Parenting Peak Performers Podcast

Latest Episodes:

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

"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

Show notes

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

Show notes

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

Show notes

"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!

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