Competitive sports will teach your kids discipline, resilience, teamwork and how to lose their shit when the ref makes a bad call. And apparently, it teaches the parents a few things too. Kelly and Christy are joined by writer, artist, advertising powerhouse and mom of three boys, Julia Melle, for a very honest conversation about raising competitive athletes. They get into the fine line between supporting your kid and becoming the parent everyone hopes won't sit next to them, why no referee has ever overturned a call because you yelled louder, and the difference between cheering, coaching and quietly talking shit to yourself on the sidelines. They also talk about knowing when you're investing in your kid's dream versus your own, the realities of college recruiting, using your professional skills to become a full-on momager, the pressure and opportunities of playing college sports, injuries and recovery, and why sometimes the best thing you can give an athlete is a little space after the game. Plus: sports parents by sport, booming dads, secret sideline signals, cowbells, bleach bottles, questionable hydration, the emotional trauma of lacrosse rules, and why every sports parent eventually needs to find their people. Because you're not just raising an athlete. You're raising a human who has to learn how to compete, lose, recover, lead, make decisions and eventually tell you to shut the f**k up from the field. And yes, Julia still recommends a Blow Pop for the sideline.
