What My Parents Got Right | The Foundation That Mattered More Than Sports
Before there were wins and losses, championships and coaching, there were two people laying a foundation.
In this deeply personal episode of the Redeeming the Game Podcast, Coach Matt Sanders sits down with his parents to reflect on the values, lessons, and priorities that shaped his life long before basketball ever became a significant part of the story.
Together, they explore what it meant to raise children with purpose, the importance of character over achievement, and why the greatest gift parents can give isn’t athletic success it’s a foundation of love, faith, identity, and belonging.
This conversation isn’t really about sports. It’s about what matters underneath sports. The things that sustain us when the games are over, the trophies collect dust, and life gets difficult.
Whether you’re a parent, coach, athlete, or mentor, this episode serves as a reminder that our greatest influence often comes from the daily investments nobody sees.
Because in the end, the goal was never simply to raise athletes.
It was to raise people.
If I could go back and talk to my younger self as a coach, these are the 10 things I’d tell him first.

I put them all into a free guide called “10 Things I Wish I Knew as a Young Coach.”

No fluff. No playbooks. Just real lessons from years of coaching, leading, winning, losing, and learning.

If you’re early in your coaching journey, or you want to coach with more purpose and clarity, grab it for free below.

👇 Free download linked below 👇

www.redeemingthegame.com/10things

matt@redeemingthegame.com