Parenting Peak Performers Podcast

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Latest Episodes:

Pressure and the Impacts to Mental Health with Dr. Hendrie Weisinger Oct 11, 2021

“The biggest differentiator between people who do well in a pressure moment versus people who do below their capability is perception of the situation. You have to befriend it.” - Dr. Hendrie Weisinger

Dr. Hendrie Weisinger is a world-renowned psychologist and author of the recent New York Times Bestseller, Performing Under Pressure. He has spent three decades helping individuals and organizations enhance their performance through his innovative applications based in clinical, counseling, social, organizational and evolutionary psychology. He’s a popular blogger for Psychology Today, Huffington Post, Execunet.com and Lifehack.org.

In this episode, Dr. Weisinger and I talk about the pressure athletes feel during and leading up to the games and how it impacts their mental health. Dr. Weisinger discusses the pressure from parents of athletes and how it differs from supportive parenting, drawing from practical applications from his book. He also provides advice and suggestions for parents who want to switch things up and for athletes who want to instill confidence in themselves.

Resources:

Performing Under Pressure: The Science of Doing Your Best When It Matters Most by Dr. Hendrie Weisinger and J. P. Pawliw-Fry
The Unlikely Art of Parental Pressure: A Positive Approach to Pushing Your Child to Be Their Best Self by Christopher A. Thurber and Hendrie Weisinger
Dr. Hendrie Weisinger’s other books

The Sports Parenting Experience with Shari Medini Mar 19, 2021

“They need someone outside of their sport to talk to about it. I never want my kids to feel like if they had a bad practice that I’m also going to be mad that they had a bad practice. How can we be that support? We should be their biggest advocate, but that does not mean that we’re marching onto the fields demanding more playing time or more personal attention. That’s a different kind of thing. We need to be making sure that holistically they’re doing ok as a human being. That’s the most important job that we have.” - Shari Medini

Shari Medini is the co-author of Parenting While Working from Home: A Monthly Guide to Help Parents Balance Their Careers, Connect with Their Kids, and Establish Their Inner Strength and the co-owner of AdoreThemParenting.com. Her parenting articles have been published in dozens of print and online publications. Shari’s past experience includes working with children and families in the mental health field, mentoring and speaking as a mindset coach and working as a freelance writer and marketing strategist for companies across the country.

In this episode, Shari and I talk about raising young athletes. Shari is a former collegiate gymnast and is a mind coach. She discusses the role her parents and her experiences as an athlete play into how she’s raising her young athletes. She also shares about her book and what kind of feedback she has received from readers. Listen to her advice for parents of young athletes and what they need to do in July to prepare for youth sports season in the upcoming year.

Resources:

Adore Them Parenting
Co-author of Parenting While Working from Home: A Monthly Guide to Help Parents Balance Their Careers, Connect with Their Kids, and Establish Their Inner Strength by Karissa Tunis and Shari Medini

Sports psychiatry with Dr. Rolando Gonzalez Jan 17, 2021

“As parents, you guys are probably the best monitors of your children’s behavior because you’ve been watching them from the time they were born, and honestly, you’re a better expert on your child than I am so I tend to trust parents on that.” - Dr. Rolando Gonzalez

Dr. Rolando Gonzalez is a sports psychiatrist who provides mental health care for children through young adulthood with the Lee Physician Group and Golisano Children's Hospital in Fort Myers, Florida. He previously worked at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Miami, where he completed his fellowship training in child and adolescent psychiatry. He provides mental health care and treatment for elite and competitive athletes through all competitive levels, including athletes with disabilities. He provides initial consultation with a focus on specialized care that compasses diagnostic clarification, medication management, and individual therapy. He serves on both the Youth and Outreach Committees of the International Society for Sports Psychiatry.

In this episode, Rolando and I talk about the difference between sports psychology and sports psychiatry and some of the common disorders he sees among the athletes he works with. We also discuss what parents need to know about traumatic brain injuries and his position on performance enhancing drugs. Join us as he also explains why it’s important for parents to help their child cope with the changes and maintain structure and a routine during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Resources:

On Coaching Parents with Anthony Telford Apr 30, 2020

“We’ve asked the kids - do you like it better here now that your parents are outside? And, unfortunately, a lot of them say ‘yes.’” -- Anthony Telford

Anthony Telford spent 9 seasons as a MLB pitcher, but now he’s a father and a coach who works closely with both up-and-coming athletes and their parents.

So how does Anthony perceive the parent-athlete relationship?

What are the pandemic restrictions teaching him about his athlete’s relationships with their parents?

Why does he have a Parent Penalty Box at his training facility?

In this episode, Anthony details his journey to and through the MLB as well as his current role as a coach of both young athletes and their parents. This discussion is challenging, convicting, and well worth a listen, so take some notes and be sure to share your perspective with me on Instagram at @sportpsychworks or leave comments at https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

About Former MLB Pitcher Anthony Telford

Anthony Telford, a retired MLB pitcher who played for the Baltimore Orioles, the Montreal Expos, and the Texas Rangers over the course of his career in professional baseball. In college he played for San José State University. Today, Anthony has a renown training facility - The Zone - in Tampa Bay, Florida - where he coaches players of all ages and levels.

Becoming a Reformed Sports Parent with Nick Buonocore Apr 23, 2020

“You’re a lot more than the sport you play. You’re a human being too, and sometimes that gets lost.” - Nick Buonocore

For a lot of families, their traditional view of sports has changed. What was once a tool for exercise, discipline, and fun is now perceived as a vehicle to college scholarships. The mindsets of athletes, and sports parents, have shifted as a result.

With us today is Nick Buonocore, a former professional athlete and the founder of Reformed Sports Parent, a collective of former coaches and athletes with the mission of providing “information, expertise, and first-hand insight to support responsible decision-making and thoughtful planning for the well-rounded personal development of young athletes.”

Join us as we discuss Nick’s athletic history, parenting, and what it means to be a reformed sports parent.

What’s Your Take?

Let us know what you took from today’s episode by contacting Kathy at @sportpsychworks or leave comments at https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Scott Eyre on Coaching after Life in Major League Baseball Jan 24, 2020

“I would get nervous for the kids. I wanted them to succeed so much because that’s what I wanted. I hated losing when I was in high school. I didn’t want the kids to feel that. I wanted them to win.” --Scott Eyre

35% on any academic test is a failure. In baseball, batting 300 (or having a 3/10 success rate at the plate) is excellent - even in the MLB.

Former major league baseball pitcher Scott Eyre knows this all too well. The left-handed pitcher played for the Chicago White Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, San Francisco Giants, Chicago Cubs, and Philadelphia Phillies. Eyre played from 1997 - 2009, ending his career on game 6 of the World Series. Eyre won a World Series Championship the year prior with the Phillies, appearing in game 2 with no runs and no hits.

Now, Eyre is a husband with two sons attending Purdue University in the fall. Scott has been a baseball coach since 2011 and is currently continuing his coaching career.

In this episode, Scott and I talk through…

His journey to professional baseball
Watching his children play sports after living the professional athlete dream
Being competitive and growing up in an athletically-competent family
Coaching baseball after playing in the Major Leagues
How excellence in baseball is still “failure”

This episode will curb your curiosity about life as a professional athlete while offering powerful insights on parenting and coaching after your own sports career is complete.

Questions? Comments? Let’s talk!

Want to dive deeper into today’s episode? Connect with us on Instagram at @sportpsychworks or leave comments at https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Jill Wheeler on Expedition Mentality & Letting Your Child Choose Jan 17, 2020

“When someone tells you who they are or someone tells you what they want, believe them.” -- Jill Wheeler

It’s a new year, a new decade, and a new special series for Parenting Peak Performers. We couldn’t be more thrilled about this episode with adventure therapist, speaker, writer, athlete, and yoga instructor, Jill Wheeler. As the founder and director of the Wellfit Institute, Jill combines life coaching and the power of nature to produce impactful adult therapy. Jill is a licensed mental health and licensed professional counselor, who creates transformational and empowering experiences for individuals, groups, and communities in personal and business sectors.

When the new year comes around, we tell ourselves we’ll try new things. Conquering a new task is thrilling, and a great way to build confidence. As parents, we want our kids to feel that success, and when we spot talent in them, we’re quick to take them to tryouts.

But what happens when your teen tells you they don’t want to go?

Today, Jill and I discuss

Expedition mentality
How to make an agreement with your teen about trying something new
The benefits of self-enrollment and empowering your teen to choose
How forced entry into sports can break relationships, motivation, and trust

And so much more!

Keep up with Jill at jillwheeler.com and learn more about Wellfit Girls here.

Let's Talk About It!

I love your questions, comments, and reviews. If something in this episode got you thinking, let’s talk about it! Send your questions and comments to @sportpsychworks or

https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Chris Edwards on Fitness: Why It’s Vital and Not Enough Jan 10, 2020

“I realized that people needed more than just fitness to reach their health and wellness goals.” --Chris Edwards

How can we be healthy? Really? It’s a question humans have been asking for most of history - and yet, it always seems like there are new quick fixes or conflicting research. During his studies in professional training, Chris Edwards realized that fitness - while vital - isn’t enough to take people to their peak level of health.

So what is? And how can we help our kids get there? Chris believes health and wellness is a family matter, and he gives three tips for success in family health.

1.Everyone has to be on board.

2.Gain an education (don’t worry - Chris will give legitimate resources)

3.Focus on nutrition first.

Information is power, and Chris drops a lot of it in this episode.

About Chris and TriCore Wellness

Chris Edwards is a Fitness and Wellness Professional with over 14 years of experience specializing in personal fitness and wellness management. He holds multiple certifications and achievements in the fitness and wellness industry, is an accomplished competitive powerlifter, and is the owner and founder of TriCore Wellness.

TriCore Wellness is a wellness management company that specializes in Personalized Health Coaching. TriCore captures and analyzes information about your Fitness, Nutrition, and Recovery to develop plans, coaching, and analysis for you to achieve any health and wellness goals.

Keep the Conversation Going

The episode is over, but the conversation doesn’t have to be. Send me your thoughts or questions about this episode at @sportpsychworks or https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Dr. Greg Rubin on Identifying and Treating Sports-Related Concussions Jul 30, 2019

How can we keep our kids safe while they play the sports they love?

Today marks the end of Parenting Peak Performer’s 4th season, and as we wrap up, we’re going to pivot away from talking about the coach’s perspective. Instead, we’re closing our season with another vital topic for parents of athletically-involved kids.

Safety.

No incredible athletic achievement is worth it if our kids’ health is at stake.

To help me process how parents can keep their kids safe on the court and field, I’ve brought in Dr. Greg Rubin. Dr. Rubin is a board-certified internal medicine physician with added qualifications in sport medicine. He established and staffs a walk-in clinic in Naples Florida. He’s the co-founder of The Sports Med Review, a website focused on providing open-access information to sports medicine physicians.

In this episode, you’re going to hear Dr. Rubin discuss perhaps the most frequent injury in sports medicine: concussions.

Today, We’re Answering Key Questions about Concussions

What is a concussion? And what is “second impact syndrome?”
How can you identify them?
How should a concussion be treated?
What can parents do to prevent them?
What can we do to speed up recovery?

There’s so much we can do to prevent and treat concussions for young athletes, which is why this episode is absolutely essential for any parent with sports-active children.

Want to join the conversation?

Let me know what you like in this episode or what you’re curious about by sending your questions and comments to @sportpsychworks or

https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

On Confidence - What It Is, How To Build It, and How To Get It Back with Coach Micheal Burt Jul 24, 2019

“When I was a high school basketball coach, I wrote down on a napkin one day that a child with confidence will try anything. Whether they succeed or not, they will try. An insecure child will always contract to a place of comfort, a place of security, a place of complacency.”

-Micheal Burt

When it comes to understanding what makes peak performers tick, there’s no one better than Coach Micheal Burt. Burt, a former championship women’s basketball coach, is used to coaching go-getters, so it’s no surprise to learn that his track record is filled with outstanding accomplishments.

The 13x best-selling author of titles like “Person of Interest,” “Million Dollar Follow Up,” and “Inside the Mind of a Monster” also holds the world record for the most speaking engagements in one day: 41. If you’re scratching your head at how anyone can fit 41 talks in a 24 hour period, you’re not alone. Burt has a long list of near-impossible accomplishments that give him compelling stories and keen insights for driving success.

Burt has mastered the art of instilling contagious confidence in those he communicates with. He knows how to “inner engineer” people to win at the highest levels. With deep methodology in coaching the whole person, Burt retired at age 31 to create the coaching program Monster Producer which has quickly grown to over 700 participants around the world.

Today Michael talks with us about confidence - what it is, how to build it, and how to get it back when it’s been lost. This conversation speaks to me so deeply because it’s applicable not only to those peak performers were trying to raise, but also to ourselves.

If something in this podcast ignited your confidence, tell me about it. Share what stood out to you through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact. You can also keep up with Coach Burt on his website at http://www.coachburt.com or find him on facebook as MICHEALBURT.

Steve Mellor on Transferring High-Level Athletic Traits to Non-Athletic Careers Jul 16, 2019

What key traits make a person successful inside and outside of athletics? And how can athletes find an identity outside of their sport?

My conversation with LSU assistant swim coach Steve Mellor addresses these questions, as well as the important relationship between an athlete and coach. In addition, we discuss how parents can encourage their students to speak up, in a respectful manner, in the pressure-filled collegiate sports environment.

I’m thrilled to have Steve Mellor on the show today because he has deep experience as both a high-level competitor and coach. Mellor began his illustrious swimming career in his home country, England, where he competed at an international level before making his way to the States to swim for North Carolina State in 2005.

During his time as a collegiate swimmer, Mellor racked in an astonishing list of achievements.

Set two NC State swim records — one for the 200-back and another for the 400 IM
Received All - ACC honors from 2007 to 2009
Qualified for the NCAA three times, with a top - 18 finish in the 200-back in 2008
Achieved a world-ranked status in 2005 and 2008, being named in the top 50 for the 200-

meter backstroke
Competed as a finalist in 2008’s US Open

Mellor has now served as LSU’s Assistant Swim Coach for 5 years, where he’s helped guide a number of student-athletes to SEC and NCAA Championships.

You’re going to love Mellor’s unique, dual insights as both an athlete and a coach, and if you want more of what you heard today, go check out Steve’s podcast Career Competitor. It offers personal interviews that help reveal shared traits among competitors in high-level sports, and how those traits can be applied to careers outside of athletic competition.

Have a question or comment about today’s episode, or have a topic you’d love for me to cover on an upcoming show? Reach out to me on social media at @sportpsychworks or through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact. We’ll see you again next week!

Melissa Jackson on Finding Balance as a Professional Athlete and Parent Jul 10, 2019

“There are boundaries, there are expectations, and there’s a balance between play and work.” -Melissa Jackson

For nationally and internationally acclaimed dressage competitor, horse trainer, and my guest today Melissa Jackson, the quote applies to both building a relationship with a horse partner and parenting kids.

On today’s podcast, I talk with Jackson about a variety of topics including:

The crossover between training horses and coaching kids
What her career as a professional athlete taught her kids about flexibility, understanding, and sacrifice
Processing her younger daughter’s decision to end her basketball career after high school
Learning how to play a parenting role rather than a coaching role, and communicating with her daughters after basketball games
The biggest challenge for sports parents today (it starts with a B)

I’ve been honored to know Melissa Jackson, my guest today, for more than 20 years, both as my own daughter’s dressage coach and as a friend.

What is dressage? It’s an artistic and competitive style of horseback riding that requires intense skill and dedication to master. Jackson has undoubtedly achieved that mastery.

Jackson is a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medalist and a graduate of the L Judges program. Her great success in both National and International competitions earned her and her partner at the time, Wellington, invitations to the Festival of Champions in 2006 and 2007. This partnership went on to Germany to successfully compete and train under Hubertus Schmidt, at the Grand Prix Level. Melissa secured the ride on Whirlpool, aka “Hooli” in August 2013. She now competes with her new partner, Domani. In their first year at the FEI level Melissa and Domani qualified and competed in the Markel/USDF Developing Prix St. George championships, finishing 4th overall in the country.

I’ve learned so much from Jackson over the years, and I know you’re going to walk away from today’s episode with a great perspective to pull you through the week. If something strikes you during our conversation, I’d love to hear from you! Connect with me on social media @sportpsychworks or through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Melissa Jackson Bio

Melissa Jackson a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold Medalist and a graduate from the L Judges program, has had great success at the National and International levels. She has earned several regional titles and horse of the year awards. She owns and operates Windfall Farms, a small dressage training facility, located in Parrish, Fl. Melissa has trained with many top dressage athletes and trainers such as Hubertus Schmidt and Johann Hinnemann. She is most known for the success she achieved with her past dressage partner, Wellington.

Highlighting their career with an invitation to the Festival of Champions in 2006 and 2007. This partnership went on to Germany to successfully compete and train under Hubertus Schmidt, at the Grand Prix Level.

Melissa secured the ride on Whirlpool, aka “Hooli” in August 2013. With many career highlights together including USDF Region 3 Intermediate Champion and Prix St. George reserve Champion. They competed in the 2014 Festival of Champions, finishing 11th. And finish their career together by competing back to back years in the 2015 Festival of Champions.

With the support of her husband, John, and daughters, Jessica and Faith, Melissa is able to pursue her lifelong dream of one day representing the United States. They have recently purchased a new partner, Domani. In their first year at the FEI level Melissa and Domani qualified and competed in the Markel/USDF Developing Prix St. George championships, finishing 4th overall in the country. She feels thankful and blessed to have an amazing family, happy, healthy horses, and such supportive clients and friends.

Episode 62: Chris Resop on Discipline and Fun as a Father, Coach, and Retired Pro Jun 25, 2019

We’re not just teaching these kids the game of baseball, we’re teaching them how to be teammates and how to be better kids. - Chris Resop

Chris Resop has a very successful Real Estate career in Naples, FL, and is a former professional baseball player. Chris was born and raised in Naples and graduated from Barron G. Collier High School in 2001. He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in 2001 in the 4th round of the Major League Baseball draft, and played for fourteen years before retiring after the 2014 season. He and his wife (also from Naples!) returned home to raise their two kids. Since retiring Resop has become a successful Real Estate agent, following his passion for design and architecture and a long family lineage of developers in Florida. Hard work is all he’s known, and it paid off! Chris is ranked in the top 1% in the country amongst Real Estate agents, and in addition to attributing the work ethic he established in baseball he says positive thinking and coming back after failure is key to this success. In this episode, Chris and Kathy talk about creating a culture of discipline on his teams, and the impulse to rush in and help as a parent or coach when independence can actually be one of the most valuable lessons in teaching young athletes! Chris shares important reminders to let go of performance (leaving it on the field) at the end of the day, that baseball is a game of failure, and that in any sport when the games become a job it’s time to walk away. Chris was offered a full ride to the University of Miami to play baseball at the same time as his draft onto the Marlins, and also shares how his parents supported his decision to take a chance at achieving his goal to play in the MLB. As a former professional player, a dad, and a coach, Chris has learned so much about the balance of when support is too much and when it’s not enough. His work ethic and insight into all three roles really make this episode one not to miss. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. Kathy would also love to hear from you! Connect with her on social media @sportpsychworks and through:

www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Episode 61: Carma and Tony Poppens on Farming, Family, and Fatigue Jun 18, 2019

Along with all the negative, you need some positive reinforcement. - Carma Poppens

Nothing is ever easy, for me, it’s the same as farming… you keep doing the job until it’s done. Role modeling, doing by example is worth more than words. - Tony Poppens

In this episode Kathy is joined by Carma and Tony Poppens, the proud parents of retired professional basketball player Chelsea Poppens. Chelsea began her career playing AAU basketball beginning the summer of her seventh-grade year. During that time the family spent summers on the road together, driving one hour and ten minutes to practice twice a week! They were gone many weekends, slowing down during her Junior year of high school after fatigue and burnout took their toll. She went on to attend Iowa State for four years and played professional basketball after her ISU season was done. She finished her career at age 27 in December of 2018. Carma and Tony live on a farm in Aplington, Iowa. After many dedicated years in the stands, it was difficult for them not to be able to attend all of her professional games overseas, but they enjoyed reading about and watching her games online! Chelsea holds an impressive record at Iowa State, being one of only two players to achieve more than 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds in the history of the Iowa State women’s basketball program. She was drafted in the second round of the WNBA and played for the San Antonio Stars. Carma and Tony discuss Chelsea’s experiences growing up on a farm and her determination and dedication to play. They credit her competitive nature, ability to return to sports after long seasons, and “never give up” attitude with her sports performance. Unlike many professional athletes, Chelsea did not spend her early years specializing in basketball, but played soccer and ran on the state level in track and field at the high school level. In addition, her upbringing living on a working farm and being coached by both Tony and Carma contributed to their close family dynamic. In her four years at Iowa State, Tony only missed attending two (home and away) games! Their family is such an incredible example for other sports parents, and they advise parents in the thick of trying to find a good balance to listen to their children, especially allowing independence in their drive and dedication to reach their individual goals. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. Kathy would also love to hear from you! Connect with her on social media @sportpsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Episode 60: Ken Andiorio on Finding Your Why and Overcoming Failure Jun 11, 2019

The only thing that you can control is your work ethic. - Ken Andiorio

Ken Andiorio is an athletic director at the high school level in Naples, FL. He grew up in New Jersey, playing sports on organized teams and with his neighborhood friends. Through some positive peer pressure, he went on to a successful high school football career and played for and traveled with the Rutgers University Scarlet Knights. He credits the teamwork and cooperation he learned and coaching he received from sports as shaping much of who has become, and as life took him through business and then into education, sports was something he continued to gravitate towards. When the opportunity came to serve as the Activities Coordinator at Collier County Schools in Naples, he gladly took it. He is fresh off completing his fifth year in that position, and after 25 years working with students and parents and seventeen years teaching, he has learned a tremendous amount! In this episode, Kathy and Ken dig into risk and navigating the possibility of success and failure with student-athletes, parents allowing students to risk, fail, and learn to fail well - overcoming obstacles and not allowing failure to be a deterrent. Ken encourages that purpose, not a failure, defines you and has great words of wisdom for parents working with their athletes to determine their “Why?”. He outlines two common types of athletes he works with, and the qualities that make a successful athlete; internal motivation, enjoyment of the activity, development of a work ethic, and the ability to deal with adversity. He stresses supporting your child, encouraging improvement and following the direction of the coaching staff, and going together to reach goals. He shares his experiences of seeing successful parents model failure for student-athletes, letting them have the experience and standing beside them, while stressing that athletes be responsible for their behaviors and the consequences. He also shares fantastic advice for students currently transitioning from the high school level to collegiate athletics. Parents, we encourage you to share this episode with your athletes! If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. Kathy would love to hear from you! Connect with her on social media @sportpsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Episode 59: Dr. Alise Bartley on Coaching Yourself First Jun 04, 2019

“I think it’s really important that all of us are reflecting on those micro communications...because our actions speak louder than our words.”

Dr. Alise G. Bartley is a marriage and family therapist that has been helping families, couples, and individuals for over 25 years. She earned her MA in Counseling and Human Development from Walsh University and her Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from The University of Akron. Her focus is on helping those who are struggling with their mental wellness from a relationship perspective. She believes that no one lives life in isolation and that we are greatly impacted by those around us. Since no one therapy fits everyone, she uses a combination of theoretical orientations to provide a customized therapeutic experience including Emotionally Focused Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Her areas of expertise include relationship issues such as communication issues, parenting, healthy sexual functioning, along with depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder, and personality disorders. She has helped clients work through a diversity of situations including divorce, shared parenting, family business stressors, trauma, developmental issues, education exploration, and LGBT.

In this episode, Kathy and Alise dive into what it looks like to model understanding and reflection in our own behaviors and recognize that our children are learning from us and how we are responding to our environment. Alise explains that it’s important to reinforce important behaviors in ourselves if we expect those behaviors in our kids. “How we respond to events sets the stage for how you and your child can work together.” They also touch on the special “car time” that happens with parents to and from sporting events.

Episode 58: Chris and Holly Santillo on the Parent as Teacher May 21, 2019

If you allow a child to discover the answer it is far more effective than just providing that answer. - Holly Santillo

Chris Santillo is the founder and head instructor at Potomac Kempo, a martial arts studio with four locations in Alexandria, Virginia. Holly Santillo is the founding conductor of Mount Vernon Children’s Choir and a Senior Instructor at Potomac Kempo. Together they have been working with and educating children for more than thirty-five years. Chris has a degree in computer science from Harvey Mudd College and an MBA from Georgetown University and Holly has a degree in anthropology from Willamette University. In Chris and Holly’s Book, Resilience Parenting, they share the insights they have gained as teachers and parents. They offer positive alternatives to lecturing, bribing, and punishing; focusing instead on three pillars: Learning, Integrity, and Service. Chris and Holly tell us that by applying these powerful principles, you can inspire your children to develop the independence they need to succeed as adults, while renewing their connection to family and community. Whether you are raising a teenager or just starting your family, the methods prescribed in this book will help you unlock your greatest potential as a parent. In this episode Kathy and the Santillo’s discuss teachable skills such as cultivating confidence in your athletes through a balance of independence and connectedness. They share their three pillars of love of learning, becoming people of service, and acting as people of integrity and the growth that has come from utilizing their role as teachers with their family. They stress the curiosity of having an empty cup, assessing when kids are ready, the spiral method, keeping a lesson plan in mind as parents and coaches, and recognizing opportunities for spontaneous learning. Chris and Holly impart so much wisdom in this episode, especially the importance of sharing your failures with your kids far more than successes! Chris and Holly are currently traveling around the world with their family, and you can follow along at https://fivebackpacks.family. If you enjoyed this episode please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen.

Episode 57: Winston White on Staying Hydrated this Summer May 14, 2019

"Prevention is better than a cure." - Winston White

Our guest this week Winston White chose soccer over a promising track and field career and went on to amass nearly 600 professional league games in the UK. His exceptional sporting background along with his Sports Business Degree and MBA qualifies him for many key posts in the sports, health, and fitness industry. He runs his own soccer agency where he manages young soccer talent and places them into professional teams in Europe. His love of sport and fitness is only matched by his expert knowledge and business acumen. His dedication and professionalism have allowed him to maintain a very impressive network of contacts in the sports and business world. Winston was appointed to Blueprint, a Caribbean soccer initiative that ultimately received FIFA funding based on his skilled consultation. He is also a qualified personal trainer and worked for the US-owned company Life Fitness for a number of years before moving to Naples five years ago via the Caribbean. His passion will always be sports, and he is dedicated to helping others live their dreams. Winston is fresh off of speaking on dehydration and youth sports. and joins Kathy to discuss the roles parents, coaches, and players play in staying properly fueled when it comes to water and sports drinks! White highlights the role of sodium for fluid retention, why it’s important to hydrate before experiencing thirst, how reducing high-sugar drinks can help an athlete excel, and his experience testing extensively whether hydration before activity can change the game. White also encourages wearing light-colored technical clothing, making modifications based on conditions, and taking breaks in intensity when activity levels and temperatures both climb up high! His smart approaches to prevention and optimization are incredibly motivating and inspirational. Parents, pass this episode on to coaches and athletes as they enter the summer season, along with a reminder to stay safe and stay hydrated! If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. Kathy would love to hear from you! Connect with her on social media @sportpsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Episode 56: Marissa Baker on the Importance of Attitude and Playing for Fun May 07, 2019

Whatever attitude or belief you are having is not only influencing the child but at a higher rate, because your child is around you all the time.- Marissa Baker

Marissa Baker was born and raised in Naples, FL and grew up playing competitive volleyball. She went on to play NCAA Division II collegiate Volleyball at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke. During her time at UNC she obtained her bachelor’s degree in Sport Management and a master’s degree in Sport Administration. She is currently the Athletic Supervisor of North Collier Regional Park, which is home to eight tournament soccer fields and five tournament softball fields. In her role, Marissa is supervising tournaments on weekend and league play throughout the week, and sees up close how sport parenting and behavior play an important role in athletic performance. Marissa has studied emotional contagion, or the concept that attitudes are picked up from person to person. She emphasizes that children pick up on cues from parents, and what happens in a moment can ripple out to what happens on the field, off the field, and even in the career world in that athlete’s future. In this episode, Marissa and Kathy discuss how she has witnessed the decline of rec sports in favor of club sports, early drop-out and burnout rates rising, and why she encourages parents not to skip the developmental level of playing simply for fun. Whether rec ball or going outside as a family and playing just for enjoyment, intentionally not skipping out on that first level is what will produce the happy pro athlete (or just a happy adult) you’re hoping to raise. Marissa also stresses how her parents encouraged her growth by taking initiative, keeping personal accountability rather than averting to others, and working through problems independently. She credits handling conflict on her own, with support, as an important tool for her growth. Marissa is the co-host of the Sun Happens Podcast, which you can tune into on Spotify, iTunes, and Google Play. She and her co-host discuss a wide range of topics centered around the “why” of faith to motivate positivity and personal growth. Their tagline, “When you can’t find it, create it.”, epitomizes the tone of this episode; her conversation with Kathy is full of positivity and motivation.

If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. Kathy would love to hear from you! Connect with her on social media @sportpsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Episode 55: Christopher Mance on Purpose and Performance Apr 30, 2019

Once they do develop a love of the sport you don’t want to take away that love. - Chris Mance

Chris attended high school in New Jersey where he was a three-sport athlete in football, wrestling, and track. He received a varsity letter in all three sports and served as the captain of both the football and wrestling teams. After high school Chris attended the United States Military Academy at West Point. At West Point he played on the Army West Point football team. Chris later went on to get a master’s degree in software engineering at Florida A&M University. After finishing grad school, Chris worked full-time as a business analyst, consultant, and project manager at Accenture, Amdocs, and Lockheed Martin for 10 years. Chris left his job at Lockheed Martin to launch the startup Nichevertising, a software solution Chris built to help emerging thought leaders engage with the journalists and influencers in their niche. However, Chris shut down the company in August 2015 because he realized that he wasn’t following his true passion – helping youth and high school athletes reach their potential and enjoy their sports journey. With the help of his long-time mentor Reggie and his company Your Crescendo Chris found this purpose. Chris started working as a consultant for Your Crescendo in 2015, but things really started to click in early 2018 when he started consulting for one of Your Crescendo's key faith-based clients. These experiences brought him closer to his faith and his purpose to serve. He realized that his purpose in life was to combine his experiences from being an entrepreneur, software engineer, project manager, consultant, coach, dad, husband, and youth sports advocate. Have you been “that parent” and later regretted casting your own ambition, disappointment, or expectations on your athlete? This episode is for you!

Chris joins Kathy to discuss finding your purpose and balance as a sport parent to perform to your strengths and act as a guide to growing athletes, rather! than a dad-coach or mom-coach. He shares his experience of developing an understanding of his own strengths and learning when to pull back. His approach shifted from feedback and self-learning, and this episode is absolutely brimming with hard-won wisdom. Chris strongly recommends parenting from your own unique strengths rather than trying to do it all, and mentions the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment. If you are interested in finding out more, find StrengthsFinder at https://www.gallupstrengthscenter.com/home/en-us/strengthsfinder. Chris can be found at http://chrismance.com, and Kathy would also love to hear from you! Connect with her on social media @sportpsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Episode 54: Dr. Robert A Weil on Podiatry in Youth Sports and his New Book, #Hey Sport Parents Apr 23, 2019

There’s so much overkill and overuse in youth sports. - Dr. Robert A Weil

Dr. Bob has treated many of the world’s premier athletes from all types of sports. He is the host of “The Sports Doctor™” Radio Show. The show is featured on BBS Radio Network, UK Health Radio Network & Sports 4 Fanz Radio. Dr. Bob was formerly on HealthyLife Radio and was also on WDCB public radio in Chicago for over 20 years. He has written articles for many newspapers and magazines, and is a frequent guest on other networks. He is a Sports Podiatrist, specializing in orthotics that improve alignment, stability, balance, and performance. This episode is packed with information from Dr. Bob! This is a fun and vital listen, as Kathy and Dr. Bob discuss his new book, “#Hey Sports Parents!”, overuse injuries, and the mental and physical challenges of youth sports, and how to deal with the pressure from both the parent perspective and athlete perspective. Dr. Bob shares his immense knowledge on how specialization and training can affect not only the feet and ankles, but the entire body. Podiatry could be the missing element from your training! Learn more from Dr. Bob on his website, http://sportsdoctorradio.com, and if you enjoy the show, please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. Kathy would love to connect with you! Find her on social media @sportpsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Episode 53: Dr. Jerry Lynch on Self-Reflection and Awareness Apr 16, 2019

In life, without self-awareness, we cut off our potential to grow in a way that we find really deep true meaning in life. - Dr. Jerry Lynch

While most would consider him simply a sports psychologist, Dr. Lynch is a coach, mentor and teacher who guides and coaches athletes and parents to explore the meaning and purpose of sport, as a powerful vehicle to help us all understand the components of the athletic game and how they apply to the bigger game called life. In the process of this exploration, overall athletic performance is greatly enhanced. Dr. Lynch has been recognized as one of the top five in his profession nationwide. He has worked with men's and women's basketball, lacrosse, soccer, tennis, golf and other sports at the universities of North Carolina, Duke, Maryland, California, Syracuse, Stanford, Harvard and Middlebury and continues to work with several teams and parent groups nationally. Several of his clients have participated in various summer and winter Olympic Games. Most recently, he has established a consultancy with Steve Kerr, head coach of the World Champion Golden State Warriors. In the past 30 years alone, he has been part of 54 Final Four and 36 National Championship at the collegiate and professional levels. Dr. Lynch is a well known and in-demand public speaker at Leadership, Coaching, athletic and corporate conventions, a national presenter of conferences, clinics and workshops for coaches, sports parents and athletes. Dr. Lynch has had extensive media interview coverage such as being an invited guest on CBS, NBC, and PBS national television, the New York Times, Oprah Magazine, Sports Illustrated, Baltimore Sun, Outside Magazine and over 50 national radio broadcasts, podcasts and webinars. Dr. Lynch received his doctorate in psychology from Penn State University, and has done extensive post-doctoral work in the area of philosophy, Taoist and Buddhist thought, comparative religions, leadership development and performance enhancement. He has been a national class athlete, having been a member of a national championship team and, to this day, continues to run and bike. He has coached at the high school level as well as AAU sports. He is the author of 13 books. Dr. Lynch is the founder and director of Way of Champions, a performance consulting group geared toward helping others master the inner game. He maintains a private practice and an extensive sports psychology consultation service. He is the father of four high energy, athletic children. He divides his time between his offices in Santa Cruz, California and Boulder, Colorado where he works and writes in the spirit of what he teaches and coaches. If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. Dr. Lynch has been inspired by other sport parents in his desire to grow to become a better person. He and Kathy discuss sensitivity and self-reflection as major strengths for parents and athletes alike, and utilizing LUV; listening, understanding through questioning, and validating. He encourages parents to engage in behavior that puts athletes into the RIVER; feeling relevant, important/inspired, valued, empowered, and respected. This meaningful conversation can’t be missed! Kathy would also love to hear from you! Connect with her on social media @sportpsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Episode 52: Coach John Lamanna on Virtue in Sport Apr 09, 2019

Virtue is kind of that common denominator that is part of all our lives. - Coach John Lamanna

Coach John Lamanna is entering his third year as Director of Athletics at Ave Maria University and fourth as the head men's basketball coach. Coach Lamanna is no stranger to working with a transitioning program. Prior to Ave Maria, Lamanna lead the men’s basketball program at NCAA Division III program Franciscan University as its first Head Men’s Basketball Coach at the NCAA level. Prior to his four-year stint at Franciscan, Coach assisted the University of California, Davis in the transition from NCAA Division II to NCAA Division I. With the renewed focus of athletics at Ave Maria, Lamanna is excited about the rare opportunity that coaching basketball presents. Coach Lamanna received his start in college basketball at Washington State University, where he was a Student Assistant from 2000-2004. During his time at Washington State, he had the opportunity to work under Dick Bennett and current Head Coach at the University of Virginia, Tony Bennett. It was also at Washington State where he worked with Gary Stewart, who was the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at UC Davis. Outside of coaching, he is a published author with an article published by Scholastic Coach and Athletic Director Magazine entitled “How to Establish an Academic Philosophy as a Coach” and an article published by Winning Hoops Magazine which was a comparative analysis of two different man-to-man defensives. Additionally, he was featured in American Basketball Quarterly Magazine in an article about how scouting and technology can lead to success. A Spokane, WA native, he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology from Washington State University and a master’s degree in Counseling from Loyola Marymount University. He lives with his wife, Sara, and has three children, Gabi, Tony, and Louis. Kathy and John dig into decision making, handling adversity and failure, goal setting, and deconstruct the four virtues he uses to guide his coaching; prudence, justice, fortitude, and temperance. His passion for mentorship should not be missed! If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. Kathy would love to hear from you! Connect with her on social media @sportpsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Episode 51: Coach Mike Lane on Doing the Little Things Well Apr 02, 2019

Those kids that could take a negative and turn it into a positive are the ones that really excelled. - Coach Mike Lane

Mike Lane has been the Director of Rowing and Head Women's Coach at Jacksonville University since the 2015 season. Prior to his highly successful program with the Dolphin rowing team he spent eight seasons at Penn as their head coach. Prior to his appointment at Penn, Lane built an impressive coaching resume. Before arriving in Philadelphia, he served as the men's freshman heavyweight rowing coach at MIT, where his responsibilities included organization and management of the freshman team, alumni relations, and recruiting. Before joining the staff at MIT, Lane served as program director and head coach for the Everett Rowing Association from 1997 to 2000. Under Lane’s guidance, the junior men’s crews finished second and fourth at Junior Nationals in three-consecutive seasons from 1998-2000. During his tenure, Lane’s crews also won nine regional championships. In addition to his responsibilities with the Everett Rowing Association, Lane established the women’s rowing team at Everett Community College in 1998, where he coached for two years. Lane has also served as an assistant coach for the U.S. Rowing Junior Women’s Development Camp and the Lake Lanier Rowing Club. Coach Lane graduated from Suffolk University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and marketing, and in the spring of 2009 he completed his master's degree in education at Penn. In this episode, Coach Lane shares his love of rowing and the lessons he brings to the boat that also apply to life beyond sport. He also shares incredible insight into the do’s and don'ts of the recruiting process and parent-coach communication for sport parents - if you are looking for ways to support your student during recruitment and their collegiate career this is the episode for you! If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. Kathy would love to hear from you! Connect with her on social media @sportpsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact. If you are interested in attending camp with Coach Lane, head to http://www.judolphinrowingcamp.com to learn more and register!

Episode 50: Recap with Kathy Feinstein Mar 28, 2019

To parent a peak performer, you have to be a peak performer. - Kathy Feinstein

Throughout our four seasons you've heard what it means and what it takes to be a peak performing sport parent. Here are some of the top take aways: Parenting a peak performer means being a good listener, listening to what your athlete is saying as well as what he or she is not saying. It's about asking thoughtful questions. It means bringing positive energy, leadership, and perspective to every situation including the sidelines. Parenting a peak performer means allowing your athlete to own his or her sport, embracing failure with a growth mindset, and keeping perspective or parenting with the end in mind. Afterall, sports provide a vehicle for raising successful athletes and ultimately healthy and successful adults. The final take away and something you'll hear me say time and time again: To parent a peak performer you have to be a peak performer. In other words be willing to do what you ask your athletes to do. Along with the recap this is a perfect time to thank everyone who has made this podcast a success. I want to express my sincerest gratitude to each and every one of my guests. They have brought a wealth of knowledge and been so generous with their time. I also want to thank my production team for bringing such high quality shows week after week. And finally I want to thank you! Our listeners. Thank you for listening in and sharing your feedback. Together we are making a difference. Again, many thanks for joining in to celebrate this milestone episode. We are just getting started! Next week we return to season four and to our expert coaches! As always...If you enjoy the show, please like, share, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. I would love to hear from you! Connect with me on social media @sportspsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Episode 49: Mike DiGrigoli on Coaching, Thinking Positive, and Role Modeling to Your Athletes Mar 19, 2019

The number one thing parents must do, in my opinion, to allow their son or daughter to be successful in extracurricular activities and sports is support the program. - Mike DiGrigoli

Mike was born in Pittsfield, MA in 1972 and raised in West Stockbridge, MA. He grew up playing sports with friends and cousins in Berkshire County and attended Monument Mount Regional High School in Great Barrington where he played three sports - football, wrestling, and baseball. He was also recently inducted into the Monument Mountain Regional High School Athletic Hall of Fame! He has just finished his 10th season coaching at Golden Gate this year and 8th season as Head Coach. He made school history by leading the Titans to their first postseason playoff appearances in 2011 and 2012 and only winning seasons in 2013, 2014, and 2018. Mike began his coaching career in 1995 as a graduate assistant football coach for the State University of New York at Brockport where he coached linebackers in strength and conditioning for the Golden Eagles. After one year he took his second coaching assignment at American International College in 1996. At American, he served for two seasons as linebackers coach and special teams coordinator for the Yellow Jackets and earned his master’s degree in Education from American International in 1998. Coach D and his wife Paula have been married since 2003 and reside in Naples, FL with their daughter Issa, and son Andreas. Kathy and Mike talk through understanding the importance of athletics and why students should be involved, how sports build character and work ethic, and the encouragement needed to teach athletes perseverance. They also discuss creating realistic goals and how to bring about awareness when parents live vicariously through student athletes. Coach D shares how the vital elements of gratitude, attitude, toughness, and effort dictate the success of his teams. We are excited to keep sharing from the expertise of coaches! If you enjoyed the show, please like, share it with sport families in your life, and rate us in your favorite place to listen. If you’d like to share any feedback with Kathy she’d love to hear from you! Connect with her on social media @sportpsychworks and through https://www.kafcounselingandsportperformance.com/contact.

Episode 48: Col. Bart Weiss on Support, Humility, and Excellence Mar 12, 2019

What does athletics teach you? It’s not about you, it’s about the other ten guys on that team, the other four in basketball...it’s about everyone working together for a common purpose, for a common goal, and you shouldn’t care who gets the credit as long as you accomplish that goal. - Col. Bart Weiss

Col. Bart Weiss is the Director of Athletic Operations at the Community School of Naples, in Naples, FL. He has a truly impressive background in sport and at the United States Air Force. He recently retired after nearly 30 years of service as a full Colonel, and before retiring from active duty in 2014 to join CSN, Weiss served as the Academy’s Deputy Athletic Director. As Deputy Athletic Director of the USAF Academy he oversaw 27 NCAA Division I sport programs and supervised physical education and fitness programs to over 4,000 USAF Academy cadets. Col. Weiss was born in Muskegon, Michigan but grew up in Naples and graduated from Naples High school in 1982. He is a 1986 graduate of the US Air Force Academy and earned a master's of science from Marymount University in 1998 and graduated from the US Army Carlisle Barracks in 2006 with a master’s in National Security Strategy. As a member of the class of 1986 Col. Weiss was named a conference offensive player of the year, 1985 First-team all-conference, and 1985 runner up for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award. In 1985, Weiss was the first player in USAFA history to rush and pass for over 1,000 yards in a season and led the 1985 team to a 12-1 overall record and #4 national ranking. He was also recently inducted into the United States Air Force Academy Hall of Fame. In addition to these leadership experiences, during his career in the Air Force he led 480 cadet-candidates through a balanced curriculum of military training, academic education and athletic competition and also led and commanded flying squadrons and multiple operational units worldwide. He served in Washington DC working alongside both military leaders and members of Congress, and is a command pilot with 5,000 flying hours. He served as Vice President Gore’s pilot on Air Force Two, and also spent a year augmenting Air Force One! Kathy and Col. Weiss met up on the road this week and spent time digging into the “secret sauce” for parents of balancing support and humility, teaching excellence, integrity, respect, and instilling discipline in athletes. He delves into the dynamics of when to be a leader and when to fold into an existing entity and work your way up. His wisdom on the importance of failure and seeing the big picture is so helpful, and we believe parents and athletes will gain so much from the wisdom in this episode. Learning from his focus on teachability and cheering on the entire team was such an honor to us, and we hope this episode inspires excellence in you and your athletes this week!

Episode 47: Irwin Hudson on Motivation, Dedication, and Taking off the Parent Colored Glasses Mar 05, 2019

One of the highlights of this episode was hearing Irwin’s favorite quote; “If you cannot risk, you cannot grow. If you cannot grow, you cannot become your best. If you cannot become your best, you cannot be happy. If you can’t be happy, then what else matters.” - Viscott

Irwin was born and raised in Starkville, MS and received a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering from Mississippi State University in 1991. He then obtained his Master’s from the University of Central Florida in Modeling & Simulation in 2013, and his Ph.D. in Human Factors Engineering from the University of Central Florida in December of 2016. Irwin currently works for the US Army Futures Command as a Science and Technology Manager, however, basketball is his passion! Teaching and training players how to physically and mentally play the game is what he does best. He's trained several thousands of players ranging from age 6 to All-stars in the NBA. He has had some pretty notable clients, including Dwight Howard, Chandler Parsons, Austin Rivers, Nick Calathes, Deshawn Stevenson, Tacko Falls, AJ Davis, and Phil Pressey. He served as Head Boys Varsity Coach for 2 years at Trinity Prep and 3 years at Bishop Moore Catholic High School and Assistant Coach for 8 years at Lake Howell High School, 2 years at Oakridge High School, & 2 years at Seminole State. He officially incorporated OrlandoHoops, Inc. in 1999, founding his company on the principles of hard-work, dedication and a willingness to do whatever it takes to improve talent and skill of each and every participant. Whether he’s coaching, counseling, teaching, or leading a training session Irwin’s passion and knowledge shines through whenever he is on the court. For the past 20 years he has been making players better in Orlando, the state of Florida, and across the world - including USA, Brazil, Greece, Russia, France and Canada. He is the very proud husband to Mrs. Phuong Hudson and father to daughters Olivia Joyce Hudson and Audrey Grace Hudson.

It is crystal clear in this episode that Irwin is one of the most kind and dedicated coaches you could find. His wisdom for players and parents alike is invaluable. He and Kathy talk talent, focusing on the kind of support and dedication that prepares an athlete for the field of play and life off the court, and dissect the principles of focus and attention and their impact in an athlete’s success. He also offers guidance for parents in separating the activity of parenting from coaching, especially when working with young athletes, and how to put the emphasis on their choice to play and keep their love of the sport alive. You can find more from Dr. Coach’s at http://www.ohoops.com, as well as stay in the loop on his upcoming book release!

Episode 46: Derek Touchette on Living Through Our Athlete’s Failures Feb 26, 2019

Be there, be present, and enjoy it. - Derek Touchette

Derek is a Performance Enhancement Specialist, a U.S. Weightlifting Club Coach at Level 1, and a Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach for speed. Derek earned his Bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University in Exercise Physiology with a Nutrition minor. He has four years of experience as a Performance Specialist at the IMG Academies, and during his time there he prepared athletes for the NFL combine; worked with NFL, NBA, and MLB veterans, the MLS and WUSA teams, and trained the Under-17 Men’s National Soccer Team. He has had the opportunity to work under Loren Seagrave, one of the most renowned speed and sports performance coaches in the world, and Rana Rieder, one of the top USA track and field coaches. He also has experience advising all types of athletes in the area of nutrition; planning individual meals. Derek is dedicated to the development of his athletes and other fitness enthusiasts, which is evident in the fact that many of the people he has trained are still playing at the professional level and return on a regular basis. Kathy and Derek discuss nurturing confidence, drive, and determination to take it to the next level. He is an open book on how to offer guidance without being “that” parent on the sidelines. Derek speaks from a coaching and parenting perspective to emphasize cultivating curiosity, allowing for freedom to test things out (without over-involvement), and normalizing failure. You’ll want to listen to this episode to learn his five-minute timer technique and gain from Derek’s uplifting and motivating attitude!

Episode 45: Bill Carufe on Coaching and Parenting Successes Feb 19, 2019

Athletics are just an avenue to make you a better person, don’t let it be who you are...at some point it stops. - Bill Carufe

Bill is the Director of Basketball and the Physical Education Department Chair at Seacrest Country Day School in Naples, FL. His list of accomplishments is extensive; he was named the Naples Daily News Basketball Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2008, the Fort Myers News Press Basketball Coach of the Year in 2007, the Community School of Naples Basketball ranked his team number one in the state in 2007, he was named the Collier County Teacher of the Year in 2000, the Gulf Coast High School Coach of the Year in 2000, and the Gulf Coast High School Teacher of the Year in 2000. Bill’s path to youth sports began as a youth athlete himself! As the oldest of five he found himself often putting together games and teams, and continued on to Division III collegiate athletics and a master’s degree (with his thesis focused on the psychosocial development and implications of youth sports on children). His coaching and teaching has spanned all age groups and levels and currently includes instructing a first of its kind a Sports Psychology course focusing on theory and practice with particular relevance to life outside of sport. In this episode he and Kathy discuss parent involvement in collegiate sports, creating balance, performance in raising successful people over successful athletes, and maintaining perspective both as a coach and a sports parent. His passion for coaching and identity formation outside of sports absolutely shines in this episode, we hope you enjoy listening just as much as we did recording this one (quite a bit!).

Episode 44: Ernie Clark on Learning from the Best, and from Yourself as a Coach Feb 12, 2019

If you want to do this, it’s going to be really hard. There’s a misconception that if you want it really bad and you try really hard you’re going to have high levels of success. - Ernie Clark

We’re kicking off season four this week and diving into the coach’s perspective! In past seasons we’ve spoken to the parents, the players themselves, and the experts, and we are excited now to dive into the perspectives of some incredible coaches! Coach Ernie Clark was a high school coach for 14 years, a club coach for six, and now coaches at the collegiate level. He started out as a high school athlete struggling with performance, and through guidance from his coaches became a state qualifier and earned a collegiate scholarship for Track and Field. He became a national qualifier in the 400 hurdles at the University of Indianapolis. He went on to teach and coach high school athletes, breaking school records and growing multiple programs in Indiana. His athletes became 6th in the state during his most successful season, during which he realized his drive as a coach was to help athletes reach beyond what he could do as an athlete himself; competing on a higher national level, such as the USA Championships, and even the Olympics trials or Olympic Games. He became a coach at Ashland University, working alongside four-time Olympian Judd Logan, and currently coaches five national champions - including Myles Pringle. Coach Clark has been named a Regional Track and Field Assistant Coach of the Year two years in a row and was recently named Assistant National Coach of the Year. He and Kathy discuss his development from out-working to out-motivating, the massive mentality shifts he’s learned, and how his own struggles as an athlete and becoming addicted to doing a great job became the biggest factors in his growth as a coach. Ernie is not only a coach, but a sports parent himself, with two kids aged 14 and 17. If you enjoyed this episode please share and like Parenting Peak Performers whenever you listen in!

Episode 43: Gordon MacLelland on Courageous Communication as a Coach and Sport Parent Feb 05, 2019

Ultimately it was their experience. - Gordon MacLelland

Gordon MacLelland set up the organization Working with Parents in Sport after 20 years as a teacher and as a coach to all age levels from about 7 year olds to Adults. He has a BA in Sports Science from University College Chester and a PGCE from Lancaster University. He is a qualified teacher and has been Director of Sport at an independent prep school in the UK for the last 10 years. He has worked in schools in both the UK and New Zealand for the last 16 years. Gordon is the author of two books, “Great Sports Parenting”, a pocket guide for parents of children in sport and, “Engage”, a coach's guide to building positive relationships with parents. He has recently become a parent to two children and the early sporting experiences of his own children prompted him to set up the company as well as write the two books above. As a speaker he brings a wealth of experience to working with organizations, coaches and parents gathered through 20 years as a teacher and coach as well as a parent currently involved in children’s sport. He and Kathy discuss the importance of perspective for sports parents, the encouragements that are key to athlete’s development, and the two questions NOT to ask post-game. Gordon’s website, http://www.parentsinsport.co.uk also has a wealth of information and resources for parents!

Episode 42: Joe Jacobi on Olympic Feats and Daily Habits Jan 29, 2019

I’m much more interested in the development of the person than I am in the development of the athlete. - Joe Jacobi

As America’s first ever Olympic Gold Medalist in Whitewater Canoe Slalom, Joe shares strategies to get you outside of your day to day rush of life and bring focus to what truly matters most with simplicity, purpose, and flow. His platform includes performance coaching, writing, and speaking. Joe’s philosophy and values are built upon a 19-year career as an elite athlete with USA Canoe/Kayak that included 12 National Championship titles, two Olympic Game appearances, and an Olympic Gold Medal. Joe coaches high performance leaders, executive teams, and athletes. He also served as Chief Executive Officer of USA Canoe/Kayak - the sport’s national and Olympic governing body. He often says yes to unique adventures and challenging experiences (he once paddled 110 miles in a kayak from Cuba to the Florida Keys), and has chosen innovative paths of education, collaboration, and all-around health and wellness. He shares his expertise in this episode not only as an elite athlete, but also a sport parent and coach! Joe, his wife Lisa, as well as their daughter - an elite athlete in her own right - reside happily in Spain near the site of Joe’s Olympic win in 1992. Joe and Kathy discuss the importance of listening and building daily habits, and talk about the tricky relationship of parent/coach. You will not want to miss this episode, and neither will your athlete!

Episode 41: Rob Tong on Growth Mindset in Coaching and Parenting Jan 22, 2019

We want to help our kids to approach adversity from a way that helps them to overcome things and not think that they are defined as something. - Rob Tong A father of seven, Rob is the host of the Youth Baseball Edge podcast. Rob is an expert not only in youth sports, but also in podcasting, with the highest ranked amateur baseball podcast on iTunes, and over 100 episodes recorded to date. His children, ranging in from age 20 to 4, have been instrumental to his growth as a coach and sport parent. He has served as a head baseball coach for multiple teams over the last 13 years, beginning as a coach to his own kids, and started his podcast to share what he has learned along the way. Kathy and Rob talk mental game, fixed vs. growth mindset, and the influence others have on athletes - especially parents. He shares ten questions he uses to check in with his children annually (check out Youth Baseball Edge ep. 105), when and how to push, and the 20-hour rule; committing twenty hours of practice before giving up to give the athlete time to see success. Be sure to listen in to Youth Baseball Edge (we loved the Brian Cane episode on mental game), found here: https://www.youthbaseballedge.com/podcasts, and if you enjoyed this episode, please like and review us on iTunes, Spotify, or Google Play!

Episode 40: Greg Bach on Support and Encouragement in Moments of Failure Jan 15, 2019

Applaud your child when things don’t go well...Tie the support to the performance of playing; you're out there, you’re doing your best, that’s what it’s all about. - Greg Bach

Greg Bach is the Sr. Director of Communications for the National Alliance for Youth Sports and the author of 10 books. His latest book is, “Secrets of Successful Coaching” features his personal conversations with 50 top professional and college coaches, as well as former Olympic athletes who are now coaching. Greg has been at NAYS for 25 years, and oversees the SportingKid Live website, a free resource NAYS provides with new content daily on topics and issues pertaining to youth sports coaching and parenting. He is a proud graduate of Michigan State University and an expert in youth sports. He shares wisdom on offering great support as a sport parent, especially in honing non-reactive responses - whether it’s a good or bad day, providing open communication, learning the importance of failures, building confidence, and finding ways to incorporate the entire family into the process of growth. If you enjoyed the episode please like, rate, and comment on iTunes, Spotify, and Google Play! We also want to encourage our listeners to connect with Greg by visiting http://www.nays.org/sklive!

Episode 39: Dr. Angel Brutus on Healthy Transitions from High School to Collegiate Athletics Jan 09, 2019

Making it to the institution is not the goal, the goal is longevity. - Dr. Angel Brutus

Welcome back to season three - our season of experts! Kathy’s conversation this week hones in on how the context between high school and college athletics can differ, and how to act as an advocate and guide for your students during that important time of transition. Dr. Angel Brutus is a member of Mississippi State University Sports Medicine and Performance team, serving as their very first Director of Counseling and Sport Psychology. She serves in this role after managing a private practice based in Atlanta, Georgia where she provided clinical and sport performance services to individuals, teams and organizations. Her training includes Licensed Professional Counseling in Georgia and Mississippi, Certified Rehabilitation Counseling, and Sport-Performance Psychology consulting, which gives her the opportunity to provide holistic services based on clients' clinical and performance needs. She currently serves as coordinator for the Association for Applied Sport Psychology's Race & Ethnicity in Sport Special Interest Group and is a member of the Women in Sport, Eating Disorders in Sport, Adaptive Sport & Physical Activity groups and multiple committees within the Association (Nomination Leadership Development, Ethics, and Community Outreach). She spends her time out of the office serving as a community volunteer with philanthropic organizations targeting at-risk youth, and mentoring students interested in pursuing careers in the helping profession. If you liked this episode, remember to rate our show and leave a review for us on your favorite podcast app!

Episode 38: Lindsey Blom on Peaceful Development of Parents and Athletes Dec 18, 2018

"Behavior, any kind of behavior, is contagious." - Lindsey Blom

Dr. Lindsey Blom is an Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology and the Graduate Program Coordinator at Ball State University. She focuses on the psycho-social aspects of youth sport and sport for development and peace. For the past decade, she has investigated positive youth development through sport and using sport to promote peace at the individual, community, and international levels. Specifically, her research focuses on maximizing the benefits of sport participation through a mastery and cooperative approach fostered by trained coaches and supportive parents, emphasizing a holistic, long-term athletic development model. Her projects include conducting sport for social change programs in Jordan and Tajikistan, the NASPE task force for the position statement on Maximizing the Benefits of Youth Sport, and running local after-school sport for peace leadership programs with elementary school children. Additionally, Dr. Blom has been an invited expert on using sport for development to counter violent extremism for two closed roundtable discussions hosted by the Center on Global Counterterrorism Cooperation and Hedayah. Throughout her academic career, Dr. Blom has co-authored journal articles, book chapters, and the book, “Survival Guide for Coaching Youth Soccer”. Talk about an expert! Dr. Blom also serves on the Board of Directors for the Indiana Soccer Foundation, Dream Sports Africa, and the Ball State Center for Peace and Conflict Studies. Lindsey has over 12 years of consulting experience as a certified consultant for the Association of Applied Sport Psychology and over 15 years of experience as a youth soccer coach. As a consultant, she has worked with administrators, coaches, and athletes from the youth to collegiate level on issues in creating a positive sport environment and maximizing performance. Furthermore, she has led numerous team-building workshops and presented at coaching conferences. As a coach, she has worked with children ages 4 to 18 in recreational, competitive, and school-based settings using her experience as a semi-professional and Division I soccer player. Kathy and Lindsey connect on breaking down ingroup and outgroup interactions by leading as parents and normalizing supportive environments, asking curious questions on and off the field, and creating empathy for both fellow sport parents and athletes alike. She emphasizes the importance of feeling heard and finding common ground in communities that can be precarious. Her episode is full of incredible insights into her research on supportive parenting - you won’t want to miss it!

Episode 37: Coach Reed Maltbie on the Power of Words Dec 11, 2018

We have the opportunity to actually shape lives, behaviors, beliefs, based on just what we’re saying to our athletes. - Reed Maltbie

Words are powerful. They have the ability to inspire, motivate, and lift kids, but also the power to do the opposite. The considerable work of our expert in this episode has helped coaches and parents become more aware of their words, teaching how they can build confidence and self-esteem in athletes and avoid the pitfalls of imprinting. Coach Reed has dedicated his life to youth sports as the the developer of the Excellence Equation Education System, co-creator of Positive Discipline Tools for Coaches, and the lead speaker and Chief Content Officer for Changing the Game. With 30 years of experience as an educator and coach, and dual master’s degrees in Sports Psychology and Early Childhood Education he offers a wealth of practical and science-based experience to aid coaches and others in leading athletes to excel in and beyond sports. Since the release of his TEDx talk “Echoes Beyond the Game”, he’s become a trusted educator and advisor to sports organizations worldwide. Coach Reed’s gifts are in creating passion and purpose in others, and in distilling complex theories into understandable and easily implementable practices. His interest in brain health and language led him to research how important the echos left on the field have on the psyche of athletes. He shares that for every negative word it takes nearly five positives to reduce the imprint, the immense importance of allowing athletes to guide post-game conversations, and creating the vital role of team parent to act as liaison between parents and coaches. To connect with Coach Reed, learn more about the 3 myths of youth sports, watch his TEDx talk, listen to the Way of Champions podcast, and learn ways to create a more athlete-centric playing environment, find him here: https://changingthegameproject.com!

Episode 36: Betsy Oypt on Motherhood and Nutrition for Athletes Dec 04, 2018

As an athlete, and just as a human, you need to take care of your body. - Betsy Opyt

Betsy Opyt is a registered and licensed dietitian with a background in clinical nutrition therapy. She is a certified diabetes educator who has paved her way as a mom, fitness trainer, former gymnast, and the president, CEO, and founder of Betsy’s Best Gourmet Nut and Seed Butters. She is an active daily ambassador for the brand, and its driving force. In 2015 Betsy was named the Florida Young Mother of the Year by the American Mother’s Incorporated Florida chapter, and acts as an ambassador, traveling the state and raising awareness around women’s issues. Betsy was also crowned Miss Indiana in 2000 and spent her reign traveling her home state to inspire and engage children to develop healthier lifestyle habits. She shares with us how a lifetime of observing how nutrition aided her performance and fueled in her a passion for the health of athletes. Betsy has always been an incredible advocate for the connection between fuel and performance. She has excellent recipes and recommendations on her website, along with her delicious line of nut butter - you can find them at https://betsysbest.com! She recommends complex carbohydrates like oatmeal and fruit smoothies in the morning, snacks at the ready right after practices and games, hydration always, and most of all making eating fun! Betsy emphasizes that working on these skills is all about planning, and encourages parents to involve their athletes in prepping for healthy eating, inviting them to come along to the grocery store, cook together, and think about nutrition as a family. We hope that you share this week’s episode with your athletes, and start to make fueling up right a whole-family effort!

Episode 35: Dr. Brandonn Harris on Early Specialization and Burnout Nov 27, 2018

"The amount and nature of their involvement is really what becomes critical." - Dr. Brandonn Harris

Dr. Brandonn Harris is the Program Director and an associate professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology at Georgia Southern University, where he is also the graduate Program Director for the department of Health Sciences and Kinesthesiology. Dr. Harris teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the areas of ethical issues in Sports Psychology, psychological aspects of peak performance, Sport and Exercise Psychology interventions, and Social Psychology of sport. At Georgia Southern he also supervises graduate students in their practica in Sport and Exercise Psychology. He is a current member of the Association for Applied Sports Psychology and a member of the American Psychological Association Division 47. He is a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC), and listed on the United States Olympic Committee Sport Psychology Registry. As a Sport and Exercise Psychology practitioner he has consulted with youth and collegiate athletes, teams, parents, and coaches on a variety of vital topics in the field. He holds a BA in Exercise Science, with a Sport Psychology specialization, from Truman State University. In addition he completed two master’s degrees in Sport and Exercise Psychology and Community Counseling, both from West Virginia University, and a PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology from West Virginia U. His work with how Sport Psychology consulting can support athletes and educate both parents and coaches is groundbreaking. This episode he joins Kathy to discuss the pivotal role parents have in guiding their athletes around the current state of youth sport, and specifically the challenges of early specialization and burnout. This episode is one we urge you not to miss! Dr. Harris shares his incredible expertise on specific ways parents can support their athletes, backed by some amazing research!

Episode 34: Lindsey Hamilton on Being a Good Teammate Nov 20, 2018

There’s such an opportunity for us to really teach our kids in a more implicit way and demonstrate what good teammates look like. - Lindsey Hamilton

Friend of the podcast Lindsey Hamilton joins us today to share her wisdom! As a mental performance coach, Lindsey dedicates herself to empowering others to build the best version of themselves. In her role as a mental conditioning coach at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida Lindsey works with elite youth athletes to develop the mindset they need to perform at their best. She specializes in women’s sports to help female athletes build confidence, maintain composure, and develop a rich connection in ways that transcend sport. Lindsey relentlessly encourages those around her to pursue their dreams and have a fun time doing it. Lindsey completed her master’s degree in Exercise and Sports Science with an emphasis in Sports Psychology from the University of Utah after completing dual BA degrees in Psychology and Sociology from Chapman University. She has dedicated a great deal of professional expertise to working with parents, highlighting in this episode the importance of being a good teammate to the athlete, building the value of humility in and out of the arena, role modeling, and how the athlete’s performance is not a reflection on the parent’s technique.

Episode 33: Dr. Rob Bell on Setting a Precedence Nov 13, 2018

It’s tough to be driven when you’re always being driven. - Dr. Rob Bell

Dr. Bell is a mental toughness coach who has worked with champions on the PGA tour, Olympic medalists, Notre Dame athletes, and Indy Eleven players. He has written six books on performance and joins Kathy this week to discuss his book “Build Their Mental Toughness”, sharing some amazing wisdom for both parents and athletes on how to support your athlete and focus on being on the journey together. Dr. Bell also hosts the podcast Fifteen Minutes of Mental Toughness - if you loved this episode please like and listen to his show as well! Dr. Rob Bell has been a keynote speaker for sports organizations and corporations across the country, and we can see why! He was an incredible guest, sharing game plans on how to handle stress, control emotion, and create routines as a family. Dr. Bell emphasized that building confidence comes from setting a precedence - making sure that athletes feel supported even when they make mistakes, and are able to let go. He shares that mental toughness skills come from athletes teaching themselves, supported by sport parents. We encourage all our listeners to huddle the whole family for this week’s episode (Try on the car ride home!). Connect with Dr. Bell on his website: https://drrobbell.com

Episode 32: Dr. Leonard Zaichkowsky on Raising Cognitively Encouraged Playmakers Nov 06, 2018

The best way is to ask questions, good questions… there is an art to asking good questions - Dr. Leonard Zaichkowsky

Professor at Boston University, researcher, and consultant Len Zaichkowsky joins Kathy this week to talk about the importance of perception, decision making, and engaging your athlete’s cognition; helping them to hone the skills of a playmaker. Dr. Zaichkowsky has been a professional in the field of Sports Psychology for almost four decades. He acted as a pioneer, bringing together the research fields of Cognitive Neuroscience and Sports Performance as an interdisciplinary science. His academic textbooks and research publications demonstrated the importance of the athlete’s brain in anticipating and acting on opportunities during competition. He has consulted with teams in the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, Australian rules football, Spanish men’s national soccer team, and Olympic sport organizations across the globe. His book, released this year, “The Playmaker's Advantage: How to Raise Your Mental Game to the Next Level” focuses on the elements of quick seeing, thinking, and action-taking by the athletes who lead in their respective sports. Dr. Zaichkowsky is a former president and fellow of the Association for Applied Sports Psychology, and currently the section editor of psychology for the International Journal of Sport and Health Science. Recently the American Psychological Association honored Dr. Zaichkowsky with the Distinguished Service to the Profession Award. Today, Len is co-founder and senior consultant at 80% Mental Consulting, advising on developing athlete cognition. You can connect with both Dr. Leonard Zaichkowsky and his co-author Daniel Peterson by visiting http://www.80percentmental.com/contact. We hope that you will share this episode and connect with the authors, as Dr. Zaichkowsky’s expertise is matched only by his kindness - and don't forget to try the app (available here: https://www.gamesensesports.com) to practice your skills at bat!

Episode 31: Carrie Cheadle on Regaining Confidence and Building Resilience Through Injury Recovery Oct 23, 2018

This is a part of a bigger journey, and you can really use it to become a better athlete. - Carrie Cheadle

Author and expert in sports performance Carrie Cheadle is our guest this week! We want to encourage both parents and athletes (especially those navigating injuries) to listen in together to this episode. Carrie is an incredible guide who employs a real-life approach to her work, and we think you’re going to really appreciate her expertise. A resident of Petaluma, California, just north of San Francisco, Carrie has been working on the performance of teams, organizations, and individual athletes and exercisers since 2002. She is the author of the book “On Top of Your Game: Mental Skills to Maximize Your Athletic Performance” and co-author of the upcoming book “Rebound”, which will be released in 2019 and focuses on helping injured athletes regain confidence and build resilience through injury recovery and return to sport. She has been interviewed as an expert resource for articles in publications such as Outside, Shape, Men’s Fitness, Women’s Health, Runner’s World, Bicycle, and The Huffington Post. She is an incredible speaker who has spoken for and consulted with many collegiate teams, cycling teams, and triathlon teams, as well as corporate organizations like Camelbak! Carrie is an expert in mental skills training, working with athletes at all ages and levels from recreational athletes to elite and professional athletes competing on national and international levels. She specializes in working with athletes and exercisers with Type 1 Diabetes and is the Director of the mental skills training program for Diabetes Training Camp. She received her BA in Psychology from Sonoma State University, and MA in Sports Psychology from John F. Kennedy University. Carrie has also taught at the collegiate level, currently serving as an adjunct professor at John F. Kennedy University. Carrie has a life-long commitment to her athletic performance and shares what has been most beneficial in shifting her mindset through injuries.

Episode 30: Dr. Jose Colon on the Relationship Between Sleep Health and Peak Performance Oct 16, 2018

Just like a washing machine has different cycles, our sleep has different cycles, our brain, and our body, and we cycle between these stages of REM sleep and non-REM sleep and different cycles have different functions. - Dr. Jose Colon

Welcome to Parenting Peak Performers season three! Now that we’ve heard from sports parents and the athletes themselves, Kathy kicks off the new season by diving into the expert perspective! First up is Dr. Jose Colon, sleep expert and dual board-certified physician in sleep medicine and neurology, with special qualifications in child neurology. He is a member of The Institute for Functional Medicine, The American College of Lifestyle Medicine, the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis, and a founding member of the Society of Behavioral Sleep Medicine. Dr. Colon is also an award-winning author of several books on sleep, children’s mindfulness for sleep, and infant sleep. He shares incredible information on sleep deprivation, injury, EMF, and why it is that much more important for athletes to exercise - that is exercise healthy sleep habits (hint: you’ll want an alarm clock)! We look forward to sharing more perspectives from coaches, clinicians, and other experts in the field this season, get ready!

Episode 29: Joey Lye on the Importance Student - Led Coaching Oct 03, 2018

This week’s guest is an excellent example of peak performance, as an athlete, and as a collegiate coach!

Joey is the head softball coach at Bucknell University, and has been a member of the Canadian national softball team since 2010. During her collegiate career she was a 4-year letter winner at Williams College in both ice hockey and softball. Joey was named to the NESCAC All-Sportsmanship team for both softball and hockey, and was a four-time All-Conference New England Region First Team selection shortstop. Lye set five all-time school records for Williams in batting, with some very impressive stats! During her senior season she led the nation with a 563 batting average, setting a single-season record at Williams. She also set a record for 22 stolen bases in the very same season! In 2009 Joey was the NESCAC and ECAC Division Three New England Player of the Year, and joined the Canadian National Softball Team the following season. She has been very successful on the team, batting a 611 average at the 2012 Women’s World Championship and aiding Canada in their silver medal win at the 2011 Pan American Games. Kathy and Joey discuss responsibility, coaching, playing, and the importance of allowing athletes to lead.

Episode 28: Swimmer and Mom Cailin Weidenmiller on Leaning into Independence and Off of the Pressure Sep 25, 2018

There was never a pressure for me to be successful as long as I put all of my effort in, there was never this reward for being so great, it was all about how you showed up and how you committed and how hard you worked. - Cailin Weidenmiller

Cailin is a former collegiate swimmer and mother of three. She began swimming at five while participating in multiple team sports and found a love for both the water and the routine. In middle school her focus shifted to swimming solely, resulting in three-practice days as a high school student and the desire to swim on the collegiate level. When she began swimming for The College of the Holy Cross she was named Rookie of the year for her Freshman season but began to notice that her desire for routine was creating anxiety and Tendinitis in both of her shoulders. By her Sophomore season, her heart and mind were not in the sport, causing her to walk away. Cailin and Kathy discuss her journey of discovering a love of sports, how living up to expectations affected her drive and finding herself as an athlete. Cailin shares how as a mom she is navigating allowing her own children to love what they’re doing and easing off pressure to perform both for her children and as a parent, all while she is currently training for an Ironman triathlon!

Episode 27: Expert in Sport and Performance Psychology Dr. Julie Wiernik on Tackling Perfectionism Sep 18, 2018

There is no such thing as perfect, we are created to make errors, so I think once we accept that reality it’s so freeing. - Dr. Julie Wiernik

Licensed Clinical Sport and Performance Psychologist Dr. Julie Wiernik comes on this week to discuss the mental game of being a top performer and her own journey with perfectionism. Julie competed on two high school state championship teams for volleyball and basketball and was a four-year varsity softball starter before earning a scholarship to the University of North Florida. She was a 4-year starter for the Women’s Osprey Softball team and excelled off the field. Julie was a Rhodes Scholar, earned All-conference and All-region honors, and was an Academic All-American; graduating Magna Cum Laude. In 1996 her UNF Flag Football team played in the Nike Flag Football Championships, and she earned All-America honors for being the best female quarterback in the country. Julie holds a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology and owns The Texas Center for Sports Psychology, where she works with incredible athletes to optimize their performance. She comes on to share her thoughts on how her internal motivation impacted her athletic career, and how parents can help athletes learn, rather than perfect. She shares healthy tools for building the parent-child relationship, autonomy, confidence, and self-awareness, and encourages parents to let their athletes take risks, but match goals of the student with the expectations of the parent.

Episode 26: Sofia Perez on Making Sacrifices to Reach Your Goals Sep 11, 2018

I’m going to be able to build a family and give that to my children, be a role model as they were to me. - Sofia Perez

Sofia is a spectacular tennis player, and a rising Junior at Division I Florida Gulf Coast University. She began playing tennis at the age of 10 with her father, who became her full-time coach the following year. Ten years later, Kathy and Sofia discuss the value and importance of her parents as role models, how communication between parents and young athletes is a key factor, and all the lessons she’s learned both on and off the court in the last decade of play. Parents! This episode is one the team at Parenting Peak Performers would highly recommend listening to as a family - Sofia highlights ideas she wish she’d heard competing as a youth athlete, especially her parents’ belief in her as an athlete, their support in building her confidence through rigorous challenges, and how they made decisions as a United front that helped her consider and succeed in her goals. Sofia is looking forward to the upcoming FGCU season, and we look forward to watching her future in tennis!

Episode 25: Myles Pringle on Finding Home with Success Sep 04, 2018

I can’t win everything. I don’t want to win everything, I don’t want to be first for everything... With me and defeat, I’m okay with defeat, because I know there’s something else that’s going to be better coming along in the future. - Myles Pringle

Myles began running through a lifetime love of soccer and team sports that transformed into a career in Track and Field in middle and high school. Myles was featured in Sports Illustrated’s Faces in the Crowd column for his accomplishments, which are numerous. He is the National Champion in both the indoor and outdoor 400m dash, holds All American honors in several events, and has achieved school records in the outdoor high jump at 2.14 meters, indoor high jump at 2.17 meters, indoor 400m at 46.11 seconds, and outdoor 200m at 21.28 seconds. He was awarded the USTFCCCA Men’s Midwest Region Indoor Track Athlete of the Year in 2017, and is a rising senior at Ashland University. Myles and Kathy discuss the importance of support from all sides, keeping healthy expectations and perspective on success, and seeking opportunity to improve over perfection. Myles is a true champion of growth mindset thanks to his relationship with his mom, who helped him cultivate focus within whatever arena he found himself competing in. Myles is looking forward to his final year of collegiate competition, the 2019 World Championships, and the opportunity to run for Team USA in the 2020 Olympic Games.

Episode 24: Twin sisters Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson on Gold Medal Balance Aug 28, 2018

Were you a good teammate today? Did you pick somebody up? Did you create momentum by a big play you made and not just scoring a goal? We’re pretty grateful for the balance that our parents had, and just making sure that at the end of the day people don’t remember the goals you that scored, they remember what type of teammate you were. - Jocelyne

From witnessing the first Olympic Women’s Hockey game from their living room in 1998, Jocelyne and Monique carried a desire to participate in the Olympic Games in Hockey. The twin sisters are from a family of six, raised by two incredible parent-athletes. As a part of the 2018 Olympic gold-winning US Women’s Hockey Team, these sisters are truly examples of peak performers. Monique and Jocelyne have both competed in three Olympic Games and were responsible for the assist and shoot-out that lead to the winning goal in the 2018 gold medal clincher. They talk with Kathy about balancing the process and the outcome, teamwork, and evaluating performance away from seeking the spotlight.

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Episode 23: Drew Beyer on Focusing on Process Aug 21, 2018

You can’t risk the burnout even if they do become really good at age sixteen, seventeen, eighteen. - Drew Beyer

Drew played a variety of sports while growing up in Florida, and began focusing on baseball from the eighth grade on. He played on the varsity baseball team at Sarasota High School, and then went on to play for four years at Florida Tech. As a freshman he was a part of the NCAA 2015 regional runner-up team, and in 2016 he was selected for the All Sunshine State Conference and All South Region teams. He played with the Alaska Baseball League in 2016, joining the Anchorage Bucks for summer ball, and in 2017 he was named the Florida Tech Male Athlete of the Year in baseball. He was both a member of the SSC Commissioners and the FIT Athletic Director’s Honor Roll all four years of his collegiate career, and as a senior became the all-time leader in career saves. Drew was recently signed with the Detroit Tigers, and is currently playing in the Gulf Coast League in Lakeland, Florida. Kathy and Drew go in-depth on persistence, confidence, and finding ways to support your athlete in playing for the process, not just for success.

Episode 22: Gracie Kaplan Stein on the Value of Extended Family Aug 14, 2018

They saw the strengths of each of us, and rolled with it. - Gracie Kaplan-Stein

Gracie had a very successful collegiate career rowing on the women’s varsity team at UPenn, achieving incredible heights in competitive play during her tenure as a Quaker. Her boat rowed to a silver medal in 2005 at the Eastern Rowing Championships (her Freshman season), and she went on to earn the title of Most Valuable Rower in 2007, was chosen for the Mid Atlantic First Team in both 2007 and 2008, and in 2008, her senior season, her team ranked 19th overall in the country. Gracie excelled in student leadership as Student Athlete Advisory Committee member, had a successful career as a scholar and athlete, and has taken the discipline she learned on to a happy career in marketing. She now lives in Florida, close to her incredible family. Gracie and Kathy talk leadership, prioritizing the drive of goals, and the importance of reading your child; taking the time to set healthy expectations and encouraging students to concentrate on themselves rather than participating in the rabbit-hole of comparison.

Episode 21: Daniel Ugas on Family Tradition in Sports Aug 07, 2018

Daniel, a collegiate rower was the captain of his 2013-14 high school crew team in Miami. Additionally he was a two-time national silver medalist, a state champion, regional champion, and was a part of the first crew team in school history to attend the Head of the Charles Regatta. Currently is a junior at FIT.

“You could sort of see the team was starting to become something else, and I wanted to be on that path to take the team to another level…in rowing, it’s not just one person that can win the race for themselves.” - Daniel Ugas

Episode 20: Emma Smyser on Ending A Career Early Jul 31, 2018

He was the reason why it was so hard, and not because I knew he’d be mad, but just because I knew it would be heartbreaking in a sense, for him. - Emma Smyser

Emma began playing golf competitively before beginning kindergarten, learning the game through play at three and four years old with her father on the course adjacent to their home in Indiana. She competed in middle and high school tournaments throughout Indiana and the country, placing second in the Indiana State Championship before going on to compete collegiately with the University of Florida for one year, transferring to Florida Gulf Coast University, and ultimately deciding to end her career to pursue rigorous studies in nursing. Emma and Kathy discuss the importance of quality time spent with her parents as an athlete, the enjoyment of the sport as a paramount to continuing in her athletic career, and ultimately choosing to pursue a course of study, and a passion, away from athletics. Emma is now an EMT and is thrilled to be focused on pursuing her degree.

Episode 19: Patrick O'Sullivan on Breaking Away and Parents Staying in Their Lane. Jul 24, 2018

Patrick is a former NHL player, bestselling author, hockey analyst, Sirius Radio talk show host, husband, father, and fellow podcast host of “The Morning Bagger”. Kathy and Patrick discuss the lengthy process of healing from abusive relationships in sports, especially in the parent-athlete relationship, and the simplicity of supporting your athlete while realizing their passion ultimately directs performance more than any one thing a parent can contribute. Patrick is able to share his story of abuse after years of healing through partnership with medical professionals. His story is a powerful example of the impact of trauma and the damage it inflicts. He also highlights how many parents and coaches chose not to reach out in his situation, and urges all listeners to be aware of the signs of abuse, and seek help immediately from the police when you think abuse may be occurring.

“A simple phone call can be something that changes a child’s life…

Anything that’s not normal. There’s certain things if you’re around, if your child plays sports or even if it’s anything kind of team-based, where you’re around a group of kids all the time, you know some of the idiosyncrasies that these kids have, and if anything looks abnormal, and you’re seeing this now for a couple weeks, there might be something there. And the best case scenario is that you say something, and you’re wrong.”

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Episode 18: Morgan Reichert on Finding Purpose Post Sports Jul 17, 2018

Every week it seemed like I was given another thing that I could hold onto… it was a big deal, and they made it a big deal with me. - Morgan Reichart

Morgan ran her first road race at age five, supported by her relationship with her father, and his constant support. Through his encouragement to compete, she began competing in 7th grade, going onto a successful middle and high school career, becoming a top state competitor in Ohio as a high school student. At Ohio University, after earning a scholarship to compete, she earned all-conference honors in cross country, as well as twice in track, before having to red-shirt from multiple stress fractures. After two full seasons of recovery, she was able to use her red shirt year to compete at FGCU while completing her masters degree. Morgan now helps others pursue their own goals as a Wellness Coordinator for the city of Naples. She and Kathy discuss the importance of relationships, finding identity as an athlete, and as an individual on and off the field.

Episode 17: Dr. Taryn Morgan on Keeping Balance Jul 10, 2018

Keeping the balance I think was done well. I work with a lot of athletes now that there’s so much pressure on the outcome and winning, and it’s all about the sport. That I think that’s a struggle for them. - Dr. Taryn Morgan

Kathy has known Sports Psychology expert Dr. Taryn Morgan for over ten years as both a mentor and friend. She brings insight and empathy to her work as Director of Athletic and Personal Development at IMG, working with student athletes on many levels. She is also a spouse and parent herself, and during her decorated tennis career was ranked number one in Girls’ Junior tennis and number nine nationally. She continued on to play for Division I Stetson University and went undefeated (26-0) during one of her seasons there. She was a Second Team Academic All-American and inducted into the Stetson University Hall of Fame, and recently the ASUN Hall of Fame. Kathy and Taryn discuss making mistakes, learning and growing, and maintaining a separation between life on and off the court (and sometimes letting her Dad take her tennis lesson). Her greatest encouragement to parents is to truly allow your children to enjoy their sport, and enjoy it with them!

Episode 16: Hannah Wellhite on Parents Showing Up Jul 03, 2018

When I see that someone is faster than me, he sits me down, and he says, “It’s just on paper they haven’t beaten you yet, it’s just an emblem on paper”. - Hannah Willhite

Hannah was a four-time varsity high school track athlete, garnering four state medals and two school records to her name before rising to collegiate competition in 2016. Currently competing for the Augustana women’s indoor and outdoor teams, she holds the 200m school record for the Vikings in both indoor and outdoor season competition. Hannah is a three-time national qualifier and two-time all-American who placed 5th in the 100m and 6th in the 200m NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2018. Kathy and Hannah talk discipline, dedication, letting go of control, and how to guide your student through the sometimes-stressful process of early specialization. Hannah has her eye on the Augustana records in the 100m and 60m, as well as a national championship for her junior season in 2018-2019.

Episode 15: Victor Furtado on Supportive Parenting Jun 26, 2018

If I didn’t have the support of my parents, I don’t think I would have gone this far. - Victor Furtado

Victor is an incredibly talented swimmer hailing from São Paulo, Brazil. He began his career in the pool at ten, participating in 3 international championships before coming to the United States to compete with the Florida Institute of Technology men’s team in 2016. During his freshman season, Victor qualified for Nationals, going on to a Sunshine State Conference Championship, breaking the FIT record for the 100m freestyle, and competing in the finals for the 2017 Nationals his sophomore year. This past season, he broke his own record in the 100m freestyle (twice!), broke the 50m freestyle record for both Florida Tech and the Sunshine State Conference, and placed second at Nationals in both the 50m and 100m races. Victor’s love of swimming came from supporting his father as he recovered from an injury with pool exercise, and this support has been extended back to Victor by his entire family, guiding his performance and ethics as an athlete. Kathy and Victor hone in on what it looks like to support your athlete unconditionally and give your fullest as an athletic competitor. He plans to perform at 100% and win a national championship in his upcoming senior season.

Episode 14: Karlyn Prisco on Parents and Thought Systems Jun 19, 2018

At the end of the day, everyone is a person, your dad, your mom, they’re still people, your child, they’re still a person, they're going to have their own thought systems. - Karlyn Prisco

Karlyn has been playing soccer for over twenty years, beginning at four and joining competitive league play at eight. She was a three-sport letterman all four years of high school in swimming, soccer, and track before going on to a successful five seasons at Florida Tech as a goalkeeper for the Panthers. In 2017 they were the Sunshine State Conference Champions and Karlyn was named a Sunshine State Conference Most Outstanding Player. Karlyn also served as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for two years of her collegiate career, helping to inform the decisions of the NCAA. She joins Kathy to talk about loyalty, communication, the importance of having a why, and why getting on the field was not as impactful as leaving a legacy off the field. She gives sound advice to students and parents on controlling what you can and setting short-term goals. In August she embarks on her next challenge, pursuing her master’s degree at Florida State on a full-tuition scholarship.

Episode 13: Coaching Parents to Parent Athletes with Janis Meredith Mar 30, 2018

Most parents want to raise a champion...the biggest factor is (the parent) themselves. - Janis Meredith

Janis Meredith is a youth sports parenting blogger, podcaster, and parent coach. She helps busy, often overwhelmed parents by providing resources to guide them as they strive to give their children a positive and growing youth sports experience. In this episode, Janis talks about the importance of self-care and discipline so parents can bring their best self to raising their youth athlete.

Janis offers coaching calls for sporting parents follow this link for more info: https://jbmthinks.com/

Episode 12: Training to Succeed at Parenting with Will Kastroll Mar 23, 2018

The success of training, is the training of success. - Will Kastroll

Will Kastroll’s happiest achievement is his marriage to his wife of 22 years. They have 8 children ranging from age 22 to 4 and they live in Naples Florida where he owns a multi location insurance agency business.

In this episode, he talks with Kathy about his own sporting experience, the lessons he's tried to pass on to his children and one of his secrets, "deliberate practice". Training to succeed is an arduous journey but in Will's estimation it's THE way to get to sustained success, not only on the court or field, but in life.

And Will knows a thing or two about success. He's played sports his whole life. In high school he was an all state soccer goalie and he played Division I college lacrosse at Penn State. In his spare time he likes to compete in local Crossfit competitions, open water distance swim, and work on his yoga practice.

Will volunteers his time as President of the Board of Trustees at Royal Palm Academy, a private catholic grade and middle school in Naples, FL.

Parenting Your Athlete, Not Managing Your Athlete with Mark Leeds Mar 16, 2018

You can’t always dominate and win, everytime. - Mark Leeds

Mark Leeds is the Chief Sales Officer for ProHCM Holdings, a human capital management technology and services company based in Massachusetts. He's also the father of Mitch Leeds, a pitcher for the Lafayette Leopards in college and now a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

Mark joins Kathy to discuss his own experiences as a sporting parent, the hardship of overcoming a divorce for Mitch and how those hardships and obstacles helped form the man that Mitch is today. Have you ever butted heads with your athlete? Or do you hope to help them avoid regret? Then this episode is for you.

Episode 10: Putting the Family First with Abby Milon Mar 09, 2018

Abby Milon, attorney, college professor, wife, and mother of three sporting children joins us for this episode.

Abby grew up in a sports family with four of her brothers earning college football scholarships. Several of her older nephews also played college sports thus providing a framework for her in raising her three children as scholar athletes. Her husband, Wally Milon, played several sports in high school but focused on academics in college rather than continue down the athletic path following a severe concussion on the football field as a punter.

Of the three children, Matthew exhibited an intense interest and talent for playing basketball around 4th-5th grade. He is the reference point for this discussion about raising a student athlete who excels in a particular sport.

Abby offers great insight into balancing the needs of the "star athlete" with the family's goals and values as well as the needs of the other children. She also highlights the importance of a "team first" mentality as a cheering, supportive parent.

Episode 09: Big Picture Parenting with Jim Thompson Mar 02, 2018

Jim Thompson, founder and CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, joins Kathy this week to share insights for parents and adults in youth sports culture. Ways to help keep sports, life, and personal development all in the right balance.

Jim started PCA in 1998 to transform the culture of youth sports into a Development Zone™ with the goal to develop Better Athletes, Better People. PCA’s vision of youth sports as a Development Zone has attracted the support and involvement of many elite coaches, athletes, academics and business leaders in this country.

He challenges us as parents and coaches to focus on the "Big Picture" for our children and the kids in our responsibility as we provide sound examples for the next generation of Peak Performers. Find more from Jim at http://devzone.positivecoach.org

Episode 08: Protecting Your Athlete from a Predatory Coach or Trainer with Mitch Abrams Feb 23, 2018

"My child could never be caught up in something like that." We've all thought it. Surely the parent KNEW something was wrong! With the current #metoo movement revealing story after story of abuse and molestation by coaches, trainers, doctors and others in the sporting world, the truth is it's NOT always apparent.

Mitch Abrams, a sport psychologist and the nation's expert in anger and violence in sports, joins Kathy Feinstein to discuss this pressing issues for parents of sporting children and young adults. This is a serious conversation, not just for assurance that we're all doing the right thing, but to arm ourselves and each other with actionable takeaways. What to watch for, how to know when to intervene and the tactics used by the perpetrators, this episode is a MUST LISTEN for every sporting parent.

The larger answer (in Mitch's estimation) is a broader conversation about masculinity, sexuality and consent. Arming our children with knowledge, emotional and social intelligence turns potential victims into empowered individuals and potential perpetrators into people with the vocabulary to seek the help they need.

"If you have any coach that says 'I won't meet with the parents' you RUN. Run for the hills." - Mitch Abrams

Episode 07: Unleashing the E-Athlete with James Leath Feb 15, 2018

James Leath is a speaker, writer, and performance coach. The founder of Unleash the Athlete, a leadership development company for athletes and coaches, James is the former Head of Leadership Development at IMG Academy where he worked with elite athletes from middle school to the professionals.

James talks with Kathy about his work with college and high school athletes as well as his latest role, the Director of Performance for the professional eSport organization, Complexity Gaming. Whether you're parenting an e-athlete, a traditional athlete or just a kid you hope grows up to be a healthy, happy, well-rounded adult, there's something in this episode for you!

Episode 06: You Can Always Try - Setting an Expectation of Effort with Paul Heuerman Feb 04, 2018

Paul Heuerman, Center for the Michigan Wolverines and briefly a member of the Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers, is now a member of one of the most prestigious law firms in the country. He’s also loving dad to three athletes, Jeff, tight end for Ohio State and now the Denver Broncos, Mike, tight end at Notre Dame and Matt, who turned down college football scholarships to pursue his love of Golf.

Paul talks about his efforts to recreate his own childhood relationship with sport. His family’s sport philosophy is one that focuses on fun, team goals and a level-headed approach that reminds his sons that there’s always a bigger and smaller fish in the pond.

You’ll enjoy the stories Paul shares of raising his three boys, but you’ll also gain a new insight into the balance of sport, life, faith and family that has brought such success and happiness to the Heuerman’s.

Episode 05: Winning Youth Coaching - Gold Medal Parenting Advice with Craig Haworth Jan 25, 2018

Craig Haworth is the founder of the Winning Youth Coaching Podcast, which has served coaches around the world since 2014 with over 125 episodes that have been downloaded more than 200,000 times!

A passionate youth sports coach, Craig is a husband, father of three and a believer that coaches can change the self-esteem and future of the young people they coach.

In this episode, Craig talks with Kathy about sport/life balance, the coach/parent/athlete relationship, his own career and http://WinningYouthCoaching.com

You won't want to miss the Gold Medal Parenting advice and practical tips Craig shares with Kathy. To find more great coaching resources from Craig, visit his site linked above.

Episode 04 - We Fall With Them: Parenting Your Athlete Through Adversity with Josie Santiago Jan 13, 2018

Josie Santiago, parent of FIT standout collegiate track and field athlete, Alexis, joins Kathy this week to share her sport parenting journey. Josie shares her experience balancing the dual role of working mom and athlete support crew. She talks candidly about co parenting Josie with husband Hector, working through her own feelings after the wins and losses, and how she used adversity to build Alexis's character and to instill a growth mindset. This interview is full of great insight from a loving mom!

Episode 03: Parenting for a Pro with David Emma Dec 22, 2017

Former NHL player, David Emma, joins Kathy to discuss his daughters pursuit of sports and how his professional experience has been useful (and detrimental) to his own parenting.

From helping your child make a mindset change, overcoming coaches' concerns that you know what is best for your child, to listening when your child is telling you they're ready to quit, David is full of great info and advice for sporting parents and families.

Episode 02: Parenting for the Child with Andrew Deramo Dec 15, 2017

"...as a pitcher, you're sort of lonely out there. That doesn't bother him, failure doesn't bother him."

Andrew Deramo joins us to talk about his son, Andrew, currently pitcher for the Toronto Blue Jays and their path in sports. Andrew is a firm believer in letting the child lead when it comes to choosing a sport. When his son decided to specialize in high school and give up basketball for a few years, Andrew didn't fight him, even though he disagreed. For Andrew, parenting a "peak performer" was about continually "letting go" of his own expectations or desires to help give room for his son to grow and find his own path. As Andrew tells it, it's not about giving up parental authority or responsibility, but checking your own pride and ambition to help your child find their own way. "Some parents take it WAY too serious. At a young age, they think if their kid is the best, he's going to be the best all the time."

Episode 01: Adding Water to Your Child’s Well with Larry Lauer, Ph.D. Dec 09, 2017

Dr. Larry Lauer is the mental skills specialist for USTA Player Development, and for over a decade has been a sport pschology consultant with elite tennis players from juniors, college and the pro ranks. “If you thought of your confidence as a well of water, those six streams fill up your well. But you need a deep well, for instance, if you’re going to face Raphael Nadal...” He joins Kathy in this episode, to highlight the path of HEALTHY parenting for sporting families. Separating a child’s goals and aspirations from the parents. Dr. Lauer also talks about grounding your parenting in love and positivity, ensuring your child has a source of confidence to draw from in times of trial, on the court and off.

000: Intro to Parenting Peak Performers Nov 25, 2017

Meet Kathy Feinstein, Mental Health Counselor and Sport Performance Consultant, who has LIVED the life of sport parent. Through her own experiences of sport both bringing her family together and threatening to tear it apart, Kathy has developed a love (and an amazing skill set) for helping parents manage their own expectations and attitudes while supporting and parenting their peak performer with confidence.

Join us for conversations with parents of collegiate and pro athletes and experts in the field of sport psychology. They share their successes, challenges and experiences to help you and your family live a richer, more full life WITH sport, not for it.

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