Better Sports Parents

Scott Rintoul
  • 5.0 (1)
  • 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. 23h ago

    Jamie Huscroft: Conscious of Cost, The Ever-Shrinking Offseason & Develop People Not Players

    Jamie Huscroft played more than 350 NHL games with seven organizations, won a Memorial Cup with the Medicine Hat Tigers, and was drafted in the 9th Round after starting out as, in his own words, the worst player at every level he ever played. Since retiring in 2001 after suffering 13 concussions as a pro, he's spent nearly 25 years building community hockey in the greater Seattle area, where he's now Director of Facilities for Sno King Ice Arenas. Jamie and Scott dig into what's changed and what hasn't in youth hockey: rising costs, shrinking off-seasons, and the pressure to specialize early despite Jamie's own multi-sport upbringing in tiny Creston, BC. Jamie shares how his parents' hands-off, "how was your day" approach shaped him, why his own kids never played hockey and he never pushed them to, and how Sno King's philosophy puts character development ahead of chasing the NHL. He also opens up about the toll of his concussions, how hockey has evolved on safety, and why cost — not talent or dedication — is the number one barrier keeping kids out of the game today. Whether your child is just starting out or already deep in the travel-team grind, Jamie's perspective as both a pro-hockey veteran and a rink operator offers a rare, grounded view of youth sports from the inside. Chapters: 00:00 Opening 02:06 Introducing Jamie Huscroft 03:13 Why He Chose Community Hockey Over the Pros 03:59 Concussion Number 13 Ended His Career 06:12 Watching Former Youth Players Become Coaches 08:32 How the Kraken Changed Seattle Hockey 10:29 Rising Costs and Shrinking Off-Seasons 13:24 The Norway Model vs. Choosing Earlier 14:21 Top Teams, Early Specialization, and "The Outlier" 15:14 Why He Never Pushed His Own Kids 17:35 Character Development Over Chasing the NHL 19:22 Turning Teenagers Into Mentors 20:38 The Worst Player in Camp, Every Step of the Way 24:35 His Parents' Hands-Off, Car-Ride Philosophy 27:12 A Multi-Sport Childhood in Creston, BC 28:17 Is Early Specialization the System's Fault? 29:59 "If I Don't Do It, Someone Else Will" 32:13 Where Win-at-All-Costs Culture Actually Lives 33:34 Pond Hockey: Letting Kids Coach Themselves 35:22 Parents Coaching From the Stands 36:48 Building a Mentorship Pipeline for Referees 39:18 Has Parent Behavior Really Changed? 41:50 Are There Really Only a Few Paths to the Top? 43:41 The Attrition Rate of Elite Hockey 44:58 How He Defines Success Through Sport 48:01 Staying in Hockey after 13 Concussions 49:25 How Hockey Has Changed on Safety 54:55 The Number One Issue in Youth Sports Today 55:54 Keeping Hockey Affordable at Sno King Resources ⁠Jamie Huscroft⁠ ⁠Sno King Arenas⁠ ⁠Better Sports Parents⁠

  2. Aug 11

    Ilya Orlov: Why Kids Quit Sports, Breaking Bad Coaching Habits & Dollars Over Development

    Ilya Orlov almost quit soccer at 13 due to pressure from well-meaning parents, punishing coaches, and a body that developed later than his peers. On the brink of leaving the game he loved, his father gave him one piece of advice that changed everything: drop down a level. That decision, and the years of reflection since, shaped how Ilya now coaches as head coach of the University of Toronto men's soccer program, a role he's held for over seven years after playing at York University and captaining them to a national championship. Ilya holds a master's in developmental psychology and has trained as a coach across Europe, giving him a research-backed, data-driven lens on what's actually broken in youth sports. In this conversation, he and Scott dig into the relative age effect, why year-round training without recovery is quietly injuring kids, the real odds of making it to university or pro sport, and why coach education in North America is dangerously subjective. Ilya also opens up about the traumatic coaching moment from his own youth that he vowed never to repeat, what he actually looks for in recruits and their parents, and his blunt take on social media, private coaching, and the number one issue facing youth sports today. If you've ever wondered whether your child should specialize, drop down a level, or just be allowed to have fun, this episode offers a coach's rare combination of lived experience and research. Chapters: 0:00 Opening 01:35 Introducing Ilya Orlov 03:32 From Player to Coach at 24 04:56 His Soviet-Influenced Sporting Roots 06:21 Relative Age Effect and Late Puberty 07:34 On the Brink of Quitting at 12 09:36 When Parental Pressure Really Starts 14:01 Pushed Out of a Team by a Coach 16:28 Free Play and a Multi-Sport Childhood 17:10 Should More Kids Drop Down a Level? 18:29 The "Overload" Theory of Development 20:11 Tiering, Late Bloomers, and False Perceptions 26:02 Year-Round Training and Missing Recovery 26:51 The Real Odds of "Making It" 28:39 Private Academies and the Pressure to Specialize 30:49 Kids as Revenue Tools in a Money-Driven System 32:03 Overuse Injuries and "Any Given Monday" 33:38 Why Coach Education Needs to Be Evidence-Based 35:18 The Volunteer Coaching Problem 37:42 The Foundation of Coaching: "What" vs. "How" 42:36 The Punishment Run That Changed How He Coaches 46:24 Pro Coaches as Role Models for Bad Behavior 48:45 What a Parent's Role Should Really Be 51:11 Support Them, Don't Coach Them 53:49 The Real Odds of Playing University Soccer 57:25 Why Parent Behavior Factors Into Recruiting 1:00:11 The Real Goal: Raising Good Humans 1:04:33 Social Media in Youth Sports 1:06:09 How Private Coaching Leads to FOMO 1:08:20 The Number One Issue in Youth Sports Today Resources ⁠Ilya Orlov⁠ ⁠Any Given Monday ⁠ ⁠Better Sports Parents⁠

    Ilya Orlov: Why Kids Quit Sports, Breaking Bad Coaching Habits & Dollars Over Development

  3. Aug 7 ·  Bonus

    Worth Repeating: Terry McKaig on the Benefits of Getting Cut

    Terry McKaig built the most successful post-secondary baseball program in Canada's history at UBC, sending players to the MLB draft year after year. As the father of two active teenagers, he's also very familiar with what the current youth sports environment looks like as a parent not just a coach. In this segment, Terry discusses how he and so many other successful athletes have been cut from a team and how that experience can be a positive one if players are empowered to use it as an opportunity to learn. Listen to the full episode: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ Watch on ⁠YouTube⁠

    Worth Repeating: Terry McKaig on the Benefits of Getting Cut

  4. Aug 4

    Matt Nichol: Specialize in Fun, Training Myths Debunked & The Real Lesson from Norway

    He's spent his career training athletes for the NHL, NFL, Olympics and beyond. And Matt Nichol is telling parents to slow down. Matt has trained some of the best athletes on the planet, but he's clear on one thing: he'd never train a 10-year-old like a pro. So why do so many youth coaches and parents try to do exactly that? In this conversation, Matt and Scott dig into what's actually broken in youth sports right now: the flood of private academies, the misuse of the "10,000 hour rule," and the difference between kids who are overtrained and kids who are simply under-recovered. Matt also takes apart one of the most common arguments parents use to justify early specialization: "Well, Connor McDavid did it." (Spoiler: that logic doesn't hold up, and Matt explains exactly why.) They talk about what Norway is doing differently in athlete development, why the old Soviet sports school model can't be copied today, and what parents should really be looking for in a coach at any level. If you've ever wondered whether your kid is training too much, too early, or in the wrong way, this conversation will change how you think about it. 🎙️ Better Sports Parents is helping parents positively contribute to the youth sports environment. Subscribe for new episodes every week. Chapters: 00:00 Opening 02:02 Introducing Matt Nichol 03:32 How Youth Sports Has Changed in 30 Years 04:36 The Rise of Privatized Youth Sports 06:13 Who Gets Left Behind in a Private System 08:18 The "10,000 Hour Rule" Myth 11:06 Why Kids Quit Instead of Dropping Down a Level 13:16 Redesigning the System vs. Educating Parents 15:51 Early vs. Late Specialization Sports 16:53 Why Connor McDavid Is a Weak Argument 19:12 The Mental Health Cost of Overspecializing 20:20 FOMO Training and Busy Work 22:52 What Overtraining Actually Looks Like 25:34 Under-Recovery: The Bigger Hidden Issue 29:27 The Magic of Unstructured Play 34:06 Is There Too Much Commitment Too Young? 36:42 The Decline of School Sport 40:08 Could Public and Private Sport Merge? 42:28 What Norway Gets Right 45:36 You Don't Have to Choose Between Fun and Elite 48:00 The Soviet Sports School System 56:15 Why Long-Term Athlete Development Is Hard to Implement 1:00:31 Supporting Volunteer Coaches 1:04:23 What to Look for in a Youth Coach 1:09:06 Values Matt's Parents Instilled in Him 1:12:08 What a Parent's Role Should Really Be 1:17:15 The Number One Issue in Youth Sports Today Resources: Matt Nichol LTAD Framework Better Sports Parents

    Matt Nichol: Specialize in Fun, Training Myths Debunked & The Real Lesson from Norway

  5. Jul 31 ·  Bonus

    Worth Repeating: Allison McNeill on Protecting Joy in Youth Sport

    Allison McNeill is one of the most accomplished figures in Canadian basketball. As a player, she won multiple provincial and national titles before finishing her collegiate career in the NCAA. As a coach, she took over Simon Fraser University's women's program in 1988 and spent 13 years turning it into a perennial national championship contender. She then took the reins of Canada's women's national team, ending a 12-year Olympic absence by guiding them back to the 2012 Games and making them competitive on the world stage. She has coached at every level of the game, from grade twos all the way to the national team, and she still gives back at the youth level today. In this segment, Allison discusses the importance of protecting the joy of sport for all young athletes and some of the factors that are contributing to the loss of that joy in far too many kids. Listen to the full episode: Spotify Apple Watch on YouTube

    Worth Repeating: Allison McNeill on Protecting Joy in Youth Sport

  6. Jul 28

    Jason Strudwick: Kids Aren't Your Scorecard, A Culture of FOMO & Problems with Super Teams

    Jason Strudwick played over 600 NHL games across a 17-year pro career with the Islanders, Canucks, Blackhawks, Rangers, and Oilers. Since retiring, he's become a broadcaster, youth hockey coach, and dad to three kids active in sports, giving him a rare view of the youth sports system from every angle. In this episode, Jason gets refreshingly honest: why he tells parents the truth even when they don't want to hear it, why "your kids aren't your scorecard," and why no five-day camp has ever turned a player into someone 50% better. He and Scott dig into the rise of private academies, the real financial cost of access in hockey, the pressure of FOMO on parents and kids alike, and explains why physical literacy, not early specialization, is the real long-term advantage. He also opens up about his own physical and mental health routine, and the identity crisis so many athletes face when sport doesn't work out the way they hoped. If you're navigating minor hockey, private leagues, camps, or just wondering whether you're doing right by your kid, this conversation is full of hard-earned, no-nonsense perspective. Better Sports Parents is helping parents positively contribute to the youth sports environment. Subscribe for new episodes every week. Chapters: 00:00 Opening 02:08 Introducing Jason Strudwick 03:34 Pushing Kids Harder Than We Pushed Ourselves 07:04 Overexposure and the Injury Risk 08:44 Reading What Your Kid Actually Wants 11:10 "Kids Aren't Your Scorecard" 3:05 No Kid Improves Dramatically in Five Days 15:06 Shane Doan: "We All End Up Here" 18:48 Why Parents Need to Talk to Each Other 23:35 Tell the Truth as a Coach 26:11 The Rise of Private Academies 30:36 The Accessibility Gap in Hockey 32:01 What Age Should Kids Specialize? 36:07 Letting Family Values Lead the Decisions 38:14 Do Travel Tournaments Actually Help? 40:48 The Problem With Super Teams 42:52 Give Your Coaches a Break 44:53 Free Development Tools Online 49:11 Jason's Own Late-Blooming Journey 50:44 Why Multi-Sport Matters 53:24 Skate, Ski, Swim: Physical Literacy for Life 57:38 Physical Activity and Mental Health 1:00:36 When Sport Becomes Your Identity 1:02:56 The Number One Issue in Youth Sports Today 1:05:39 You're Not Paying for Performance 1:07:39 The Real Cost of Access in Youth Sports Resources: Jason Strudwick Got Yer Back Podcast Better Sports Parents

    Jason Strudwick: Kids Aren't Your Scorecard, A Culture of FOMO & Problems with Super Teams

  7. Jul 24 ·  Bonus

    Worth Repeating: Steve Mesler on The Importance of Keeping Kids in Sport

    Steve Mesler is an Olympic gold medalist, a former member of the USA Olympic Committee and the co-founder of Classroom Champions. He's also a father navigating today's youth sports landscape and comes face to face with what many consider conventional wisdom with respect to sports parenting. In this segment, Steve challenges a common question he hears in the youth sports ecosystem and advocates for the importance of sport in building self-worth, confidence, and the skills needed to be successful in life. Listen to the entire episode: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ Watch on ⁠YouTube

    Worth Repeating: Steve Mesler on The Importance of Keeping Kids in Sport

  8. Jul 21

    Kara Kalin: Smiling While Dying, The Sweaty Head Test & Create Unshakable Confidence

    Kara Kalin competed at the national level in artistic swimming, coached the sport from club to the Canadian team, and became a clinical counselor and certified EMDR therapist. She then founded Shift Change, a platform for trauma processing in sport and beyond. Kara is also a mother of four children all active in sport, so she has seen the youth sports environment from every angle. And what she sees concerns her deeply. In this conversation with Scott Rintoul, Kara shares the moment a coach publicly shamed her on a pool deck at eleven years old, and how that single experience planted a seed of "I'm not good enough" that drove her career for decades without her knowing it. She explains what trauma actually is, why sport is full of it, and why policies and documents change nothing if the brain never gets to process what happened. She also shares some of the most practical parenting wisdom on the podcast to date: how she developed the Sweaty Head Test for her son, why she built a program called The Power of the Drive Home, and what parents can do in ten minutes after a game that changes everything. Kara makes the case, plainly and without apology, that threat does not need to be the driving force in sport. If the conditions are right, the greatness comes anyway. Chapters 00:00 Opening 01:35 Introducing Kara Kalin 03:15 Being Inside a System That Resisted Change 04:35 The Olympic Dream 08:22 Choosing Her Kids Over Her Sport 11:29 Training Beside Olympians 13:29 How She Found Synchro Swimming 14:19 One Moment Changed Everything 16:19 Public Shame on a Pool Deck 17:04 Fear of Holding Her Breath 18:07 Smiling While Dying 19:04 Straight Into Coaching at 16 20:02 Finding Joy in Sport Again 20:34 Her Parents: A Quiet Champion, a Pacing Dad 26:07 Should Parents Fight Their Kids' Battles? 28:15 The Sweaty Head Test 30:04 Asking for Feedback After Practice 31:25 Threat Doesn't Need to Drive Us 33:24 Why Sport Is Full of Trauma 35:27 The Car Ride After a Coach Yells 39:48 The Sweaty Head Test 40:28 Recognizing Trauma in Yourself 41:06 The Definition of Trauma That Changed Her Life 44:21 What Unprocessed Trauma Does to the Body 46:40 When Her Body Finally Said "Enough" 48:00 Do We Pass Unprocessed Trauma to Athletes We Coach? 52:13 Children as Mirrors 54:47 Safe Sport: Too Much Talking, Not Enough Doing 56:14 The 90-Day Window for Processing Harm 57:12 How Shift Change Was Born 1:00:00 Mental Health in Sport 1:01:32 Why Sport Is Stuck 1:05:28 Why LTAD Never Took Hold 1:08:08 Kara's Biggest Issue in Youth Sport 1:11:33 What Often Happens to Those Who Try to Change the System 1:15:25 What She Hopes Her Kids Get From Sport Resources ⁠Kara Kalin ⁠ ⁠Shift Change⁠ ⁠ Better Sports Parents⁠

    Kara Kalin: Smiling While Dying, The Sweaty Head Test & Create Unshakable Confidence
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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
    75
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Better Sports Parents

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