Surviving Youth Sports

Surviving Youth Sports

Surviving Youth Sports is a podcast and platform where athletes, parents, and coaches share real stories and honest perspectives from every level of the game. Our guests include the influential voices behind the superstars, parents, mentors, coaches, and former athletes who have lived the experiences that shape today’s sports culture.

Expect real conversations about the journey behind the scenes, mental health, motivation, recruiting, parenting, and personal growth. Subscribe for weekly episodes that reveal the truth about what it really takes to survive youth sports.

Justin Furtado: Are Parents Protecting Kids Too Much? Lessons, Failure, and Playing Time
Surviving Youth SportsJune 24, 202600:33:4961.91 MB

Justin Furtado: Are Parents Protecting Kids Too Much? Lessons, Failure, and Playing Time

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 ...

Michael Saunders: The Pressure to Make It Is Changing How Kids Play
Surviving Youth SportsJune 17, 202600:32:2759.41 MB

Michael Saunders: The Pressure to Make It Is Changing How Kids Play

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: ...

Deven Morgan: The Problem Youth Baseball Has to Solve
Surviving Youth SportsJune 10, 202600:55:57102.44 MB

Deven Morgan: The Problem Youth Baseball Has to Solve

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 inj...

Jason D’Rocha: Are We Rushing Kids Into Sports They Never Chose?
Surviving Youth SportsJune 03, 202600:34:5964.05 MB

Jason D’Rocha: Are We Rushing Kids Into Sports They Never Chose?

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 t...

Making It Okay to Talk About Suicide in Youth Sports
Surviving Youth SportsMay 27, 202600:47:3887.21 MB

Making It Okay to Talk About Suicide in Youth Sports

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, identit...

Devon Brown on Burnout, Rankings, and Letting Kids Own Their Journey
Surviving Youth SportsMay 20, 202600:41:4476.4 MB

Devon Brown on Burnout, Rankings, and Letting Kids Own Their Journey

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 ...

Matt Dumouchelle on Why Winning Too Early Can Hurt Development
Surviving Youth SportsMay 13, 202600:49:1990.32 MB

Matt Dumouchelle on Why Winning Too Early Can Hurt Development

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 organization...

Alonzo & Logwone Mitz: Discipline, Legacy, and Letting Kids Find Their Own Path
Surviving Youth SportsMay 06, 202600:52:0095.21 MB

Alonzo & Logwone Mitz: Discipline, Legacy, and Letting Kids Find Their Own Path

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 r...

Derek Bingham: The Hard Part of Coaching Other People’s Kids While Raising Your Own
Surviving Youth SportsApril 29, 202600:33:1160.75 MB

Derek Bingham: The Hard Part of Coaching Other People’s Kids While Raising Your Own

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 peopl...

Jason Collinsworth: When Youth Sports Stops Being Fun
Surviving Youth SportsApril 22, 202601:08:2293.89 MB

Jason Collinsworth: When Youth Sports Stops Being Fun

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...