This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome Steve Morris, author of What Size Balls Do I Need?: A Roadmap for Survival In The Dizzying World of Youth Sports. During our conversation, we dive into the myth of maximizing a young athletes potential, how we can create better experiences for our young athletes, and the one thing most division one athletes regret most about their youth sport experience.

Coach Steve encourages parents to enjoy their kids’ brief 10-year window in youth sports, a goal best accomplished by dialing down the pressure and tempering their expectations. Only a fraction of high school athletes play sports at the college level, and far fewer go on to play professionally. The most dynamic statistic is the number of life-long friendships created among teammates. Learn more at https://www.whatsizeballs.com/.

Steve’s Website www.whatsizeballs.com

Amazon link to Steve’s book What Size Balls Do I Need?

Highlights from the Podcast:

How Steve ended up writing What Size Balls Do I Need?
Does it matter what age a coach started teaching certain skills?
When did youth sports become such a big business?
The myth of maximizing a young athletes potential
What are the three ways a kid gets to the higher levels of sport participation?
Why don’t we get upset when coaches yell at 7-year-olds?
How can we allow kids to have a better experience in youth sports?
What is the number one regret of most division one athletes?
What has the Covid effect been in youth sports?
How to deal with toxic coaches and a few cautionary tales
Why do the losses bother the parents more than the kids?

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Captain Trouble