The Biggest Thing Youth Sports Needs Right Now (with Dr. Katlin Okamoto, US Soccer Foundation)
Youth sports need more trustworthy adults in kids’ lives.
In this episode, Jonathan talks with Dr. Katlin Okamoto of the U.S. Soccer Foundation about the single biggest thing youth sports needs right now. It’s not better drills, more tournaments, or earlier specialization. It’s adults who understand that their influence goes far beyond the scoreboard.
They explore why coaches often become one of the most influential adults in a young person’s life, how the role of a coach is shifting from instructor to mentor, and why relationships are the foundation of healthy sports experiences for kids.
Dr. Okamoto also shares the thinking behind the Yes, Coach! campaign, a national effort to recruit, support, and celebrate the adults who step up to lead kids through sports in a healthy way.
If youth sports are going to change, it won’t start with policies or platforms. It will start with the adults who show up for kids every week.
In this episode we cover:
Why kids need multiple trustworthy adults in their lives
The hidden influence youth coaches have on young people
Why coaching is as much an art as it is a science
How youth sports have changed and why families feel more pressure
What the Yes, Coach! campaign hopes to change in youth sports
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