The Pure Athlete Podcast

The guys talk talk to sports and performance science expert, Dr. Mark Kovacs, who works with numerous pro athletes and teams and is the former Director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute. Mark shares important and relevant information on strength and conditioning, nutrition, hydration, injury prevention and other topics to help young athletes maximize performance in the healthiest way possible.

The guys talk to SEC network analyst and New Orleans Saints pro bowl and super bowl champ safety Roman Harper. Roman shares his youth sports story growing up in Prattville, Alabama to the University of Alabama, as well as insights he learned along the way to a stellar NFL career with the Saints and Carolina Panthers.

This episode features ESPN pro football analyst and 12-yr NFL quarterback Dan Orlovsky. Dan shares his youth sports journey to UConn and the NFL, along with great insights he learned along the way and is applying as a sports dad to his four kids.

The guys talk to Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Glavine, whose youth sports story includes being drafted in the MLB and NHL the same week. In addition, Tom shares great insights from his travel ball playing days in baseball and hockey, as well as from his days as a sports parent and coach.

From her high school soccer team to 2x World Cup champion and 2x Olympic Gold Medalist, soccer legend Carli Lloyd joins us to talk all things youth sports - from her own story to advice for coaches and young athletes.

“What age should my kid begin to specialize in a sport?” “How do I best coach a team with a wide array of skill levels?” “How do I use lessons in sports to teach lessons in life?” In our 20th episode, these, among others, are some of the questions the guys team up to answer in our first ever Pure Athlete Mailbag!

The guys talk to Hall of Fame pitcher and MLB broadcaster John Smoltz. In addition to sharing his youth sports story, Smoltzie shares great insights for young athletes, parents, and coaches, as well as valuable baseball-specific advice for young pitchers.

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.

The guys interview Rowdy Gaines, a 3x Olympic gold medalist, 11x world record holder, 8x NCAA Champion, International swimming hall-of-famer, and sports media’s “voice of swimming” for the last 30 years. In this episode, Rowdy recalls his youth sports experiences; from being cut from high school sports teams to standing on the Olympic podium.

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