Better Sports Parents

Scott Rintoul
  • 5.0 (42)
  • PARENTING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Hosted by veteran broadcaster Scott Rintoul, Better Sports Parents is a weekly video and audio podcast aimed at parents who are navigating the complicated world of youth sports. The intent is to provide parents with an easy to consume resource that delivers important perspectives on how to help create a better youth sports experience for their children. Those messages are delivered by recognizable professional athletes, coaches, executives, and experts who will offer insight into their own experiences in youth sports, their approaches with their own children, and their views on relatable issues that parents encounter in youth sports.

  1. Worth Repeating: Cammi Granato on Allowing Your Kids to Navigate Adversity

    2D AGO ·  BONUS

    Worth Repeating: Cammi Granato on Allowing Your Kids to Navigate Adversity

    Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato is a pioneer in women's hockey, breaking down barriers on and off the ice. Currently the Assistant General Manager of the Vancouver Canucks, Granato has experienced the game as a player, a coach, an executive, and a parent. In this segment, she discusses how to guide your children when they encounter adversity - from the pressure they may feel in competitive environments to learning to cope with a less than ideal coach to making mistakes while playing the game. Listen to the full episode here: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple ⁠ Watch on ⁠YouTube ⁠

    11 min
  2. Ryan Huska: Coaching Challenges, Adversity is Vanishing & Why Youth Sports Feels Like a Job

    5D AGO

    Ryan Huska: Coaching Challenges, Adversity is Vanishing & Why Youth Sports Feels Like a Job

    Ryan Huska has seen youth sports from just about every angle. As head coach of the Calgary Flames, he operates at the pinnacle of professional hockey. But as a father of three, he's also lived the full experience of the sports parent. Certain aspects of what he sees concerns him. In this conversation, Ryan reflects on two decades of parenting in youth sport and pulls no punches. He believes early specialization is producing a lo of technically gifted players who've lost their feel for the team game. He traces that back to a youth sports culture that rewards individual development over collective play, and that has created so many leagues and avenues that kids never learn how to handle adversity, adapt to a new role, or simply fall down a level and work their way back up. Ryan talks about the car ride home, the importance of asking open-ended questions instead of offering critique, the value of multi-sport development, and what he learned about hard work and teamwork during his Memorial Cup years with the Kamloops Blazers. He also addresses the proliferation of leagues and options that let families opt out of any environment that challenges them, a trend Ryan thinks is sending the wrong message to kids, fragmenting communities, and creating more problems than it solves. 🎙️ Subscribe to Better Sports Parents, a podcast dedicated to helping parents more positively contribute to the youth sports environment. Chapters 0:00 Opening 01:35 Introducing Ryan Huska 03:27 Is Being a Sports Parent More Stressful Than Coaching the NHL? 04:02 How Youth Sports Has Changed 04:49 The Rise of Individualism 06:10 The Problem with Early Specialization 07:12 The Fear of Falling Behind 09:22 Late Bloomers and Different Paths to the Top 10:26 The Fire That Comes from Taking a Break Between Sports 11:33 When Sport Starts to Feel Like a Job 13:54 Getting Kids to Their Ceiling Too Fast 15:35 Entitlement & Learning to Accept a Different Role 17:09 Growing Up in a Small Town 20:25 His Parents' Role in Ryan's Sports Journey 24:05 How Ryan Learned to Talk to His Own Kids After Games 26:25 The Carpool Secret: Why Other Kids in the Car Changes Everything 28:23 Why Ryan Chose Hockey Over Baseball at 15 30:25 Getting Humbled at Kamloops 34:04 How a Part-Time Job Became a Coaching Career 36:47 Coaching His Daughters in Soccer 39:57 "Too Much Too Soon" 41:48 Does Specialization Actually Create Better Players? 44:22 Why Kids Need to Watch Full Games 47:36 Unstructured Play and the Loss of Creativity 48:13 Why Coaches Should Add Small Area Games Back 49:28 What Advice Ryan Gives Volunteer Coaches 51:10 How to Communicate With and Manage Parents as a Coach 53:11 The Problem with Too Many Leagues 55:51 Why Parents Are Losing the Plot: Intentions vs. Outcomes 57:08 The Rising Cost of Youth Sports and the Affordability Crisis 59:07 The ROI Problem 1:01:35 Ryan's Number One Concern in Youth Sports Today 1:03:19 What Ryan Hopes His Kids Took From Sport Resources Jumpstart KidSport Calgary Athletics for Kids

    1h 6m
  3. Worth Repeating: John O'Sullivan on How to Positively Support Your Child in Sport

    MAY 1 ·  BONUS

    Worth Repeating: John O'Sullivan on How to Positively Support Your Child in Sport

    John O’Sullivan, a former professional soccer player and coach, founded of Changing the Game Project to help parents, coaches, and organizations understand how they can better support all young athletes. He's recognized internationally for his positive work in the youth sports environment. In this segment, John breaks down why so many well-intentioned parents accidentally harm their child’s long-term development and what to do instead. You’ll learn why shouting instructions (“shoot!”, “pass!”, “go wide!”) steals vital reps from kids, what healthy sideline support ACTUALLY looks like, and why volunteer coaches need to hold themselves to a high standard. Listen to the full episode: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ Watch on ⁠YouTube⁠

    13 min
  4. Dr Oliver Finlay: Invest in Coaching, Raising Robots & The Biggest Fallacy in Youth Sports

    APR 28

    Dr Oliver Finlay: Invest in Coaching, Raising Robots & The Biggest Fallacy in Youth Sports

    Dr. Oliver Finlay has seen youth sport from every angle: athlete, physiotherapist, performance director, and global sports investor. In this conversation, he makes a clear-eyed case for what's broken in North American youth sport and what needs to change. Growing up in the UK, Oliver played a multitude of sports, guided by parents who simply encouraged commitment and let sport do the teaching. The result was a confident adult whose business network is built on the same values he learned in locker rooms. What he sees across North America is something very different: a $40 billion industry that has turned child development into a revenue model. Over-coached kids who can't think for themselves. Early specialization pushed by clubs whose incentive is to fill programs, not develop players. Coaches with no formal training. And parents being told their child will be left behind if they don't commit to one sport, one team, one pathway — right now. Oliver breaks down why unstructured play produces 47% more physical activity than organized sessions, why the best athletes he's worked with played multiple sports well into their late teens, and why early specialization leads directly to overuse injuries, burnout, and kids quitting sport early. He also gets into what real team culture looks like, how to evaluate a club beyond the fancy kit, and the two investments he'd make to fix the system today. Chapters 00:00 Opening 01:35 Introducing Dr. Oliver Finlay 03:26 Why youth sport shaped everything for Oliver 06:36 How sport transformed a painfully shy kid 08:52 Growing up multi-sport in the UK 11:14 What Oliver's parents got right 13:09 Europe vs. North America: a tale of two systems 16:34 When youth sport becomes a $30–40B business 18:51 The overcoaching problem and the robot factory 22:05 Sport for life vs. sport for performance 23:33 Access, equity, and why most kids quit within three years 28:34 The missing recreational pathway 30:52 Why collaboration is the key to fixing the system 32:23 Coach licensing: Europe vs. North America 35:27 The best coaches come from teaching, not playing 37:51 Burnout, overuse injuries, and undertrained coaches 41:32 The professionalization of youth sport 42:52 Early specialization: the biggest fallacy in youth sport 45:29 Why late specializers dominate international drafts 47:49 How to actually evaluate a club 49:37 What high performance really means, and when it starts 51:23 The car ride conversation: what to ask after the game 52:23 What real team culture looks like 57:13 Winning and development aren't mutually exclusive 58:33 Why winning-at-all-costs loses your best late developers 01:00:15 What organizations do that actually create lifelong athletes 01:03:12 Where to invest to fix Canadian youth sport 01:07:25 The biggest issue in youth sport today Resources Dr. Oliver Finlay - LinkedIn Beautiful Game Group

    1h 10m
  5. Worth Repeating: Gareth Rees on What to Look for in a Coach

    APR 24 ·  BONUS

    Worth Repeating: Gareth Rees on What to Look for in a Coach

    As a rugby player, Gareth Rees was arguably the most prominent Canadian to represent his country on the world stage and was inducted in to the International Rugby Hall of Fame and Canada's Sport Hall of Fame for his efforts. A father of two boys, Gareth has coached professionally and at the amateur sport level, which gives him a unique perspective on what parents should be looking for in a quality coach for their children. In this segment, Gareth highlights important qualities to look for in a youth coach, reveals red flags to be wary of, and shares an example of how creating a great relationship with a player allows a coach to deliver tough feedback when needed. Listen to the full episode: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ Watch on ⁠YouTube

    13 min
  6. Jason D'Rocha: Age-Appropriate Expectations, Pay Coaches Well & Improving Access Together

    APR 21

    Jason D'Rocha: Age-Appropriate Expectations, Pay Coaches Well & Improving Access Together

    Jason D'Rocha didn't plan to spend his career in youth sports. A blown knee in grade 12 ended his dreams of playing university basketball, and what followed — a degree in child psychology, a summer camp job that lit something up in him, and an introduction to Sportball — became a calling he's never walked away from. Jason's now the Vice President of Sportball, the author of multiple children's books, and a father of two daughters who are very much in the thick of the youth sports world he thinks about every day. Jason brings something rare to this conversation: he's simultaneously a child development expert, a career coach, a sport administrator, and a parent sitting in the stands trying to get it right. He's also someone who grew up in Toronto's inner city, where organized sport wasn't always accessible, which gives him a perspective on cost and inclusion that isn't theoretical, it's personal. Scott and Jason explore what it really means to build confidence in children through sport, why celebrating outcomes fails the 99% of kids who will never play at the elite level, and how a misalignment of expectations — from parents, coaches, and leagues — is at the root of so much of what's broken in youth sports today. Jason also shares what great coaching actually looks like, why getting parents out of the gym can be one of the most powerful things a program does, and what he tells his own daughters when sport gets hard. If you're a parent trying to figure out how to support your child's athletic journey without stepping on it, this conversation is for you. Chapters 00:00 Opening 01:35 Introducing Jason D'Rocha 03:47 From Injury to a Career in Youth Sport 05:14 Jason's Childhood: Pickup Ball & Access to Sport 08:33 His Parents Approach 14:17 Why Sportball? 26:31 Why Parents Should Leave the Gym 29:00 Competing Authority: Coaches vs. Parents 31:33 What Jason Looks for in a Coach 33:24 Age-Appropriate Development 38:15 What Physical Literacy Really Means 41:29 How Sportball Trains Its Coaches 44:43 Modeling Matters 46:19 What Booing at the Raptors Taught His Daughters 48:18 Taking Off the Coach Hat at Home 51:13 What He Wants His Kids to Get Out of Sport 52:31 The Recreational Gap for Teenagers 55:11 Recruiting & Retaining Great Coaches 59:08 Resources for Volunteer Coaches 59:49 Sportball, Cost & Accessibility 01:02:15 Why Multi-Sport Matters 01:04:01 The Danger of Outcome-Based Self-Worth 01:07:15 The Number One Issue in Youth Sports 01:09:24 Expectations & Social Media Resources ⁠ Sportball⁠ ⁠ Canada Sport for Life⁠ ⁠Jumpstart Canada⁠

    1h 14m
  7. Worth Repeating: Shane Doan on Playing the Long Game

    APR 17 ·  BONUS

    Worth Repeating: Shane Doan on Playing the Long Game

    Affectionately known as Captain Coyote, Shane Doan played 21 seasons in the NHL and has worked in executive positions with multiple franchises since his playing days ended. The former Memorial Cup MVP and three time Gold Medalist at the World Championships is also the father of four children, one of whom, Josh Doan, plays in the NHL for the Buffalo Sabres. In this segment, Shane uses Josh's story as a late bloomer to illustrate that development is not linear while advising parents to simply let their children play the games they love as long as possible. Listen to the full episode: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ Watch on ⁠YouTube⁠

    13 min
  8. Lauren Bay-Regula: The Elite Oxymoron, The NeverEnding Season & Play Has Become a Job

    APR 14

    Lauren Bay-Regula: The Elite Oxymoron, The NeverEnding Season & Play Has Become a Job

    Lauren Bay-Regula is a three-time Canadian Olympian in softball, and one of the most honest, self-aware voices you'll hear on what it actually looks like to parent in today's youth sports world. Her path back to the Olympics at 39 wasn't just about softball. It came after six years of postpartum depression and identity loss following the 2008 Games, years she describes as being buried from a mental standpoint. With three kids under ten and a business to run, Lauren found her way back to the sport she loved. In doing so, she found herself again. That journey now shapes everything about how she parents her three teenage children through sport. She and her husband Dave have a full yearly calendar just to protect family time. She texts coaches directly about what her kids will and won't attend. She canceled an entire week of activities mid-season because she hit a wall and needed five nights of family dinners more than another tournament weekend. And she'll be the first to tell you she doesn't always get it right. Lauren brings a perspective that's equal parts world-class athlete and exhausted, trying-her-best sports parent — and she has a lot to say about an industry that has turned play into work, development into an afterthought, and schedules into something that can split a family across three different states in a single weekend. If the phrase "elite competitive eight-year-old All-Star" sounds like an oxymoron to you, you're going to love this conversation. Chapters 00:00 Opening 01:35 Introducing Lauren Bay-Regula 04:04 Youth sports then vs. now 06:40 Growing up in Trail, BC 09:19 What sport should really teach kids 10:30 Did she ever feel pressure as a kid? 14:00 The road to her first Olympics 20:00 Parenting three kids through youth sports 28:00 The overwhelm meltdown 34:22 Being mom, not coach 35:07 When sport has no off-season 37:50 Coming back at 39 with three kids at home 41:46 The motivation: herself and her children 43:31 Bronze medal in the fruit bowl 45:24 Six years of depression and identity loss 46:55 Why high achievers resist getting help 49:09 Talking to her kids about mental health 54:00 Being the lighthouse 57:25 The mirror test 58:57 Do parents have agency to change things? 01:01:20 The one-upper mentality in youth sports clubs 01:06:09 Her biggest pitfall as a sports parent 01:10:20 What makes a great youth coach 01:12:07 The biggest issues in youth sports today Resources Team Canada Profile Strong Mom TrAk Athletics Lauren's Instagram

    1h 19m
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5
out of 5
42 Ratings

About

Hosted by veteran broadcaster Scott Rintoul, Better Sports Parents is a weekly video and audio podcast aimed at parents who are navigating the complicated world of youth sports. The intent is to provide parents with an easy to consume resource that delivers important perspectives on how to help create a better youth sports experience for their children. Those messages are delivered by recognizable professional athletes, coaches, executives, and experts who will offer insight into their own experiences in youth sports, their approaches with their own children, and their views on relatable issues that parents encounter in youth sports.

Information

  • Creator
    Scott Rintoul
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    47
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Better Sports Parents

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