What happens when everything you worked for suddenly feels like too much?

This week’s guest, Jackie Reyneke, opens up about the emotional rollercoaster of being a Division I athlete at Princeton — from high expectations and identity struggles to injury, loss, and the quiet moments when she questioned if it was all worth it.

In this powerful episode, Jackie shares:

What her parents did right while she was growing up in sports

How the death of her best friend shifted her entire path

The invisible overlap between concussions and mental health

Why returning from injury isn’t just physical

And how parents can become a steady presence instead of added pressure

Jackie now works with athletes to build confidence, set meaningful goals, and navigate the mental side of sports and life. Her story is raw, honest, and full of insight for any parent raising a kid through competitive sports today.

Whether your child is dealing with an injury, mental health challenges, or the pressure to perform, this episode is for you.

FOLLOW JACKIE ON SOCIAL:

Follow Farrell on social:

https://www.instagram.com/powerforward.coach/

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61567147372336

VIEW JACKIE'S WEBSITE:

https://www.powerforward.coach/

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New episodes every Wednesday.

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Bobby Muuss has coached at the highest levels of college soccer for nearly 30 years. But when he’s not on the sidelines at Wake Forest, he’s coaching his son’s rec team right alongside the rest of us.

In this episode, Coach Muuss shares the powerful perspective he’s gained from both worlds: the high-stakes world of Division I soccer, and the joy (and chaos) of Saturday morning youth games. He opens up about what he’s learned as a dad, why parents need to stop coaching from the sidelines, and how pressure can rob kids of the joy that brought them to sports in the first place.

Whether you’re raising a future college athlete or a kid who just wants to play with their friends, this episode will remind you what really matters.

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New episodes every Wednesday.

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Jeremi Barnes didn’t plan to become a youth sports ref with millions of views across social media. But what started as a way to help out turned into a calling — not just to officiate games, but to connect with kids, model respect, and remind everyone why youth sports actually matter.

Jeremi shares his own athletic journey (including how he set a school record in triple jump just two months after learning the event), how he became a referee, and why he believes how you treat kids matters more than the scoreboard.

We talk about:

Why younger referees can connect with players in a powerful way

What kids actually hear (and feel) when parents yell from the sidelines

Why your sideline behavior is shaping your kid’s character

How older siblings can play a huge role in the journey

The real impact of encouragement, presence, and modeling emotional control

If you care more about your kid than the scoreboard, this conversation will hit home. It’s honest, funny, and full of perspective every sports parent needs.

FOLLOW JEREMI ON SOCIAL:

Follow Farrell on social:

https://www.tiktok.com/@theyoungref

https://www.instagram.com/jeremibarnes

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New episodes every Wednesday.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Food is one of the most personal - and complicated - parts of parenting.

In this episode, Jonathan sits down with Farrell Frankel, a Licensed Sports Dietitian who works with youth and college athletes, to talk about how we approach food, body image, and nutrition as sports parents. The conversation covers everything from fueling young athletes to unlearning harmful food messages we grew up with.

Farrell shares practical, compassionate advice for how to talk to kids about food without triggering shame, how to handle dinner during packed practice nights, and how sports can set the stage for lifelong well-being, even if dinner sometimes comes from the drive-thru.

You’ll hear:

Why some well-meaning food talk can backfire

How to make food a positive part of your child’s life

Why your kid’s body is going through normal (and necessary) changes

What Farrell wishes every parent knew about fast food and busy nights

How sports shape kids beyond the field—and why that matters more than macros

If you’ve ever wrestled with how to feed your kid, what to say about their body, or how to keep things healthy without getting weird, this one’s for you.

ABOUT FARRELL:

Farrell Frankel is a Licensed Sports Dietitian who specializes in sports

nutrition and athlete performance. Farrell has worked with elite athletes for ten years. Farrell worked at Penn State University as the Assistant Director of Nutrition, she was the Director of Football Nutrition at West Virginia University, and Farrell started the Sports Nutrition Program at Boston College where she was the Football Dietitian for 4 years. Farrell currently has a sports nutrition private practice where she meets with athletes for nutrition coaching. She also speaks to teams, high schools and colleges. Farrell has over 100K followers on Tik Tok and uses her platform, Fueled By Farrell, to highlight how sports dietitians are an integral member of an athletes performance team. Her Tik Tok videos have been featured by ACC Network, College Gameday, Overtime SZN and ESPN CFB.

Fueled by Farrell:

https://www.fueledbyfarrell.com/

Follow Farrell on social:

https://www.tiktok.com/@fueledbyfarrell

https://www.instagram.com/fueledbyfarrell

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New episodes every Wednesday.

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In this episode, pediatric orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jeff Shilt joins us to break down what’s really happening when kids grow, get injured, or struggle in youth sports. We talk about overuse injuries, how to spot red flags, and why rest might not be the thing that helps your kid recover from an injury.

Dr. Shilt also shares what he’s learned from raising four kids with very different approaches to sports and how parents can create healthy patterns at home that build strength without burnout.

Whether your kid is tired, sore, or just not playing like themselves, this episode gives you a better way to understand what their body’s going through.

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New episodes every Wednesday.

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Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Youth sports have the potential to be one of the most powerful classrooms in a child’s life — but only if we approach them with intention.

In this episode, Jonathan sits down with Jason Sacks, CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, for a wide-ranging conversation on the real lessons kids take away from sports. They explore how character development doesn’t happen automatically, why access and equity in sports is a growing crisis, and what it actually means to “take back” youth sports in a culture driven by winning and status.

Jason also shares:

Why some communities are losing rec leagues altogether and what that means for kids

How to make sports fun and developmental without sacrificing either

The emotional triggers behind common sideline behavior (and how to handle them better)

Why coach training is the most underrated solution to fixing youth sports

What parents can do before, during, and after the game to support their kids well

Whether you're a parent, coach, or league organizer, this episode will help you reframe what really matters and give you the tools to build an experience kids want to come back to.

ABOUT POSITIVE COACHING ALLIANCE

PCA is a national nonprofit organization working to unlock the life-changing power of sports for all kids, regardless of social or economic circumstance. Learn more at PositiveCoach.org.

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New episodes every Wednesday.

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Youth sports are a gift. But they can also get real messy.

In this episode, we’re breaking down the Ten Commandments of Healthy Sports Parents — the core values behind everything we do. These aren’t just rules. They’re a framework for showing up well, leading with perspective, and keeping your kid’s well-being at the center of the journey.

From emotional control to encouragement, rest to respect, we unpack what healthy really looks like and why it matters more than ever.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Am I doing this right?” – this one’s for you.

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New episodes every Wednesday.

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We hadn’t planned on doing any bonus episodes this summer but when you get an email saying, “Would you like to interview NBA Hall of Famer Ray Allen?” you say yes and decide to put out a bonus episode.

Ray is joined by ESPN Wide World of Sports General Manager Leroy Arrington.

In the episode, we talk with Ray about why the process matters more than results, how kids need to learn from failure, and we also get an inside look from Leroy about what it takes to make a great experience at these giant tournaments and what he sees throughout the year from the families who walk away from youth sports stronger compared to those who walk away burned out or fractured.

ABOUT THE WIDE WORLD OF SPORTS

Along with professional level stadiums, it has four professional sized baseball fields, six fields used for softball and youth baseball, 10 tennis courts, a track and field complex, and an athletic center that can host six basketball courts, 12 volleyball courts, or two roller hockey rinks. And that’s not even all of it. In total, the complex features more than 30 outdoor fields and several indoor venues. If you want to know more about the Wide World of Sports, you can visit ESPNWWOS.com.

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New episodes every Wednesday.

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Coach Ballgame ( ⁨@coachballgame⁩ ) is on a mission to help kids fall in love with baseball and softball so they can learn the invaluable life lessons they impact. That includes helping kids love the game, helping parents lead their kids through the journey, and supporting coaches who can redefine the win from chasing trophies to imparting life lessons through the game.

All year long, Coach Ballgame travels the country to host his National Sandlot Tour, offer clinics, and teach coaches how to help kids.

He just recently released his first book - Coach Ballgame: My Pillars of Coaching and How I Got There. You can pick that up on his website CoachBallgame.com.

I tried to come up with a summary of our conversation but it was so rich I couldn’t sum it up in a couple sentences. Just trust me that you’ll want to listen to it.

Follow Coach Ballgame on social:

https://www.facebook.com/coachballgame

https://www.instagram.com/coachballgame

https://www.tiktok.com/@coachballgame

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New episodes every Wednesday.

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Today’s guest is Steve Magness. Steve is one of my favorite voices in the youth sports space. He’s served as a performance coach for numerous professional teams, executives, and even artists. He’s coached at the high school and college level. And he’s written quite a few books. His newest is called Win The Inside Game and is out now wherever you get books. I can’t recommend it highly enough.

In our conversation, we talk about how the fear of your kid falling behind athletically, how kids are afraid of failure and what we can do to help, and the importance of unstructured play in their development. We also hit on a whole bunch of other smaller topics throughout the conversation. I know I say this a lot, but this conversation truly was a joy to record.

Get Steve's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Win-Inside-Game-Surviving-Thriving/

Follow Steve on Social:

https://www.instagram.com/stevemagness/

https://www.threads.com/@stevemagness

New episodes every Wednesday.

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