Healthy Sports Parents

A lot of families hit a point where rec league doesn’t feel like enough anymore, and the next step seems obvious: move to club (travel) sports where kids will get more games, more training, and more opportunity.

But before making that jump, it’s worth slowing down and understanding what actually changes when you leave rec behind.

In this episode, Jonathan is joined by author Karen Scholl – a mom who navigated the club sports journey with both her sons and wrote a book about it called Surving Soccer.

In the conversation, they walk through what club sports really are, why so many families feel pulled in that direction, and what parents should be thinking about before committing. They talk about the time, the cost, the pressure, and the tradeoffs that don’t always get talked about upfront.

This isn’t about saying club sports are good or bad. For some kids and families, they can be a great fit.

But club sports are not the only path, and it’s not always the right next step just because it feels like the natural one.

If your family is starting to wrestle with the rec vs. club decision, this conversation will help you take a step back, think it through, and make a choice that actually fits your kid and your life.

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More from Karen:

Buy Surviving Soccer
Substack: https://karenscholl.substack.com/

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FROM OUR SPONSORS:

Hour-a-thon
http://www.hour-a-thon.com

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New episodes every Wednesday.

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Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:
https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop

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Get your Weekend Playbook:
https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook

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A lot of families start the youth sports journey with the same goal in mind: play at the highest level possible and see where it goes.

But what happens when you actually get there… and realize it wasn’t what you thought it would be?

In this conversation, Jonathan sat down with Britt Lee, co-founder of Pure Athlete and a dad who’s walked the full path. His son reached Division I tennis. He also had another son burn out. And somewhere along the way, he learned what actually matters and what doesn’t.

They talk about the pressure parents feel to specialize early, why so many well-meaning families get pulled into decisions they never intended to make, and how easy it is for sports to slowly take over more of our lives than we realize. Britt shares what he wishes he knew at the beginning, what he’d do differently, and how parents can take a step back and lead their kids through sports in a healthier way.

They also get into identity, both for kids and for parents, and why it can be so hard to let go when a sport ends even if we’ve kept the right perspective the whole time. And maybe most importantly, we talk about how to keep sports in the right place so they add to your family instead of taking it over.

If you’re in the middle of it right now, trying to figure out what’s best for your kid while managing all the noise and pressure around you, this one will hit close to home.

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More from Britt + Pure Athlete:

https://www.pureathlete.com/
https://www.instagram.com/pureathleteinc/
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086392548798
https://www.tiktok.com/@pureathleteinc

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FROM OUR SPONSORS:

Hour-a-thon
http://www.hour-a-thon.com

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READ MY ARTICLE IN MOCKINGBIRD:

https://mbird.com/sports/the-gospel-according-to-youth-sports/

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New episodes every Wednesday.

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Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:
https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop

---------

Get your Weekend Playbook:
https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook

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Follow us on social:

https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparents
https://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparents
https://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparents
https://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Youth sports can quickly take over family life, leaving parents feeling pressure to specialize early, chase opportunities, and keep up with everyone else. But what if taking youth sports back starts with one simple shift at home?

In this episode of the Healthy Sports Parents podcast, ESPN college football reporter and sports mom Heather Dinich joins the conversation to talk about balancing youth sports, family life, and ambition. As a parent of three boys navigating multiple sports, Heather shares what she’s learned about helping kids find the right fit, avoiding unnecessary pressure, and keeping sports in their proper place.

We discuss the realities of club sports, the pressure families feel to specialize early, and how parents can support their kids without letting sports take over their identity or family time. This conversation also explores how to let kids take ownership of their sports journey while still providing guidance and perspective along the way.

If you're a sports parent trying to balance busy schedules, rising expectations, and what’s actually best for your kid, this episode offers a practical and encouraging perspective on taking youth sports back one family at a time.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Balancing youth sports and family life
• The pressure to specialize early
• Letting kids find the sport that fits them
• How parents can avoid comparison and urgency
• Taking youth sports back one family at a time

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More from Heather:

https://www.instagram.com/cfbheather/

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FROM OUR SPONSORS:

ESPN's Take Back Sports
https://www.takebacksports.org

Hour-a-thon
http://www.hour-a-thon.com

--------
New episodes every Wednesday.

---------

Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:
https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop

---------

Get your Weekend Playbook:
https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook

-----------

Follow us on social:

https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparents
https://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparents
https://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparents
https://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happens when we stop trying to control our kids' sports experience and start helping them own it?

In this episode, retired USWNT player and current youth coach / pro team owner Leslie Osborne shares why the healthiest sports journeys are the ones driven by kids, not adults. From playing multiple sports growing up to navigating injuries and life after soccer, Leslie reflects on how ownership, passion, and perspective shaped her career and now shape how she parents and coaches.

We also explore what it looks like to support kids without pushing them, how parents can balance competitiveness with emotional development, and why youth sports should be about developing confident, capable humans more than elite athletes.

Our job isn’t to control the journey.

It’s to give kids the tools, space, and confidence to own it themselves.

This conversation is about stepping back, trusting our kids, and remembering that sports are simply the vehicle. The real goal is helping them grow into resilient, confident adults who can handle whatever comes next, both on and off the field. That long term development mindset sits at the heart of Healthy Sports Parents and the idea that youth sports are ultimately about raising healthy adults, not just athletes.

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FROM OUR SPONSORS:

Hour-a-thon
http://www.hour-a-thon.com

Smallside
http://www.smallside.co
New episodes every Wednesday.

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Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:
https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop

---------

Get your Weekend Playbook:
https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook

-----------

Follow us on social:

https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparents
https://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparents
https://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparents
https://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Youth sports matter. We care because our kids care.

But somewhere along the way, it’s easy for that care to turn into pressure, stress, and taking things way more seriously than we ever intended.

In this episode, Jonathan sits down with comedian and sports dad Dustin Nickerson to talk about the realities of being a sports parent – the long tournaments, the awkward sideline dynamics, the pressure we feel to show up to everything and get it all right, and the moments when we realize we might need to take a breath and laugh a little.

Dustin shares what youth sports look like through the lens of an introvert, how he balances being on the road with being present for his kids, and why effort matters more than perfect attendance. They also get into failure, perspective, participation trophies, arguing with refs, and why kids notice our effort more than our perfection.

This is a conversation for parents who care deeply about their kids, want to support them well, and are trying to keep youth sports healthy for their family.

Youth sports are serious. Just not that serious.

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FROM OUR SPONSORS:

Hour-a-thon
http://www.hour-a-thon.com

New episodes every Wednesday.

---------

Get your Healthy Sports Parents gear:
https://www.healthysportsparents.com/shop

---------

Get your Weekend Playbook:
https://www.healthysportsparents.com/playbook

-----------

Follow us on social:

https://www.instagram.com/healthysportsparents
https://www.tiktok.com/@healthysportsparents
https://www.facebook.com/healthysportsparents
https://www.threads.net/healthysportsparents
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.