Youth $ports

Included

Episode 80: Chris Collins (Ability to Include, Inc.)
🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Chris Collins of Ability to Include, a nonprofit focused on reducing disparities in education, recreation, and advocacy for children with special needs and their families. We talk about how Chris’s love of soccer and background in special education shaped his coaching philosophy, why sports are one of the most powerful (and underused) tools for teaching social and emotional skills, and how inclusive programs can change the lives of not just kids—but entire families. 
🔹 From Soccer Player to Inclusive CoachChris shares how growing up around soccer and coaching competitively intersected with his early work supporting preschoolers with special needs.
🔹 Teaching Meets CoachingHe explains how strategies used in special education translate seamlessly to motivating athletes in competitive environments.
🔹 Applied Behavior Analysis on the FieldChris breaks down how ABA principles help reinforce effort, behavior, and emotional growth through sport.
🔹 Praise Is the BaselineRegardless of wins or losses, positive feedback at the end of practice should be non-negotiable.
🔹 TOPSoccer and Inclusive PlayA look at the national TOPSoccer program and its mission to provide meaningful soccer experiences for athletes of all abilities.
🔹 Why Volunteers Matter So MuchVolunteer coaches and mentors are essential in creating safe, fun, and engaging environments for inclusive sports.
🔹 Sports Teach What Curriculum Can’tSkills like flexibility, communication, emotional regulation, and handling loss develop naturally on playgrounds and soccer fields.
🔹 Generalizing Skills to Real LifeChris explains why the ultimate goal is helping kids apply classroom learning to real-world situations.
🔹 A Different Kind of Coaching FulfillmentTransitioning away from club soccer, Chris reflects on the gratitude and perspective he’s gained from inclusive coaching.
🔹 Breaking the Isolation for FamiliesAbility to Include provides community and connection for families who often feel isolated raising children with disabilities.
🔹 Sports as a Lifelong ConnectorChris shares how his strongest friendships came through sports and why every family deserves those same opportunities.
🔹 The Missing Piece: Adults with DisabilitiesWe discuss a major blind spot in society: limited programs and community options for individuals with special needs after high school.
🔹 Hot Take Life AdviceA personal lesson learned the hard way: never compare a friend’s ex to vanilla ice cream… especially if they might get back together.

A Different Lens

Episode 79: Jenna Filipkowski (Psychologist/Soccer Mom)
🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Jenna Filipkowski, a youth soccer parent and psychologist who offers a refreshingly honest look at the youth sports landscape. Jenna admits she never loved soccer growing up, becoming a “professional soccer mom by happenstance.” Together, we explore how quickly youth sports become intense, expensive, and all-consuming, why parent behavior on the sidelines would be considered wildly dysfunctional in a normal workplace, and how social hierarchy, information gatekeeping, and fear of missing out quietly shape the youth sports experience. We also talk about the unexpected beauty of it all—and how, done right, sports can create a lifelong bond between parent and child.
🔹 A Soccer Parent by AccidentJenna didn’t grow up loving the game but found herself fully immersed once her son started playing.
🔹 The “Vibe Checker” RoleRather than focusing on tactics or technique, Jenna embraces being the supportive manager and emotional temperature-checker.
🔹 Drinking from a Fire HoseYouth sports offer incredible benefits, but the intensity, cost, and commitment escalate fast.
🔹 When Soccer Dominates Family LifeJenna estimates that more than 50% of daily conversation with her spouse revolves around youth soccer.
🔹 The 5:30 Practice PuzzleMaking it to practice requires near-perfect logistical alignment and parents feel it every weekday.
🔹 Why It’s Still Worth ItWatching your child improve, love something, and have big moments makes all the stress feel meaningful.
🔹 Kid-Centered… but Parent-BlindYouth sports revolve around kids, yet often ignore the realities of working parents and family schedules.
🔹 Sidelines as a Psychological Case StudyFrom a psychologist’s lens, much of the behavior we normalize on the sidelines would be labeled toxic in any workplace.
🔹 The Social Hierarchy of TeamsStar players, inner circles, and “power families” shape team dynamics more than we like to admit.
🔹 Information Is CurrencyGatekeeping knowledge about clubs, teams, and opportunities becomes a quiet form of power.
🔹 Fear, Panic, and FOMOParents worry about falling behind, missing opportunities, or making the “wrong” choice in an opaque system.
🔹 Presence Over PerfectionDespite the chaos, youth sports can be one of the few places parents are fully present and deeply connected.
🔹 A Lifelong Bond—If You Let It BeHandled well, youth sports don’t end after the final whistle—they can become a positive, shared language well into adulthood, starting with the car ride home.

Clocking In

Episode 78: Leslie Davis (Cross Country and Track Coach at Lafayette HS)
🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Leslie Davis, former Kentucky state champion in the 800 and now a cross country and track coach (and English teacher) at Lafayette High School in Lexington, KY. We dig into why running may be the most inclusive and accessible sport in schools, how it teaches kids to choose hard things, and the real mental, physical, and emotional challenges young runners face… from discipline and burnout to body image and puberty. Davis shares what makes track and field so uniquely diverse, and why the boom of running in Kentucky is giving more kids a place to belong.
🔹 From State Champ to Educator-Coach Davis reflects on her journey from elite athlete to coaching both cross country and track while teaching in the classroom.
🔹 The Case for Multi-Sport Athletes Why playing multiple sports does more than prevent injury. It exposes kids to different team cultures before they silo off in middle/high school.
🔹 Running Is for Everyone Cross country and track offer one of the most inclusive spaces in youth sports: affordable, accessible, and built for improvement at any level.
🔹 The Oldest Form of Competition “How fast can you get from Point A to Point B?” Davis explains the universal simplicity that makes running so powerful.
🔹 You Don’t Need $300 Shoes As running booms in America, we talk about gear culture, expensive watches, and why grit still matters more than gadgets.
🔹 Choosing to Do Hard Things “How do you get someone to choose pain?” Davis shares how running teaches kids they can handle discomfort in sport and in life.
🔹 Coaching the Mind, Not Just the Body Why mental skills are just as critical as physical training for young athletes.
🔹 A Stadium Full of Specialists Track and field requires a massive, diverse coaching staff—yet gets a fraction of the funding football does.
🔹 Every Kind of Kid Belongs From multi-sport athletes in EVERY sport to first-time athletes, Davis explains how track represents every corner of the school community.
🔹 A Fresh Start in High School Unlike travel-heavy sports, running gives kids a chance to try something new in high school and still find success.
🔹 Discipline vs. Obsession We unpack Type A vs. Type B athletes, burnout, and how discipline can quietly slide into unhealthy extremes.
🔹 Body Image & Food Talk Matter Davis urges parents to be mindful of how they talk about eating and bodies, especially with motivated young runners.
🔹 Puberty and the Female Athlete An under-discussed reality: girls’ bodies change, performance may dip, and it can feel like losing “the magic.” But, “You don’t suddenly suck.”
🔹 What the Sport Is Really About “The point is to see what our bodies can do, not what they can look like.”
🔹 Why Kids Keep Showing Up At the end of the day, kids just want something fun, challenging, and team-centered… and running is exploding in Kentucky because of it.

Culture Shock

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 trophies—has become the true measure of success.
🔹 From Rec Soccer to the Top of Kentucky Soccer Jordan shares his rare path to high-level soccer, playing mostly recreationally until freshman year at Trinity, when he realized club soccer was necessary just to keep up.
🔹 The Burnout Blessing Coming to club soccer later helped Jordan avoid burnout, a perspective that now shapes how he thinks about long-term player development.
🔹 Why Parents Feel the FOMO Jordan points out that every player on Trinity’s roster last season had club experience, helping explain the pressure families feel to start early.
🔹 Pressure vs. Expectations Jordan reframes expectations as a positive..proof that people care…and explains why perspective determines whether pressure becomes productive or destructive.
🔹 Rethinking What “Success” Really Means Only one team wins the final game each season, so measuring success solely by championships guarantees failure for everyone else.
🔹 Culture Over Everything Coming off of back-to-back 18+ win seasons, Jordan says this past year was one of the most memorable of his career because of the team’s culture.
🔹 Building Leaders Within the Team Jordan breaks down how a leadership team and bi-weekly meetings help him take the pulse of the program and address issues early.
🔹 The Stages of Becoming a Team From forming to storming to performing, Jordan explains why teams that move quickly through early stages often have an edge.
🔹 Talent Gets You There. Character Keeps You There. Following a successful first year, Jordan revamped his tryout process to prioritize coachability, work ethic, competitiveness, and body language.
🔹 College Coaches Are Asking a New Question Beyond talent, Jordan reveals the lingering question college coaches now ask: “How are the parents?”—and why that matters more than ever.
🔹 When Culture Is on the Line Jordan is clear: no amount of talent is worth culture degradation, and he shares why putting expectations and values in writing is essential.
🔹 The Bigger Picture Jordan also weighs in on the public vs. private state championship debate and the importance of supportive athletic directors who align with a program’s vision.

It's a Business, Man

🎙 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 driving the growth, who’s entering the space, and how the right brands could actually lower the cost for families.
🔹 The Business Nobody Wants to Talk About People get uncomfortable admitting youth sports is an industry, but the numbers don’t lie: it’s already a $54B market and rapidly expanding.
🔹 A Mission to Inform Korab created the Youth Sports Business Report to be the most trusted source for news, insights, and analysis across the entire youth sports landscape.
🔹 Everyone Is Connected to Youth Sports Like “the 7 degrees of Kevin Bacon,” almost everyone either played youth sports or knows someone who did…making it a universal topic.
🔹 The Narrative Has Turned Negative Korab believes the national conversation often focuses on what’s wrong, overshadowing how positive youth sports can be when done right.
🔹 Private Equity’s Long Game PE firms entered youth sports 15–20 years ago, eyeing consolidation and opportunity. Korab sees a chance for new players to improve the space rather than exploit it.
🔹 Recreational vs. Travel: A Shift in Balance Rec sports should make up the biggest slice, but the explosion of travel teams (A through M squads) has crowded out traditional rec options.
🔹 Brands Could Become Heroes With the right intentions, big brands could step in to relieve financial pressure instead of adding to it.
🔹 The Wild Potential of the Audience The youth sports audience is as large—or larger—than that of all professional sports combined, with over 55 billion cumulative annual touchpoints.
🔹 Good Actors vs. Cash Grabs Korab argues that “good actor brands” could reshape affordability, while I raise concerns about pop-ups chasing quick money off parents’ FOMO.
🔹 Families Want Simplicity Parents are overwhelmed by too many apps, platforms, and teams. A major consolidation feels overdue.
🔹 Hoping for a Better Future If the right companies step into the space, youth sports could become more accessible, less predatory, and more balanced for families.
🔹 A Final Hot Take We wrap with a spicy truth bomb about how to actually know whether your employer values you.

Yelling At Clouds

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 these days (hello, World Cup!) 
The parental insanity around post-season awards
What we miss about the 90s… A better time.

Sister Act

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 athletic journeys.
🔹 Sisterhood and Sports Jess and Jen started tennis at a very young age, both showing early promise and climbing quickly through local, regional, and national tournaments.
🔹 When Talent Meets Pressure Though their parents kept things balanced, coaches pushed hard, especially for Jen, who was encouraged to pursue sponsorships and a professional track at just 15.
🔹 The Cost of Early Specialization Jen shares what it was like to leave behind a “normal” high school experience to train at a tennis academy, only to burn out within 18 months.
🔹 Playing for Joy vs. Playing for Results While Jen chased rankings, Jess played because she loved being with friends and was just as excited to sing the national anthem as she was to compete.
🔹 Nature, Nurture, and Birth Order The sisters reflect on how their contrasting personalities (and classic big sister/little sister dynamics) shaped their very different relationships with the sport.
🔹 “You Can’t Outplay Who You Are” Jen talks about being a textbook type-A competitor, while Jess embraced a more balanced, social approach to tennis.
🔹 The Hidden Toll of Youth Sports Despite her success, Jen reveals that she later needed therapy to process the pressure and emotional weight of her early athletic years.
🔹 Homeschooling for Sports: Proceed with Caution The sisters offer honest advice for parents considering homeschooling to accommodate training: it’s a massive decision, and kids may not fully understand the long-term trade-offs.
🔹 Mutual Admiration (and a Little Envy) Jess admires Jen’s drive and intensity; Jen admires Jess’s ability to stay balanced and see beyond competition.
🔹 From Tennis Courts to…Anything But Tennis Ironically, neither sister plays tennis anymore—though Jen keeps getting nudged toward pro pickleball.
🔹 Absolutely Zero Hot Take Skills Despite years of elite competition, both admit they are hilariously terrible at knowing what qualifies as a “hot take.”

The Man in the Mirror

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 figure it all out.
🔹 The Pressure to Perform We kick off with the intense pressure young boys feel not just to play sports, but to be good at them.
🔹 Baseball in Japan vs. America Dan recalls watching kids in Japan play baseball purely for fun and realizing how rare that is in the U.S.
🔹 The “Play Catch” Experiment A laugh-out-loud story of Dan using dating apps in D.C. just to find someone to toss a baseball with.
🔹 The “Toxic Masculinity” Debate We break down why the term can feel one-sided, and how both genders are capable of toxic behavior.
🔹 Growing Up Male How young boys wrestle with mixed messages about being competitive, emotional, or “too aggressive.”
🔹 Balancing Toughness and Authenticity Dan shares his personal struggle with wanting to be the “tough guy” while staying true to himself.
🔹 Sports as a Safe Space How athletics provide a controlled arena to learn teamwork, conflict, and coexistence.
🔹 Coaching Boys vs. Coaching Girls We debate whether coaches should approach boys and girls differently—and why girls might be more coachable.
🔹 Modeling Steadiness Dan believes the best thing a coach can model isn’t intensity…it’s consistency and calm.
🔹 Redefining Toughness Toughness isn’t just muscle. It’s resilience, grit, and compassion. Sometimes it looks like a single mom or a sick dad still showing up.
🔹 Sports as the Village How being part of a team creates belonging, accountability, and purpose beyond the self.

Thin Line

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 youth sports culture and how we can do better for the next generation of athletes.
🔹 Discipline vs. DisorderWhere the line blurs for driven athletes who want to perfect their bodies for performance, but risk crossing into harmful patterns.
🔹 Eating Disorders vs. Disordered EatingWhy there’s a big difference between the two… and how almost everyone can relate to at least one part of the struggle.
🔹 The Athlete MindsetFocus, dedication, and perfectionism fuel success — but those same traits can increase the risk of unhealthy habits.
🔹 The Culture of SilenceCoaches may avoid saying the wrong thing, but are they saying anything to educate and help?
🔹 Shame & IsolationDespite how common disordered eating is, many athletes suffer quietly, believing they’re the only one.
🔹 When “Healthy” Isn’t HealthyOur guest’s personal story: diagnosed with osteoporosis at 24 after being told it was normal to miss her period for eight years.
🔹 The Normalization ProblemWhy missing periods in young female athletes has become almost expected and why that’s a dangerous misconception.
🔹 Under-Eating & Over-TrainingHow many athletes are unintentionally starving their bodies of what they need 
🔹 Breaking the TabooHow to make conversations about periods, nutrition, and health less awkward (and more essential).
🔹 Representation MattersWhy more female coaches, trainers, and leaders in sports can make a huge difference in these conversations.
🔹 Real Talk from the SidelinesCoaches are seeing it firsthand... athletes fainting, lightheaded, or weak... and it almost always comes back to food.
🔹 A Word of CautionThink twice before complimenting someone’s weight loss. What sounds positive might reinforce something dangerous.

The Athlete's Advantage

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 power of sports. We unpack how athletics shaped her leadership, confidence, and career…and why the habits athletes build early often become their greatest professional advantage.
🔹 From Playground to Policy Room Andi can’t remember a time when sports weren’t part of her life. She had a childhood built on competition, teamwork, and communication.
🔹 Organized Chaos We discuss the shift from kids joining sports organically to today’s ultra-organized youth systems.
🔹 Beyond the Scholarship Dream Andi shares hard truths: if your only goal is a scholarship, there are easier ways to pay for college…and far greater reasons to play.
🔹 Athletes in the Boardroom Roughly 94% of women in C-suite roles were former athletes. Andi explains why that stat doesn’t surprise her one bit.
🔹 The Small-College Advantage A Georgetown president once told employers to hire small-college athletes — for their resilience, time management, and people skills.
🔹 Translating Sports to Life Andi still flashes back to moments from her playing days when navigating workplace challenges. The lessons never fade.
🔹 Confidence in Every Room Whether she’s the youngest, only woman, or least experienced voice at the table, sports taught Andi to stand tall and speak up.
🔹 The Post-Athlete Void We dig into the emotional struggle of leaving sports behind: the loss of identity, the transition, and how society can do better.
🔹 Unlearning the Athlete Mindset What athletes must let go of after their playing days and how to repurpose that drive for long-term success.
🔹 The Real Wins When former athletes look back, it’s never about stats or awards. It’s the memories, friendships, and shared moments that last.
🔹 Hot Take: Digital Hoarders Unite Our “hot take” spirals into self-reflection… and maybe the birth of a new generational label. Are we digital hoarders now?