One day, your kids will grow up and talk about you.

"My mom was always…" "My dad never…" "My parents…"

In this episode, we challenge ourselves to think about how we're showing up, and whether we're living in a way we'd be proud to hear them talk about years from now.

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For online programs, books and more, visit: https://www.charliespaniard.com.

For the past five years, I've been back in youth sports after more than a decade away from coaching.

I left to pursue the UFC, and coaching, especially at the youth level, was no longer part of my world. Coming back, a lot had changed.

In this episode, I share what I've re-learned, what's been reinforced and what I believe actually matters in youth sports. My intnent is to give you context to work with while making your own decisions as a sports parent.

For online programs, books and more, visit: https://www.charliespaniard.com.

Our youth wrestling season wrapped up this past weekend at the state tournament.

In today's episode, we share highlights from the weekend and a few takeaways to consider as you navigate your own sports journey.

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For online programs, books and more, visit: https://www.charliespaniard.com.

I recently took my son out of a wrestling tournament, and it had nothing to do with illness or injury. It had everything to do with his attitude and behavior. Here is the story...

For online programs, books and more, visit: https://www.charliespaniard.com.

Having recently watched our high school state wrestling tournament, I was reminded of the power we have in how we respond to events. In sports and in life, outcomes don't define us, our responses do.

For athletes and parents, learning to absorb the pain of defeat and manage the emotions of victory isn't easy. In this episode, I share insights and practical ideas to help you guide your athlete through both wins and losses while keeping a level head and focusing on what really matters.

For online programs, books and more, visit: https://www.charliespaniard.com

"If you didn't start last year, you're too late." "If you haven't zeroed in on your kid's future by age eight, you're already behind."

The Joneses seem to be operating at a whole different level when it comes to youth sports.

If you haven't caught the sarcasm, it's there.

While I don't demonize early specialization, I don't recommend or encourage it for the masses either. In this episode, I lay out a practical framework to help you decide what's best for your child and your family when it comes to specializing in sports.

For online programs, books and more, visit: https://www.charliespaniard.com.

Original show description (Jan. 31, 2024):

Fresh off a youth wrestling tournament, I'm bringing some observations and insights that can help you navigate the world of youth sports.

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*Crazy to see how this podcast episode from two years ago evolved into The Sports Parenting Podcast.

For online programs, books and more, visit: https://www.charliespaniard.com.

No parking. No seats. High fees. Big emotions.

At some point, we've all wondered: Is this even worth it?

In this episode, we zoom out and evaluate youth sports honestly — the cost, the chaos, the pressure — and ask whether it's serving our kids, our family and our values.

For online programs, books and more, visit: https://www.charliespaniard.com.

I once heard that expectations are one of the biggest causes of conflict in marriage. When we get on the same page with our spouse, things usually go better. The same is true with our kids and sports.

In this episode, we talk about handling adversity before and after competition by setting expectations ahead of time — how we show up, how we respond to wins and losses and how we support our kids when things don't go as planned.

For online programs, books and more, visit: https://www.charliespaniard.com.

Blame is one of the most damaging habits in sports — and in life. It creates excuses and keeps us stuck.

In this episode, we break down how blame shows up everywhere in youth sports — athletes blaming coaches, teammates blaming each other, parents blaming refs, coaches blaming officials — and why none of it moves us forward.

More importantly, we talk about how we can take ownership of our role, model accountability for our kids and shift from finger-pointing to problem-solving.

For online programs, books and more, visit: https://www.charliespaniard.com.