Originally aired in April 2023.
In this episode, host Jake Thompson sits down with Randi Corbin, a sports performance and strength & conditioning coach at Hamilton High School. Randi also coaches freshman softball and brings a wealth of experience in developing young athletes both physically and mentally.
This conversation dives deep into:
How parents can support their young athletes to be strong leaders and positive teammates.
The dangers of the “D1 or Bust” mentality and its impact on both athletes and their families.
Strategies for avoiding early burnout, including the value of multi-sport participation.
Encouraging a healthy relationship with training - seeing hard work as an opportunity, not a punishment.
The role of body language in sports and how athletes can support each other through tough moments.
Effective ways for parents to communicate positively, especially during the all-important car ride home.
Originally aired in April 2023
Mental performance coach Brett Ashley Davis discusses how parents can help their high school athletes make a successful transition to the collegiate level without burning out or quitting.
Connect with Brett on Instagram and her website BrettAshleyDavis.com.
Originally aired in March 2023.
Mental performance coach & IMG+ consultant Elle' Nelsonjoins the show to discuss resilience, the importance of finding & aligning our values, & how we can create space as parents to help our young athletes grow.
Connect with Elle' on social media: on Instagram & LinkedIn.
Originally aired in March 2023.
In this episode, Jake Thompson welcomes Amanda Schaefer, founder of Fearless Fast Pitch, to discuss the crucial topics of athlete identity, self-talk, and actionable strategies for parents to help their young athletes develop strong mental skills. Amanda brings her unique perspective as a former athlete, coach, and parent of three young kids. The episode is packed with actionable advice, personal stories, and practical tools for both parents and athletes.
Connect with Amanda on Instagram or on her Fearless Fast Pitch website FearlessFastPitch.com.
To listen to the Compete Every Day podcast episode on SaraBlakely and "Where did you fail today?" click here.
Actionable Takeaways for Parents
Do a time/identity inventory with your child: Examine how much time is spent on sports and discuss whether your child feels their life is balanced or if they want to make changes.
Practice curiosity on the car ride home: Rather than critiquing or fixing, ask open-ended questions (“What were you thinking at that moment?” “How did you feel out there?”) and offer support—“I’m proud of you” goes further than you think.
Use bedtime as a space for connection: Sit at the edge of your child’s bed and engage in low-pressure chats about their day—ask about what was good, what was hard, and their hopes for tomorrow.
Originally aired in February 2023.
In this insightful episode, Jake Thompson welcomes Bella Loomis , a standout former Arizona State University softball player turned coach and sports psychology advocate. Bella shares her journey from elite athlete to mentor, highlighting the mental challenges young competitors face today and offering actionable strategies for parents and coaches to nurture resilient, confident, and purpose-driven athletes.
Connect with Bella on Instagram or on her coaching website BellaLoomis.com.
Originally aired in February 2023.
Jake Thompson sits down with Justine Jones, a mental performance coach who works with athletes ranging from middle schoolers to professionals. In this episode, they dive deep into the do’s and don’ts for parents when it comes to building mental toughness in young athletes.
Justine shares actionable advice for parents on how to support their kids’ mental growth in sports and life, emphasizing the role of process, courage, and positive car ride conversations.
Connect with Justine on Instagram or on her team's website RJPG.net.
Do’s & Don’ts for Parents:
Originally aired in February 2023.
This week’s episode with Klayton Carroll (author of Ready Player Win) drops a sledgehammer on weak mindsets. Klayton never played hockey growing up, but when the team needed a coach, he laced up and learned to skate. He showed up, sucked, and kept working.
Because results don’t care about your background. The only thing that matters? Are you grinding to get better, or are you sitting on your hands and waiting for someone else to pave the way?
Here’s the Klayton mentality: “Just because you're in small town Sidney, Montana doesn't mean you're locked into this place...Put in the work, put in the effort, you can do it.”
Connect with Klayton on Instagram, LinkedIn, or order his book Ready Player Win here.
Originally aired in January 2023.
Host Jake Thompson sits down with Danielle Orvilla, former college softball athlete, coach, and creator of The DO Method, to explore actionable ways parents and athletes can build resilience, develop a competitive mindset, and handle the pressure that comes with sports and life.
Top Actionable Takeaways
Let Time Diffuse Emotions: After a game, give your child space to reflect before discussing performance, especially if emotions are high.
Practice Daily Gratitude: Use the “GROW” method: start each day by stating what you're grateful for, outlining your routine, finding an opportunity in adversity, and affirming your self-worth.
Respect Coach-Athlete Dynamics: Parents should remember that the coach’s voice is key during the game. Support your child’s learning from others and communicate openly at home.
Reframe Mindset at Home: Help your athlete see setbacks as learning moments rather than failures, focusing on lessons and growth.
Originally aired in June 2020.
Intentionality is the key to deep relationships and deep relationships are what make a strong and cohesive team.
This week on the Raising Competitors podcast, leadership and team development facilitator Bobby Audley shares ideas for team-building that will last. It doesn’t matter if your team is a group of young athletes, seasoned pros, or employees who work with one another in an office, finding a way to bring them together as individuals and as people will help foster a bond that will make the whole group stronger.
Some of the most successful teams aren’t the ones who win the most games, Audley says, but the ones who have good camaraderie and a shared vision. That comes from building trust between teammates, allowing yourself to be vulnerable as a person, and not getting defensive when someone challenges you — but instead using a challenge as a learning opportunity. It comes down to opening up the doors to good communication and a willingness to share with those around you.
What You’ll Learn:
• Be intentional about relationships
• Allow yourself to be vulnerable
• Make time for one-on-one conversations
• Lean into fear and discomfort
• Work to build trust with your team
Originally aired in June 2020.
It’s a serious commitment to be a youth sports parent and it can be challenging, at times, to find the best way to support your child through their journey.
It takes time, money, and emotional energy to stand on the sidelines and provide healthy motivation at home, while leaving room for your child to grow and learn on their own. This week, author and speaker Alan Stein Jr. talks about parenting a young athlete.
It comes down to modeling the behaviors you want to see them learn and use in everyday life, he says. “I think every parent needs to get great clarity on why you want your children to play sports. And that’s not for me to answer for anyone. That’s for each and every parent to articulate,” says Stein.
Once you know why you want them to be there, you can develop the tools to help guide them. As parents, the unseen hours between games and practices, sometimes without our kids around, can be the most important for holistically improving ourselves and building the structures and frameworks to support our families.
Things You’ll Learn:
• Be realistic about the standards you’re setting
• Avoid coaching from the sidelines
• Practice meaningful repetition to improve
• Reinforce the behavior you want to see reflected
• Recognize the difference between preparation and performance
Originally aired in May 2020
Every person has a body, a heart, and a mind. It’s where these three components come together that the magic happens, says this week’s guest, teacher and coach Lani Silversides.
Practicing mindfulness about how we speak with and act around kids can help us set a positive example for them. It can also help them develop a strong skill set and work ethic that will serve them well as they grow and progress.
Things You’ll Learn:
• Be mindful of the language you use
• Pay attention to family routines
• Move away from quick judgment about performance
• Build mental muscles
• Keep the fun factor in youth sports
Originally aired April 2020.
Kids are like sponges. They soak up whatever you say to them, as parents or coaches, and learn how to act and react from the behavior they see modeled for them. That’s why it’s important to be mindful of how you respond.
This week, coach Nicole Denes shares tips on supporting the process, rather than focusing on the outcomes, and helping kids build good habits for the long run.
It can be helpful to think about problems or mistakes before they happen. That way, you can practice how you might respond before you’re put on the spot. Especially for kids and adults who tend towards perfectionism, it can be useful to re-focus on the skills you need to improve, rather than whether or not a result was perfect.
After all, perfection may be unattainable, but improvement is always possible.
What You’ll Learn:
• Invest in the process
• Prepare and plan for mistakes to happen
• Be mindful of your reactions
• Practice accountability for your actions
• Support versatility and variety in sports
Originally aired in April 2020.
Enjoyment is a key part of sticking with sports. Especially for youth athletes, finding happiness and fulfillment in the game is crucial to their motivation to attend practice every day and put in their best work. This week, coach and blogger Erica Suter shares ideas for helping youth athletes take joy in the process because if they care about playing, they’ll keep coming back.
One way to help kids have fun is by letting them explore. Increasingly, children are being encouraged to specialize in a single sport, with the goal of becoming a professional or earning a college scholarship.
But, Suter says, kids are better athletes when they have the flexibility to try new things and grow themselves in different ways. As parents, this could mean letting kids play multiple sports or getting them involved in other activities and skills, such as strength and conditioning. “Build the human first,” Suter says. Then, focus on the player.
What You’ll Learn:
• Practice having a growth mindset
• Build healthy habits for long-term change
• Take breaks to prevent burnout
• Set short-term goals
• Create a reflection journal
Originally aired in March 2020.
Kids aren’t just mini-adults. They think differently, process stimuli differently, and fundamentally understand the world in a different way. That’s why it’s important, as adults, to be careful what you say when you want kids to understand you, and how you say it.
This week, James Leath discusses the challenges and rewards of working with young athletes and shares tips for connecting with them on their level to achieve better communication and outcomes.
As the founder of Unleash The Athlete, he has years of experience working with both youth and the individuals who support them, such as parents and coaches. By working to understand how kids experience the world around them, you can better support them on their journey of growth.
What You’ll Learn:
• Encourage positive self-talk in young athletes
• Be mindful of how you speak to kids
• Let your kids fail and learn from it
• Work to understand how kids think
• Support healthy bonds between teammates
Originally aired in March 2020.
Being a successful team means being on the same page. That goes for athletes, parents, and coaches. Everyone needs to have a shared goal in mind and work towards achieving it.
This week, former The Colony High School Lady Cougars Coach & Vice President of the Texas High School Girls Coaches Association Colby Davis shares tips for managing the expectations and abilities of a young team and all of its supporters. It comes down to having good communication at all levels and making sure everyone is invested in the end game.
Young teams can comprise players of many skill levels. Each player brings their own strengths to the team, even if it’s being the loudest cheerleader on the bench at gametime. The key to keeping players in sync with one another is to play to those strengths and help kids understand the importance of recognizing others’ successes.
It also makes them tougher competitors if they can see what the competition is doing right and adapt to improve their own game and ultimately win.
What You’ll Learn:
• Seek out tough competition
• Be sure not to overwork a young athlete
• Let kids be role models for each other
• Help athletes acknowledge team members’ successes
• Practice and preach your ideal culture
Originally aired in February 2020.
It can be daunting to find trustworthy support and resources as a player, coach, or parent.
This week, fellow podcaster and baseball aficionado Joe Ferraro discusses his Youth Baseball School initiative, which aims to consolidate valuable information in one place for ballplayers and their supporters. It’s a community where you can seek out like-minded people for advice and tips to get the most out of your experience with the sport.
For Compete Every Day podcast listeners, Ferraro may be a familiar voice. He’s the founder and host of the One Percent Better podcast and joined us in season 3 here. He brings the same commitment to education and relationship-building to his new project.
In this episode, he also shares stories of how lessons he learned in baseball have translated to life as a whole and the importance of staying true to the pursuit of lifelong learning, which makes finding curated and trusted resources all the more important.
What You’ll Learn:
• Ways to connect with experts in the field
• How to cope with the mental side of the game
• The importance of taking breaks as a player
• How to translate sports lessons into life lessons
• Where to seek out advice from people you can trust
Listen to Joe Ferraro's interview on the Compete Every Day Podcast here.
Originally aired in February 2020.
Kids are kids, and they need to have fun. Nowadays, there’s a tendency to push kids into picking a particular sport at a young age. There’s the prevailing idea that if a kid isn’t specializing early, they’re falling behind.
Southbay FC founder Kelly Gray says in actuality, kids should be doing the opposite. They should be able to try out as many sports as they want when they’re young, and hold off on choosing a main focus until they’re older.
For nearly a decade, Gray played in Major League Soccer. He became a coach soon after retiring from the field. He saw both kids and adults questing for player perfection when they should have been focusing on progress. Kids need to be able to enjoy their sports experience, Gray says, and have the opportunity to learn various skills.
Those extra abilities will serve them well as they get older and put them ahead of the competition when it really counts.
What You’ll Learn:
• Aim for progress, not perfection
• Encourage diversity of experience
• Allow young athletes to fail
• Wait to specialize until kids are older
• Offer breaks to prevent burnout
Originally aired in September 2019.
When you look at your calendar, does it accurately reflect your life priorities?
How about the priorities you want to have? This week’s guest, Jon Vroman, looked at his own calendar several years ago and realized that, although he talked about his family as the center of his world, work was taking precedence in his time.
That realization inspired him to start Front Row Dads, which aims to help men reframe their thoughts and conversations about fatherhood.
Vroman says men need to step up and take responsibility and pride in having a front row seat.
Originally aired in September 2019.
Kip Watson is a former tackle football player with a seminary degree who raised two kids while building a business. Kip helps people discover and improve their beliefs, habits, and tools to achieve success and more than they thought possible.
Kip has more than 20 years of experience assisting individuals, teams, coaches, leaders, families, and couples. Today, she is a certified trainer for the Positive Coaching Alliance and one of the few Certified High-Performance Coaches (CHPC) in the world, obtaining her credential from the highest-paid personal development and performance coach, Brendon Burchard, coach to influencers such as Oprah Winfrey, Arianna Huffington, and Usher.
Learn more about Anne 'Kip' Watson's work at BrainCodeCorp.com. Mention this episode of the Raising Competitors podcast and receive $100 off her athlete/executive assessment!
Originally aired in August 2019.
Priscilla Tallman understands the importance of focus and a growth mindset. She was the SEC Conference Player of the Year during her time playing volleyball at the University of Georgia. She later went on to play for the US National Team.
Now, after years as a high school and club coach, Priscilla is a Pac-12 Conference volleyball coach, helping the next generation of players win and off the court.
In today's episode, we discuss teaching a growth mindset, why journaling is a key component of her work with The Reset Group, and how she's parenting two athletes in her own home.
Learn more about Priscilla's work with The Reset Group and learn about their digital programs for youth athletes at TheResetGroup.com.