Once 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://medium.com/@coachwilson

Not 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.

Go watch it. Share it. And change.

What 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 bio

Lean In Girls program

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):

Tune in for the rest of Coach Tom Peterson's masterclass on volleyball, coaching, and sports parents.

SHOW NOTES:

Tom runs Top Court volleyball camps for high schoolers.

Tom wanted to honor his mentor, Carl McGown.

Baumgartner, 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 the team fitness session, they can yell at the kids during a match or game"

As a bonus, you'll hear about dirt bikes, snakes, red bull, and dirty diesels. Ahhh, Idaho.

Imagine 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.

Nationally 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 Literacy

Never Pay the First Bill on Amazon

His 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.

Andrew 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.

Bennett 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.