Healthy Sports Parents

What happens when helping your kid reach their potential starts hurting your relationship with them?Craig Young is the father of Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, but he’s also spent more than 25 years working in mental health and family systems. Even with all that training, Craig admits he got it wrong with Bryce. At times, he became so focused on helping his son reach his potential that he pushed him to the point where Bryce didn’t want to be around him anymore. In this conversation with Jonathan Carone, Craig shares how that moment changed the way he parented, why our kids need to know their value isn’t tied to their performance, how families can support talented athletes without making sports their entire identity, and why giving kids room to fail can actually help them play with more freedom.No matter how much potential our kids have, reaching it should never cost us our relationship with them.--------HEALTHY SPORTS PARENTING COURSEGet access at HealthySportsParenting.com.--------MORE FROM CRAIG:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cjbyoungGrowing Up Young book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H2BBQ6ZK--------FROM OUR SPONSORS:JAX AthleticsCoupon Code: HSP15 for 15% offhttps://jaxathletics.com/--------Get your Healthy Sports Parents shirts or hat:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop---------Get your Weekend Playbook:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook-----------Follow us on social:https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparentshttps://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.threads.net/healthysportsparentsNew episodes every Wednesday.---------Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop---------Get your Weekend Playbook:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook-----------Follow us on social:https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparentshttps://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two-time MLB All-Star Carlos Quentin joins Healthy Sports Parents for a conversation about youth sports parenting, athlete development and why kids don’t need to be great at sports right now.After nine seasons in Major League Baseball, Carlos is now experiencing youth sports as a parent and coach. He shares how being an elite athlete affected the way he initially approached coaching his own kids, why he learned to give them more space to develop, and why parents shouldn’t be in such a hurry to find out how good their young athlete can be.Carlos and Jonathan also talk about failure and rejection in sports, handling pressure and expectations, helping young athletes build mental skills, allowing kids to struggle, and how parents can support their child’s development without taking ownership of their sports experience.Carlos Quentin is a two-time MLB All-Star who played for the Arizona Diamondbacks, Chicago White Sox and San Diego Padres. He is also the founder of Before The Field, which helps athletes develop the mental skills needed to navigate competition, pressure and adversity.--------HEALTHY SPORTS PARENTING COURSEGet access at HealthySportsParenting.com.--------MORE FROM CARLOS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beforethefieldWebsite: https://www.beforethefield.com/PROMO CODE: BTFHEALTHY3 - Free 3 months--------FROM OUR SPONSORS:JAX AthleticsCoupon Code: HSP15 for 15% offhttps://jaxathletics.com/--------Get your Healthy Sports Parents shirts or hat:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop---------Get your Weekend Playbook:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook-----------Follow us on social:https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparentshttps://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.threads.net/healthysportsparentsNew episodes every Wednesday.---------Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop---------Get your Weekend Playbook:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook-----------Follow us on social:https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparentshttps://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Healthy Sports Parents, Jonathan Carone sits down with psychiatrist and author Dr. Curt Thompson to explore why sports parenting can feel so personal and why a child’s performance can bring out emotions parents never expected.Dr. Thompson explains how parents carry their own family history, insecurities, shame, and unfinished business into their children’s sports experiences, often without realizing it. They discuss why parents can deeply love their kids and still respond in unhealthy ways, how generational patterns show up on the sidelines, why praising effort matters, and how curiosity can help parents stay connected to their children regardless of what happens on the scoreboard.This conversation goes deeper than sideline behavior and serves as an invitation for sports parents to understand their own stories, recognize the patterns they’ve inherited, and consider who they are becoming while helping their kids grow through sports.In this episode:Why a child’s sports performance can feel so personal to a parentHow family-of-origin patterns influence sports parentingWhy parents sometimes repeat behaviors they experienced as kidsBreaking generational cycles without simply blaming previous generationsThe difference between praising effort and praising resultsWhy curiosity can be more valuable than evaluation after a gameHow shame and performance can become connectedWhy connection with a child matters more than the scoreboardWhat parents can learn about themselves through youth sports--------HEALTHY SPORTS PARENTING COURSEGet access at HealthySportsParenting.com.--------MORE FROM DR. THOMPSON:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curtthompsonmd/Website: https://curtthompsonmd.com/Podcast: https://www.thebeingknownpodcast.com/--------FROM OUR SPONSORS:Interested in sponsoring an [email protected] your Healthy Sports Parents shirts:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop---------Get your Weekend Playbook:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook-----------Follow us on social:https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparentshttps://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.threads.net/healthysportsparentsNew episodes every Wednesday.---------Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop---------Get your Weekend Playbook:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook-----------Follow us on social:https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparentshttps://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A lot of families hit a point where rec league doesn’t feel like enough anymore, and the next step seems obvious: move to club (travel) sports where kids will get more games, more training, and more opportunity.But before making that jump, it’s worth slowing down and understanding what actually changes when you leave rec behind.In this episode, Jonathan is joined by author Karen Scholl – a mom who navigated the club sports journey with both her sons and wrote a book about it called Surving Soccer.In the conversation, they walk through what club sports really are, why so many families feel pulled in that direction, and what parents should be thinking about before committing. They talk about the time, the cost, the pressure, and the tradeoffs that don’t always get talked about upfront. This isn’t about saying club sports are good or bad. For some kids and families, they can be a great fit.But club sports are not the only path, and it’s not always the right next step just because it feels like the natural one.If your family is starting to wrestle with the rec vs. club decision, this conversation will help you take a step back, think it through, and make a choice that actually fits your kid and your life.--------More from Karen:Buy Surviving SoccerSubstack: https://karenscholl.substack.com/--------FROM OUR SPONSORS:Hour-a-thonhttp://www.hour-a-thon.com--------New episodes every Wednesday.---------Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop---------Get your Weekend Playbook:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook-----------Follow us on social:https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparentshttps://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Youth sports can quickly take over family life, leaving parents feeling pressure to specialize early, chase opportunities, and keep up with everyone else. But what if taking youth sports back starts with one simple shift at home?In this episode of the Healthy Sports Parents podcast, ESPN college football reporter and sports mom Heather Dinich joins the conversation to talk about balancing youth sports, family life, and ambition. As a parent of three boys navigating multiple sports, Heather shares what she’s learned about helping kids find the right fit, avoiding unnecessary pressure, and keeping sports in their proper place.We discuss the realities of club sports, the pressure families feel to specialize early, and how parents can support their kids without letting sports take over their identity or family time. This conversation also explores how to let kids take ownership of their sports journey while still providing guidance and perspective along the way.If you're a sports parent trying to balance busy schedules, rising expectations, and what’s actually best for your kid, this episode offers a practical and encouraging perspective on taking youth sports back one family at a time.In this episode, we discuss:• Balancing youth sports and family life• The pressure to specialize early• Letting kids find the sport that fits them• How parents can avoid comparison and urgency• Taking youth sports back one family at a time--------More from Heather:https://www.instagram.com/cfbheather/--------FROM OUR SPONSORS:ESPN's Take Back Sportshttps://www.takebacksports.orgHour-a-thonhttp://www.hour-a-thon.com--------New episodes every Wednesday.---------Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop---------Get your Weekend Playbook:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook-----------Follow us on social:https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparentshttps://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Youth sports matter. We care because our kids care. But somewhere along the way, it’s easy for that care to turn into pressure, stress, and taking things way more seriously than we ever intended.In this episode, Jonathan sits down with comedian and sports dad Dustin Nickerson to talk about the realities of being a sports parent – the long tournaments, the awkward sideline dynamics, the pressure we feel to show up to everything and get it all right, and the moments when we realize we might need to take a breath and laugh a little.Dustin shares what youth sports look like through the lens of an introvert, how he balances being on the road with being present for his kids, and why effort matters more than perfect attendance. They also get into failure, perspective, participation trophies, arguing with refs, and why kids notice our effort more than our perfection.This is a conversation for parents who care deeply about their kids, want to support them well, and are trying to keep youth sports healthy for their family.Youth sports are serious. Just not that serious.--------FROM OUR SPONSORS:Hour-a-thonhttp://www.hour-a-thon.comNew episodes every Wednesday.---------Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop---------Get your Weekend Playbook:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook-----------Follow us on social:https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparentshttps://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Youth sports need more trustworthy adults in kids’ lives.In this episode, Jonathan talks with Dr. Katlin Okamoto of the U.S. Soccer Foundation about the single biggest thing youth sports needs right now. It’s not better drills, more tournaments, or earlier specialization. It’s adults who understand that their influence goes far beyond the scoreboard.They explore why coaches often become one of the most influential adults in a young person’s life, how the role of a coach is shifting from instructor to mentor, and why relationships are the foundation of healthy sports experiences for kids.Dr. Okamoto also shares the thinking behind the Yes, Coach! campaign, a national effort to recruit, support, and celebrate the adults who step up to lead kids through sports in a healthy way.If youth sports are going to change, it won’t start with policies or platforms. It will start with the adults who show up for kids every week.In this episode we cover:Why kids need multiple trustworthy adults in their livesThe hidden influence youth coaches have on young peopleWhy coaching is as much an art as it is a scienceHow youth sports have changed and why families feel more pressureWhat the Yes, Coach! campaign hopes to change in youth sports--------FROM OUR SPONSORS:Brite Legacyhttps://britelegacy.com/--------New episodes every Wednesday.---------Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop---------Get your Weekend Playbook:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook-----------Follow us on social:https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparentshttps://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This conversation is an extended version of my interview with Mike Schultz for Parents’ 100-Year Digital Issue, where he’s being spotlighted as one of today’s most inspiring parents.What actually lasts when the season ends? What happens once you step off the podium and go back to real life?In this episode, Jonathan sits down with Paralympic gold medalist, inventor, and dad Mike Schultz to talk about what it really looks like to chase something big while raising a 12-year-old athlete.Mike has competed at the highest level in the world. He’s also spent 170 days on the road in a single year trying to balance training for the Paralympic Winter Games with being present for his daughter’s gymnastics meets and middle school milestones. He knows the pull of ambition and the guilt that can come with it.We talk about:What his life-changing injury taught him about identity beyond performanceWhy progression, not winning, is what truly motivates long-term successThe difference between supporting your kid and pushing themHow to help kids discover their own internal driveWhat he hopes his daughter learns from watching him competeMike shares honestly about the tension of being “just dad” at home while also being a world-class athlete. He explains why pushing only works for so long, why losing teaches more than winning, and why the point of youth sports has to go deeper than medals.If your kid’s sport ended tomorrow, what would you hope remained?This conversation is about making sure the answer to that question is bigger than the scoreboard.--------FROM OUR PARTNER:For 100 years, PARENTS has provided millions of caregivers with trustworthy advice and a supportive community as they raise the next generation of confident and compassionate kids.Read my full feature on Mike SchultzRead the full Parents 100 Years Issue digital magazineLearn more about BioDapt--------FROM OUR SPONSORS:Brite Legacyhttps://britelegacy.com/--------New episodes every Wednesday.---------Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop---------Get your Weekend Playbook:https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook-----------Follow us on social:https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparentshttps://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparentshttps://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.