The Youth Sports Experience with Aaron Seitz

Missy engages in an energetic and informative conversation around the many layers of the current youth sports landscape. As the Owner of Higher Energy Rising Coaching, Missy uses her wealth of knowledge and experience gained through competing as a swimmer at the University of Michigan, working as an Attorney for the NCAA, and experiencing youth sports as a parent. I hope you enjoy this episode and the wisdom Missy shares.

Natalie Morse shares a wealth of experiences as a former college basketball player, a former D1 college coach, an NCAA Specialist, and a basketball trainer for the Indiana Girls Basketball organization. Our conversation covers topics such as the player/coach/parent relationship, player evaluation/recruitment at the college level and how the process works, advice on making the most of being a college athlete, transitioning out of being an active competitive athlete at the end of a playing career, and the role sports play in developing young girls and women into future leaders.

Alex candidly shares her experiences as a highly accomplished high school and college swimmer. Alex and Aaron dive into a plethora of topics including handling disappointment, her thoughts on how coaches can create a more positive competitive experience, how to balance athletics and academics to achieve success in both, and the realities of competing at the Big Ten/Division I level of collegiate athletics. Alex also shares her thoughts on parenting a young athlete and what she sees for the future of Purdue Boilermaker Athletics.

This episode introduces questions and thoughts about how we are administering youth sports to the 6-12 year old age group. Are we doing what is best for the kids? Is the current youth sports format preparing athletes to be at their competitive peak, both mentally and physically, when they enter the teen years? Why do some parents and youth coaches seem to be seeking their own validation and fulfillment? Check out this episode for thoughts on these questions and the state of the early years of youth sports today,  as well as ideas for making the early years more positively impactful for young athletes.