The Pure Athlete Podcast

This week’s special episode will definitely have you laughing as we welcome former Division 1 college tennis player—who then became one of America’s funniest stand-up comedians, John Crist! Find out how @johnbcrist ’s tennis “career” prepared him to take the stage as a comedian, the lessons he learned playing sports, hilarious takes on youth sports, vacationing on 30A, his hate for the University of Georgia, his thoughts on Pickleball and so much more!

Are parents raising kids to be too soft? Some high school and college coaches think so…and they are speaking out. Are they right, or does the older generation always believe the younger generation lacks toughness? And if they are right, why are kids softer? Is it possible that today's environment is, in some ways tougher for young athletes to navigate than it was for past generations? On this episode, Jeff, Britt, and Brad fully discuss this topic, sharing their own experiences as dads and coaches. They discuss how parents and coaches can help our kids develop toughness and resilience, within the context of providing support and belief in them. While other episodes include mental health experts to speak into this topic, this episode provides valuable insights and perspectives from fellow parents.Credits: UCLA Athletics

If you ever wonder how lessons learned in sports translate to life, look no further than to former NAVY SEAL Commander Rorke Denver. Rorke couldn't have led missions all over the world and become the leader of every phase of training for the SEALS, including the infamous BUDS, without the grit, team-first orientation, and leadership skills he began developing in youth sports. Denver shares his youth sports story, which led him to become an All-American lacrosse player at Syracuse University, helping his team win two national championships and propelling him to a life of serving his country and teammates. After his decorated military career, Rorke played the lead character in the 2012 film Act of Valor, became a NYT best-selling author, and a sought after keynote speaker. Our time with Rorke includes his compelling stories from his SEAL experiences, as well as his insights for young athletes, parents, and coaches, and his thoughts from his current experience as a sports parent.

As we celebrate our 100th episode AND kick off 2025, we welcome back five of our previous guests - Dan Orlovsky, Rece Davis, Misty May-Treanor, Mark DeRosa, and Inky Johnson. Each of them share their thoughts and experiences as youth sports parents and coaches, as well as their hopes and ideas for how youth sports can be better in the coming year. This episode provides some great insights for parents and coaches, as well as offers reminders about how to make youth sports a great experience for our kids.

Whether you never heard this or it's been a long time, David's insights into youth sports, from a parent, coach, and player perspective are spot on. So good, that we wanted to replay if for all out listeners, especially the newer ones. And oh yeah, it's fun to listen to Pollack and Francoeur relive their games playing against each other in Georgia high school football. Enjoy.

Softball icon Jennie Finch-Daigle is our guest on this episode of The Pure Athlete Podcast. Jennie shares her youth sports story with us as a multi-sport athlete, and how that helped her develop her softball skills and abilities. She talks about the role her parents played in her development, how she developed as a young pitcher, and compares her college recruiting experiences to those of today. Jennie also shares about playing travel softball as a high schooler, and shares some incredible stories and memories from her Olympic experience, including a profound story from standing on the podium receiving her gold medal. Finally, as a mom of three young athletes trying to navigate the crazy world of travel baseball/softball, football, club volleyball, and more, Jennie gets very real about the challenges and the fun of making this journey as a parent, and provides advice to today's young athletes and parents.

One of the top players in MLB, Royals SS Bobby Witt Jr is this week's guest, and you don’t want to miss it. In 2024, Bobby was the runner-up in the American League MVP voting, posting incredible offensive numbers and winning a Gold Glove at shortstop for the Kansas City Royals in only his third big-league season. Not long ago, Witt was playing travel and high school ball in Colleyville, Tx. The son of a MLB pitcher, Witt bucked current trends and never had a private hitting lesson until after high school, and instead of focusing on launch angles and hitting bombs (which he did plenty of), he focused on hitting the ball hard to all fields and eliminating strikeouts. Bobby shares some of his approach to hitting, his commitment to getting better which led to a Gold Glove in 2024, what his mom and dad taught him about character and humility, and much more.

Dr. Tim Elmore, founder and CEO of Growing Leaders, Inc., is a leading expert on parenting and youth development. He shares insights on nurturing grit in kids and the importance of letting them experience failure for personal growth. Elmore discusses how to replace pressure with encouragement in youth sports, emphasizing self-awareness and resilience. He also explores the critical roles of coaches in fostering leadership and interpersonal skills, focusing on balancing competition with personal growth.

Future first-round NFL draft pick, Inky Johnson’s life changed forever with a single tackle at the University of Tennessee. A ruptured artery left his right arm paralyzed, almost taking his life, and Inky shares the challenges he faced to even get to the University of Tennessee, as well as his story coming back from the life-altering injury. You will be inspired as he shares about his faith and determination, the importance of character, and his own experiences as a sports dad.

This week's guest is 2024 Olympic Gold Medalist and 2019 World Cup Champion MALLORY PUGH SWANSON. As the USWNT’s leading scorer in the 2024 Olympics, including scoring the only goal in the gold medal game, Mal has overcome injuries, doubt, and much more along her journey to the top of the soccer world. Her journey began like many young girls today, playing youth soccer from an early age, as well as playing basketball, and running track until high school. Mal talks about the areas she excelled from the beginning, as well as the areas she had to work hard to develop in her teen years. She also authentically shares about various periods of adversity she faced, including a time when she thought she had lost her passion for the game. She talks about the pivotal moments of life that helped her regain her belief, the role her faith has played in her journey, and the joy of winning a gold medal.