The Pure Athlete Podcast

After winning the 1998 National Championship at Tennessee and serving as Captain of the 2001 team, Will Bartholomew's football career ended in his first year with the Denver Broncos due to a devastating knee injury. Will took his passion for sports and training and founded D1 Training, one of the nation's fastest growing performance training centers for young athletes, with over 150 locations (and growing) across the United States. As a dad of three athletes, one playing D1 football, Will shares valuable insights into the world of youth sports from his own experiences as a player and dad. Will also shares valuable information for our audience on the importance and impact of formalized training, why it matters, when kids should begin, and much more. In addition to what Will shares on this episode, he provides much more with over 20 episodes on Pure Athlete's PA+ platform, found at pureathlete.com.

With it being Mental Health Awareness month, we want to replay this informative episode for our viewers that was recorded in Feb of 2023, but the information is still very current. Our guest is well-known sports psychologist and mental wellness expert Dr. Armando González. Dr. Mondo works with numerous pro athletes such as Dansby Swanson, Lindsey Vonn, Charles Goodwin, Mallory Pugh, among others. Our discussion with him explores the cultural challenges our young people are facing, and he shares great insights and thoughts for young athletes, parents, and coaches to help maximize mental performance and prioritize overall mental wellness.

With more than 115 episodes under their belts, Jeff, Britt, and Brad discuss some of their biggest learnings along the way, and Jeff shares some areas in which his perspective has evolved as his kids get older, and as he has participated in our discussions with guests and each other. This is a fun conversation that parents will relate to... AND...the guy look ahead to the future of Pure Athlete with a BIG ANNOUNCEMENT!

With 10 Gold Gloves and 434 career homers, Andruw Jones is regarded as one of the top centerfielders of all time, and the guys have a great conversation with him on this episode. Having shared an outfield together for the Braves, Jeff shares what it was like as a rookie playing next to the best outfielder "he has ever seen," including what Andruw told Jeff before Jeff's first right field start with the Braves. In addition, Andrew shares some fun stories, talking about hitting two World Series home runs at 19 years old, and which Braves HoF pitcher he didn't enjoy playing behind. Most importantly, Andruw shares what it was like to grow up playing baseball in Curacao, how many games he played in his youth, and how he achieved his dream of playing professional baseball. He also contrasts his journey with the current youth sports culture in America, based on what he saw through his son’s recent youth sports journey in Atlanta as he became the #2 overall pick in the MLB draft.

NBA shooting great Dell Curry, father to NBA stars Stephen and Seth, shares stories from his own playing days, as well as parenting insights learned from helping his boys and his daughter Sydel, navigate their own journeys in sports and in life.

Our guest on this episode is MLS Cup Champion, 2x MLS All-Star, 2017 Goal Keeper of the Year and the captain & starting goalkeeper for Atlanta United, Brad Guzan.Brad shares insights and stories from his career as a player and parent of four, covering what makes a great teammate, the qualities of an influential coach, and how parents can support their children in sports. He also offers advice to young athletes and discusses his own experiences, including playing multiple sports, transitioning to goalie in college, and competing in the Premier League, MLS, Olympics, and World Cup. Brad also talks about the culture of youth soccer in America, the 2026 World Cup, the growth of the MLS, being a part of the biggest upset in MLS history, facing Messi and friends, the difference in soccer culture in Europe vs. America, and so much more!

The guys have a great conversation about Sportsmanship in Youth Sports, discussing what Sportsmanship is (and isn’t), why it matters, and how parents and coaches teach it to young athletes.

USA Baseball recently announced that Mark Derosa would return as the Manager of the 2026 WBC Team USA. That prompted us to replay the entertaining and info-packed interview we did with DeRo back in 2023. You will really enjoy hearing his story as a two-sport Ivy League athlete, the fun back-and-forth between Mark and Jeff (his next-door neighbor), some great MLB stories, and his take as a sports dad in the challenging world of travel ball. Mark's opinions and insights are informed, thoughtful, and full of passion. Enjoy!

On this episode, the guys talk to NFL Hall of Fame and 7x All-Pro Cornerback Champ Bailey. Champ was a shut-down NFL cornerback, who is often cited as a comparison player to Travis Hunter because of his ability to play both offense and defense at the University of Georgia, earning him a spot in the CFB Hall of Fame. Champ shares some great stories and insights from his playing days as a kid, a college player, and in the NFL, including his thoughts on playing against and for Steve Spurrier, the difference between college and the NFL, playing against Peyton Manning in college and in the pros, and his current thoughts as a sports dad.

If you're a loyal listener, you’ve heard Jeff Francoeur talk about his dad pulling him off the field during a game, or the time when he took Jeff back to the gym to apologize to a referee. You've also heard him talk about how his parents never allowed sports to be the number one priority in their family. Yes, they had to work to balance their time among three kids, and yes, they struggled with the same challenges we all struggle with. On this episode, Dave Francoeur, Jeff's dad, joins Jeff and Britt to talk about life in the Francoeur home during Jeff's journey. Dave shares great wisdom for parents as well as some fun stories from Jeff's youth and high school sports days, how he kept Jeff grounded, and the parenting role he continued to play in key moments of Jeff's professional career. This episode will make you think and make you smile.