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. 1d ago ·  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

  2. 4d ago

    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

  3. Jul 17 ·  Bonus

    Worth Repeating: Senator Marnie McBean on The Pitfalls of Early Specialization

    Three-time Olympic gold medalist and Canadian Senator Marnie McBean sees many of the problems with youth sports in Canada and she's intent on figuring out what we can do about it. From her international rowing career to raising her 10-year-old daughter Isabel, Marnie has seen sport at every level and has a very current view on what's currently happening in youth sports today. In this segment, Marnie shares insights on why multi-sport participation matters and why early specialization may be preventing a lot of boys from finding their true calling in sport. Listen to the full episode: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ Watch on ⁠YouTube

    Worth Repeating: Senator Marnie McBean on The Pitfalls of Early Specialization

  4. Jul 14

    Adam Bighill: From Bullied to Belonging, Misleading Money Grabs & Coaches Build Communities

    Adam Bighill made more tackles than all but five players in the history of Canadian football. He won three Grey Cups, was named the CFL's most outstanding defensive player three times, and is a shoe in for the Canadian Football Hall of Fame. But the most revealing thing about Adam's relationship with football can't be found on the stat sheet. Born with a bilateral cleft lip and palate, Adam was bullied as a kid and used sport to do the one thing it does better than almost anything else: earn respect and build belonging. His proclivity for sport and his relentless work ethic meant he was always one of the first picks. Sport levelled the playing field and gave him a place where he fit. Now retired from the CFL and coaching his three kids in flag football, Adam has a clear-eyed, no-nonsense view of what's wrong in youth sport today: parents with mismatched expectations, a money grab masquerading as development, and coaches who yell instead of teach. His philosophy is simple, and the results speak for themselves. His team went from chaos to competing at the national level on one practice and one game per week, and more importantly, every player improved and contributed to the best of their ability. Adam is very direct on the importance of coaching, the need for more resources, and his belief that sport can help everyone build confidence and self-worth. 🎙️ Better Sports Parents is helping parents positively contribute to the youth sports environment. Subscribe for new episodes every week. Chapters 00:00 Opening 02:07 Introducing Adam Bighill 03:32 Why He Retired 04:08 Three Kids, All Multi-Sport 06:03 Early Specialization 07:47 Too Many Games, Not Enough Practice 08:39 The Money Grab 09:25 The Power of the Coach 11:07 His Coaching Philosophy 14:41 How to Make Practice Fun Without Losing the Work 17:27 What Bad Youth Coaching Actually Looks Like 17:43 The Best Coaching Advice He Ever Received 20:08 Managing Parents 21:48 The Context of Team 23:47 The Word Every Coach Needs: "Yet" 23:59 Being a Sports Parent on the Sidelines 24:47 What His Dad Taught Him Just by Showing Up 26:41 Applauding Everyone on the Field 29:12 Conditional Love and What It Does to Kids 30:39 Youth Travel Sports 32:43 What Happens Outside Structured Practice 34:40 How Much Commitment Is Too Much at a Young Age? 37:05 Why Kids Play and Why Parents Should Ask 39:12 How Sport Gave Adam Belonging 41:28 Sport Broke Down Every Barrier 43:43 Sport Builds the People Your Community Needs 45:56 "Some Kids Need Football More Than Football Needs Them" 46:23 Canada vs. the US 48:50 Privatization in Youth Sports 52:33 Sport Should Be a Meritocracy 55:11 The Pressure Parents Feel 57:35 What Adam Expects From His Own Kids 59:02 What 14 Years of Pro Football Built in Him 01:01:29 The Mindset That Lasted Beyond Sport 01:03:45 Adam's Biggest Issue in Youth Sport Today Resources ⁠Adam Bighill⁠ ⁠Operation Smile Canada⁠ ⁠Better Sports Parents

    Adam Bighill: From Bullied to Belonging, Misleading Money Grabs & Coaches Build Communities

  5. Jul 10 ·  Bonus

    Worth Repeating: Trevor Linden on the Rising Costs and Pressure in Youth Sports

    Trevor Linden played 19 seasons in the NHL, captained the Vancouver Canucks to the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, and performed under the most intense pressure imaginable. But as a sports parent to his 8-year-old son? He's about as low-pressure as it gets.In this segment, Trevor discusses the advent of travel tournaments to major markets for teams with very young players, the rising cost of youth sports, and how adults set the example of what is acceptable with their behaviour. Listen to the full episode: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ Watch on ⁠YouTube

    Worth Repeating: Trevor Linden on the Rising Costs and Pressure in Youth Sports

  6. Jul 7

    Shannon Winzer: We're Failing Our Coaches, Why Parents Lose the Plot & The Gift of Free Play

    Shannon Winzer has coached volleyball at the highest level on two continents:national teams in Canada and Australia, and now as head coach of the Dallas Pulse in Major League Volleyball. She's also a mother of three kids actively playing youth sports and a volunteer lacrosse coach in her community. That combination gives her a perspective on youth sport that very few people have. What she sees frustrates her deeply. Coaches who have lost sight of the developmental needs of young people. Organizations selling dreams to parents who don't know enough to question them. A volunteer coaching workforce that is expected to do everything and supported to do almost nothing. And a youth sports culture so focused on winning, medals, and the next academy program that it has completely forgotten why kids play sport in the first place. In this conversation with Scott Rintoul, Shannon is direct, honest, and at times quietly furious. She talks about talent identification, the myth of early specialization, what the best professional athletes all have in common, the role of school sport, and the one question every parent should be asking their child but probably isn't. Her diagnosis of the biggest issue in youth sport is simple: we've lost perspective on what the purpose of youth sport actually is. Better Sports Parents is helping parents positively contribute to the youth sports environment. Subscribe for new episodes every week. Chapters 00:00 Opening 01:58 Introducing Shannon Winzer 03:18 Why She's So Passionate About Youth Sports 03:59 Her View on Youth Sports Today 05:22 Why Parents Lose the Plot 07:17 What Shannon Wants for Her Own Kids 08:44 Do Parents Understand Their Role in Youth Sport? 10:04 Fighting Your Child's Battles vs. Supporting Them Through Their Own 11:44 When a Child Approaches the Coach vs. When a Parent Does 12:01 What Learning Looks Like: Reframing Failure 13:49 Please Don't Coach From the Stands 16:23 Why Coaching From the Sideline Adds Noise, Not Help 20:26 Why Shannon Got Into Coaching 22:03 Shannon's Youth Sports Background 24:03 Academies: When They Help and When They Don't 28:19 Setting Boundaries as a Sports Family 30:09 The Greatest Gift We Can Give Kids: Free Play 33:28 How Coaches Can Create Space for Creativity 36:21 Ask What They Love, Not Just Why They Play 39:27 We Are Failing Our Coaches 42:18 Coach Retention, School Sport and the Teacher Problem 47:02 The Missing Recreational Pathway in Volleyball 51:29 Why Shannon Chose Volleyball Over Basketball 52:28 Multi-Sport at the Professional Level 55:53 People Selling Youth Sports 57:42 Shannon's Biggest Issue: We've Lost Perspective 01:01:08 We Need a Framework, Not Just Funding 01:04:31 The Number One Purpose of Youth Sport 01:08:36 Competition and Participation Can Coexist 01:10:48 The Myth Around Talent ID Resources ⁠Shannon Winzer⁠ ⁠Long-Term Athlete Development⁠ ⁠Better Sports Parents⁠

    Shannon Winzer: We're Failing Our Coaches, Why Parents Lose the Plot & The Gift of Free Play

  7. Jul 3 ·  Bonus

    Worth Repeating: Kim Gaucher on Giving Kids the Freedom to Make Decisions

    Kim Gaucher was a member of the Canadian Women's Basketball Team for more than 20 years, captaining the team in multiple Olympic Games. Her prolific NCAA and professional career led her into coaching and eventually her current role as Head of the Players Unit with FIBA, the governing body of international basketball. In this segment, Kim discusses the benefits of kids playing in unstructured environments, how players benefit when they're not coached during games, and how the focus on individual skills has taken away from team play. Listen to the full episode: ⁠Spotify⁠ ⁠Apple⁠ Watch on ⁠YouTube⁠

    Worth Repeating: Kim Gaucher on Giving Kids the Freedom to Make Decisions

  8. Jun 30

    Brian Johns: The Rat Race of Youth Sports, Parents Need Help & Who is the System Serving?

    Brian Johns is a three-time Olympian and was a world record holder in the pool. He also thought he knew what youth sport looked like — until he became a parent. What he found when he put his daughters into youth sports was an eye-opener even for someone who has spent decades in sport at every level. Sports operating in silos, parents left to figure everything out alone, nine-year-olds being tiered into competitive groups without equal resources. He started writing and speaking about it because the problems were obvious but the solutions felt stuck. In this conversation with Scott Rintoul, Brian draws on his background as an Olympian, a coach, and Head of Coaching Science at Form Swim to make the case that youth sport isn't failing because people don't care, it's failing because organizations are just trying to survive, and nobody is coordinating the bigger picture. He argues that the answer isn't just more funding or more facilities. It's collaboration, purposeful programming, and a willingness to put the child in front of the organization. 🎙️ Better Sports Parents is helping parents positively contribute to the youth sports environment. Subscribe for new episodes every week. Chapters 00:00 Opening 02:09 Introducing Brian Johns 03:05 What Made Him Start Writing About Youth Sport 05:57 The Biggest Revelation: Everything Is Siloed 08:23 Brian's Youth Sports Background 09:33 His Parents' Approach: Let Him Choose 11:07 Why He Kept Playing Other Sports Despite Excelling at Swimming 12:55 How the Culture of Swimming Has Changed 15:45 Purposeful Practice vs. Empty Volume 16:06 Peak Performance Ages in Swimming: A Unique Challenge 19:55 Managing Young Phenoms: Communication Is Everything 24:14 Creating Community in an Individual Sport 27:41 Competing Against Other Sports for Kids' Time 32:26 You're Not Just Competing With Other Clubs 37:45 Can Sports Organizations Work Together? 43:00 The Death of School Sport and What It Cost Us 45:13 Reframing Sport: Accessibility vs. Competition Is a False Choice 48:29 Pathways for Kids Who Don't Make the Team 53:21 Zoom Out: We All End Up at the Rec Center 54:11 Unprecedented Funding: Can Canada Actually Deliver? 56:10 The Infrastructure Problem Nobody Talks About 01:01:24 Free Swimming Lessons: Vancouver's Experiment 01:03:09 Who Is the Youth Sport System Actually Designed to Serve? 01:07:07 Who Needs to Step Back and Why 01:11:17 Brian's Biggest Issue in Youth Sport: Lack of Collaboration 01:13:59 Identity Beyond Swimming: How Coaches Can Help 01:16:48 Performance vs. Learning: The Flip Turn Story Resources ⁠Brian Johns ⁠ ⁠Vancouver's Free Swimming Proposal ⁠

    Brian Johns: The Rat Race of Youth Sports, Parents Need Help & Who is the System Serving?
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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
    69
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025
  • Show Website
    Better Sports Parents

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