UNCOACHED

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Holly Hoelting, former Division I softball player, successful high school coach, and founder of 90/10 Mentality, to talk about what makes a great youth sports coach. We explore how coaches can connect with athletes who learn differently, create practices that lead to real improvement, and help kids rediscover their motivation when their interest starts to fade. Holly also shares her perspective on building strong relationships with players while maintaining high expectations, and why a truly successful team should be measured by more than wins and losses.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. What does the 90/10 Mentality philosophy mean, and how can it help coaches develop young athletes?
2. How can coaches adapt to individual players' needs while maintaining consistency across the team?
3. What separates an effective youth sports practice from one where athletes are simply going through the motions?
4. How can coaches recognize when young athletes are losing motivation and help them reconnect with their sport?
5. How can coaches build strong player relationships while maintaining accountability and high expectations?

Bonus Question:
What's the difference between building a team that wins games and building a team that's truly successful for the kids?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Reed Low, former NHL player and St. Louis Blues fan favorite, to talk about what it takes to compete at hockey's highest level and the lessons young athletes can learn along the way. Reed shares his perspective on the importance of being a great teammate, why every player has value beyond the scoreboard, and what separates good coaches from those who leave a lasting impact. We also explore how parents and volunteer coaches can help kids develop resilience, handle adversity, and understand that success in youth sports is about much more than individual performance.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. What does it really take to reach the NHL, and how has the path changed for young athletes today?
2. How can we teach young athletes that their value to a team goes beyond goals, points, and highlight-reel moments?
3. What did the best leaders and teammates in NHL locker rooms do that fans never saw?
4. What separated the coaches who made the biggest impact on your career, and what can volunteer youth coaches learn from them?
5. What were some of the toughest setbacks you faced in your hockey career, and how can we better prepare young athletes to overcome adversity?

Bonus Questions:

1. What led you to create Reed Low 34 Events, and how have your NHL experiences influenced what you're doing today?
2. Looking back, what do you value most about your hockey career that has nothing to do with the games you played or the level you reached

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Donald "Donnie" Johnson, former two-sport collegiate All-American, leadership speaker, and author of The Plus One Culture, to talk about what it really means to build a team where everyone makes each other better. We explore how youth sports coaches can develop leadership in every athlete, create a culture of accountability, and give kids more ownership of their team. Donnie also shares how parents and volunteer coaches can help young athletes understand that being a great teammate goes far beyond talent or performance on the field.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. What does a Plus One Culture look like in youth sports, and how can coaches start building one?
2. How can coaches develop leadership in every player, including those who aren't the most talented or outspoken?
3. What are some practical ways coaches can give young athletes more ownership without losing structure or accountability?
4. As a two-sport collegiate All-American, what separated talented athletes from teammates who genuinely made everyone around them better?
5. How can coaches teach accountability without creating conflict, blame, or negativity within the team?

Bonus Question:
What's one small change every youth coach could make tomorrow that would have a lasting impact on their players?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Josh Butler, youth soccer coach, sports dad, and author of The Youth Coach's Playbook: 21 Ways to BE the Coach Every Kid Remembers. We talk about finding the right balance between winning and having fun, the challenges of coaching your own children, and what it takes to build a team culture where every player feels valued. Josh also shares his perspective on how volunteer coaches can encourage competition without losing sight of what makes youth sports meaningful in the first place.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. How can coaches celebrate winning and championships without making trophies the main goal?
2. How do you keep practices fun for competitive young athletes without lowering expectations?
3. How do you know when it's time to stop coaching your own child?
4. How can coaches reward effort and positive attitudes without creating favoritism?
5. What are two or three ways volunteer coaches can quickly build a strong, player-driven team culture?

Bonus Question:
If you could give yourself one piece of advice before coaching your first youth team, what would it be?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Chris Bradley, former collegiate pitcher and founder of Bradley Pitching Lab, to talk about one of the toughest parts of youth baseball: the mental side of pitching. We explore how young pitchers can handle pressure, recover from mistakes, and develop the confidence needed to compete when things aren't going their way. Chris also shares practical advice on preparation, building good habits, and what parents and volunteer coaches can do to support young athletes through the ups and downs of the game.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. How can young pitchers handle pressure and stay composed when things aren't going their way?
2. What can a pitcher do on the mound to mentally reset after a bad pitch or tough inning?
3. Where does real pitching confidence come from, and how can coaches help athletes who struggle to believe in themselves?
4. What routines and preparation habits should young pitchers start developing early?
5. What should parents and volunteer coaches say, or avoid saying, when a young pitcher is struggling?

Bonus Question:
What separates young pitchers who continue improving over time from talented athletes who eventually plateau?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Jesse Carstairs, a men's relationship coach and competitive youth flag football coach, to talk about how the lessons kids learn through sports can shape who they become off the field. We explore the growing popularity of flag football, the challenges of coaching your own children, and why developing character should be just as important as developing athletic skills. Jesse also shares his perspective on fatherhood, teaching accountability, and how parents and volunteer coaches can use everyday moments in youth sports to help raise confident, responsible young people.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. Flag football is growing quickly. What makes the sport so appealing to kids, and what valuable lessons are young athletes learning that people might underestimate?
2. Your work focuses on helping men become better husbands, fathers, and leaders. How does that influence what you're trying to develop in young athletes beyond their football skills?
3. Coaching your own kids can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also blur the lines between being Dad and being Coach. How do you balance those two roles?
4. If we're ultimately trying to raise good people, what character traits should youth coaches intentionally develop, and how can we teach those qualities through sports?
5. Youth athletes have plenty of opportunities to blame referees, coaches, teammates, or circumstances when things go wrong. How can we teach kids to take ownership and develop real accountability?

Bonus Question:
If one of the kids you coach runs into you 20 years from now, what would make you feel like you succeeded as their coach?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Nate Dalena, Executive Director of Rugby NorCal, to explore a youth sport that many parents and coaches may not know much about. We talk about how kids are safely introduced to rugby, why the game puts so much decision-making in the hands of the athletes, and how its culture teaches respect alongside physical competition. Nate also shares what rugby can teach the broader youth sports world about developing independent athletes, creating appropriate competition, and giving kids another way to fall in love with sports.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. What makes rugby different from other major youth sports, and what can kids get from playing it that they might not experience elsewhere?
2. What does a first rugby practice look like for a 9- or 10-year-old, and how are contact and tackling introduced in an age-appropriate way?
3. Rugby requires athletes to make a lot of decisions without a coach directing every play. How does that influence the way young players are trained, and does it help develop more independent athletes?
4. How does Rugby NorCal create meaningful competition across different ages and ability levels without making everything about finding the "best" team or highest level?
5. Rugby is incredibly physical, but it's also known for its culture of respect and sportsmanship. Where does that culture come from, and how do you intentionally teach it to young athletes?

Bonus Question:
If a kid already loves football, soccer, hockey, basketball, or another sport, what's your pitch to their parents for giving rugby a try for one season?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Anthony Brenner, who brings more than 30 years of experience coaching and developing athletes from youth soccer through the professional level. We talk about what real player development should look like, why the environment around a young athlete matters so much, and what experienced coaches and scouts notice that parents might miss from the sideline. Anthony also shares perspective on balancing big athletic goals with the reality that most kids won’t play professionally, and how parents and volunteer coaches can support development without adding unnecessary pressure.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. After working with athletes from the youth level through the pros, what do you think we’re getting right and wrong about “player development” in youth sports?
2. You say developing better players starts with developing better environments. What does a great environment actually look and feel like for the kids on a volunteer coach’s team?
3. What do experienced scouts and coaches notice in young athletes that the average parent might miss? Are there certain traits you wish parents and coaches supported more?
4. Coaches are working with a small percentage of athletes who may reach an elite level and a much larger group who won’t. How should that reality change the way we coach and develop kids?
5. Parents naturally want to help their kids succeed, but sometimes that help becomes pressure. Where should parents be involved, and where should they get better at stepping back?

Bonus Question:
After more than 30 years around the game, what’s something you once believed about developing young athletes that you no longer believe today?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Jordan Elder, pastor, coach, sports parent, and author of Playing for Something More, to talk about what happens when youth sports start taking up too much space in our families’ lives. We explore the pressure around performance and achievement, how to help kids separate who they are from how they play, and the role parents and coaches can have in developing values that last long after the season ends. Jordan also brings a faith-based perspective to the conversation as we look at how kids can compete, chase big goals, and love sports without letting the scoreboard define the experience.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. When did you first start thinking, “We may have taken this whole youth sports thing a little too far,” and what were you seeing that concerned you?
2. Why is it so easy for well-intentioned parents to let scholarships, achievement, competition, and sports become a bigger part of their family’s identity than they intended?
3. With rankings, stats, tryouts, playing time, wins, and losses everywhere, how can parents help kids separate “how I performed today” from “who I am”?
4. As a pastor and coach, what Christian values do you believe sports can help develop in kids, and how can parents and coaches be intentional about building them?
5. You write about gentleness in a culture of criticism, especially on the sidelines and during the car ride home. What do kids actually need from us in those emotional moments after a difficult game?

Bonus Question:
If you could convince every sports parent to stop chasing one thing and start prioritizing one thing, what would those two things be?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Jon Orr, founder of the Sports Reclamation Project, to talk about where youth sports may have lost its way and how parents and coaches can help bring the joy back. Drawing from decades of coaching and his experience as a military veteran, Jon shares a unique perspective on leadership, coach burnout, the pressure to chase better teams and bigger opportunities, and why development should matter more than simply collecting wins. It’s a conversation about taking an honest look at the youth sports experience and making sure the kids are still at the center of it.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. Your mission with the Sports Reclamation Project is to "bring the joy back to youth sports." Where do you think we started losing that joy, and what are adults getting wrong?
2. You describe the chase for better teams, exposure, rankings, and scholarships as the "race to nowhere." How can parents tell the difference between providing opportunities and getting caught up in that race?
3. After 25 years of coaching, you've been open about experiencing burnout yourself. What are we asking of youth coaches that's making good people want to walk away, and what needs to change?
4. What did your military experience teach you about leadership that has influenced the way you coach kids? And what parts of military-style leadership don't belong in youth sports?
5. If winning isn't the best measure of a youth coach's success, what should parents actually look for when evaluating their child's season?

Bonus Question:
If we handed youth sports completely back to the kids for one season and let them redesign the experience, what do you think they'd keep, and what would they immediately get rid of?