kids, families, coaches, and communities.
🔹 Investment can be positive when it improves things like safety, coaching education, operations, and technology that actually enhances the experience for participants.
🔹 On the flip side, if investment simply makes youth sports more expensive or less accessible, it ultimately harms the stakeholders the system is supposed to serve.
🔹 Jeffrey gives a very simple breakdown of private equity: investors acquire a stable business with predictable revenue, improve and grow it, and eventually sell it for a profit.
🔹 A helpful analogy he shares is thinking about it like buying a house, putting a mortgage on it, renting it out, and using the rental payments to pay down the loan while building value.
🔹 From an investor’s perspective, youth sports isn’t really one industry at all — it’s a huge ecosystem made up of clubs, academies, camps, tournaments, facilities, and technology platforms.
🔹 One common strategy investors use is the “roll-up model,” where many smaller youth sports businesses (often doing $1–5 million in revenue) are combined under one larger umbrella company.
🔹 We also discuss the race happening behind the scenes as companies compete to become the “go-to” technology platform or app that youth sports organizations rely on.
🔹 Jeffrey says youth sports remains largely under-digitized and under-professionalized, which investors see as opportunity … but it raises the question of whether youth sports should become more corporate in the first place.
🔹 As someone entering the youth sports investment space, Jeffrey believes investors have a moral obligation to make youth sports better for kids with the capital they deploy.
🔹 And finally, we talk about the trends investors are watching closely as billions of dollars begin flowing into the youth sports industry.

The Way It Should Be

Episode 88: Madison Gates (VP of Marketing for i9 Sports, Former Division 1 soccer player)
🎙 Madison Gates, VP of Marketing for i9 Sports, joins the podcast to talk about the organization’s mission of putting kids first and why their tagline “The way youth sports should be” feels more relevant than ever in today’s youth sports landscape.
🔹 Madison explains that organizations like i9 thrived 20 years ago, but the modern youth sports environment has changed dramatically with increased pressure, specialization, and rising costs for families.
🔹 One of the biggest shifts? Youth sports are increasingly becoming about what parents want instead of what kids want, with many parents either living vicariously through their children or feeling pressure to keep up with others.
🔹 With the number of girls dropping out of sports around ages 13–14 at an alarming rate, i9 decided to take a step back and ask an important question: Are we actually giving girls what they want from sports?
🔹 To find out, i9 surveyed over 1,500 parents and girls ages 3–14 who had participated in their programs to better understand their priorities and motivations.
🔹 The results were surprising: the #1 thing both parents and girls wanted from sports was confidence-building and a sense of belonging.
🔹 Meanwhile, the thing that ranked last in importance? Winning. Less than 3% of respondents said winning was the most important aspect of youth sports.
🔹 We discuss whether youth sports culture often creates a false choice between being competitive and just having fun, when in reality many kids want both.
🔹 Madison also talks about the growing popularity of sports like flag football, where kids are drawn to the game because it’s new and exciting (and not tied to the same college recruiting pressure as more established sports).
🔹 As many traditional youth sports become more expensive and require earlier specialization, emerging sports that are more accessible and affordable are starting to challenge the status quo.
🔹 If winning truly ranks last for most parents, we also ask an uncomfortable question: why is winning still the main thing parents and clubs highlight on social media?
🔹 Madison shares i9’s initiative “Gains Are for the Girls,” which aims to get 500,000 girls playing sports by 2030, focusing on what girls actually gain from sports: confidence, friendships, belonging, and personal growth.
🔹 We also talk about the importance of small details that make girls feel included…even something like jerseys designed specifically for girls can help athletes feel more comfortable and confident on the field.
🔹 And before we wrap up, Madison drops a fun teaser about an upcoming movie centered on the legendary “99ers” team from the 1999 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Always Pick the Adventure

Episode 87: Josh Skillman (Co-host of a podcast with his 10 year old son)
🎙 This week on the Youth $ports Podcast: I sit down with Josh Skillman, co-host (alongside his 10-year-old son Luke) of the podcast Always Pick the Underdog, to talk about creativity, connection, and why youth sports don’t have to be the only bonding experience between parent and child.
🔹 What started as a simple weekly Facebook post breaking down upcoming football games slowly grew into something bigger. A niche audience began tuning in consistently...
🔹 In 2024, Luke (Josh's 10 year old son) joined as a “guest picker.” One season later, Josh upgraded the equipment… and what began as his adventure became their adventure.
🔹 Now? Luke drives the show. He selects the games, builds the slides, and helps shape the direction. There’s no over-rehearsing and no pressure to be perfect.
🔹 The #1 rule of the podcast: Have fun. If it stops being fun, it stops working.
🔹 Their following has grown, and they now feature guest pickers weekly — creating community around something that simply started as shared interest.
🔹 A powerful reminder: your child’s sport does NOT have to be the only connection point in your relationship. Shared experiences can exist outside the field, court, or diamond.
🔹 Josh was intentional about not forcing sports onto his kids. Knowing how much they meant to him, he allowed interest to develop naturally and that organic curiosity created deeper buy-in.
🔹 The podcast reshaped their father-son dynamic. Josh admitted he sometimes misread Luke’s perfectionism or quietness. Working side-by-side gave him more patience and understanding.
🔹 Their mornings now start the same way: Luke checking scores, the two of them talking football over breakfast and bonding regardless of whether yesterday was a good day or a tough one.
🔹 The show has fueled Luke’s creativity and academic growth: improved spelling, public speaking, design skills, Canva presentations, and confidence.
🔹 On the podcast, they operate on equal footing. It’s not Dad coaching and Luke performing. It’s collaboration.
🔹 Hosting a sports podcast has also deepened Luke’s appreciation for watching full games and not just highlights. We talked about how today’s kids consume sports differently, and why actually WATCHING games (not just clips) helps young athletes understand nuance, spacing, tactics, and details (think: the subtle reads within a ball screen).
This episode is a reminder that sometimes the best thing you can do as a sports parent… is pick the adventure.
And make sure it’s fun.

Letting Go

Episode 86: Katie Wells (Mother of a senior...)
🎙️ A year and a half after appearing on one of the earliest episodes of the Youth $ports Podcast, Katie Wells returns and this time, the story hits differently. A LOT can change in a year and a half…
🔹 Back then, she detailed the jaw-dropping grind of her son’s lacrosse journey: 3-hour round trips to Cincinnati multiple times a week, coast-to-coast summer travel for showcases, tournaments, and camps… all leading up to “prime recruiting season.”
🔹 The goal? Division I lacrosse… but only under the right circumstances. 
🔹 Then came September 1st: the day college coaches can officially call recruits. The top players’ phones rang. Her son’s didn’t. “When he didn’t get that phone call, I think he kind of sunk into himself a little bit.”
🔹 Katie opens up about watching teammates receive calls and offers… and the very real imposter syndrome that can creep in for kids (and parents).
🔹 After the silence, her son stepped away completely. No travel ball. No tournaments. He didn’t pick up a lacrosse stick for three months.
🔹 Their family had always tried to stay realistic: lacrosse wasn’t about going pro. It was about opening doors, creating opportunity, and standing out in the college admissions process.
🔹 I asked Katie if she had regrets. Her answer was honest: “You don’t know what you don’t know.” No regrets — just lessons.
🔹 As he matured, priorities shifted. What felt urgent at 13 or 14 didn’t feel the same with a more developed perspective. Sometimes the “dream” evolves.
🔹 I pressed her on her initial gut reaction when her son decided to step away. Raw honesty: “Did I do enough?” The quiet voice of every sports parent wondering if they pushed too hard or not hard enough.
🔹 Once the recruiting pressure lifted, something unexpected happened: relief. No scanning the sidelines for the coach with the clipboard. No performance anxiety. Just joy in watching her kid play.
🔹 Katie shares a powerful story of another family whose identity was so wrapped in offers that when they didn’t come, everything unraveled. When the machine stops, what’s left?
🔹 One thing she does NOT regret: making every travel tournament about more than lacrosse. Family dinners. Exploring cities. Core memories. When someone once questioned why they were “doing all this,” she never let the sport become the only reason.
🔹 In one of the most poignant moments of the series, Katie reflects on how grateful she is that her son was the one who eventually drew the line and said “no.” She’s not sure she could have done it herself. Sometimes saying no becomes the cornerstone.
🔹 Senior night is coming. “You’ll have to peel me off the 50-yard line.” But through it all, she never wanted his identity tied to performance so that when the sport ended, he wouldn’t lose himself.
🔹 And when I asked what she’s most proud of about her son? She listed character traits, resilience, kindness, growth. You know what never came up? Lacrosse.
This episode is raw, honest, and required listening for youth sports parents navigating recruiting, identity, and the courage to pivot.

Sounds Nice, Make it Twice

Episode 85: Wilder Treadway (Returning guest)
🎙 This week on the Youth $ports Podcast: I welcome back Wilder Treadway for Round 2. Honestly, the best way to describe this episode is a complete smorgasbord of women’s sports, youth athletics, culture, Olympic talk, creativity, and some truly unhinged (but necessary) hot takes.
🔹 The WNBA’s current turmoil, as the league and players association head toward negotiations that feel increasingly unstable… with a potential lockout looming.
🔹 How the WNBA has had a 30-year head start, yet the new 3-on-3 league Unrivaled is already lapping it in buzz, innovation, and fan excitement.
🔹 Why Unrivaled’s creativity, from sellout crowds to viral social media moments, is exactly what modern sports leagues need to survive and thrive.
🔹 The brilliance of Unrivaled’s $200,000 one-on-one tournament, and how it exposed the NBA All-Star weekend’s growing problem: zero compelling storylines.
🔹 A bigger conversation about thinking outside the box in 2026… and why leagues can’t rely on tradition alone to hold attention anymore.
🔹 The frustrating reality that brands have missed opportunities for YEARS when it comes to investing in women’s sports and women athletes.
🔹 The lack of early-season excitement in women’s college basketball, and why the sport could learn from women’s volleyball: schedule big matchups early and build momentum.
🔹 The layered reasons behind the issue: cuts to sports journalism, coaches avoiding risky schedules, and a system that rewards playing it safe.
🔹 Wilder’s greatest passion makes an appearance: coach outfits. Covid is over. The spotlight is back. Dress like it matters.
🔹 A passionate plea to stop posting AI-generated caricatures of yourself, your family, or you hanging out with the Grinch… “AI is not telling you the truth, Becky.”
🔹 Wilder’s spiciest cultural hot take: it may be time to bring back… just a little bit of shame.
🔹 Olympic talk through a youth sports lens: how does a child even discover they’re destined for Skeleton or Curling?
🔹 A fascinating discussion of Norway’s youth sports model, and what the U.S. could learn from their long-term Olympic development pipeline.
🔹 The closing reminder: it’s okay to not have a strong opinion about everything… sometimes the healthiest choice is simply sitting one out.

Rebuilding and Redefining

Episode 84: Nate Tucker (Paralympic Gold Medalist, World Champion)
🎙 This week on the Youth $ports Podcast: I sit down with Paralympic World Champion & Paralympic Gold Medalist middle-distance runner Nate Tucker, whose story is equal parts shocking, inspiring, and unforgettable.
🔹 Nate grew up in a one-of-a-kind household  with two Olympian parents still actively competing, where hard work wasn’t preached… it was lived.
🔹 Every morning started with family workouts in the garage… ending in 50-meter sprint races down the street. Nate says, “Rent is due every day.”
🔹 At age 10, Nate’s life changed instantly after a freak golf accident left him with a traumatic brain injury and paralysis on the right side of his body.
🔹 Doctors feared lifelong limitations. Nate had to relearn how to eat, write with his left hand, and navigate a new reality with a stutter and learning disability.
🔹 He opens up about struggling to fit in at school, being bullied, and feeling like his identity was taken away. “I learned I can’t build my identity on sports alone.”
🔹 Running began as therapy… but became a path forward that pushed him beyond what the world expected.
🔹 Nate became a high school All-American competing against able-bodied athletes, breaking school records and finishing among the best in Georgia.
🔹 In college, he faced setbacks, mental roadblocks, and failure, but learned that “you wake up every day entitled to nothing.”
🔹 With encouragement from his mom, Nate pursued the Paralympics… even after spending years hiding his disability.
🔹 He shares powerful insight on “invisible disabilities” and why they can be just as taxing as what people can see.
🔹 Nate broke the world record in his first Paralympic race, and eventually became a T38 Paralympic Olympic Gold Medalist.
🔹 And for Olympic fans… Nate gives incredible behind-the-scenes perspective on what it’s REALLY like: 15,000 miles of training… for 3 minutes and 50 seconds on the world stage.

Pulling Back the Curtain

Episode 83: Greg Visinho (Former Division III Women's Soccer Coach/Current club coach)
🎙 This week on the Youth $ports Podcast: I sit down with Greg Visinho, a former Division III women’s soccer coach and current club coach, to pull back the curtain on the realities of Division III athletics and the pressure-filled recruiting culture surrounding youth soccer.
🔹 What the Division III experience actually looks like when there are no athletic scholarships and why “student-athlete” is truly in the right order.
🔹 Dismantling the “D1 or bust” mentality and how this narrative often starts at the club level, not with college coaches.
🔹 Why so many athletes grow up with an inflated view of their ability, and how that disconnect can lead to disappointment, anxiety, and burnout.
🔹 The uncomfortable truth about club soccer as a business...commitment posts, acronyms, branding, and selling the dream.
🔹 Why Division III provides a well-rounded, rigorous, and meaningful college experience, even without the national spotlight.
🔹 The stigma attached to non–Division I athletics—and why it couldn’t be further from reality.
🔹 The role academics play at the D3 level, including majors that are often off-limits at some Division I programs.
🔹 A real conversation about massive Division III rosters and JV teams: developmental opportunity or enrollment strategy?
🔹 Greg explains the administrative pressure to carry large rosters and why “healthy and vibrant” can mean very different things to coaches vs. college administrators.
🔹 Recruiting patience at the D3 level: why many kids aim higher than is realistic, and how reality eventually sets in.
🔹 Why promises of playing time can be fool’s gold, and how misleading expectations often start long before the college level.
🔹 The big message for families: most kids can play college soccer somewhere—but we need to take the pressure off and redefine what success actually looks like.

Talking Shop with Craig Skinner

Episode 82: Craig Skinner (University of Kentucky volleyball coach)
🎙 This week on the Youth $ports Podcast: I sit down 1-on-1 with Kentucky Volleyball head coach Craig Skinner, one of the most accomplished coaches in college sports.
🔹 Fresh off a national championship appearance, 9th straight SEC regular season title, 21st NCAA Tournament, and a 2020 national championship, Skinner reflects on excellence and what comes after the confetti falls.
🔹 From carrying trophies to carrying firewood, Craig opens up about the quiet moments after an incredible season and the calm after the storm.
🔹 He shares the story of meeting his wife Meg, the reality of two coaches in one marriage, and the best blunt advice his wife gave him after his 1st SEC loss: “Shut up and get back to work.”
🔹 Marriage, coaching, and life wisdom: “The more you give, the more you receive.” Unconditional trust > perfection.
🔹 A powerful message for youth sports parents: Be the parent, not the coach. Your kids need you to be the same person after their best game and their worst.
🔹 Skinner explains why failure is a gift for kids and why always rescuing them does more harm than good.
🔹 He almost left coaching for banking… and admits he’s questioned the path more than once—but always finds his way back. 
🔹 Why winning has never been the goal: “Winning is a by-product of the micro and macro decisions you make every day.”
🔹 Transformational vs. transactional coaching, and why Skinner says today’s college athletics feel “worse than the Wild West.”
🔹 What made this Kentucky team special: different roles, equal value.
🔹 Recruiting truths parents NEED to hear: heart is non-negotiable, parents doing everything for their kid is a red flag, and they are not recruiting your 7th or 8th grader.
🔹 Plus: Eva Hudson, insane schedules, former players showing up decades later, and the randomest way a recruit has ever landed on his radar.

2026 Youth $ports Ins & Outs

Episode 81: Jordan Paker & Toni Cannon (Heated Rivals)
Repeat guests Jordan Parker and Toni Cannon join host Ally Tucker to deliver the 2026 Youth Sports Ins & Outs. We want the Ins to stay and the Outs to go! ... And a special guest joins us for the 1st time to drop a few In/Out bombs. 
A few teasers for the Ins:
- Saying "no" to absurd youth sports travel, expenses, competition, etc. 
-T-shirt jerseys
- Messy parents
- More ridiculous sporting events. 
- And many, many more...
 
A few teasers for the Outs:
- College level graphics, social media announcements, AI-generated graphics, etc. 
- Going to your kid's practice and watching every minute
- Self-tanner
- Apple Watches
- And many, many more...