Kuul Conversations

What if every kid had the right to play - no matter what zip code they lived in?

In this episode of Kuul Conversations, we sit down with James Lopez, Director of Advocacy at LA84 Foundation & Play Equity Fund, to unpack the true cost of youth sport, the growing play gap and the movement to make Play Day a national cultural moment.

🧠 You’ll learn why: • 2 in 3 kids in California aren’t meeting movement guidelines • Families are being priced out of participation • LA84 is reframing Olympic legacy to center play for all

🪩 And yes - why this year's Play Day might just be “the Coachella of Play.”

🎧 This episode is a call to joy, equity, and reimagining the future of youth sport.

🎙 Guest: James Lopez Director of Advocacy, LA84 Foundation | Play Equity Fund National Advocate for Access to Sport & Movement Equity

🎥 Subscribe to Kuul Conversations for weekly episodes on: ✅ Youth Sport + Play ✅ Gen Alpha Culture ✅ Coaching, Gaming + Movement Trends

#Olympics #LA28 #YouthSport #PlayEquity #CoachingKids #GenAlpha #KuulConversations #AccessToPlay #PlayDay2025

⸻ Watch Next: ▶️ Why Gen Alpha is Opting Out of Sport – • KC | S3 | Ep5 | WHO Report Shocks: 31% Inactive... ▶️ Olympic Coach’s Secret to Building Confidence in Kids – • The Secret to Coaching That Keeps Kids Playing ⸻

🔗 CONNECT WITH CLARE 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ICQgpJ... 👥 LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/clare-mcsweeney-864a2240 👟 Learn more about Kuul Play: www.kuulplay.com 🐦 Twitter / X: https://x.com/kuulplay 📸 Instagram: https://instagram.com/kuul_play

⸻ Follow Guest: James Lopez 🌐 Learn more: https://la84.org/play-equity-fund/

🎙 Featuring Team USA Olympic Coach Aimee Boorman  - the woman who coached Simone Biles from age 7 to GOAT.

Aimee spent nearly two decades shaping Simone Biles from a giggling 7-year-old into the greatest gymnast of all time.

But her coaching philosophy?

Radical kindness. Joy over pressure. Listening over shouting.In a world that rewards toughness, Aimee chose trust and rewrote what greatness looks like.

In this emotionally powerful conversation, Aimee reveals:

• The real story behind Simone’s rise - from setbacks to Rio gold

• How “nice” coaching challenged the norms of elite sport

• What every parent, coach or mentor can learn about building confidence in kids
  

🎙 Guest: Aimee Boorman Olympic Coach | USOC Coach of the Year | Author of The Balance | Positive Coaching Advocate

🎥 Subscribe to Kuul Conversations for weekly episodes on:

✅ Youth Sport + Play

✅ Gen Alpha Culture

✅ Coaching, Gaming + Movement Trends

⸻

🔗 CONNECT WITH CLARE

🎧 Spotify Channel https://open.spotify.com/show/6ICQgpJ...

👥 Linkedin -   / clare-mcsweeney-864a2240  

👟 Learn more about Kuul Play: www.kuulplay.com

🐦 X ( Twitter ) -  https://x.com/kuulplay

📸 Instagram -    / kuul_play  

⸻

Follow Guest: Aimee Boorman

Instagram account:   / salto_coach/

Book: The Balance by Aimee Boorman

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-balance-aimee-boorman/1145905783?ean=9781419779770

What are TikTok, Gaming, and YouTube really teaching Gen Alpha?In this powerful conversation, cultural strategist and author Amelie Ebongue breaks down how today’s digital platforms are shaping the values, identity, and attention of an entire generation — and what parents, educators, and brand leaders are missing.We dive into:This conversation changes how we see the purpose of sport.#GenAlpha #TikTok #sports #play #podcast #gamingcommunity #gaming #trending 🎙 Guest: Amelie EbongueAuthor of Génération TikTok, global speaker, and strategist advising brands on youth, culture, and communication.If this conversation added value - subscribe, share it and join us. 00:00 Why Kids Don’t “Play” Anymore01:19 Amélie Ebongue: What Gen Alpha + Gen Z Are Really Teaching Us03:13 TikTok Isn’t Just Social Media05:16 Can TikTok Inspire Real-Life Play, Movement, and Confidence?06:40 Screen Time vs. Identity: What Parents Get Wrong About TikTok11:08 Amélie’s Parenting Rule for the Digital Age13:18 Virtual vs. Real Identity15:03 Hybrid Play:If We Do This Right17:42 Can Gaming + IRL Play Coexist? Ameilie Reacts to Kuul Play's Engagement21:17 Game Design: The Hidden Opportunity23:17 Kids as Co-Creators: How Kuul Play Turns Gaming into Real-World Play24:11 Social Media, Brands & Movement Culture25:49 Brands Can’t Market to Kids But Here’s How They Can Still Shape Them26:20 The New Edutainment Frontier27:00 If You’re Overwhelmed by Your Kid’s Screen Time, Watch This27:30 Gen Alpha Myths, Movement Trends & Why Lego Still Wins28:27 Screens Aren’t Going Away So What Future Are We Actually Building?⸻Watch Next: Episode: Why Gen Alpha is Opting out of Sport - • KC | S3 | Ep5 | WHO Report Shocks: 31% Ina... Olympic Coach's Secret to Building Confidence in Kids - • The Secret to Coaching That Keeps Kids Pla... ⸻🔗 CONNECT WITH CLARE🎧 Spotify Channel https://open.spotify.com/show/6ICQgpJ...👥 Linkedin - / clare-mcsweeney-864a2240 👟 Learn more about Kuul Play: www.kuulplay.com🐦 X ( Twitter ) - https://x.com/kuulplay📸 Instagram - / kuul_play ⸻Follow Guest: Amélie EbonguéStrava account: https://www.instagram.com/ah_mais_lis/🙏 LEAVE A REVIEWIf you enjoyed listening to the podcast, we’d love for you to leave a 5-star review to help others discover the show :)

Mark Gainey didn’t set out to fix sport.
He set out to rebuild the feeling that kept him in it: connection.

In this powerful conversation, the Strava Co-Founder and former elite rower opens up about his own burnout, the real reason most kids walk away from sport, and the moment he realized tech could recreate what a locker room once gave him—belonging.

We talk about:

• Why performance-only pathways are failing kids

• What Strava taught him about human motivation

• The quiet danger of ignoring “the middle 60%”

• And how we can design youth movement to feel meaningful before it feels “good”

If you’ve ever wondered how to keep kids moving—not for medals, but for joy—this one’s for you.

🔁 Share this with a coach, parent, or leader who believes in building the future of play.
And subscribe for weekly conversations with the people reimagining childhood.

Are we coaching kids the right way—or driving them out of sport?

In this second episode with internationally recognized coach, author, and speaker John Kessel, we understand the real metrics that matter in youth sports.

Timestamps:

0:00 – What every youth coach should measure

0:09 – Kids want challenge, not criticism

0:18 – You can’t make an Olympian at 12… but you can lose one

0:25 – Talent is everywhere. Opportunity is not.

0:31 – Why joy must be the priority in youth sport

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LISTEN to the full Kuul Conversations podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

🎧 Apple link: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kuul-conversations/id1773948763

🔉 Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/show/6ICQgpJEJr2Zvn3IzCG7PB 💡

SHARE this with a coach, parent, or sports leader who needs to hear it.

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For more information on how we’re making play kuul for all the kids and to create positive change, how to support, or how to get involved, visit: https://www.kuulplay.com

Instagram: / https://www.instagram.com/kuul_play/

Twitter: / https://x.com/kuulplayFacebook! / https://www.facebook.com/KuulPlayOfficial

TikTok: / https://www.tiktok.com/@kuulplay

LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/company/kuulplay/?originalSubdomain=ie

Follow John Kessel on X: https://x.com/johnkesselusav

His retreat: Bison Peak Lodge at Puma Hills www.bisonpeaklodge.org

#YouthSports #KuulPlay #CoachingKids #PositiveCoaching #Podcastsr #KuulConversations

In this episode, John Kessel—Hall of Fame coach and former Director of Sport Development at USA Volleyball—reveals why most youth coaching is getting it wrong.From Olympic courts to after-school gyms, John has spent over five decades reshaping how the world teaches movement—by replacing drills and pressure with discovery, play, and joy.In this powerful conversation, John shares what every coach, parent, and athlete needs to hear:the real reason kids drop out of sport, and how to help them fall in love with movement—for life.He explains:Why “pretty practices” don’t build performanceThe most important skill in sport (and it’s not physical)How to coach for learning, not just resultsWhat most coaches misunderstand about failureThe sentence that changed his entire approach: “Never be a child’s last coach.”This isn’t just a conversation about volleyball.It’s a masterclass in how to raise resilient, curious, confident kids—on and off the field.

What do you do when no one believes in you?

Scout Bassett found her answer—and it will hit you hard.This isn’t just about sport.It’s about resilience, mental health, and fighting for your place in the world.Full episode out now on Kuul Conversations.#Resilience #MentalHealthMatters #ScoutBassett #KuulConversations #OvercomingAdversity #shorts #mentalhealth #motivation

Francesca Schuler has led billion-dollar brands and coached thousands of parents, teachers, and volunteers. Her takeaway?If we want kids to stay in sport, we need to rethink the message—and who gets to call themselves a coach.In this powerful conversation with Clare McSweeney, Francesca reveals:*Why our marketing is pushing kids out of sport*The quiet power of the everyday coach*How we build a system that serves all kids—not just the best*And the one shift that could change youth sport forever🎧 Watch now. Because one message—or one coach—can change a life.#YouthSport #CoachingMatters #MovementForAll #KuulConversations #FrancescaSchuler #SportForGood

The first season 4 episode of Kuul Conversations drops today—and we’re kicking things off with a powerful one. Billy Walsh, Olympic Head Coach and one of the greatest minds in sport, joins me to unpack what it really takes to help kids thrive today.We go beyond medals and podiums to talk about:The mental shift from athlete to leaderWhy coaching kids is harder and more important than everHow sport needs to evolve to meet the needs of this generation—not the last oneThis season, I’m sitting down with global leaders in sport, health, and tech—the people building what comes next.If you’re working at the intersection of movement, innovation, and youth—drop your name below or tag someone who should be featured.We’re building a movement.And we want you in it.#BillyWalsh #KuulConversations #Olympics #BoxingCoach #AthleteMindset #YouthSport #OlympicJourney #SportsLeadership #PodcastEpisode #FromPlayToPodium KuulConversations #PodcastLaunch #FutureOfMovement #KidsFirst #BillyWalsh #YouthSport #Leadership #Coaching #InnovationInSport

Join us as we chat with Tom Waller, Senior Vice President of Sport and Product Innovation at Decathlon. Tom shares his insights on creating a more inclusive and fun sports world, especially for kids.