In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Coach Kristin Tullo to talk about the mental side of youth sports and how coaches and parents can help athletes build real confidence. While Kristin’s work often focuses on hockey coaches, her insights apply across almost every sport as we dig into anxiety, pressure, mistakes, performance expectations, and simple ways adults can help young athletes stay competitive without making sports feel overwhelming.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. A lot of youth athletes today seem to struggle with confidence. From your perspective, what’s creating that confidence problem in sports right now?
2. Do you think parents and coaches sometimes accidentally make athletes more anxious or fearful without realizing it?
3. What’s the biggest difference between athletes who recover quickly from mistakes and the ones who spiral after something goes wrong?
4. In youth sports today, there’s so much pressure around performance, rankings, travel teams, and social media. How do we help kids stay competitive without making sports feel overwhelming?
5. What are some simple things volunteer coaches and sports parents can do that genuinely help build confidence in young athletes?

Bonus Question:
Do you remember something a coach said or did when you were a youth athlete that affected you, either positively or negatively?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Mandy Holmes, a sports mom and the creator behind Carpool Contracts, to talk about the rising cost of youth sports and how teams can think differently about fundraising and sponsorships. Mandy shares practical advice for parents, coaches, and teams looking to bring in support, approach local businesses the right way, and create real value for sponsors without making the process feel awkward or overwhelming.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. Youth sports are getting expensive fast. What are you seeing parents and teams struggle with the most right now?
2. When a team needs money, most people think “fundraiser.” But sponsorships are a little different. How should parents and coaches think about sponsorships in a more practical way?
3. A lot of parents and coaches probably feel awkward asking businesses for money. What’s the right way to approach that conversation without making it uncomfortable?
4. What are some creative ways teams can provide value back to sponsors beyond just putting a logo on a shirt or banner?
5. For the parent or coach listening who says, “Our team could really use help, but I have no idea where to start,” what are the first three steps they should take?

Bonus Question:
What’s one mistake teams make when trying to raise money or get sponsors that can actually hurt their chances of getting support?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Jordan Rifkin, better known as Broke Dad Jordan, to talk about the hilarious and painfully relatable side of being a sports parent. Jordan brings humor to the chaos of youth sports, from tournament weekends and packed schedules to rising costs, wild expenses, and the everyday reality of trying to keep up without losing your money, time, or sanity.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. At what point did you realize youth sports had quietly turned into a full-time job with a payment plan?
2. What’s the most ridiculous youth sports expense where you just had to stop and laugh?
3. As a sports dad, what’s more exhausting: the money being spent or the amount of time youth sports consumes every week?
4. What’s something in youth sports culture that parents have accepted as “normal” that is actually insane when you really think about it?
5. If someone completely outside the youth sports world followed your family around for one tournament weekend, what do you think would shock them the most?

Bonus Question:
What’s the best sports parent survival hack you’ve learned to help save money, time, or sanity while navigating youth sports?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with David Gerson, the creator behind Refs Need Love Too, to talk about the role referees play in youth sports and why parents, coaches, and players need a better understanding of what officials deal with during games. David shares practical insight on sideline behavior, respecting officials, coaching players through frustration, and how adults can help create a better game-day environment for everyone involved.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. What’s the biggest misconception parents and coaches have about how officials make decisions during a game?
2. If every youth sports parent had to referee just one game, what do you think would surprise them the most?
3. What’s the difference between a coach who challenges a referee respectfully and a coach who becomes a problem?
4. What can coaches do when one of their players isn’t treating a referee the right way?
5. If you could install one new rule for youth sports sidelines tomorrow, what would it be, and why?

Bonus Question:
What’s one thing you’ve seen a coach do during a tense game that instantly earned the respect of the referee crew?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with David Hitz, a mental performance coach for athletes and one of the people behind Athlete Narrative, to talk about the mental side of youth sports and how families can better understand the recruiting process. David shares practical insight on confidence, mindset, helping athletes get noticed, and what parents and coaches can do to support kids who want to grow, compete, and reach the next level.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. What does a mental performance coach actually do?
2. What’s one of the biggest mental-side challenges you see in youth sports today?
3. What led you to get involved with Athlete Narrative and helping athletes through the recruiting process?
4. What’s something about recruiting that would surprise most parents or athletes?
5. If a parent knows nothing about helping their athlete get “found,” what process should they start with?

Bonus Question:
What golden tip would you give every coach or parent for helping athletes with the mental side of the game?

In this episode of Uncoached, I sit down with Morgan Schill, Founder of the Positive Play Project, to talk about creating better youth sports experiences for kids, parents, and volunteer coaches. Morgan shares insights from her background as a former college athlete, coach, and sports mom, including how adults can build more positive team environments, balance hard coaching with fun, and help young athletes love sports beyond the scoreboard.

Questions we cover in this episode:

1. When you look at youth sports today, what’s something adults have normalized that you think is actually hurting kids?
2. A lot of parents and coaches say they want kids to love sports long term, so why do you think so many athletes eventually stop playing?
3. Can there be a balance between coaching hard and having fun?
4. What’s something you’ve seen a coach or parent do that completely changed the emotional tone of a team, either positively or negatively?
5. If a volunteer coach wants to create a better environment but is figuring it out as they go, where should they start?

Bonus Question:
What’s the number one thing we can all do to help create a more positive environment for kids?