Youth Inc. with Greg Olsen

Bestselling author David Epstein joins Greg Olsen to discuss the science behind what actually drives long-term athletic development in young people. Drawing from his books The Sports Gene and Range — and previewing his upcoming release Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better — Epstein breaks down why trainability matters more than raw talent, how early specialization undermines the athletes it's meant to help, and the coaching methodology being adopted by Victor Wembanyama, Shohei Ohtani, and elite programs around the world. Greg and David also explore the research on reflective practice, why Norway's youth development model outperforms ours, and a phone study that should change how every parent thinks about homework time. Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

Best-selling author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Blind Side, Going Infinite) joins Greg Olsen to talk about the youth sports industry — how it got so expensive, why parents keep spending, and what his own family's journey through travel softball taught him about the system. From coaching his daughters in Berkeley to watching the business side explode, Lewis breaks down what's really driving the youth sports machine.Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

Greg Olsen sits down with Jim Craig — the goalie who backstopped the 1980 Miracle on Ice team to gold — to talk about what it really takes to win at the Olympics. Jim breaks down his journey from community college to Lake Placid, what Herb Brooks did that no other coach could, and why he believes this American team has what it takes. A must-watch for any hockey fan following the U.S. Olympic run.

Panthers legend Greg Olsen sits down with franchise QB Bryce Young for a conversation Carolina fans have been waiting for. Bryce opens up about everything — being told he was too small his entire life, what Nick Saban was really like behind closed doors at Alabama, getting benched in the NFL for the first time ever, and the mindset shift that fueled one of the best comeback stories in the league. Two Panthers icons, one incredible conversation.Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

Greg Olsen is out this week, so Alec Ingold and JJ Jansen step in to hold it down. Alec — a Dolphins fullback who's all-in on youth development — and JJ — a 17-year Panthers veteran and dad of young athletes — sit down to talk about what actually matters in youth sports. They get into coaching youth baseball, the coach-parent dynamic, finding a role for every kid on the team, and why the lessons learned between the lines stick with you long after the season ends.Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

Digital host Shelby Bumgarner takes you behind the scenes of Youth Inc.'s trip to Super Bowl Radio Row, where we sat down with some of the biggest names in sports to get their perspective on youth athletics today. From Cam Newton's insights on developing young quarterbacks to Kyle Juszczyk's advice for young athletes, Kerri Walsh Jennings on building championship mindsets in youth volleyball, and more—hear what these elite athletes really think about the state of youth sportsSign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

What's really going on inside you when you're watching your kid play?

In this episode, guest host Jonathan Carone of Healthy Sports Parents sits down with Dr. Jonathan Jenkins, a Boston based sports psychologist, to unpack why youth sports bring out emotions we didn't know we had. From sideline insecurities to the comparison trap to losing our identity in our kid's performance, Dr. Jenkins breaks down the psychology behind it all.

For more from Jonathan, visit https://healthysportsparents.com/Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

Hall of Fame cornerback Champ Bailey joins Greg Olsen for a powerful conversation about what really matters in youth sports. Champ opens up about his work with Positive Athlete—a national organization rewarding high school athletes for character, leadership, and community impact rather than stats and scholarships.Greg and Champ dive deep into brotherhood dynamics, the importance of being a great teammate over chasing individual glory, and why the transferable skills from sports—perseverance, leadership, character—are what truly prepare young athletes for life after the game ends.Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

ESPN analyst and former NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky joins Greg for a raw, unfiltered conversation about the realities of raising young athletes. With four kids playing multiple sports, Dan opens up about the daily grind of travel basketball weekends, the challenge of parenting children with vastly different competitive drives, and why he refuses to apologize for pushing his kids hard.Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

NFL and college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit joins Greg Olsen on Youth Inc. to break down the College Football Playoff National Championship between Miami and Indiana, share the incredible turnaround story of Mario Cristobal's Hurricanes, and get real about what's broken in youth sports today.

Kirk opens up about raising four sons in the travel sports era, the "Earl Woods syndrome" that's burned out a generation of young athletes, and why early specialization creates better 12-year-olds but worse 25-year-olds. He shares hard-earned lessons about being "that dad" on the sidelines, navigating the transfer portal as a parent, and why education should always trump NFL dreams.

From the recruiting landscape that's changed everything to development vs. winning at all costs, Kirk provides perspective every parent needs to hear. Plus: his take on Monday night's national championship and why both Miami and Indiana represent what's possible when culture and development come first.