Youth Inc. with Greg Olsen

Episode: “Coach RAC and Coach Ballgame talk Youth Baseball, Crashin' Practice and More”
Date: December 2, 2025

Episode Overview

In this energizing episode, host Greg Olsen is joined by Coach Rack (RAC) and Coach Ballgame—two transformative voices in youth baseball—to discuss their unique approach to youth sports, the power of joyful practices, positive coaching, and the innovative new project “Crash and Practice.” Through heartfelt stories, practical advice, and good-natured banter, they explore what’s broken and what’s working in today’s youth sports culture, focusing on how fun and excellence can, and should, coexist.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Genesis of “Crash and Practice” (01:15 – 03:37)

• Origin Story: “Crash and Practice” started as an idea to surprise youth baseball teams by having coaches with social media influence (Rack and Ballgame) “crash” their practices and infuse new energy, fun, and life lessons.
• Surprise & Delight: The first experiment took place with Greg’s Revolution Baseball team in Charlotte, where both coaches literally emerged from the woods to the kids’ astonishment.
  • Coach Rack: “What would happen next was a mix of music, impromptu—maybe some trick plays. Lots of fun stuff. But I think this concept is something that can be applied to multiple sports… There's something special about a surprise. And when you pair that with good life lessons and make a real impact in person, I think it’s a winning idea.” [02:24]
• Expansion: The project has plans to expand beyond baseball, aiming to bring the spirit of surprise, fun, and mentorship to other sports.

2. The Power of Fun in Sports & The Coach Dynamic (04:11 – 08:27)

• Coach Ballgame’s Role: His emcee-like energy, connection with large groups of kids, and ability to memorize all their nicknames enhances the experience and engagement.
• Balance of Fun & Lessons: The dynamic between RAC (trick plays, backflips, stories) and Ballgame (entertaining, storytelling, hyping up kids and parents) lets kids absorb life lessons with joy.
  • Greg Olsen: “The dynamic of the two of you allowed me as a coach to just stand back and be like, this is incredible. Like, this is exactly what kids... need. They need fun. They need light.” [06:32]
• Memorable Moment: Ballgame’s storytelling about striking out five times—rather than hitting a movie-worthy home run—built connection and laughter.
  • Greg Olsen: “He’s given this serious thing about bouncing back and dealing with adversity, and he’s like, ‘I struck out—again!’ and the kids were dying laughing. If there was one story that summarized it, that was it.” [07:46]

3. Striving for Excellence: Joy vs. Winning (08:27 – 11:38)

• Joy as Prerequisite: Fun and skill development are both possible and essential—joyful athletes play better and become better humans. Kids should feel free to fail and grow.
  • Coach Ballgame: “It’s not either your win trophies or your soft participation trophy fun guy. They can be both. It should be both.” [08:27]
• Parent Impact: Practices are opportunities not just for athletic growth, but for parent-child bonding, modeling good behavior, and nurturing a lifelong love of sports.
  • Coach Rack: “Baseball and all sports in general is such a unique opportunity for parents to connect and develop relationships with their kids. My dad and I bonded over baseball in a way we couldn’t bond over anything else.” [14:11]

4. Coaching the Parent—Not Just the Athlete (15:16 – 18:56)

• Changing Parenting Styles: Many stories focus on the parent’s journey from overbearing to supportive, and the lasting harm (and redemption) in over-attaching to outcomes.
  • Coach Ballgame: “A dad came up to me… and said: ‘My relationship with my son is now thriving. On top of that, I think you might have saved my marriage too.’” [15:40]
  • Another anecdote: A dad learning years later his constant focus on skill led his son to be most thankful “you’re finally not disappointed in me.”
• The “Professional Pass Off”: When a parent can’t reach their own child, sometimes bringing in another trusted adult or coach can make the message stick.
  • Coach Ballgame: “My daughters were like, please tell Rack we love him, even with his mustache. So that professional pass off, Greg, if you haven’t used it, it’s dynamite.” [26:08]

5. Harmonizing Fun with Hard Work and Excellence (19:33 – 28:45)

• Greg’s Parental Anxiety: The struggle to accept fun/looseness during practice when you value excellence.
  • Greg Olsen: “I do not need my kid to be a professional athlete… I have a hard time watching people underperform. There’s nothing — the saddest thing in the world is wasted potential… I have a hard time watching my kids underperform because they don’t put the work in.” [19:33]
• Connecting Work to Outcome: The tough balance between promoting both joy/fun and the importance of effort and preparation for excellence.
  • Coach Rack: “With my career, my parents never pushed me to excellence… [But] my lifestyle reflected the goals that I had. What happens when the goals kids have maybe don’t align with their work ethic?” [22:27]
• The Individual Approach: Each kid is unique. The best coaches “find the key for each lock”—connecting with every athlete differently to nurture motivation and growth.
  • Coach Ballgame: “One of your kids might respond to firm while the other one responds to humor, while the other one needs an assistant coach, Mr. Miyagi, to just go for a walk with him.” [24:25]
• Detaching Joy from Outcome: Kids need to know that parental love and joy isn’t solely tied to their on-field performance.
  • Coach Rack: “…the common denominator is fostering a love for the game and the kids knowing that your joy isn’t attached to their results.” [28:25]

6. Big Picture: The State of Youth Baseball (32:59 – 37:44)

• Kids Stay the Same, Adults Change: Over decades, children's love for play remains steady; adult attitudes, anxieties, and priorities have shifted—often to the detriment of youth sports culture.
  • Coach Ballgame: “I don’t think kids have changed in the past 50, 100 years… They love something that feels like a birthday party, and they love something when they know the coach cares about them as a human.” [32:59]
• Restoring the “Golden Era”: By focusing on connection, creative play, and simple equipment, the game becomes more inviting and meaningful. Parents and coaches need to self-reflect more often.
• Reviving Passion: Stories of kids returning to baseball after falling out of love serve as a beacon for the power of positive coaching and approachable practice environments.
  • Coach Rack: “My son quit baseball last year, but he wants to play again because he’s fallen back in love with the game and loves what you’re doing here. When I hear stuff like that, it makes me excited and wants to keep doing what we’re doing here.” [35:32]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Balancing Joy and Excellence:
  • “Who would have thought what I do would be novel? Prioritize joy and character on a baseball field.” – Coach Ballgame [07:07]
• On the Power of the Adult’s Role:
  • “I get to be the coach that I wish that I had growing up.” – Coach Rack [07:12]
• The Myth of Mutual Exclusivity:
  • “It’s not either your win trophies or your soft participation trophy, Fun guy. They can be both.” – Coach Ballgame [08:27]
• What’s at Stake for Parents:
  • “If there’s tension between father and son, father and daughter when it comes to the field, like that can seep into the marriage too.” – Coach Ballgame [16:05]
• Why Fun Matters Most:
  • “When you can pair [surprise] with some good life lessons and make a real impact in person, I think it’s a winning idea.” – Coach Rack [02:24]
• Winning as a Byproduct:
  • “Winning is a byproduct…of how well we practice…our attitudes, work ethic…If we add up all these little good habits…we’re gonna win a lot. Not always. But we’re not gonna coach the scoreboard.” – Greg Olsen [28:45]

Timestamps of Important Segments

• 00:27: Introduction of Coach Rack and Coach Ballgame; premise for “Crash and Practice”
• 02:17: Origins of “Crash and Practice”
• 04:11: Coach Ballgame on parent–child connection
• 07:46: Ballgame's memorable “five strikeouts” story
• 11:38: Coach Rack on his hopes for “Crash and Practice”
• 15:40: Ballgame’s stories of parent transformation
• 19:33: Greg Olsen’s internal struggle between fun and demand for excellence
• 24:25: Coaches discuss individualized motivation
• 28:45: Winning as a byproduct — process over outcomes
• 32:59: Ballgame’s big picture assessment of youth baseball
• 35:32: Rack on reviving kids’ love for the game

Conclusion

The episode is a testament to the evolving, nuanced landscape of youth sports—in which fun and excellence are partners, not opponents. Through the innovative “Crash and Practice” project and their combined wisdom, Coach Rack, Coach Ballgame, and Greg Olsen make the case that youth sports should prioritize connection, character, joy, and growth, for both athletes and their parents. By celebrating the journey, not just the wins, they hope to reshape youth sports for the better—one joyful, “crashed” practice at a time.