Youth $ports

The Times Are Changing

Episode 27: Dr. Bob Dranoff (Former D-2 East Coast Conference Athletic Commissioner, Current graduate professor at St. John's University)
- Both at the youth sports AND collegiate level, sports are more commercialized than ever. 
- A focus on making rules and regulations that only benefit the "elite of the elite."
- Trickle down effect of some new rule changes in college athletics with revenue sharing, NIL, scholarship limitations and roster changes. Will universities have to make tough decisions about cutting programs, how much funding to provide, etc? We haven't even seen the tip of the iceberg yet with some of this stuff...
- The trickle down effect. When one thing in a system changes, it inevitably effects everyone at every level in some way. 
- If the scholarships and secondary sports at universities begin to get cut or receive less funding, does that impact sports at the youth level? Do people scale back because this financial pay off at the end of a scholarship no longer exists? Or do people just become even MORE competitive for those limited spots?
- College enrollment is down all over the country. How does this impact collegiate sports?
- Are some smaller schools using athletes to boost enrollment? Do parents and kids see through this, or are they just happy to keep playing their sport?
- Is it disingenuous for D3 schools to be using athletics to get kids in the door and paying $60,000 a year because they just want to keep playing their sport? 
- Universities using new sports on the women's side, club side, etc. to boost enrollment. Provides more opportunities. Is that a bad thing for athletes?
- When we talk about D3 sports, in some ways it is a continuation of the "pay to play" model we see at the youth levels. 
- Dranoff has spent a lot of time researching how we teach leadership to athletes. And the finding in many cases is... We don't. It's dependent on individual coaches and leadership styles. 
- The alarming statistics around dropout rates in youth sports (70%!!!! of kids involved in team youth sports drop out by 13)
- We focus so much on individual improvement and success in sports at the expense of learning what it means to have a ROLE on a team. 
- While many of us see the "problems" plaguing youth sports... our involvement with it is finite. Are people really willing to rock the boat, or change the system, when they have a kid who is only part of it for a short time? 
- And a holiday HOT TAKE!

The $hip Has $ailed

Episode 26: Aaron Flaker (Former President/Co-owner and Co-founder of JAM Brands, current Co-Owner of Athletx Sports Group)
- Flaker discusses his intro into the world of cheer (spoiler alert: He started out as a mascot!)
- The history behind how cheerleading has undergone a MASSIVE transformation through the years...
- Cheer has all of the markers of every other sport/competition, but the unique addition of aesthetics. 
- The incredible story behind Flaker's first business venture, which grew into one of the largest cheer events in the world (Jam Fest turned Jam Brands)
- Digging into the nature of dance/cheer competitions and the seemingly 438439 different divisions at each competition. Do people even care if the competition is legit, or are they just happy to claim they are "national champions?"
- Smart people have recognized that the world of youth sports is a business. We don't get mad at other enterprises for capitalizing on the demand. Why do we get mad at those making money off youth sports?
- Are we running the risk of pricing parents out of youth sports?
- Maybe we will forever and always romanticize youth sports... But is the vision of what we remember it to be the reality today?
- And of course... MORE PIPING HOT TAKES

Patience Is A (Lost) Virtue

Episode 25: Aaron Anderkin (Youth sports Dad/coach/former athlete)
- Can any other youth sports parents relate to 90% of their non-work life being consumed by sports?
- Growing up in a small town, idolizing the "hometown heroes" 
- The challenge of doubling as both a youth sports parent AND a youth sports coach. How do you strike the correct balance?
- The trickle down effect we are seeing of players, parents, coaches, etc. seeking IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION. 
- Kids compete for a ring or trophy every weekend now... It used to be a year's long investment toward winning such big prizes. 
- FOMO drives so much of the vicious cycle of doing more, more, more in youth sports. 
- Real talk: Puberty is the great equalizer. All of the success at young ages does NOT equal success at the older ages. 
- As a coach or youth sports parent, the true measure of success is your kid answering YES to the following question: "Do you want to play again next year?"
- Parental red flags (especially on social media!!!)
- And of course... MORE HOT TAKES

Heart & Soul

Episode 24: Philip Manga & players from the Box2Box Organization
- Box2Box is a non-profit organization in Lexington Ky that strives to empower the youth to seek community through sport, to develop identity relevance and belonging. 
- The game of soccer opened up so many doors for Philip Manga in his life. When he came to the United States with his family from the Republic of Congo, he struggled to find his place in the community. 
- Manga was able to find a connection to his community through the game of soccer. 
- Even with an athletic scholarship to the University of Evansville, Manga struggled to keep up with the pace of the academics due to his Fluency in the English language. 
- Now Manga and the Box2Box organization strive to provide opportunity for refugee children in the Lexington area, not only in the game of soccer, but with building a community and having a safe place to work on homework after school. 
- Box2Box, much like the sport of soccer, is so much more than a game. It opens doors for children. 
- Sports offer so much for so many kids, especially those who are longing to connect in a new country. Why not look for ways to make youth sports MORE accessible for young children?
- Hear from some of the young gentlemen who are part of the Box2Box Tumaini Academy. They share some of their struggles and success along the way. 
- If you listen to this episode and can't see the beauty in the opportunity these young children are seeking and the avenue sports gives them to find it... Well, I'm not sure what else you need?

The Day The Music Died

Episode 23: Charlie Ely (Medically retired college football player)
- What happens when sports has been a huge part of your identity your entire life, and then it gets stripped away because of injuries?
- What it's like to be an athlete who shows early potential, has great size and big dreams. 
- Football is a grind. You almost never go through a game pain-free, but it's part of the mentality. 
- Is the "no days off" mentality really better in the long-run than taking breaks? 
- The pure joy of playing the sport you love with your teammates.
- The college football recruiting process. They love you... until you can no longer do anything for them. What happens when you suffer a severe injury right before heading to campus? 
- The harsh reality of scholarships being pulled, promises being broken and an 18 year old being left to scramble to put the pieces together. 
- The toll playing sports your whole life and having multiple injuries along the way can take on the body. But at the end of the day, would you trade in those experiences? Most athletes would probably say no...
- The life lessons amidst the pain of having to medically retire from the game you love. 
- What happens next? 
- HOT TAKES

A Big Fish In A Small Pond

Episode 22: Jessie Weis (Mother of Top 100 Basketball Prospect, Gabe Weis)
- Jessie Weis is the mother of a Top 100, 4-star basketball prospect (Gabe Weis) from a small town in Kentucky
- Weis walks us through the natural progression of Gabe's development and the opportunities that came as a result of his hard work. 
- Parents don't have to PUSH doors open for their children when it comes to youth sports. Let your child's hard work and ability open those doors. 
- What it's like being the big fish in a small pond. High school sports are not always enough for high end athletes. Sometimes they need more. 
- Weis details her son's (and family's) choice to attend a prep school, Montverde Academy for this junior and senior years of high school.
-The decision was met with scrutiny and judgement, but Gabe was willing to sacrifice the "normal high school experience" for the chance to play and practice with better players every day. 
- Weis shares some details of the recruiting process for a Top 100 rated recruit. 
- Every family's situation is different. You have to do what's best for YOU. 

Uneven Playing Field

Episode 21: Jeff Kellman (Inner city high school football coach, Milwaukee)
- Kellman has coached at both well-funded and poorly funded high schools in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The discrepancies between the 2 are massive...
- Coaches having to pay for basic equipment out of their own pockets vs. 65 million dollar athletic complexes
- Athletes seeing the lack of resources and opportunity provided to them.... How does that impact how they feel others value them? Do they internalize these feelings?
- Fundraising is supposed to be the great equalizer, right? But is it really when some families can just write the checks...
- Not having access to film. Such a simple, yet very massive disadvantage for a football program. Not being able to use it for recruiting purposes is also a huge disadvantage. 
- Not only are there competitive disadvantages across youth sports, but also SAFETY disadvantages. Why should not having the same funding as other schools = unsafe environments for athletes?
- Some coaches have the luxury of massive coaching staffs who can focus on position groups, while others have to share duties among 2-3 coaches. 
- Getting to coach football vs. coaching life
- Even with an uneven playing field, coaching kids who truly need the experience and the role models is rewarding. 
- Youth sports can provide so many POSITIVES for young kids. Why are we making it LESS accessible?

A Dream That Wouldn't Die

Episode 20: Roni Robinson (Former high school football/basketball standout who spent 4.5 years in jail before beginning his redemption story)
- Roni Robinson was once a candidate for Mr. Kentucky football and Mr. Kentucky basketball in the SAME season with letters from college coaches piling up in trash bags...
- Robinson was a hometown hero, with his whole life ahead of him, packing the stands on Friday nights in his small town of Frankfort, Ky. 
- Robinson was set to play football AND basketball for the University of Tennessee... but there was just 1 problem: The ACT. 
- When Robinson couldn't get the ACT score he needed, the D-1 dream faded and the reality of JUCO was staring him in the face. Robinson, who says his family was struggling to put food on the table and buy clothes, turned to the streets. 
- One night changed the trajectory of Robinson's whole life. Facing a 10-20 year sentence for armed robbery, Robinson's football/basketball future seemed to die...
- Robinson outlines the next 4.5 years of his life spent in jail and how he used his love and skill in basketball and football to get through his sentence. "Basketball was my hustle."
- At 23 years old and 6 years out of organized sports... Robinson's dreams of playing college football and basketball seemed as unlikely as ever. The dream wouldn't die for Robinson and his life is now dedicated to his community and helping young kids learn from his own mistakes. 
- A true story of the very real struggles young athletes face and how redemption, however unlikely, is still possible. 

RANKINGS: Assessing or Obsessing?

Episode 19: Scott Strode (Blue Chips Nation/Prep Hoops Scout)
- Scott Strode works as a basketball writer/scout for PrepHoops 
- Strode sees himself as a connector/referral service between college coaches and players, helping both sides to streamline the recruiting and evaluation process. 
- With many colleges operating on $500 recruiting budgets (No, seriously!), efficiency is crucial. 
- We discuss the obsession with rankings, especially on the side of the parents and players. But guess who really does NOT care about rankings? THE COLLEGE COACHES. Not one time has Strode ever been asked where a player was ranked. 
- What is the 1st question college coaches ask Strode? "Can they defend?"
- Youth sports has become a free market enterprise. No one is forcing parents to spend the $, but at the same time... Are those who stand to gain from their business financially being honest with parents?
- Are people more worried about the attention/social media posts when it comes to offers, commitments, camp invites, etc. than the substance behind it?
- Strode breaks down the current state of AAU basketball and the obsession with shoe circuits. Not necessarily enough talent to justify that many teams in small areas, traveling all over the country for these events. 
- Real talk: Most kids attend college regionally. Most basketball coaches (outside of maybe D1) recruit regionally. 
- And a serial killer comparison you simply were not ready for...
- The HOT TAKES are back! (Tucker/Strode 2028)

The Price WE Pay

Episode 18: Kobe Johnson (Soccer parent/Former soccer player)
- A story of sacrifice and love in the world of youth sports. 
- The 5-6 day weekly grind of being a high school athlete
- Sports can teach kids life lessons: Managing time, prioritizing, working with others, etc. 
- When you sit down and actually add up all of the expenses (10K, 20K... etc...), is it really worth it? Would it have been better to just put that $ into a college fund?
- Some advice on the ID camps. You can't do them all. Pick wisely. Ask questions. Do your research. 
- Coaches need to be honest with kids and parents, but kids and parents also have to want to hear it. Delusion is a powerful drug. 
- Doesn't have to be a "D1 or bust" mentality. It's all about finding the right fit for YOU as a player. Don't worry about the clout of D-1. 
- The sacrifices parents make in order to help their children reach their dreams...
- Kobe has no regrets. She takes the "we will make it work" mentality and believes this is what she signed up for in being a parent. It's worth it to her to be there for her daughter. 
- What happens if after 10+ years of putting time, energy, money, travel, etc. into a sport... your kid decides they are finished. They don't want to play anymore. Then what?
- Sports can be a way for a parent to bond with their child. It can be a lifelong connection. 
- Advice: Be REALISTIC with your child. Not everyone's child is Kobe Bryant or Sophia Smith. A little honesty won't kill them. 
- Uh oh... We forgot the HOT TAKES.