⏩ In Episode 9 of Forward, Joe Clemente and Kevin T. Mulhearn tackle one of the biggest questions in youth sports: Are we specializing kids too soon?

Through personal stories, coaching experiences, and honest reflection, they discuss the benefits of playing multiple sports, the pressure young athletes face to specialize, and what specialization can mean for long-term athletic development. They also take a closer look at baseball and the growing trend of pitcher-only players—from high school through college.

They discuss:

• Why playing multiple sports can help create better, more well-rounded athletes
• How early specialization can limit an athlete’s overall development
• When specialization may make sense—and when it may be too soon
• The pressure parents and athletes face to choose one sport
• The rise of pitcher-only players in baseball
• What happens when young athletes stop playing other positions—or other sports—too early

Whether you’re a parent, coach, grandparent, or athlete, this conversation is a reminder that developing an athlete is about more than getting better at one position—it’s about giving them the opportunity to become the best athlete they can be.

Forward: Better Athletes. Better People.

🎙️ Forward is a podcast from Hard Knock Press exploring the ideas, stories, and conversations that help build better athletes and better people.

📘 Get Joe Clemente’s book, The Long Ride Home: A Parent’s Guide to Youth Sports: https://hardknockpress.com

📱 Follow Forward on Facebook and Instagram: @forwardpodcast

📩 Questions, comments, or topics you want us to cover? Email us at [email protected]

If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe to Forward, leave us a review, and share it with another parent, coach, or athlete who needs to hear it.

⏩ In Episode 8 of Forward, Joe Clemente and Kevin T. Mulhearn explore what happens when parents let their emotions get the best of them—and how their behavior can impact their kids on and off the field.

Using stories from their own experiences as athletes, parents, and coaches, they discuss why kids are often more aware of their parents’ behavior than parents realize, the pressure young athletes feel when adults cross the line, and why trust between parents, coaches, and athletes matters.

They also discuss:

• How parent behavior can affect a young athlete’s experience
• The different ways pressure and failure show up across sports
• Why athletes need to trust that their coaches have their backs
• How parents can recognize when a coach has crossed the line
• What Joe learned from a mistake he made early in his coaching career
• Why parents need to choose coaches and programs they trust—and then let them coach

Whether you’re a parent, coach, grandparent, or athlete, this conversation is a reminder that the adults around young athletes have a tremendous impact on their experience—and sometimes the best thing a parent can do is simply not embarrass their kid.

Forward is a podcast from Hard Knock Press dedicated to building Better Athletes. Better People.

🤝 This episode is sponsored by Advanced Player Academy in Waldwick, New Jersey, offering training and club programs for athletes from age seven through the professional level.

📘 The Long Ride Home: How to Help Your Kids Shine in Youth Sports (Without Driving Them Crazy) by Joe Clemente is available now at 🌐 hardknockpress.com.

📩 Questions, comments, or stories to share? Email [email protected].

🎧 Subscribe to Forward and share this episode with a parent, coach, or athlete who needs to hear it.

⏩ In Episode 7 of Forward, Joe Clemente and Kevin T. Mulhearn explore the one thing every athlete can control: hustle.

Using examples from youth baseball through the major leagues, they discuss why effort requires no special talent, how hustle and body language influence playing time, and why coaches must enforce the same standards for every athlete—including their stars.

They also discuss:

• Why hustle is always within an athlete’s control
• How effort, attitude, and body language affect playing time
• The difference between a physical mistake and an effort mistake
• What healthy obsession looks like—and why talent alone is not enough
• Why fun helps athletes relax and perform under pressure
• Joe’s announcement about his new varsity coaching role at Pope John

Whether you’re a parent, coach, grandparent, or athlete, this conversation is a reminder that talent may open doors—but effort, attitude, and consistent hustle help athletes make the most of every opportunity.

Forward is a podcast from Hard Knock Press dedicated to building Better Athletes. Better People.

🤝 This episode is sponsored by Advanced Player Academy in Waldwick, New Jersey, offering training and club programs for athletes from age seven through the professional level.

📘 The Long Ride Home: How to Help Your Kids Shine in Youth Sports (Without Driving Them Crazy) by Joe Clemente is available now at 🌐 hardknockpress.com.

📩 Questions, comments, or stories to share? Email [email protected].

🎧 Subscribe to Forward and share this episode with a parent, coach, or athlete who needs to hear it.

⏩ In Episode 6 of Forward, Joe Clemente and Kevin Mulhearn explore “Lessons From Losses”—why losing is an unavoidable part of sports, how athletes and parents respond to disappointment, and why some of the toughest losses can become the foundation for future success.

Through personal stories, coaching experiences, and honest reflection, they discuss:

• Why losing can be so difficult for athletes, parents, and coaches
• What athletes can learn from mistakes and disappointing performances
• Why parents need to manage their own emotions after a tough loss
• How blaming officials, coaches, or teammates can keep kids from learning
• What to say—and what not to say—after the game
• Why kids need time and space to process disappointment
• How coaches can help athletes learn from losses without dwelling on them
• Why some of the most painful losses can become motivation for future success

Whether you’re a parent, coach, grandparent, or simply someone who wants to help young athletes thrive, this conversation is a reminder that losing is part of sports—and learning how to respond to it can help build better athletes and better people.

Forward is a podcast from Hard Knock Press dedicated to building Better Athletes. Better People.

📘 The Long Ride Home: How to Help Your Kids Shine in Youth Sports (Without Driving Them Crazy) by Joe Clemente is available now at 🌐 hardknockpress.com.

📱 Facebook & Instagram: @theforwardpod

📩 Questions or ideas for a future episode? Email [email protected].

⏩ In Episode 5 of Forward, Joe Clemente and Kevin Mulhearn explore “The Comparison Trap”—why parents compare their kids to other athletes, when those comparisons become unhealthy, and what happens when wanting the best for your own child turns into rooting against someone else’s.

Through personal stories, coaching experiences, and honest reflection, they discuss:

• Why comparison is a natural part of competitive sports
• When comparison turns toxic
• Why some parents root against their child’s teammates
• How parents’ attitudes can affect their kids and team chemistry
• What to say—and what not to say—on the ride home
• How to handle conversations about playing time, lineups, and coaches
• Why kids need to focus on effort, attitude, and what they can control
• How celebrating other athletes can help build better teammates and better people

Whether you’re a parent, coach, grandparent, or simply someone who wants to help young athletes thrive, this conversation is a reminder that supporting your own child doesn’t require rooting against someone else’s.

Forward is a podcast from Hard Knock Press dedicated to building Better Athletes. Better People.

📘 The Long Ride Home: How to Help Your Kids Shine in Youth Sports (Without Driving Them Crazy) by Joe Clemente is available now at 🌐 hardknockpress.com.

📱 Facebook & Instagram: @theforwardpod

📩 Questions or ideas for a future episode? Email [email protected].

⏩ In Episode 4 of Forward, Joe Clemente and Kevin Mulhearn tackle one of the biggest decisions youth sports families face: Should your child attend a private school or a public school?

Drawing on decades of coaching and parenting experience, they discuss the realities of high-level high school baseball, what parents often misunderstand about elite programs, and how to make the best decision for your child—not your ego.

They discuss:

• The pros and cons of private vs. public school athletics
 • Why playing time is never guaranteed—even for great players
 • How parents should evaluate risk before choosing a school
 • The role of confidence, character, and competition in player development
 • When transferring schools may (or may not) be the right move
 • The growing trend of reclassing—and whether it’s worth considering
 • What parents need to know about recruiting rules and college exposure

Whether you’re preparing for the transition to high school sports or simply trying to help your child find the best environment to grow, this episode offers practical advice to help you make informed decisions.

Forward is a podcast from Hard Knock Press dedicated to building Better Athletes. Better People.

📘 The Long Ride Home: How to Help Your Kids Shine in Youth Sports (Without Driving Them Crazy) by Joe Clemente is available now at hardknockpress.com.

🎧 Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

📱 Follow us:
 Facebook & Instagram: @theforwardpod

💬 Have a topic you’d like us to discuss?
 Email us at [email protected]

⏩ In Episode 3 of Forward, Joe Clemente and Kevin Mulhearn tackle one of the biggest challenges in youth sports: knowing how—and when—to communicate with your child’s coach.

From coaching your own son or daughter to navigating playing time, lineup decisions, and difficult conversations, they discuss:

• When parents should talk to a coach—and when they shouldn’t
 • The challenges of coaching your own child and avoiding “daddy ball” accusations
 • How to choose coaches you can trust
 • Why athletes need to learn to advocate for themselves
 • What coaches are really thinking when they make playing time decisions
 • How parents can support their children without becoming part of the problem
 • Why independence—not dependence—is the ultimate goal of youth sports

Whether you’re a parent, coach, grandparent, or athlete, this conversation offers practical advice for building healthier relationships between families and coaches while helping young athletes grow into confident, independent adults.

Forward is a podcast from Hard Knock Press dedicated to building Better Athletes. Better People.

📘 The Long Ride Home: How to Help Your Kids Shine in Youth Sports (Without Driving Them Crazy) by Joe Clemente is available now at 🌐 hardknockpress.com

🎙️ Subscribe to Forward: New episodes every week featuring honest conversations about youth sports, parenting, coaching, leadership, and helping kids thrive—both on and off the field. Available everywhere you get your podcasts.

👍🏻 If you enjoyed this episode, please like, subscribe, and share it with another sports parent, coach, or athlete.

📩 Media, speaking engagements, sponsorships, and business inquiries: [email protected]

💬 We’d love to hear from you:
 When was the moment you realized it was time to step back and let your child advocate for themselves? Leave a comment below or connect with us on social media.

📸 Instagram: @theforwardpod
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© Hard Knock Press. All Rights Reserved.

When does pushing a young athlete build resilience—and when does it begin to break them down?

In Episode 2 of Forward, Joe Clemente and Kevin Mulhearn examine the “old-school tough guy” approach to parenting and coaching. Drawing from their own childhoods, their experiences as sports parents, and Joe’s 25 years as a coach, they explore what that style gets right, where it goes too far, and why toughness without balance can do lasting damage.

Joe shares how relentless training, public criticism, and the fear of disappointing his stepfather affected him as a young athlete. Kevin reflects on the lessons he learned from his own father—and the moments when he later repeated the same behavior with his son.

This conversation is not about eliminating discipline, expectations, or hard work. It is about learning to separate effort from outcome, knowing when to push and when to pull back, and remembering that a parent must provide something a coach cannot: a safe place to come home.

In this episode:

• The benefits and dangers of the old-school parenting approach
 • Joe’s experience playing through injured and bleeding hands
 • Why children should not be criticized for outcomes they cannot control
 • The difference between demanding effort and demanding perfection
 • How parents’ behavior affects young athletes on and off the field
 • Why talented children sometimes lose their love for the game
 • The importance of balancing discipline with encouragement
 • Why a child’s desire to improve must be greater than the parent’s
 • What it means when you have to drag your child to practice
 • How parents can push their children without pushing them out of sports

Forward is a podcast from Hard Knock Press featuring honest conversations about youth sports, parenting, coaching, growth, and the lessons that extend far beyond the field.

Better Athletes. Better People.

Order The Long Ride Home at hardknockpress.com.

Questions, comments, or stories to share? Email [email protected].

Subscribe to Forward and share this episode with a parent, coach, or athlete who needs to hear it.

What happens when a coach realizes he needs to stop coaching—and start being a dad?

In the first episode of Forward, Joe Clemente shares the story behind The Long Ride Home: How to Help Your Kids Shine in Youth Sports (Without Driving Them Crazy) and the painful car ride that changed the way he approached parenting, coaching, and youth sports.

Joe and Kevin Mulhearn talk candidly about the pressure parents place on young athletes, the mistakes they made with their own children, and why even well-intentioned criticism can damage a child’s confidence, enjoyment, and relationship with sports.

This conversation is not about lowering expectations or giving everyone a trophy. It is about helping kids compete, grow, and work hard without allowing a parent’s pride, frustration, or fear to take over.

In this episode:

• The ride home that inspired Joe to write the book
 • Why parents criticize their children when they are most vulnerable
 • The difference between being a parent and being a coach
 • How pressure and financial investment affect sports families
 • Why young athletes remember our words long after the game ends
 • How parents can help raise better athletes—and better people

Forward is a podcast from Hard Knock Press featuring honest conversations about youth sports, parenting, coaching, growth, and the lessons that extend far beyond the field.

Better Athletes. Better People.

Order The Long Ride Home at hardknockpress.com.

Questions, comments, or stories to share? Email [email protected].

Subscribe to Forward and share this episode with a parent, coach, or athlete who needs to hear it.

Welcome to Forward: Better Athletes. Better People.

Youth sports have changed—but the guidance for parents hasn’t.

Hosted by publisher Kevin T. Mulhearn and veteran coach Joe Clemente, Forward explores the conversations every sports parent needs to hear. Drawing from Joe’s book, The Long Ride Home: How to Help Your Kids Shine in Youth Sports (Without Driving Them Crazy), each episode tackles the challenges of raising young athletes while protecting what matters most: your relationship with your child.

Whether you’re a parent, coach, or athlete, you’ll find practical advice, honest stories, and thoughtful conversations designed to help families navigate the highs and lows of youth sports.

Join us each week as we talk with coaches, parents, athletes, and experts about building confidence, handling pressure, communicating better, and creating an environment where kids can thrive—not just as athletes, but as people.

Better Athletes. Better People.