Podcast
Youth Inc. with Greg Olsen
Hosted by Youth Inc. · EN
Youth sports in America are at a crossroads — and Greg Olsen is here to lead the conversation forward. As a former NFL All-Pro tight end, youth coach, and father of three, Greg brings unmatched passion and perspective to Youth Inc, the podcast redefining how we think about sports, parenting, and the next generation of athletes.
Each week, Greg sits down with top athletes, coaches, scientists, entertainers, and everyday sports parents to explore what’s working, what’s broken, and what’s next in youth sports. From mental health to coaching culture, specialization to equity, no topic is off-limi
54episodes
Episodes
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Men in Blazers' Roger Bennett: The World Cup Moment That Could Change U.S. Soccer Forever
1w ago00:26:15Summary readyThis episode is brought to you by Players Health. To learn more, visit https://www.playershealth.com/Greg Olsen sits down with Roger Bennett, founder of Men in Blazers and author of We Are the World (Cup), as the 2026 World Cup kicks off on home soil. They get into why the U.S. dominates the women's game but lags on the men's side, how over-coaching and win-now youth culture stunt development, and the street-ball lesson behind players like Eberechi Eze. A sharp, funny conversation about raising better athletes and the tournament that could change American soccer for good.The 2026 World Cup kicks off this week, and Roger Bennett, founder and CEO of Men in Blazers and author of We Are the World (Cup), joins Greg Olsen on You Think for a conversation every soccer parent and youth coach should hear. Roger explains why the U.S. builds world-class women's players but keeps falling short on the men's side, why a Barcelona youth coach called the American model "idiotic," and what the World Cup on home soil could actually change.He gets into how Title IX turned the U.S. women into a global superpower while the men's development system stays stuck, why win-now youth culture stunts players, and how street ball forged Premier League stars like Eberechi Eze.🔗 RESOURCES📩 Youth Inc. Newsletter — https://www.youth.inc/newsletter🌐 youth.inc — https://www.youth.incMen in Blazers: https://www.meninblazers.com/Roger's Book: https://www.amazon.com/We-Are-World-Cup-Personal/dp/0063320770
SummaryEXCLUSIVE: Why Jason Williams LEFT the Women's College World Series Before the Final
2w ago00:17:20Summary readyJason Williams went viral at the Women's College World Series watching his daughter Mia Williams power Texas Tech to the national championship series. Then he left OKC before the final games. In this exclusive Youth Inc. interview, the former NBA guard known as "White Chocolate" explains why.🔗 RESOURCES📩 Youth Inc. Newsletter — https://www.youth.inc/newsletter🌐 youth.inc — https://www.youth.incHoopin N' Hollerin' Pod: https://open.spotify.com/show/2pnagsbUIRHTy8Lf45mXgM
SummaryHow Northwestern Became a Lacrosse Dynasty | Kelly Amonte Hiller Full Interview
2w ago00:42:16Summary readyHow did a program that started from club status turn into the greatest dynasty in women's lacrosse? Northwestern head coach Kelly Amonte Hiller just won her 9th national championship, and she built it in the Midwest by recruiting unranked athletes and developing them into Tewaaraton winners. Greg Olsen sits down with her to break down the recruiting philosophy, team culture, and player development system behind nine titles, plus hard-won advice for any youth sports parent or coach.🔗 RESOURCES📩 Youth Inc. Newsletter — https://www.youth.inc/newsletter🌐 youth.inc — https://www.youth.inc
SummaryHow Coach RAC and Coach Ballgame CRASHED Youth Baseball Practices
2w ago00:25:16Summary readyIn this episode of the Youth Inc. Podcast, Greg sits down with Coach Ballgame and Savannah Bananas star Coach RAC to go behind the scenes of the new season of Crashin' Practice. They break down what it's actually like to surprise a team of young players, the hidden coaching lessons built into every drill, and why the moments that look like chaos on camera are some of the most intentional. From hiding in equipment sheds before the big reveal to teaching kids to field the ball in ways that make them more athletic, this is the real story behind the surprise.They also get into Ballgame's Sandlot Tour, RAC's life on the road playing in front of packed stadiums, and what these crashes mean for the parents and coaches watching from the sideline.Watch Crashin' Practice: https://youtu.be/t8x_t7ucL6USign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/
SummaryThe Pitching Ninja on Arm Care, Pitch Counts & Youth Baseball
3w ago00:46:40Summary readyThe Pitching Ninja joins Greg Olsen for a deep dive into everything youth baseball parents and coaches need to hear — from managing pitch counts on tournament weekends to why he thinks baseball has become too expensive and too specialized. Rob Friedman breaks down how he'd build a young pitcher from scratch, why multi-sport athletes make better pitchers, and the aerospace discovery that changed how we understand pitch movement forever.🔗 RESOURCES📖 Rob Friedman's book "Unhittable" — https://pitchingninja.com/pages/book🥷 Follow Pitching Ninja — https://x.com/PitchingNinja📩 Youth Inc. Newsletter — https://www.youth.inc/newsletter🌐 youth.inc — https://www.youth.inc
SummaryJon Gordon: The #1 Mistake Parents Make in Youth Sports
May 1800:39:55Summary readyBestselling author Jon Gordon (The Energy Bus, Training Camp, The Carpenter) joins Greg Olsen to unpack what he got wrong as a sports parent and the frameworks he wishes he'd known sooner. From the "two hats" rule that transforms the car ride home to the seven commitments that separate great teams from the rest, this is a playbook for any parent or coach who's ever struggled to find the line between pushing kids and supporting them.Greg and Jon dig into why positivity beats negativity without ignoring reality, how to connect before you correct, the brainwashing power of daily practice habits, and the parenting regret Jon wishes he could go back and fix.🔗 LINKSSign up for the Youth Inc. newsletter: https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit: https://www.youth.inc/Follow Jon Gordon:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jongordon11/X: https://twitter.com/JonGordon11Books & Speaking: https://jongordon.com/
SummaryIs Youth Sports Destroying Your Kid's Self-Identity? | Dr. Paul Conti
May 1200:43:56Summary readyGreg sits down with Harvard and Stanford-trained psychiatrist Dr. Paul Conti to talk about the mental side of youth sports — how failure shapes kids' brains, why pre-game anxiety isn't always a bad thing, and what parents and coaches get wrong about confidence, identity, and self-talk.Dr. Conti breaks down the shame reflex, explains why what you see on the outside of a kid isn't always what's happening inside, and shares the reframe that turns post-game frustration into forward momentum. Greg gets personal about his own parenting blind spots with his three kids.🔗 RESOURCES📖 Dr. Conti's book "What's Going Right" — https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Going-Right-Powerful-Optimizing/dp/1538776049🌐 Dr. Conti's website — https://drpaulconti.com🏥 Pacific Premier Group — https://pacificpremiergroup.comOur newsletter: https://www.youth.inc/newsletter
SummaryBONUS MOTHER'S DAY EDITION: IG Influencer Nicki Marie's Best Youth Sports Takes
May 700:09:59Summary readyWhat sport should your kid play? How do you keep it fun and avoid burnout? Shelby Bumgarner sits down with Nicki Marie (@nickimarieinc) — mom content creator with 1M+ followers on Instagram and 2M+ on TikTok — for her unfiltered youth sports hot takes.They talk about the youth sports landscape in 2026, what Nicki wants her kids to play, her friendship with Kylie Kelce and their shared field hockey background, and advice for sports parents navigating it all. Happy Mother's Day!
SummaryInside the League Changing Women's Volleyball w/ Courtney Thompson & Lexi Rodriguez
May 500:37:58Summary readyLearn more at https://www.youth.inc/lovbGreg Olsen sits down with two of the most important voices in women's volleyball for back-to-back conversations on the rise of League One Volleyball, the state of the women's game, and what it means for the next generation of girls coming up through club and college.First, Greg talks with two-time Olympic medalist and LOVB Head of Player Experience Courtney Thompson about her journey from club gyms to Olympic podiums to building the architecture of America's first-of-its-kind pro volleyball league — one that connects youth clubs directly to the pro game.Then, Greg sits down with Lexi Rodriguez — All-American libero, former Nebraska standout, and one of the brightest young stars in the LOVB Pro league — about her path from junior club volleyball to going pro stateside, the responsibility that comes with being a role model for girls watching, and why she believes American volleyball is just getting started.This episode kicks off the year-long partnership between Youth Inc. and League One Volleyball, including the launch of The Courtney Thompson Show — a flagship monthly interview series hosted by Courtney, featuring LOVB players and coaches.Learn more at https://www.youth.inc/lovb
SummaryThe Emotions of a New Youth Sports Parent with Barstool's KFC
Apr 2800:42:53Summary readyKevin Clancy — better known as KFC from Barstool — went viral last week with a video about his eight-year-old son Keegan's baseball journey, and the reaction from parents across the country told him everything he needed to know. In this episode, KFC sits down with Greg Olsen to unpack the full story: putting his kid on a travel team where the competition was elite but the fit was wrong, watching his son lose confidence and nearly walk away from the sport entirely, and the tryout his ex-wife convinced him to attend that changed everything. They get into the real tension every sports parent faces — competition versus confidence, pushing versus backing off, and knowing when your kid needs to be the star versus when they need to be the role player. Greg shares coaching advice he's carried for years, KFC talks about wanting to step into coaching as a divorced dad looking for every extra minute with his kids, and they both get honest about the part of youth sports nobody warns you about: it's always the parents, never the kids.Greg also kicks things off with This or That and wraps with listener questions.Subscribe to the Youth Inc. newsletter: https://www.youth.inc/newsletter
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