9. Amit Chitre: Talent is the floor. Character is the ceiling.

12. Matt Dumouchelle: Building a Youth Sports System That Develops Every Kid

My guest this week is Matt Dumouchelle, a former sports broadcaster turned team builder who has worked across professional basketball, baseball and junior hockey before turning his attention to the foundations of youth sport. Through his "Hockey Factories" series with The Coaches Site, Matt has studied 15 of the most successful development programs around the world. What he discovered is that the things setting these programs apart are rarely about money or facilities — they're about structure, alignment, communication and a genuine commitment to long-term development. While we tend to obsess over identifying the best nine-year-old, the programs that succeed for decades are busy developing every kid in the building. During our conversation, Matt shared a lot of insight into creating a youth sports experience that serves everyone enrolled, not just the elite few. We discuss why the best ten-year-old is rarely the best sixteen-year-old, how "winning replaces development" when expectations aren't set, and the importance of the triangle between organizations, coaches and families. This conversation is a must-listen for parents, coaches and association leaders alike. Whether it's the words we choose on the car ride home or the way we define a successful season, Matt and I explore the small — and often free — decisions that add up to a sports experience kids actually want to keep coming back to. Episode Sponsor: Bare Ware: Use code SPORTS15 at checkout to get 15% off your order. 👉 shopbareware.com [http://shopbareware.com] To connect with Matt: * Website: www.mattdumouchelle.com [http://www.mattdumouchelle.com] * LinkedIn: Matt Dumouchelle [https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-dumouchelle-87666176/] * Hockey Factories Column: The Coaches Site [https://www.thecoachessite.com/] To connect with Jason: * Website: jasonmagennis.com [http://jasonmagennis.com] * LinkedIn: Jason Magennis [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmagennis/] * Instagram: @youthsportsunitedpod [https://www.instagram.com/youthsportsunitedpod/] or @jasmagenni [https://www.instagram.com/jasmagenni/] The best way to support Youth Sport United is to subscribe or follow, leave a rating or review and share your favourite episodes with friends and parents dedicated to creating healthy sporting cultures for our kids. If you’d like to learn more about my coaching practice, head over to jasonmagennis.com [http://jasonmagennis.com].

11. Kayla Buck: Normalizing Parent Uncertainty in Youth Sports

My guest this week is Kayla Buck, a Certified Mental Performance Consultant who supports athletes, performers and coaches to develop the mental skills needed to perform under pressure while supporting their overall wellbeing. Recently, Kayla has expanded her practice to support parents navigating the youth sports landscape. She believes that while athletes get coached and coaches get trained, parents are often left to figure it out on their own - despite playing a critical role in shaping their child’s experience. During our conversation, Kayla shares a lot of insight into the benefits of approaching the role of youth sports parent with a learner’s mindset. We discuss navigating vulnerability and failure, strategies to manage the pressure and expectations our kids may be feeling and the importance of understanding your “why” when encouraging your children to sign-up. This conversation is a must-listen for parents looking to explore their own relationship with sports to better support their children. That tension and uncertainty you’re feeling is normal, and Kayla and I explore how you can recognize it and pivot to create really positive sports experiences for your kids. Episode Sponsor: Bare Ware: Use code SPORTS15 at checkout to get 15% off your order. 👉 shopbareware.com [http://shopbareware.com] To connect with Kayla: * LinkedIn: Kayla Buck [https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaylabuck/] * Instagram: @kaylabuck.onpurpose [https://www.instagram.com/kaylabuck.onpurpose] To connect with Jason: * Website: jasonmagennis.com [http://jasonmagennis.com] * LinkedIn: Jason Magennis [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmagennis/] * Instagram: @youthsportsunitedpod [https://www.instagram.com/youthsportsunitedpod/] or @jasmagenni [https://www.instagram.com/jasmagenni/] The best way to support Youth Sport United is to subscribe or follow, leave a rating or review and share your favourite episodes with friends and parents dedicated to creating healthy sporting cultures for our kids. If you’d like to learn more about my coaching practice, head over to jasonmagennis.com [http://jasonmagennis.com].

10. Keirsten Sires: Navigating NIL & Putting Athlete Mental Health First

This week’s episode features Keirsten Sires, former NCAA athlete and founder of 2aDays.com [http://2aDays.com], a recruiting platform focused on giving student athletes transparency into collegiate athletic programs. Keirsten joined me today to help unpack NIL - Name, Image, and Likeness. For us Canadians, NIL is not an everyday term - it refers to an athlete's ability to generate revenue for the use of their name, image or likeness. Today we discuss NIL's impact on college sports in the US, and how it's trickled all the way to the youth sports level. During our conversation, Keirsten and I discuss both the positive and negative impacts of NIL on college athletes and how the promise of income playing college sports is influencing decisions being made at the high school level, and sometimes even earlier. We speak candidly about the complexity of NIL and how it’s changing the way parents view their “investment” in youth sports, adding pressure to athletes’ experiences. Most of all, Keirsten is a strong advocate for protecting the mental health of student athletes and you can feel her passion for creating safe spaces for kids to pursue their athletic dreams. This was an eye-opening conversation for me and a glimpse into a world I don’t fully understand. I felt my feelings on the topics change as we spoke and I left with a strong sense of empathy for those navigating such a complex environment. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did. Episode Sponsor: Bare Ware: Use code SPORTS15 at checkout to get 15% off your order. 👉 shopbareware.com [http://shopbareware.com] To learn more about 2aDays: * Website: https://www.2adays.com [https://www.2adays.com] * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/2adays/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/2adays/] * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/2adays_ratings/ [https://www.instagram.com/2adays_ratings/] * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/2adays/ [https://www.facebook.com/2adays/] * Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@2adays [https://www.tiktok.com/@2adays] * Newsletter Subscribe: http://2adays.com/referrals/LinkedInNewsletter-030625 [http://2adays.com/referrals/LinkedInNewsletter-030625] To connect with Jason: * Website: jasonmagennis.com [http://jasonmagennis.com] * LinkedIn: Jason Magennis [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmagennis/] * Instagram: @youthsportsunitedpod [https://www.instagram.com/youthsportsunitedpod/] or @jasmagenni [https://www.instagram.com/jasmagenni/] The best way to support Youth Sport United is to subscribe or follow, leave a rating or review and share your favourite episodes with friends and parents dedicated to creating healthy sporting cultures for our kids. If you’d like to learn more about my coaching practice, head over to jasonmagennis.com [http://jasonmagennis.com].

9. Amit Chitre: Talent is the floor. Character is the ceiling.

On today’s episode I sit down with Amit Chitre, strategic communications consultant and author of the Amazon Best Seller The Other Playbook. Our conversation centres on the idea that we all have our own personal brand and how we show up in the world is a demonstration of our values. Through our conversation, Amit explains how The Other Playbook originated in a corporate training he was executing with senior leaders, helping them build better versions of themselves. A father of three sports-centric boys, Amit saw the need to bring the idea of personal branding to youth sports and wrote the book to help kids, teams and coaches identify their personal values and create personal brands that contribute to their success.  Amit and I cover a lot of ground here, including how perceptions last and can impact an athlete's opportunities, how the parent, coach, athlete ecosystem creates a container for growth and development and how to help teens navigate the constant comparison they experience on social media. We discuss in detail the importance of embracing setbacks and how most athletic journeys are not a linear path. This episode is full of practical tools to teach your kids the importance of embracing values and showing up as the best version of themselves. I know I took a lot away from it. Episode Sponsor: Bare Ware: Use code SPORTS15 at checkout to get 15% off your order. 👉 shopbareware.com [http://shopbareware.com] To learn more about Amit: * Website: www.theotherplaybook.pro [http://www.theotherplaybook.pro] * Amazon Best-Seller! Search: Amazon + The Other Playbook [https://www.amazon.ca/Other-Playbook-Lessons-Student-Athlete-Teaches/dp/B0FMLWQPLF/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3PENNQZU9X980&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ppbCx3oxeSIIf8dGrofYfzI2i2I12Gz-oQ5eWRJobixEjSrJMySOvQsFTSmAeaLk86DM8iS9gbuIqqAwpVf-wtCpVN1xsrTs2dewkE2uyMz5LinCbxMwxB4FeSWeXq4-cklEhaTSXvn6iNVGWcwUR6XXCkpurMrins2XVcLual1dJaSZZKtdBUdSPd1I1DNm-HdTGqQ46QHw-0gb-5j6FdJN2DGGxutFaYNh1xnwlI0PZztIHNhfv1wsss2pVR17vDNlSvRUVxBIv5qj6pXpA9TJBbM3gwbROYNEJ2n9_jY.ZxAF7OeN7CAU1GpdV9L42Ev_6b3pUhVShTnGA3qEAmg&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+other+playbook&qid=1776087669&sprefix=the+other+playbook%2Caps%2C110&sr=8-1] * LinkedIn: Amit Chitre [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitchitre/] * Email: Amit@r3communications.pro [Amit@r3communications.pro] To connect with Jason: * Website: jasonmagennis.com [http://jasonmagennis.com] * LinkedIn: Jason Magennis [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmagennis/] * Instagram: @youthsportsunitedpod [https://www.instagram.com/youthsportsunitedpod/] or @jasmagenni [https://www.instagram.com/jasmagenni/] The best way to support Youth Sport United is to subscribe or follow, leave a rating or review and share your favourite episodes with friends and parents dedicated to creating healthy sporting cultures for our kids. If you’d like to learn more about my coaching practice, head over to jasonmagennis.com/coaching [http://jasonmagennis.com/coaching].

8. PlayMakersUSA: Creating a Love for Sport in Children

On today’s episode I chat with Jeoff De Waele and Brian Conklin, two of the three partners in PlayMakersUSA. Situated in West Linn, Oregon, PlayMakersUSA is a community-based youth sports program focused on helping youth athletes grow on and off the field. Their objective is simple: deliver a program that creates a pathway to personal growth for their players by integrating educational components that help build well-rounded individuals. During this conversation, Brian, Jeoff and I discuss PlayMakersUSA’s focus on fun and skill development and how it plays a crucial role in removing the stress from youth sports. We discuss the importance of establishing a love of sport first instead of jumping immediately into pressure-filled situations with young athletes - avoiding this pressure early on keeps kids playing longer and leads to better outcomes. We also discuss the role of parents in creating healthy sport cultures, how to innovate to create fun sporting environments, and how focusing on enjoyment and participation early builds the foundation for long-term athletic success.   It was a pleasure to speak with Brian and Jeoff and learn more about their very original approach. There’s a lot here to help coaches, parents, and youth sport administrators think differently about the experiences we’re creating for our kids.   Episode Sponsor: Bare Ware: Use code SPORTS15 at checkout to get 15% off your order. 👉 shopbareware.com [http://shopbareware.com] To learn more about PlayMakersUSA: * Website: https://www.playmakersusa.com/ [https://www.playmakersusa.com/] * Instagram: @play.makers.usa [https://www.instagram.com/play.makers.usa/] To connect with Jason: * Website: jasonmagennis.com [http://jasonmagennis.com] * LinkedIn: Jason Magennis [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonmagennis/] * Instagram: @youthsportsunitedpod [https://www.instagram.com/youthsportsunitedpod/] or @jasmagenni [https://www.instagram.com/jasmagenni/] The best way to support Youth Sport United is to subscribe or follow, leave a rating or review and share your favourite episodes with friends and parents dedicated to creating healthy sporting cultures for our kids. If you’d like to learn more about my coaching practice, head over to jasonmagennis.com/coaching [http://jasonmagennis.com/coaching].