Welcome back, dear listener; this week, we sit down with, The Artistic Activist Adam Andrasko.

Adam is the CEO of USA Artistic Swimming and Board Chair at the National Council of Youth Sports. Adam has an impressive background working with the U.S. Olympic Committee and numerous National Governing Bodies. He shares his passion for youth sports, safety, and growing the sport of artistic swimming. 

Tune in to hear:

• Adam shares his involvement in artistic swimming, formerly known as synchronized swimming, and how the sport has evolved over the years.
• He discusses the importance of providing opportunities for young athletes to explore different sports and how to help them find their passion.
• Adam shares his passion for providing proper safety measures for youth athletes and the role of parents in protecting their children.
• Simon and Marie fully immerse themselves in the world of artistic swimming and learn about these athletes' incredible strength and skills.

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.

Shoot us your questions, comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments to [email protected]

Follow Us:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.
 

How did we do? We want to hear your thoughts about this episode and how we can improve. We may shout you out! - Share your thoughts

Send over any stories, debates, or questions you have from the pitch, court, ice, field, studio, wherever, to our team here - [email protected]

Follow Us on SportsEngine:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

We are heading to Summer camp! Simon and Marie are back and joined by The Director of Development Jeff Bell. Jeff is the Director of The Susquehannock Camps in Northeast Pennsylvania, a program for youth athletes to practice and grow their skills through moral, social, and physical development. Jeff shares his extensive background in youth sports and explains how his role as Director allows him to help young athletes develop into well-rounded individuals. 

Jeff believes in instilling important life skills in young people through sports and emphasizes the importance of making these experiences accessible to athletes from all backgrounds. Bell also shares his fundraising efforts to ensure that every young athlete can have the opportunity to attend his camps. By working to break down financial barriers, Bell hopes to give every young athlete the chance to participate in his programs and benefit from the life skills that sports can teach. 

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.

Shoot us your questions, comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments to [email protected]

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.
 

How did we do? We want to hear your thoughts about this episode and how we can improve. We may shout you out! - Share your thoughts

Send over any stories, debates, or questions you have from the pitch, court, ice, field, studio, wherever, to our team here - [email protected]

Follow Us on SportsEngine:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

It's National Youth Sports Safety Month which means it's a perfect time to hear from the CEO of The U.S. Center for SafeSport and the Passionate Protector, Ju'Riese Colón. Ju'Riese's passion for protecting youth athletes shines through in her discussion with Simon and Marie as she shares what she's learned in her many years of experience working in youth sports safety and how her team is working to implement better safety training for organizations and their clubs.

Simon and Marie enjoy candid conversation with Ju'Riese, who shares her expertise and knowledge on ensuring youth athletes' safety in sports and provides insights on how The U.S. Center for SafeSport is working to create a safer environment for young athletes. With National Youth Sports Safety Month underway, this episode serves as a timely reminder of the importance of keeping young athletes safe and promoting a culture of safety in sports. 

Tune in to this thought-provoking episode to learn more about what can be done to protect youth athletes.

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.

Shoot us your questions, comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments to [email protected]

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.
 

How did we do? We want to hear your thoughts about this episode and how we can improve. We may shout you out! - Share your thoughts

Send over any stories, debates, or questions you have from the pitch, court, ice, field, studio, wherever, to our team here - [email protected]

Follow Us on SportsEngine:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

Dust off your golf clubs; it's time to hit the links. Professional golfer Rory McIlroy joins the podcast to share his youth sports experience. Rory shares some of the most important lessons he learned from youth sports and the memories he takes from his childhood playing days.

Rory highlights his excitement to be a future youth sports parent and talks about his partnership with Youth on Course, an organization with a mission to make golf a more accessible sport for future generations by providing $5 rounds of golf for kids. 

Don't miss a chance to get to know Rory a little bit better during our 'This or That' gauntlet, where we ask him the tough questions; Dominoes or Popeyes? St. Andrews or Augusta? 

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.

Shoot us your questions, comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments to [email protected]

Follow Us:

Our Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.
 

How did we do? We want to hear your thoughts about this episode and how we can improve. We may shout you out! - Share your thoughts

Send over any stories, debates, or questions you have from the pitch, court, ice, field, studio, wherever, to our team here - [email protected]

Follow Us on SportsEngine:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

For the Love of Sport is playing on the gridiron this week. Special guest and legendary Minnesota Vikings linebacker, Chad Greenway joins the podcast to talk about his own youth sports journey, playing in the NFL, and how that brought him back to youth sports. Chad shares his experiences playing and coaching youth sports and talks about how he’s working to impact youth sports in Minnesota and the rest of the country. 

Chad talks about trading in his football cleats for basketball shoes with his new role as the President of Wayzata’s Girls Basketball Association and guiding his daughters through youth sports and life in general as they get older. And, as if he didn’t have enough on his plate, Chad highlights his newest venture, MN ScoresFeed, and his goals to change the landscape of youth sports and how they utilize technology. 

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.

Shoot us your questions, comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments to [email protected]

Follow Us:

Our Website

LinkedIn

Instagram

Facebook

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.
 

How did we do? We want to hear your thoughts about this episode and how we can improve. We may shout you out! - Share your thoughts

Send over any stories, debates, or questions you have from the pitch, court, ice, field, studio, wherever, to our team here - [email protected]

Follow Us on SportsEngine:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

Live from the USC Conference, For the Love of Sport is back for another bonus episode and is joined by special guest, the Maven of Mentality, Jenn Ireland. Jenn sits down with us to talk about her role as a mental skills coach for female soccer players and her journey through youth sports. She reflects on the lack of mental training she received as an athlete and how that led her to founding Expand Your Game, a resource for soccer players to harness mental skill paramount to success as an athlete. 

We dive headfirst into topics on and off the soccer pitch and Jenn shares her advice and things she's learned through her coaching journey. Jenn talks about challenging her players so that they grow to their fullest potential and talks through her free website resources that are available to all athletes to help build mental skills and confidence that are crucial to the game and life in general. 

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.

Shoot us your questions, comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments to [email protected]

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.
 

How did we do? We want to hear your thoughts about this episode and how we can improve. We may shout you out! - Share your thoughts

Send over any stories, debates, or questions you have from the pitch, court, ice, field, studio, wherever, to our team here - [email protected]

Follow Us on SportsEngine:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

Sports are a mental battlefield in the same way they are a physical one. The Maestro of Mindset, Alex Wulbecker-Smith, joins the podcast this week to talk about her experience playing sports and how her experience has helped her in her career as an Athletic Counselor working with youth athletes and performers at Premier Sports Psychology. 

Alex helps us get our heads in the game. She talks about the challenges facing youth athletes and the importance of balance. She highlights tips and tricks for young athletes and expresses her goals for the future of wellbeing in youth sports and increased training for clubs and coaches. Alex highlights her work to provide not only athletes with insights, but also parents, coaches and club administrators. Then, stay locked in for a brand new game at the end of the episode.

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.

Shoot us your questions, comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments to [email protected]

Follow Us:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.
 

How did we do? We want to hear your thoughts about this episode and how we can improve. We may shout you out! - Share your thoughts

Send over any stories, debates, or questions you have from the pitch, court, ice, field, studio, wherever, to our team here - [email protected]

Follow Us on SportsEngine:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

Nobody knows the impact of a great coach like an athlete. This week we are joined by a highly accomplished athlete and the Ignitor of Inspiration, Marti Reed. Marti grew up playing a myriad of sports all year long, but where she really excelled was softball. Marti played Division 1 softball at the University of California Los Angeles where she won a national championship in 2010. She has remained involved in the sports world through her work at Positive Coaching Alliance, an organization focused on implementing positive and responsible coaching training and recruitment to benefit young athletes.

We dive headfirst into Marti’s impressive resume as both an athlete and the Director of National Partnerships & DEI Programming Manager at Positive Coaching Alliance. We talk about Marti’s youth sports journey, the challenges of winning at the highest level, and how much a coach can impact athletes. 

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.

Shoot us your questions, comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments to [email protected]

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.
 

How did we do? We want to hear your thoughts about this episode and how we can improve. We may shout you out! - Share your thoughts

Send over any stories, debates, or questions you have from the pitch, court, ice, field, studio, wherever, to our team here - [email protected]

Follow Us on SportsEngine:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

Sitting down with Joe Cummings, known in the soccer world by nearly everyone and forgotten by no one, it feels like you're sitting down with an old friend. We had the privilege of meeting and dare I say, becoming "old friends" with Joe at the United Soccer Coaches Convention this past January and the conversation was flowing like your favorite Gatorade after a tough workout. 

Joe has enjoyed an illustrious career in the youth, high school, collegiate, and professional soccer world, so he comes to your ears today with a wealth of experience and knowledge. We touch on everything from the importance of trusting your players to know the right choice out on the pitch, how to balance the oh-so-tricky triangle of the parent, athlete, and coach relationship, and at the end of the day, never take yourself too seriously; you're just a teacher in soccer shorts. 

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.

Shoot us your questions, comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments to [email protected]

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

Marti Reed of Positive Coaching Alliance

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.
 

How did we do? We want to hear your thoughts about this episode and how we can improve. We may shout you out! - Share your thoughts

Send over any stories, debates, or questions you have from the pitch, court, ice, field, studio, wherever, to our team here - [email protected]

Follow Us on SportsEngine:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

“It can be challenging to balance the act of coaching your kids while maintaining a level of expectations, especially when you have experience playing sports at a competitive level.”Coaching your kids can create a strong bond, but it can leave families questioning "who's enjoying the game now" and "who are they playing for." Cleveland McCoy of Quarterback Football Training breaks down his unique insights of applying the many years of experience to his program and coaching his kids that will help anyone in the same position as coach/volunteer for their own. 

Hop in to hear the invaluable lessons that Cleveland learned throughout his days as an athlete and how he keeps them top of mind for every athlete who walks through his program.

(0:30) Superbowl talk - go-to snacks and traditions?
(4:35) We welcome Cleveland McCoy onto the show
(8:12) Cleveland talks to us about his DIY golf course, track meets, street hockey, and more he made work as a kid
(10:24) The impact of the little things that mentors and coaches can have to support an athlete
(11:50) Cleveland takes us back to the collegiate gridiron and the lessons learned that he brings to his program
(15:20) The father and son/coach and player dynamic
(19:47) What is needed for the future of Football in youth sports
(21:45) The key characteristic of the high potential quarterback prospects
(22:42) This or That Gauntlet time! Rushing or Passing touchdowns, Brady or Rogers, Jet-ski or Go-Kart
(26:09) We tie a bow on this episode with a recap of the best bits from our conversation with Cleveland and a few rounds of Sports Term, Racehorse, or both?

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.

Shoot us your questions, comments, concerns, feedback, and compliments to [email protected]

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook

So thank you, dear listener, for pressing play.
 

How did we do? We want to hear your thoughts about this episode and how we can improve. We may shout you out! - Share your thoughts

Send over any stories, debates, or questions you have from the pitch, court, ice, field, studio, wherever, to our team here - [email protected]

Follow Us on SportsEngine:

• Our Website
• LinkedIn
• Instagram
• Facebook