Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share The Man in the Mirror
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
The Man in the Mirror
Episode 73: Dan Blewett (Coach, Speaker, Former professional baseball player, author)
🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Dan Blewett, former professional baseball player, current author, coach and speaker, for a reflective conversation about masculinity, sports culture, and what it truly means to be “tough.” Dan unpacks how our culture shapes boys and how sports can still be a healthy place to figure it all out.
🔹 The Pressure to Perform
We kick off with the intense pressure young boys feel not just to play sports, but to be good at them.
🔹 Baseball in Japan vs. America
Dan recalls watching kids in Japan play baseball purely for fun and realizing how rare that is in the U.S.
🔹 The “Play Catch” Experiment
A laugh-out-loud story of Dan using dating apps in D.C. just to find someone to toss a baseball with.
🔹 The “Toxic Masculinity” Debate
We break down why the term can feel one-sided, and how both genders are capable of toxic behavior.
🔹 Growing Up Male
How young boys wrestle with mixed messages about being competitive, emotional, or “too aggressive.”
🔹 Balancing Toughness and Authenticity
Dan shares his personal struggle with wanting to be the “tough guy” while staying true to himself.
🔹 Sports as a Safe Space
How athletics provide a controlled arena to learn teamwork, conflict, and coexistence.
🔹 Coaching Boys vs. Coaching Girls
We debate whether coaches should approach boys and girls differently—and why girls might be more coachable.
🔹 Modeling Steadiness
Dan believes the best thing a coach can model isn’t intensity…it’s consistency and calm.
🔹 Redefining Toughness
Toughness isn’t just muscle. It’s resilience, grit, and compassion. Sometimes it looks like a single mom or a sick dad still showing up.
🔹 Sports as the Village
How being part of a team creates belonging, accountability, and purpose beyond the self.
View all episodes
By Ally Tucker
5
6767 ratings
Episode 73: Dan Blewett (Coach, Speaker, Former professional baseball player, author)
🎙 In this episode: I sit down with Dan Blewett, former professional baseball player, current author, coach and speaker, for a reflective conversation about masculinity, sports culture, and what it truly means to be “tough.” Dan unpacks how our culture shapes boys and how sports can still be a healthy place to figure it all out.
🔹 The Pressure to Perform
We kick off with the intense pressure young boys feel not just to play sports, but to be good at them.
🔹 Baseball in Japan vs. America
Dan recalls watching kids in Japan play baseball purely for fun and realizing how rare that is in the U.S.
🔹 The “Play Catch” Experiment
A laugh-out-loud story of Dan using dating apps in D.C. just to find someone to toss a baseball with.
🔹 The “Toxic Masculinity” Debate
We break down why the term can feel one-sided, and how both genders are capable of toxic behavior.
🔹 Growing Up Male
How young boys wrestle with mixed messages about being competitive, emotional, or “too aggressive.”
🔹 Balancing Toughness and Authenticity
Dan shares his personal struggle with wanting to be the “tough guy” while staying true to himself.
🔹 Sports as a Safe Space
How athletics provide a controlled arena to learn teamwork, conflict, and coexistence.
🔹 Coaching Boys vs. Coaching Girls
We debate whether coaches should approach boys and girls differently—and why girls might be more coachable.
🔹 Modeling Steadiness
Dan believes the best thing a coach can model isn’t intensity…it’s consistency and calm.
🔹 Redefining Toughness
Toughness isn’t just muscle. It’s resilience, grit, and compassion. Sometimes it looks like a single mom or a sick dad still showing up.
🔹 Sports as the Village
How being part of a team creates belonging, accountability, and purpose beyond the self.
More shows like Youth $ports
View all
Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!
38,950 Listeners
20/20
12,103 Listeners
Pod Save America
87,868 Listeners
The Daily
113,121 Listeners
Up First from NPR
56,944 Listeners
The Daily Show: Ears Edition
14,337 Listeners
The Viall Files
26,103 Listeners
Dateline NBC
47,718 Listeners
SmartLess
58,365 Listeners
Youth Inc. with Greg Olsen
293 Listeners
Betrayal Weekly
8,305 Listeners
The Headlines
747 Listeners
Good Hang with Amy Poehler
12,559 Listeners
Interrupted by Matt Jones
1,083 Listeners