#36 Players Leave… That’s Not the Problem

#36 Players Leave… That’s Not the Problem

From Everyday Mike by Mike Earles

May 2, 2026 · 10 min

About this episode

Coach Mike discusses the challenges and considerations surrounding player departures in youth sports.

Players leave. Players quit. Families move on. That’s part of youth sports. But the real question isn’t if it happens—it’s how we handle it and why it’s happening in the first place. In this episode, Coach Mike talks through what this looks like from all sides: as a coach as an athlete and as a parent We get into: helping players leave the right way why “elite” doesn’t mean what it used to what real development actually looks like across different sports and how we might be pushing kids too fast, too early This isn’t about keeping every player. It’s about putting kids in the right environment so they can grow—and stay in love with the game.

People in this episode

Host: Mike Earles

Topics covered

  • youth sports
  • player development
  • coaching
  • parenting
  • athlete experience

Keywords

  • youth sports
  • player development
  • coaching
  • athlete
  • parent
  • elite sports
  • sports environment

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