Brandon Harmon is a college baseball coach at Gonzaga, a dad of three, and right in the middle of what he calls the youth sports blender.

Something every day.
Practices. Games. Car rides. Repeat.

In this conversation, he and Rhett Parker talk through what that actually looks like. The nonstop schedule, the pressure to chase opportunities, and the challenge of balancing development with enjoyment.

They get into the reality of watching your own kids compete, why failure matters more than most people want to admit, and how easily youth sports can shift from connection to chasing what looks best.

This episode is a reflection on what it means to show up as a parent, a coach, and a guide without having all the answers.

Because the truth is… nobody has it figured out.

• The “blender” is real. Youth sports can take over your schedule, but some of the most meaningful moments happen in between it all.
• Kids need failure. Too much success can hide what they actually need to grow and stay engaged long term.
• Not every path needs chasing. The best experience for your child is not always the one that looks the best from the outside.

At one point, Andrew Walling was at the top.

Throwing mid-90s. Big opportunities. A path that looked like it was only going one way.

Then it didn’t.

Injuries, pressure, and the weight of expectations started to take over. Confidence slipped. The yips showed up. And for the first time, he questioned if he even wanted to keep playing.

This episode is about that fall… and the climb back.

Finding the game again.
Letting go of outcomes.
And learning that real growth happens in the work no one sees.

A real look at what the journey actually feels like—for athletes, parents, and coaches trying to navigate it.

Rhett sits down with longtime coach and mentor Marc Wiese, whose career spans youth baseball, high school state championships, college programs, and USA Baseball. Having coached his own sons and thousands of players along the way, Marc brings a perspective shaped by both success and reflection.

This conversation centers on what youth sports really becomes over time. The relationships, the environments we create for our kids, and the pressure families feel to keep up in a system that often prioritizes more over better. Marc shares lessons he learned the hard way, especially when coaching his own children, and how those experiences reshaped his approach to both coaching and parenting.

For parents, coaches, and athletes, this episode is a reminder to zoom out. The game moves fast, but the moments and the people you go through it with tend to stay.

In this episode of Surviving Youth Sports, host Rhett Parker sits down with basketball coach James Lane to talk about the reality of youth sports from multiple perspectives.

James has lived nearly every side of the game. He played Division I basketball, coached at the college and high school level, helped run a youth basketball league with more than 70 teams, and now coaches his own daughters while navigating youth sports as a parent.

The conversation explores some of the biggest challenges facing families today, including the pressure parents feel in youth sports, unrealistic expectations for young athletes, the growing business of private training, and the tension between development and winning.

James shares honest insights about youth basketball culture, why early success can be misleading, and how parents can help kids stay connected to the joy of playing sports. Rhett and James also discuss multi-sport athletes, long-term development, and the importance of patience as young athletes grow.

For parents, coaches, and athletes trying to navigate the modern youth sports landscape, this episode offers a grounded perspective on what really matters.

Because years later, most athletes won’t remember the wins and losses.

They remember the people.

Topics covered in this episode:

• Youth basketball development and coaching philosophy
• Parent pressure in youth sports
• The business of private sports training
• Why early wins don’t always translate to long-term success
• Multi-sport athletes and long-term athletic development
• How parents can help kids enjoy youth sports

Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube and follow along as we continue the conversation about what it really means to survive youth sports.

In this episode of Surviving Youth Sports, Rhett Parker sits down with Tara Henry, General Manager of Softball America and a leader in international softball development.

Tara shares what she’s learned from coaching and traveling around the world and how youth sports culture in the United States often prioritizes winning over development.

The conversation explores coach education, parent influence, and why building relationships with athletes matters more than chasing results.

For parents, coaches, and athletes trying to navigate youth sports the right way, this episode is a reminder that when winning becomes the point, kids often lose.

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In Part 2 of this two-part conversation, Ian Ritchie shares an honest look at youth sports rankings, projection versus performance, and the emotional pressure placed on families navigating elite baseball.

From Perfect Game rankings to development on the national stage, Ian explains why rankings can create confusion, frustration, and misplaced focus. He also shares a powerful story involving Roman Anthony that highlights resilience, adjustment, and long-term growth.

This episode is for parents and athletes trying to balance visibility with perspective and improvement with patience.

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Ian Ritchie, father of Atlanta Braves first-round pick JR Ritchie, shares honest lessons about parenting in youth sports.

This episode explores coaching your own child, holding a higher standard without damaging the relationship, and supporting siblings who choose different paths. From Bainbridge Island Little League to elite travel baseball, Ian reflects on identity, perspective, and what really matters before draft day ever arrives.

If you’re a parent navigating youth baseball, travel sports, or the emotional side of supporting your athlete, this conversation offers grounded insight without hype.

In this episode of Surviving Youth Sports, Rhett sits down with Angie Mentink.

Many know Angie from her work covering Major League Baseball with the Seattle Mariners. Others remember her playing days with the UW Softball Huskies and the Colorado Silver Bullets. But here, she speaks as a parent navigating the realities of youth sports with two very different sons.

Angie reflects on parenting without projecting your own athletic journey onto your kids. She talks about the car ride home, injuries, specialization, scholarships, and the rising cost of youth sports. The conversation stays grounded in what actually matters long term.

At the center of it all is a mindset her family repeats often:

“Here we are. What are we going to do from here?”

For parents, coaches, and athletes trying to balance ambition with perspective, this episode offers honest reflection on how to support kids without losing sight of why they started playing in the first place.

In this episode of Surviving Youth Sports, Rhett Parker sits down with college baseball coach Justin Cunningham to talk about youth sports parenting, perspective, and what changes when you move from the dugout to the stands.

Justin has coached at multiple levels of college baseball and currently leads at Lyon College, but this past year he experienced the game differently — as the father of Connor Cunningham, starting shortstop for Murray State during their College World Series run. Watching your child compete at a high level is exciting, but it also exposes something every sports parent feels: you have no control.

Rhett and Justin discuss the pressure youth sports parents place on the future, the reality of development not being linear, genetics versus growth, backyard reps versus travel hype, and how NIL and the transfer portal are changing college athletics. At the center of it all is a simple priority: whether your child becomes a Hall of Famer or chooses another path, youth sports should help them learn resilience, handle failure, and grow into strong teammates and good humans.

This episode is for youth sports parents, coaches, and athletes navigating competition, ambition, and the tension between long-term dreams and enjoying the present moment.

In this Surviving Youth Sports Short, Xavier Neyens shares a humble and genuine player’s perspective on what it really means to “make it.”

After listening to his father’s episode, Xavier reflects on his journey through youth sports, high school baseball, and basketball, and what truly mattered along the way. For him, success was never just about results, rankings, or future opportunities. It was about the process. Daily habits. Discipline. Character. And the foundation his parents built at home.

He shares what “it worked out” means to him and why the small, consistent things made the biggest difference. Early morning workouts. Clean nutrition. Accountability. Relationships. Staying present. Competing in multiple sports. Most importantly, being supported without pressure and without making the journey about outcomes.

For parents, athletes, and coaches navigating youth sports, travel baseball, high school competition, and the recruiting process, this episode is a reminder that development happens in the unseen work. There is no secret formula. What matters most is who you become while going through it.

If you are raising or coaching an athlete, this conversation centers on the long game. Process over results. Relationships over recognition. Growth over shortcuts.

Subscribe to Surviving Youth Sports for honest conversations about parenting athletes, coaching youth sports, and the realities of player development.

Keep on surviving.