The Pure Athlete Podcast

Jeff Francoeur, Britt Lee, and Brad Williams are back answering your calls about the challenges that come with raising and coaching young athletes. From uncomfortable conversations with other parents to helping kids handle pressure and disappointment, this episode covers:

• When other parents criticize your kid: Sarah from Knoxville learned that parents on her son’s travel baseball team have been talking behind his back about his abilities. Her husband wants to address it directly, but she worries about creating drama. Should they speak up or let it go?
• “My daughter doesn’t want me at her games”: Greg from Dallas loves watching his 14-year-old play basketball, but she says his reactions make her anxious. How can he support her without adding pressure—and should he sit out a few games?
• Getting feedback from a young coach: Mike from Chicago wants better communication from his 9-year-old son’s hockey coach. How can he ask about his son’s development and offer constructive feedback without putting the coach on the defensive?
• Winning vs. development at 9 years old: Tony from Chicago is concerned that his daughter’s travel softball team keeps the same girls pitching and playing infield while others rotate between the outfield and bench. Should they stick it out or find a team with a different philosophy?
• Helping a competitive kid handle losing: Kyle from Phoenix has a talented 9-year-old son who struggles to keep his composure when games don’t go his way. How can he teach his son to handle adversity while encouraging his competitive spirit—and balance being both dad and coach?

Drawing from their own experiences, the guys share practical advice on supporting your child, communicating with coaches, and keeping youth sports focused on growth, relationships, and fun.

Have a situation you’d like to talk through with the guys? Visit pureathlete.com/call to submit your story, or send us a DM on any of our social platforms. Your question could help another parent or coach facing something similar.

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Struggles with confidence, poor body language, negative self- talk, and response to failure are just some of the mental performance challenges that young athletes must overcome to maximize their performance. On this week's episode, we discuss these challenges and more with Mental Performance expert Justin Su'a. Justin was previously the Head of Mental Performance at IMG Academy, before working for the Boston Red Sox, Tampa Bay Rays, and Cleveland Browns, as well as with PGA golfers and ATP tennis players. In addition, Justin co-hosts the popular Diggin Deep podcast with former MLB players. Justin brings his expertise, experience, and positivity to our conversation, inspiring parents, coaches, and kids to train the mental side for success both on and off the field.

University of Georgia senior tight end Lawson Luckie joins Britt and Brad on The Pure Athlete Podcast to share his journey from late-blooming youth athlete to SEC contributor and team leader.

Luckie, a pre-season All-SEC player from Norcross, Georgia, whose father and uncles also played for the Bulldogs, talks candidly about not being a standout early on—he was often the bigger kid stuck on the line—and how his parents’ patient focus on effort (not performance) and the example of his younger brother’s challenges fueled his drive. He covers handling rare losses in the 12-team playoff era, what leadership looks like as one of the older players in a young locker room, the real daily life of an SEC football player, and why he’s stayed at Georgia for his entire career instead of entering the portal.

He also offers practical advice on recruiting (go where you’re truly valued), building route-running skill and football IQ, responding to Kirby Smart’s high standards, the value of bye weeks, and the importance of simply having fun and not being overly hard on yourself. Plus, he discusses the impact of family, charity work, and his long-term goals beyond the field.

A must-listen for sports parents, coaches, and young athletes navigating development, recruiting, and the realities of high-level competition.

In Part 2 of this series, Brad, Britt, and Jeff dig deeper into the forces driving up the price of youth sports—and what parents can realistically do about it. They open with a timely anecdote from Rays manager Kevin Cash about purchasing a $550 bat for his son.

The conversation turns to private equity’s growing role in facilities, tournaments, and travel organizations. The hosts examine how the push for more teams, gate fees, hotel mandates, and cost-cutting can affect the quality of competition, coaching, and the overall experience—often leaving parents feeling nickel-and-dimed after already paying steep entry fees. They also discuss the broader ripple effects: increased family stress, kids quitting, and the difficult trade-offs multi-child households face when one expensive trip crowds out other opportunities.

Jeff, Brad, and Britt share practical perspectives on evaluating a child’s realistic ceiling, when high-level tournaments or showcases actually make sense versus local or college camp alternatives, and why multi-sport participation can sometimes be the more affordable (and healthier) path. Drawing from their own experiences, they emphasize wise counsel, honest conversations with kids about costs, and focusing spending on what truly moves the needle rather than chasing early rankings or unrealistic scholarship dreams.

Whether you’re a first-time parent navigating travel ball or someone who’s already felt the financial pinch, this episode offers grounded advice on protecting both your budget and your family’s long-term enjoyment of sports.

Also be sure to check out Part 1 of our conversation surrounding the costs of youth sports.

Youth sports have gotten dramatically more expensive—and not just in one area. In this episode, Britt, Jeff, and Brad dig into the real numbers and lived experiences behind the surge in costs for equipment, travel, tournaments, and more.

They discuss Aspen Institute data showing average family spending jumped roughly 70–105% across major sports between 2019 and 2024, share the “oh no” moments when parents first saw the bill for a travel team or a $500 bat, and talk candidly about the pressure to keep up with other families. The conversation covers practical realities like hand-me-downs, setting budgets, gauging a kid’s actual passion and work ethic before spending big, and the hard truth that most families won’t see a financial return on investment.

Highlights include Jeff’s story of hitting four home runs in a state championship with a borrowed bat after his dad refused to buy a new one, plus thoughtful debate on where money is worth spending versus where it’s often wasted. The hosts emphasize that time spent with your kid practicing usually matters far more than any piece of equipment.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series. Next week we tackle the rising costs of clubs, academies, tournaments and the pressure parents feel to do it all.

Scott Linebrink spent 12½ years as one of baseball’s best setup men — the guy opposing hitters sometimes dreaded more than Trevor Hoffman in the ninth. On this episode, Jeff Francoeur sits down with the second-round pick out of Texas State for a conversation about the underdog path that got him there, and the loss that ended it.

Linebrink was a late bloomer who walked on at a small D3 school throwing 83. A growth spurt, a move to Texas State, and a Giants draft call later, he was sharing a clubhouse with Barry Bonds, Jeff Kent, Jeff Bagwell, and Craig Biggio — and still not sure he belonged. In San Diego, Bruce Bochy and Hoffman turned him into the eighth-inning guy. Then came September 28, 2011, with the Braves: a 10½-game wild-card lead gone, extra innings, and a Hunter Pence flare that scored the run that ended the season — and, as it turned out, his career.

Fifteen years later, he finally tells that story. Not as a setup for a comeback, but as a loss that stayed a loss — and how bitterness gave way to gratitude. He also talks about the people who kept him going , life after the game with Water Mission and Pro Athletes Outreach, and his book Fields of Life.

For parents, players, and coaches who need to hear how the struggles shape you more than the wins.

In part two, Alan Jaeger, known for being a founding father of modern arm care and the founder of Jaeger Sports and Jaeger Bands, rejoins Jeff, Britt, and Brad to continue the conversation on how young players can develop stronger, healthier arms—and stay composed when the game doesn’t go their way.

Jaeger breaks down his approach to long toss, explaining why he sees it as a foundation for arm health, strength, endurance, and recovery. He discusses building distance gradually, listening to your arm, and adapting throwing routines to a player’s age and role. Jeff shares how he prepared alongside Andruw Jones and Alex Gordon, while Jaeger explains why younger players can begin with something as simple as getting outside and playing catch.

The conversation then shifts to recovering from a bad inning or disappointing game. Jaeger shares a simple pitching framework—breathe, focal point, attack—and explains why athletes need to practice their mental routines just as they practice their physical skills. His central message: confidence can rise and fall with results, but trust in your preparation and process gives you something dependable to return to. He also discusses how parents can help kids look beyond the box score and introduces a practical starting point: a few minutes of quiet breathing each day to practice slowing down and staying present—skills that carry well beyond baseball.

Be sure to check out part one of our conversation with Alan for more insights on arm care, injury prevention, and the mental side of the game.

In part one of this conversation, Alan Jaeger, known for being a founding father of modern arm care and the founder of Jaeger Sports and Jaeger Bands, joins Jeff, Britt, and Brad to explore why so many baseball players are dealing with arm injuries—and how parents and coaches can help young players build healthy throwing habits to avoid becoming part of that trend.

Jaeger calls it the “inverted pyramid”: players chase velocity, spin, and personal bests without first building the conditioning to handle that effort. Drawing on more than three decades of work in baseball, he explains why a gradual throwing buildup matters, how to plan for rest and a return to play, and why position players need to prepare their arms even if pitching isn’t their primary role. Jeff shares the offseason routine that worked for him, while Brad reflects on the arm injury his son experienced after being asked to pitch.

The conversation also turns to the mental side of the game. Jaeger describes the calm and presence he sees in elite players and talks about helping young athletes move past mistakes. In a sport where a hard-hit ball can still be an out, he argues that players build more lasting confidence by trusting their preparation and process than by judging themselves on each result.

Also, don’t miss part two of our conversation with Alan, coming this Thursday, for more of his insights and advice.

Welcome to The Pure Athlete Call-In Show, where we have REAL CONVERSATIONS with REAL PARENTS & COACHES about REAL SITUATIONS and CHALLENGES.

On this episode, Jeff Francoeur, Britt Lee, and Brad Williams take calls from parents and coaches navigating some of the hardest moments in youth sports:

• Chris in Atlanta — How do you grow into coaching a sport you barely know when your kid (or the program) needs you?
• Libby in Chicago — Her 7th grader made the tennis team. Her 6th grader, one year younger and at the same school, did not. How do you celebrate one daughter without constantly reminding the other that she got cut?
• Casey in Spokane — His 9-year-old is a “stud” in practice but freezes at the plate, overthinks every cue, and treats a strikeout like the end of the world.
• Chris in Newark — After years in the dugout, he’s now in the stands and can’t believe what some parents are saying. What’s his role now—and when should a former coach speak up?
• Mark in Denver — After a couple of errors, a travel-ball coach berated his 13-year-old in front of the team. His son wants to quit. How do you talk to your kid—and how do you approach the coach?

Jeff, Britt, and Brad share honest perspectives and advice from their own experiences as parents, coaches, and former athletes.

If you want to talk to the guys on a future call-in episode, go to pureathlete.com/call and submit your story, or send a DM on any of our social platforms. Sharing your situation can help other parents and coaches going through the same thing.

Britt, Brad, and former U.S. Soccer captain Carlos Bocanegra sit down with Dr. Ben Freakley for a practical conversation on the mental side of youth sports. Freakley, a military brat and former college soccer player and coach, traces his path from a painful VMI loss that pushed him into sports psychology, to work with Army Rangers, the Toronto Blue Jays’ mental performance department, and building Atlanta United’s high-performance staff alongside Bocanegra. He now leads Ready, Set, Resilient and consults with athletes, coaches, and high performers.

The discussion centers on cognitive load: how parents yelling from the stands, coaches barking from the sideline, and a kid’s own inner voice create “noise” that makes it harder to play. Freakley explains why coaches (and parents) should cut feedback to one or two clear points, triage what actually matters, and save the rest for later. He offers a simple post-game framework he uses with his own high-school football-playing sons—goals, honest reflection on what went well, what to improve, and a plan for next time—aimed at building self-awareness rather than delivering a play-by-play critique.

Freakley shares his expertise and a hot take on developing confidence, and he talks a length about stressing process over results.

Bocanegra and Freakley also share what they looked for in young academy players beyond speed and skill: kids who showed up every day, competed, and figured things out when they weren’t the most gifted.

Freakley's closing billboard for every youth field: Love your kid. Unconditional positive regard. No conditions of worth tied to points, minutes, or wins. “You’re enough.” A grounded, coach-and-parent-friendly episode on reducing noise, building process, and keeping the relationship first.

Welcome to The Pure Athlete Call-In Show, where we have REAL CONVERSATIONS with REAL PARENTS & COACHES, discussion REAL SITUATIONS and CHALLENGES. On the is episode we talk to three moms, one dad, and one middle school soccer coach about challenges each are facing along their youth sports journeys. Jeff, Britt, and Brad share their perspectives and advice, based on their own experiences and observations.

If you want to talk to the guys on a future call-in episode, go to pureathlete.com/call and submit your information or send us a dm at any of our social media platforms! We would love to hear from you, and sharing your story may help other parents or coaches going through similar situations!

Notah Begay III joins The Pure Athlete Podcast for a conversation about character, preparation, and what it actually takes to last.

Jeff, Britt, and Brad sit down with Begay during Tour Championship week to talk about the surprise of winning the Payne Stewart Award, the speech in a room full of peers (Scheffler, McIlroy, and the people who built the show), and the path that made the honor feel almost impossible: a public course on Albuquerque’s west side, unpaid work at nine, a hard home life, and the long odds facing Native kids on reservations.

Begay is blunt about early specialization, the mentors who opened doors (and helped him raise an SAT score in 90 days), surviving the Atlanta airport at 14 with no cell phone, and why Stanford felt like another planet. He explains how few jobs there really are on Tour, why one bad year can send you all the way back to “Go,” and what he learned standing next to Tiger Woods for 40 years—from the range the morning after a major to why confidence comes from preparation, not from having “done it before.”

A conversation about golf, grit, and raising kids who still love the game.

Brad and Britt sit down with Dr. Katie Friedman—pediatrician, pediatric ER physician, mom of young athletes, co-founder of Forever Freckled, and creator of Big Time youth athlete vitamins (livebigtime.com).

Katie makes the case that youth sports remain one of the most powerful environments for kids: they build grit, teach kids how to fail and keep going, get them off screens, support physical health, and instill habits that transfer to school and adulthood. She also talks honestly about the hard parts—injuries, pressure to return too soon, and the daily scramble of late practices and fast food.

Key topics include:

• What she actually sees in the ER: fractures, dislocations, lacerations—and a surprising spike in serious injuries from e-scooters and e-bikes
• Concussion red flags, when to go to the ER, and why kids should be symptom-free before returning to play
• Sleep as the most overlooked (and free) performance tool—aim for 9–10+ hours and get screens out of the bedroom
• Practical nutrition: breakfast as fuel, simple carbs before games, smaller meals/snacks kids will actually eat, and giving yourself grace on the 9:30 p.m. pizza nights
• Why she created Big Time after her son’s injury and her own questions about fueling growing athletes
• Advice to sports parents: the work is worth it even if they never play college ball—focus on the child and the lessons, not just the scoreboard

A grounded, practical conversation for parents who want their kids to thrive in sports without losing the point of it.

https://livebigtime.com

14-time All-Star, three-time AL MVP, and 2009 World Series champion Alex Rodriguez joins Jeff, Britt, and Brad for a wide-ranging conversation that goes far beyond the highlight-reel numbers.

A-Rod traces his path from a Washington Heights childhood (his father leaving when he was 10, his mother’s extraordinary work ethic, and a stretch on food stamps) to Miami, where baseball, basketball, and football became his outlet and purpose. He explains why playing up with older kids as a late-July birthday was an unexpected advantage, how quarterbacking and point-guard vision translated directly to shortstop, and why he believes today’s early-specialization culture is hurting young athletes.

The former Westminster Christian star makes a passionate case for fundamentals over launch angle and exit velo: start with the bunt, the hit-and-run, and elite defense. He talks about the two coaches who shaped him for a decade, the value of curiosity and listening (even at the height of his stardom), and the mental approach that let a 18-year-old phenom survive the spotlight.

Parents and coaches will especially appreciate his advice on the ride home, process over results, keeping kids off electronics and radar guns before 17, and why the best players he’s ever seen were “black-belt fundamentalists.” Rodriguez also shares the behind-the-scenes story of his trade to the Yankees and reflects with rare vulnerability on early success, self-awareness, and how becoming a more present father has changed him.

A must-listen episode packed with practical wisdom for anyone raising or coaching the next generation.

Jeff, Britt, and Brad preview the new season with summer recaps, laughs, and big plans ahead. Jeff shares behind-the-scenes stories from Cooperstown and Andruw Jones’ Hall of Fame induction—hanging with Mike Tomlin, chatting with Tony La Russa, and experiencing “baseball heaven” with the legends. Brad and Britt trade notes on family time, beach trips, yard work, and a special first ice-cream moment with a granddaughter.

Then they look ahead: Pure Athlete Baseball’s continues to add great new content and the guys talk about what's coming on that platform. And, the guys discuss a brand new format coming to enable interaction and engagement with parents, kids and coaches around the country, discussing their youth sports journeys in a real-life way.

Season 5 begins next week. Stick around—you’re not going to want to miss it.

This week, we're revisiting our conversation with newly inducted MLB Hall of Famer Andruw Jones. Andruw reflects on the journey that took him from Curaçao to the major leagues, the importance of character and discipline, and the lessons he's learned through baseball and fatherhood. It's a timeless conversation filled with wisdom for athletes, parents, and coaches alike.

Youth and high school sports should always be fun. But what if a young athlete has big goals? What if they dream of making the varsity team, earning a college scholarship, or even competing professionally?

Many families begin pursuing those dreams at a young age—and we think that's great. But that journey also comes with challenges. Having a healthy roadmap can help your young athlete maximize their potential while still enjoying the process and becoming the best version of themselves on the field, court, pool, or track.

We're revisiting this episode because the lessons, advice, and insights are just as relevant today as when it first aired.

In 2024, Bobby finished as the runner-up for the American League MVP Award after delivering an incredible season at the plate while also winning his first Gold Glove at shortstop in just his third year in the majors.

Not long ago, though, Bobby was playing travel and high school baseball in Colleyville, Texas. Despite being the son of former MLB pitcher Bobby Witt Sr., he took a different path than many of today's top prospects. He never took a private hitting lesson until after high school. Rather than chasing launch angles and home runs (though he hit plenty of those), Bobby focused on making hard contact to all fields, limiting strikeouts, and becoming the most complete player he could be.

Bobby shares his approach to hitting, the relentless work ethic that helped him become a Gold Glove-winning shortstop, the lessons his parents taught him about character and humility, and so much more.

We're bringing back this replay of our conversation with Bobby Witt Jr.—one that's still packed with valuable and relevant insights for players, parents, and coaches.

In this episode, Jeff, Britt, and Brad sit down with U.S. Soccer legend and former US World Cup Captain Carlos Bocanegra to share his story from his remarkable journey—from playing multiple sports as a kid in Southern California, to starring at UCLA Bruins, becoming MLS Rookie of the Year, competing in two FIFA World Cups, and playing in some of the world’s top leagues, including the English Premier League. He also reflects on the lessons he learned along the way and why playing multiple sports helped shape his athletic career.

The conversation then shifts to youth sports, where Carlos offers his passionate assessment of the current youth soccer landscape in America. He discusses the challenges facing youth development, the importance of positive coaching environments, why fundamentals matter more than winning at young ages, and what parents should look for when choosing a sports program for their children.

Whether you're a soccer fan, a parent navigating youth sports, or simply someone who loves hearing the stories behind elite athletes, this episode delivers valuable insights on development, resilience, leadership, and helping kids fall in love with sports the right way.

Topics Covered:

• The impact and excitement of the 2026 World Cup
• Carlos Bocanegra’s path from youth athlete to World Cup captain
• Life in MLS and the English Premier League
• The value of multi-sport participation
• Why technical skill development matters
• Challenges in youth soccer today
• How parents can identify healthy sports environments
• Balancing development and winning in youth sports
• Building a better future for young athletes

Plus, Carlos shares why he believes improving the youth sports culture is one of the most important opportunities facing American soccer today.

Former MLS star and current MLS TV Analyst Taylor Twellman shares his youth sports story as a multi-sport athlete who played both baseball and soccer in college before going all-in on soccer. Taylor had a prolific soccer career as a 2x Golden Boot winner and MLS MVP. He shares some strong opinions about American soccer, our current youth sports cullture, advice for parents, and advice for coaches.