Kyle Pless: We’re Building Young Athletes Backwards

College basketball has changed. NIL, the transfer portal, AAU circuits, trainers, and money have made recruiting more complicated and, in many ways, more transactional. Montana basketball coach Rachi Wortham joins the show to talk about what that shift looks like from inside a Division I program and why relationships still matter even when players may only stay for a short time. But recruiting is not only about the player. Rachi explains why coaches notice how families carry themselves, how parents behave in the stands, and the environment surrounding an athlete. Sometimes, a parent’s actions can become part of the evaluation too. The conversation also gets into AAU basketball, the rise of individual skill training, and an uncomfortable question: are we developing more skilled players who actually know how to compete and play the game?

Youth sports can make families feel like they’re constantly falling behind. Another athlete is training more, playing on a bigger stage, getting more attention, or seemingly moving faster toward the next level. Lorraine Eloms joins the show to talk about what that constant comparison does to both athletes and parents. Lorraine shares her perspective on mental performance, overtraining, rest, confidence, failure, and the uncomfortable reality that more work does not always guarantee the outcome we want. The conversation is a reminder that development looks different for every athlete, and sometimes the healthiest thing a family can do is stop measuring their kid’s journey against everyone else’s.

Youth sports are supposed to be about the kids. But somewhere between travel teams, private training, exposure, money, playing time, and adult expectations, it can become hard to tell whose experience it really is. Frank Decembrino, founder of Clubhouse Baseball Academy and longtime leader of the Boilermakers baseball program, joins Rhett to talk honestly about the business and culture surrounding youth sports. They dig into the difference between being profitable and profiteering, programs taking credit for players they didn’t develop, private equity entering youth sports, and why transparency matters more than a team’s record or social media presence. They also explore one of the hardest things for parents to do: get out of the way. Sometimes losing a position, sitting the bench, talking to a coach, or dealing with disappointment is exactly the experience a young athlete needs. And eventually, no matter how much parents invest or sacrifice, they can’t make their kid want it. Follow Frank: @decembrino7 Clubhouse Baseball Academy: @clubhousebaseballacademy

Expectations Can Steal the Joy of Youth Sports When does “I want to get better” become “I have to get better or I’m falling behind”? Mental performance consultant David Durand joins Rhett Parker to talk about the pressure surrounding young athletes and how quickly sports can become tied to identity, expectations, comparison, and fear of failure. David shares his own experience specializing early, training obsessively, dealing with burnout, and eventually realizing that hard work alone couldn’t guarantee where basketball would take him. They discuss perfectionism, physical and mental development, social media, genetics, the D1 chase, and why what matters at 12 years old might look very different a few years later. This conversation isn’t about telling kids not to dream big. It’s about recognizing when the pursuit of that dream starts taking something away from them. How do we help kids chase what they want without making them feel like who they become depends on where sports take them?

What does a Division I head coach actually look for when recruiting your kid? University of Washington Head Baseball Coach Eddie Smith has recruited and coached players across nearly every level of college baseball, including stops at LSU, Notre Dame, Virginia, Tulane, Utah Valley, and Lower Columbia. And his message to families navigating today’s youth sports landscape is simple: you can’t buy your kid opportunities. Eddie joins Rhett Parker to talk about what college coaches actually value, why being a good “ballplayer” still matters, and how the transfer portal and older college rosters have changed the path for high school athletes. They also dig into the pressure families feel to find the right team, tournament, trainer, and exposure. At what point does supporting your kid’s dream turn into chasing it for them? Because eventually, the money, rankings, and exposure only go so far. The player still has to perform, compete, and most importantly, still want to play.