Shows
KidFirst SportsEp: 52 - Sports Dads & Our Damnable Egos, with Dan Lear"My two sons play at MLS academies"
I know how I'd feel if I could say that about my kids.
That annoying shoulder devil telling me how great I am for producing children with so much talent. Then I find myself getting into a shouting match with a teenager on an opposing team and wonder if may that shoulder devil is telling porkies.
Join Dan Lear and I ask we deconstruct why we parents do what we do with our kids' sports experiences.
2025-01-1540 min
KidFirst SportsEp: 51 - Please Don't Tell My Parents, with Robin Bousquet"Please don't tell my parents"
Robin Bousquet, founder and owner of Inspire Physical Therapy in Nike's hometown (Beaverton, OR), has heard this request from far too many youth athletes.
Her answer every single time?
"Absolutely not. We're talking with your parents because you need a team of grown ups working together to get you healthy."
Join us for the whole episode to be inspired by a health care provider whose life is dedicated to building kids back up physically and mentally.
Inspireptforkids.com
SHOW NOTES
...2025-01-0335 min
KidFirst SportsEp 50: College Recruiting ABC's - Tools for ParentsTOOLS FOR PARENTS!!
The final in a series of five episodes to guide high school athletes looking to play in college.
Elliot Leonard from RecruitFluency lays it all out. For Free.
Industry insights about:
The big online recruiting companies
Recruiting consultants
Oh, and HIGHLIGHT VIDEOS!
2024-11-2720 min
KidFirst SportsEp 49: College Recruiting ABC's - Senior YearSENIOR YEAR!
The fourth in a series of five episodes to guide high school athletes looking to play in college.
Elliot Leonard from RecruitFluency lays it all out. For Free.
Narrow the list & apply for admission
Constant contact & cross the T's
Be prepared. Mentally, emotionally, physically, academically.
2024-11-2018 min
KidFirst SportsEp 48: College Recruiting ABC's - Junior YearJUNIOR YEAR!!
The third in a series of five episodes - and THE MOST IMPORTANT YEAR for high school athletes looking to play in college.
Elliot Leonard from RecruitFluency lays it all out. For Free.
Ask the hard questions so you can get to "no" and move on
Be honest about the interest you are getting - is it real or just surface?
HIGHLIGHT VIDEO. HIGHLIGHT VIDEO. HIGHLIGHT VIDEO. HIGHLIGHT VIDEO. HIGHLIGHT VIDEO. HIGHLIGHT VIDEO.
Pick up the phone. Knock on the door.
2024-11-1427 min
KidFirst SportsEp 47: College Recruiting ABC's - Sophomore YearSOPHOMORE YEAR!
The second in a series of five episodes to help parents and kids understand how to get recruited to play in college. Elliot Leonard from RecruitFluency lays it all out. For free.
Visit different kinds of college campuses
Play at the highest level you can
Consistent with video and coach outreach
2024-11-0618 min
KidFirst SportsEp 46: College Recruiting ABC's - Freshman YearFRESHMAN YEAR!
The first in a series of five episodes to help parents and kids understand how to get recruited to play in college. Elliot Leonard from RecruitFluency lays it all out. For free.
Create online presence
Upload game clips regularly
Start coach outreach
Rinse repeat
2024-10-3018 min
KidFirst SportsEp 45: Do you believe in your players? With Boston College women's head coach Chris WatkinsDo you believe in your players?
Chris Watkins, long time Division I women's head coach, wants every youth sports coach in the country to really believe in the kids they coach.
Not the best player? Believe in them.
Not the fastest? Believe in them.
Not the best shooter? Believe in them.
30 years of top level coaching has taught Chris some tough lessons. Are you ready to learn?
SHOW NOTES
Special guest, Coach Chris Watkins, shares his journey transitioning from Gonzaga to Boston College and discusses...2024-05-3040 min
KidFirst SportsEp 44: Digital Discipline - Reclaiming our kid's BRAINS, with Larissa MillsOur kids spend 18,000 hours on their phone by age 16.
In episode 44 of the KidFirst Sports Podcast, host Coach Dave Vassilaros discusses the impact of technology on the performance and development of young athletes with guest Larissa Mills, founder of the Mental Game Academy.
They explore how excessive phone use can affect athletes' focus, self-belief, and resilience, drawing on Mills' experience in coaching and cognitive science.
The conversation covers practical advice for parents and coaches on fostering a healthier balance between technology use and real-world connections to improve athletes' mental health, confidence, and performance.2024-05-0838 min
KidFirst SportsEp 43: Let the Kids Lead, with Brendon "Bones" McKeownPutting Kids First in Youth Sports, Muhlenberg College Alumni Magazine
In this episode of the Kid First Sports Podcast, Coach Dave Vassilaros reconnects with an old college teammate, Brendan "Bones" McKeown, to discuss the importance of allowing kids to lead in sports. They delve into their experiences from Muhlenberg College, illustrating how early leadership roles and nicknames played a part in forging their identities and relationships.
The conversation explores McEwen's journey to Muhlenberg and his coaching philosophy at St. Benedict's Prep and Hoboken United, emphasizing creating a culture where kids lead, supported by the community...2024-05-0146 min
KidFirst SportsEp 42: From Blame to Claim - Teaching Kids 'Heart', with Chandler ChildsCoach Dave Vassilaros and Chandler Childs, the brains behind the Ultimate Hero Company, break down why building character is a game-changer for young athletes. They tackle how traits like responsibility, honesty, humility, and integrity can be the secret sauce to succeeding in life and on the playing field.
We delve into the pitfalls of the blame game, providing hands-on tips to help shift young minds from pointing fingers to taking charge. Tune in to this episode for your playbook on raising the bar in youth sports and beyond!
Notes:
The Ultimate Hero College...2024-04-1726 min
KidFirst SportsEp 41: A Sport of Failure & the Pursuit of PerfectionRachel Roupe is a Division I softball player. Elite skills and athletic talents. But it took help from Andrew Simpson, a performance coach, to free her from the perfectionism that threatened to block her dreams.
How did they do it?
Trading the expectation of perfection for the pursuit of perfection.
#bekidfirst2024-04-1037 min
KidFirst SportsEp 40: In Loco Parentis - Protecting Kids in Youth SportsMJ Tate dreamed of becoming a professional soccer player in England. When his big chance arrived, he grabbed it with both hands and found himself among some of the best young players in the country.
Then the psychological, verbal, emotional, and sexual abuse started. Bob Higgins was a predator.
"In loco parentis" is Latin for "in the place of the parent". MJ believes if you coach youth sports, you better consider yourself "in loco parentis". And protect these kids.
Watch the gripping BBC documentary, "A Saint & A Sinner", about Bob Higgins and the...2024-04-0345 min
KidFirst SportsEp 39: From the Field to the Firm: A CEO with KidFirst Values, with Tony DaReHumility. Trust. Balance. Comfortably unique. Compassionately driven. Core values that govern how Tony DaRe leads.
Tony and his team have built a leading insurance consulting firm for over 20 years. A former college linebacker and competitive rugby player, he thought he learned how to lead a team in the business world from his three top coaches. Including his dad.
He was wrong. Sports and business aren't the same.
Hear what Tony learned the hard way.
#bekidfirst2024-03-2040 min
KidFirst SportsEp 38: Young Athletes' Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness, with SEAL Chad MetcalfChad Metcalf, Navy SEAL and author of Young Athlete's Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness
Tune in to Dave and Chad's podcast about the importance of mental toughness in youth sports. Chad shares his experiences at "Hell Week" SEAL training and how he learned the value of a problem-solving mindset. Understanding the role of failure in skill development and the need for a shift in mindset among parents and coaches will boost mental toughness in young athletes.
Pick up his book on Amazon!2024-03-0649 min
KidFirst SportsEp 37: Earning their trust, with Ginny CannonTaken by the state from her parents. Twice. Not allowed to say goodbye to her four younger siblings as they were whisked into the foster system. Finally chosen by a couple who really wanted her. Facing down her birth mom in court as a teenager.
Ginny Cannon knows what it's like to lose trust in others. And to find it again in adoptive parents, her high school best friend, and a 40 year marriage.
Listen to Ginny's tear-jerking story no child should ever have to endure. By inspired by her incredible love for kids.
...2024-02-2846 min
KidFirst SportsEp 36: "Make it JOYFUL!" with Jason Carney"How can I get more playing time?"
All youth coaches have heard that question from a young athlete.
Jason Carney thinks that's a sign of a coach's failure to do his or her most important job - develop the kid's character.
From his youth in Bolton, UK, watching the great Liverpool teams of the 70s & 80s, to Portland, OR, Jason has strong opinions on how to make youth soccer better. Put character first. Make it joyful.
Spend a few minutes with the KidFirst Sports podcast and feel Jason's infectious love of...2024-02-0733 min
KidFirst SportsEp 35: Is that it?! Finding your purpose, with Wells ThompsonScoring the game winning goal as a pro player in the biggest knockout tournament in the country. It's what dreams (and some bad sports movies) are made of! That's what Wells Thompson thought, until he was sitting in his hotel room wondering why being the hero felt so empty. "Is that it?! My whole life I've worked for this moment and this is what it feels like?"
Wells was a troubled prodigy as a young player. Drugs, alcohol, and blowing off school filled in the spaces between big goals and dominating games.
Then his parents...2024-01-1742 min
KidFirst SportsEp 34: I burned out on competitive soccer at age 13, with Mike Brownkidfirstsports.com
From loving and excelling at a sport to purposely tanking a tryout to get out of having to play. Mike Brown wishes it hadn't had to come to that but it was the only way his 13 year old brain could see to get out of a team his parents loved and supported.
So many young athletes have skill and ability but want to explore other things while they are teens.
Hopefully parents listen. Mike did when his own teenage son pushed back on sports and wanted to learn to play the...2024-01-1036 min
KidFirst SportsEp 33: Building a pro soccer club from the bottom. At 23. With Kareem Rae.Most 18 year olds are thinking about heading to college or hitting the beach. Kareem Rae was writing the definitive guide on how to become a professional soccer player.
His dreams have always been big. They used to be him signing a pro contract in Europe. Not anymore.
Now 23, Kareem dreams of building a professional club here in the US and giving 25 unheralded players from around the world the chance he didn't get for himself.
He founded One Soccer Nation to be the vehicle for making connections, learning the business side of the game...2024-01-0333 min
KidFirst SportsEp 32: NIL isn't what you think it is. It's MORE. w/Mark KoestererLivvy Dunne. Bronny James. Collegiate athletes making huge money as amateurs. How?
The NCAA approved Name, Image, & Likeness (NIL) rules in 2021 that have changed the face of youth athletics forever.
Mark Koesterer, founder of The Players NIL, thinks it's the wild west out there for young athletes looking to take advantage of their NIL. Lots of people looking to profit and not a lot of people showing kids how to use their athletic accomplishments to do 2 things:
1) make their own lives better
2) make their communities better
The son of...2023-12-2740 min
KidFirst SportsEp 31: Fighting to save the future of youth soccer, with Skip GilbertFrom the moment he was thrown in as the starting high school varsity goalkeeper at 5'2", to leading US Youth Soccer with 2.5 million kids and 10,000 clubs, Skip Gilbert has fought for the sport he loves.
The battle has never been more daunting. According to Project Play, 7% fewer kids age 13-17 regularly played sports over the last 4 years.
Skip is a man with a plan. And it means that labels like "elite" vs "rec" have to go away. And that we have to create a viable pathway for kids to continue playing soccer for enjoyment and...2023-12-2045 min
KidFirst SportsEp 30: College Recruiting & Battling Addiction, with Elliot MarkCaptain and All-American at a Division I program.
College soccer coaching career.
Athlete recruitment agency.
Recovered opioid addict.
Elliot Mark, owner of RecruitFluency, doesn't need to pull any punches or blow a bunch of sunshine with the families and soccer clubs he serves. Just the facts.
He's been to the top and the bottom, and this candid interview shines a light on the dark side of top level athletics.
Want to know how best to help your aspiring collegiate athlete? Teach them character. Accountability. Honesty. Integrity.
2023-12-1337 min
KidFirst SportsEp 29: Girls, STEM, Leadership & Underwater RobotsMarcus Grindstaff hit the summit in corporate America. From Intel to health tech startups, Marcus learned engineering and leadership from some of the great minds of the last 30 years.
Naturally, when he retired from the big offices and grind of Silicon Valley his next stop was a private all-girls school in Sacramento.
Marcus traded the corner office for the high school gym and dozens of 9-12 grade girls figuring out whether they want to be engineers.
The St. Francis Catholic High School all-girl underwater robotics team conquered last year's world championship. How? Powerful...2023-12-0647 min
The One Soccer Nation PodcastDave Vassilaros - Podcast Host at KidFirst Sports PodcastOne Soccer Nation's Founder & CEO Kareem Rae, had the opportunity to interview Dave Vassilaros. David is the Host at KidFirst Sports Podcast.
KidFirst Sports Podcast is inviting parents and coaches involved with youth and school sports to be "KidFirst" instead of "WinFirst". 70% of kids quit playing sports by age 13 - right when they need the stability, exercise, and sociality the most. Why? Because adults kill FUN in the race for WINS.
KidFirst Sports Podcast Links:
Website: https://www.kidfirstsports.com/
Podcast: https://www.kidfirstsports.com/podcast
Shop: https://www.kidfirstsports.com/category/all-products
Email: dave@kidfirstsports.com
Facebook: https...2023-12-0443 min
KidFirst SportsEp 28 - So You Didn't Make it to the Pros, with Paul CostickMillions of kids dream of making it to the pros. Almost none of them do, but there are some who get close.
Paul Costick was scouted at age 10 by the English Premier League club, Southampton. And just two years later, young Paul was told he didn't have what it took. Portsmouth. Peterborough United. Reading. They trained him but ultimately did not offer him a pro contract.
So he left his home country and played D-I college soccer in the United States. Thousands of miles from his family, he started a new life.
What...2023-11-2947 min
KidFirst SportsEp 27: Refugee Soccer, with Adam MilesRefugees from war torn and conflict-ridden nations the world over land on American shores. They join communities in small towns and large cities. They go to school, they work, they shop for groceries.
The parents wonder if their kids will be accepted. Will there be a friend group they can belong to?
Adam Miles founded Refugee Soccer in a profound answer to this question in so many worried hearts.
Listen to a story of Wall Street success, family challenges, revelation about his purpose, a documentary film, and hundreds of kids who benefit from...2023-11-2248 min
KidFirst SportsEp 26: Failure, Struggle and Youth Sports, with Ryan MillerRyan's book, Wounds
Ryan's podcast, Authentic Conversations
The true power of sports is not the exhilaration of success, but the learning, growing, and confidence that come from overcoming the obstacles that stand in our way. Today, I'm excited to share a conversation I had with Ryan Miller, a sales and life coach who knows the lessons of failure deeply.
Ryan and I delve into how sports can teach us to handle life's challenges and overcome our obstacles. We're not just talking about physical obstacles, but emotional and mental ones too. Drawin...2023-11-1538 min
KidFirst SportsEp 25: KidFirst Referees, with James KeddingtonCan officials and referees impact the kids in the competitions they oversee?
Only if they can say "every player is my favorite player" and mean it.
Referees have a powerful opportunity to be KidFirst. Both to the players, the parents, and the coaches. James is trying to show how. 2023-11-0838 min
KidFirst SportsEp 24: CTE & The Monster We Love, with Dr. Kathleen BachynskiJunior Seau. Aaron Hernandez. Frank Gifford. CTE.
A terrifying brain disease that drastically alters the personality of the victim, often ending tragically. Sadly, it's not confined to the NFL.
Dr. Kathleen Bachynski, Assistant Professor of Public Health at my alma mater, Muhlenberg College, thinks that our kids need us adults to protect them from serious injuries health issues like CTE.
Youth football in America is a way of life. We love it.
But experts like Dr. Bachynski warn that it can be a monster that could spell long-term disaster for our...2023-11-0836 min
KidFirst SportsEp 23: Dallin Anderson & the Winner's CurseWinning can be a curse. How? Pay too high a price for it.
Dallin Anderson is a regular dad who is extraordinary at striking the right balance for his 7 kids.
This balance is based on the family's 4 foundations: love of God, kindness to others, love of learning, and physical challenges through sports. 2023-11-0835 min
KidFirst SportsEp 22: Let's wake up football! with Antone WilsonOnce we were athletes.
Then we got injured, or old, or distracted by life.
What were we then? Antone Wilson faced this question three times in his journey from star running back to HealthTech founder and leader. Each time, he heard the voice in his head of coaches who had shaped his young life.
Discipline, structure, preparation, self-belief.
Antone wants to wake up the rest of the American football world.
His mantra? Develop the kids as people about to tackle real life.
SHOW NOTES
https...2023-11-0850 min
KidFirst SportsEp 21: "Not Good Enough" with Tony SnethenNot Good Enough
An executive with the Kansas City Royals and longtime youth baseball coach was shocked into silence.
After a game, his son said, "Dad, I sit behind the drivers seat in the car ride home because then you can't see me."
Tony Snethen was crushed. And he knew he had to change.
In partnership with the Kansas City Royals and BlueCross Blue Shield of KC, he helped write and produce a heart wrenching documentary about Sports Moms and Dads and the effect they are having on their Sports Kids. 2023-11-0848 min
KidFirst SportsEp 20: Allison Gibson is building confidence & shaping leadersWhat could a person who has played and coached at the very highest levels possibly have to gain by running an all-girls youth soccer club?
For Allison Gibson, that was entirely the wrong question.
Her transition from D-1 coach to president of the Indie Chicas FC wasn't about glory or accomplishment.
She wanted to build confidence in young girls. Shape them to be leaders.
You can feel the personal nature of her commitment to "her girls" that goes far, far beyond just soccer.
SHOW NOTES:
Allison Gibson...2023-11-0844 min
KidFirst SportsEp 19: Coach Tom Peterson - Ace Your Sports Parenting Game!Young Tom Peterson waffled between badminton and volleyball - thankfully for the 1994 Penn State and 2004 BYU men's volleyball national championship teams, he picked the latter.
Now the coach at Southern Virginia University, Tom has seen it all and still loves practicing what he preaches.
Some nuggets of wisdom from Tom's decades of coaching young people (and their parents):
if you don't like the principles your kid's coach exhibits, you can fire him by changing teams
your mind cannot understand the difference between something physically practiced and something vividly imagined
elite high school athletes coming...2023-11-0840 min
KidFirst SportsEp 18: A couple of sports dads talking in the mountainsBaumgartner, Idaho, humbles you with the raw natural power of a river carving its path through stone for thousands of years.
A perfect setting for 3 sports dads - and brother in laws - to talk about coaching wrestling, mountain biking, the Harlem Globetrotters, and a kid named Cooper.
There are some absolute nuggets of KidFirst wisdom from Adam Buchanan (First Generation Bowhunter podcast) and Brian Bayley.
"Watch sports like you are a grandpa"
"Our kids just want to be seen by their parents"
"If a parent can last through...2023-11-0843 min
KidFirst SportsEp 17: Casey Waldron- BYU & HS Soccer CoachImagine the conversation with your son after he falls just short of making his dream college soccer team.
Now imagine that you are on the coaching staff.
Casey Waldron faced this heartbreaking situation with his son, Maxwell. Thank goodness Casey is the kind of dad and coach who has taught the Heart Lessons to his players - especially when they are his own children.
Casey and I were college soccer teammates 28 years ago. I still wish I was him. Listen in and you'll see why. 2023-11-0839 min
KidFirst SportsEp 16: "Just Let Go", with Marshall AllenNationally known journalist and author of the paradigm-shifting book, "Never Pay the First Bill", Marshall Allen has spent a lifetime finding ways to help people.
His dad taught him that what he does is more important than what he says. As a Sports Dad whose son could have played more on his club volleyball team, Marshall got to practice his dad's lesson.
The next generation of Allens learned what mattered most in youth sports, and Marshall is the proof.
SHOW NOTES:
www.marshallallen.com
Allen Health Academy for Healthcare...2023-11-0837 min
KidFirst SportsEp 15: I had to break my own heart to reach my dreamsHis home life as a kid pushed him to do whatever it took to make sure he could do better for his own future children.
Trevor Baker thought it would be through his first sporting love, soccer. At age 9 he set his sights on becoming a professional.
Just 5 years later he walked away from the game that brought him joy - and respite - to run track. His heart broke to lose his dream.
Then he met a coach who showed him a new vision of what he could become. 2023-11-0837 min
KidFirst SportsEp 14: The fight is with our lesser selvesAndrew McNerlin has chased a ghost since his early teens. Along the way, he has battled D-1 soccer studs, Napoleonic coaches, and his own health choices.
He thought that ghost was a poster on his wall of an athlete training alone in the rain.
But it is really his lesser self. The self that entices him to quit working so hard, quit setting goals, quit holding himself and his family to high standards, to turn away from his faith.
Andrew doesn't fear his lesser self. He fights it. 2023-11-0841 min
KidFirst SportsEp 13: One Victory is Enough to BelieveBennett Candland is a professional strength and conditioning coach. Also a former college basketball player.
Now in his mid-20s, he wants to make sure that every player, every serviceman, every person who works with him believes in themselves.
Even a small victory can be enough to shift the momentum and brighten their hope.
Collegiate athletes bring their personal struggles to their sports. Bennett makes them strong enough to thrive. 2023-11-0833 min
KidFirst SportsWhy KidFirst Sports - My Own Story"DadBodSoccer" is now "KidFirst Sports"!
Hear the story of my greatest mentor and the Patron Saint of KidFirst Coaches, Mike Merenda.
The need for KidFirst adults is so much greater than just soccer, so it is time to bring a new name and logo and purpose to the podcast.
Being KidFirst means that adults set aside their egos, their goals, financial incentives, and even their own love for the sports or activities they coach, and remember that it's always about the kids. They need us now more than ever. 2023-11-0810 min
KidFirst SportsEp 12: Justin Batt & Daddy SaturdaysJustin Batt has taken the parenting world by storm with his book "Daddy Saturdays". His work is to help dads be more present and to beef up the 4 "F's" - faith, family, fitness, and finances. What does "Daddy Saturdays" and KidFirst Coaching have in common?
90% or more of youth coaches are parents of the kids. And huge numbers of kids who play lack a father figure in their homes.
Better dads = better coaches. Better coaches = better prepared kids.
Better prepared kids = a changed world.
NOTES:
Justin's website
...2023-08-0250 min
KidFirst SportsEp 11: Why not me? James Sukhan's path from broken home to self-masteryFor James Sukhan, life as a kid was tough. No dad at home. Feeling unvalued. Then he got to junior high basketball and two coaches showed him his true worth.
Every team or group will have kids from divorced homes, lack of resources, special needs family members, and other challenges.
We might think we're running a practice. But those kids are having way more of an experience than just sports.
SHOW NOTES
Ember Home
James Sukhan
2023-07-2641 min
KidFirst SportsEp 10: Dave Chase, and never setting low expectationsThe world's biggest problems present the world's greatest opportunities.
That's what Dave Chase - founder of Health Rosetta and former high school track coach - believes.
Youth athletes aren't all that different than former athlete adults. We want our strengths to be seen by coaches and coworkers, and to be helped to progress and improve by those same people.
Whether it's restoring the American dream for employers struggling under the crushing weight of health care costs, or stepping in to support a friend during a challenging life event, Dave takes the chance to...2023-07-1929 min
KidFirst SportsEp 9: The Swedes just might do youth sports better than usParticipation trophies?! Everyone gets a medal? No winners or losers?
That's un-American. Preposterous!
Or is it?
Ewa Lindquist, Swedish former professional player and top level coach, makes a compelling argument that maybe the US is doing it wrong in youth sports. And if the biggest number of kids were encouraged to play for the longest possible time, we just might be surprised at how good they become.
Love the kids, love the game.2023-07-1241 min
KidFirst SportsEp 8: Small town soccer, big time visionIf you are the mayor of a rural Utah town of 1600 people, would you build a soccer complex?
You would if your mantra was "Doing good is low hanging fruit".
Meet Byron Ames, attorney, varsity soccer coach, former mayor, and full-time visionary. You want to hear his stories, his passion for helping others, and his love for the "lost kids" in his little town who gain community, purpose, and friendship through soccer.
SHOW NOTES
Francis, Utah Frontier Days Rodeo (Labor Day Weekend)
Francis, Utah on Google Maps
Byron Ames on LinkedIn2023-07-0549 min
KidFirst SportsEp 7: Coaching is a Sacred HonorJosh Beers hates losing. He wants to win as much as any competitor I have known. How does he square that fierce drive to win with his lifelong commitment to loving and guiding kids?
He changes the definition of "winning".
Or, perhaps better said, he EXPANDS the definition.
Think of it like having 2 scoreboards for every game. The one that everyone sees and goes into the record books, and the one that only those coaches whose hearts are dedicated to the kids in their stewardship sees.
The one about a lost...2023-06-2851 min
KidFirst SportsEp 6: Goalkeepers Stand AloneMental strength. Getting back up. Trust. Protection. Orienting to something bigger than ourselves.
If you are a 'keeper Mom or Dad or coach, or play in that loneliest of positions, this episode is for you.
If it feels strange that's because you are used to not getting much attention - until you make a mistake. You deserve way, way better.
Garrett Weldon says the things that you have felt and thought, and maybe some things you haven't. He's worth listening to.
Show Notes
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind...2023-06-2142 min
KidFirst SportsEp 5: Values-Based CoachingCollege soccer is all about the wins and losses, right? That's the big time, and all that matters is the W.
Wrong.
At least according to Coach Dan "Wags" Wagner, the winningest coach in the Division III Centennial Conference. Feels a little backwards for a winner to say it's not all about winning.
So I asked him to explain. And along the way I learned about how Franklin & Marshall's almost fanatical commitment to its core values produces not just lots of victories, but also incredible young men like Connor Whitacre.
Arguably the greatest men's soccer player ever for the prestigious...2023-06-1453 min
KidFirst SportsEp 4: Volunteer Parent Coaching - changing kids’ lives for freeThousands of parents and family members volunteer to coach youth sports every season.
What's the most important thing to know? That coaching kids is 90% about helping them have an extraordinary experience, and 10% is teaching them to be better at that sport. Coaching children is a sacred honor. And even if you know nothing about the sport you're coaching you have the opportunity to change their lives.
Here is the links from the episode:
3 Golden Tips for Volunteer Parent Coaches
Hailey Mayz Foundation (Sean's daughter's charity)
Calle & Free the Game, Street Soccer Company and Non-Profit
Dadbodsoccer YouTube channel (please subscribe!)
Street Socc...2023-06-0732 min
KidFirst SportsEp 3: Should my kid try soccer?Roger Federer played every sport he could before shifting to tennis in his late teens. Tennis wasn't even his favorite!
Experts uniformly recommend that kids try lots of sports. I'm hugely biased, but soccer should be on every parent's list. It is unique among world sports in its universal appeal, how easy it is to get a game going, and how you don't have to win the genetic lottery to play.
Listen to former pro player, Brandon Zimmerman, invite parents to give their kids the gift of a soccer experience!
Show Notes:
2023-05-3138 min
KidFirst SportsEp 2.5: The tools of true confidence"We are not victims to things like our mood or of our mistakes."
Andrew Schultz is back to lay out the tools and practices coaches and parents can teach themselves and their youth athletes to build true confidence. Learn how our mistakes and failures are TEMPORARY, LIMITED, and NON-REPRESENTATIVE. And how to convince our own brains to believe it.
Show Notes:
Andrew Schultz
Calle & Free the Game, Street Soccer Company and Non-Profit
Dadbodsoccer YouTube channel (please subscribe!)
Street Soccer on tennis courts event
2023-05-2438 min
KidFirst SportsEp 2: Teaching youth athletes true confidence, Part 1"My self worth is related to what I'm doing, but it's not dependent upon what I'm doing." Every kid wants to feel confident. Some think that being the starting quarterback is what gives them confidence. Many kids lack confidence because they just don't understand the secret - confidence is a skill not a talent.
Andrew Schultz, a confidence coach and long time youth sports coach, joins me to teach about identity, the stories we tell ourselves, mental filters, and many more powerful concepts that can literally change our kids' lives. Parents and coaches - tune in for...2023-05-1747 min
KidFirst SportsEp 1: The 99% - Why kids play sports even if they don't go pro99.9% of youth athletes never sign a professional contract. 99.2% never get a college athletic scholarship. And yet they keep playing the sports they love. Why?
Nearly all parents and coaches of youth athletes are just regular people. We have jobs, bills, worries. And we go to great lengths to give our kids opportunities to participate in sports. But what we really want is to help our kids grow and prepare for the real world.
Join me and my guest, Spencer Smith, in kicking off the DadBodSoccer Podcast! Our mission is to help parents and coaches give...2023-05-1049 min
KidFirst SportsTrailer for KidFirst Sports!Why do kids play sports if only .00025% of them become professional athletes? Join us while we explore this age old question, and along the way discover that youth sports is all about the heart.
Adults, we can do better for our kids.
Love them, teach them the Heart Lessons, and Win on the 2nd Scoreboard.
That's KidFirst Sports. 2023-04-2201 min