Episode 24: Twin sisters Monique Lamoureux-Morando and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson on Gold Medal Balance

“Were you a good teammate today? Did you pick somebody up? Did you create momentum by a big play you made and not just scoring a goal?... We’re pretty grateful for the balance that our parents had, and just making sure that at the end of the day people don’t remember the goals you that scored, they remember what type of teammate you were.”

— Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson

From witnessing the first Olympic Women’s Hockey game from their living room in 1998, Jocelyne and Monique carried a desire to participate in the Olympic Games in Hockey. The twin sisters are from a family of six, raised by two incredible parent-athletes. As a part of the 2018 Olympic gold-winning US Women’s Hockey Team, these sisters are truly examples of peak performers. Monique and Jocelyne have both competed in three Olympic Games and were responsible for the assist and shoot-out that lead to the winning goal in the 2018 gold medal clincher. They talk with Kathy about balancing the process and the outcome, teamwork, and evaluating performance away from seeking the spotlight.

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Monique Lamoureux-Morando (L) and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson pose for a portrait on Jan. 16, 2018 in Wesley Chapel, Fla.

Cropped Photo: USOC

Episode 23: Drew Beyer on Focusing on Process

“You can’t risk the burnout even if they do become really good at age sixteen, seventeen, eighteen.”

— Drew Beyer

Drew played a variety of sports while growing up in Florida, and began focusing on baseball from the eighth grade on. He played on the varsity baseball team at Sarasota High School, and then went on to play for four years at Florida Tech. As a freshman he was a part of the NCAA 2015 regional runner-up team, and in 2016 he was selected for the All Sunshine State Conference and All South Region teams. He played with the Alaska Baseball League in 2016, joining the Anchorage Bucks for summer ball, and in 2017 he was named the Florida Tech Male Athlete of the Year in baseball. He was both a member of the SSC Commissioners and the FIT Athletic Director’s Honor Roll all four years of his collegiate career, and as a senior became the all-time leader in career saves. Drew was recently signed with the Detroit Tigers, and is currently playing in the Gulf Coast League in Lakeland, Florida. Kathy and Drew go in-depth on persistence, confidence, and finding ways to support your athlete in playing for the process, not just for success.

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Episode 22: Gracie Kaplan Stein on the Value of Extended Family

“They saw the strengths of each of us, and rolled with it.”

— Gracie Kaplan-Stein

Gracie had a very successful collegiate career rowing on the women’s varsity team at UPenn, achieving incredible heights in competitive play during her tenure as a Quaker. Her boat rowed to a  silver medal in 2005 at the Eastern Rowing Championships (her Freshman season), and she went on to earn the title of Most Valuable Rower in 2007, was chosen for the Mid Atlantic First Team in both 2007 and 2008, and in 2008, her senior season, her team ranked 19th overall in the country. Gracie excelled in student leadership as Student Athlete Advisory Committee member, had a successful career as a scholar and athlete, and has taken the discipline she learned on to a happy career in marketing. She now lives in Florida, close to her incredible family. Gracie and Kathy talk leadership, prioritizing the drive of goals, and the importance of reading your child; taking the time to set healthy expectations and encouraging students to concentrate on themselves rather than participating in the rabbit-hole of comparison.

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Episode 21: Daniel Ugas on Family Tradition in Sports

“You could sort of see the team was starting to become something else, and I wanted to be on that path to take the team to another level…in rowing, it’s not just one person that can win the race for themselves.”

— Daniel Ugas

Daniel, a collegiate rower was the captain of his 2013-14 high school crew team in Miami.  Additionally he was a two-time national silver medalist, a state champion, regional champion, and was a part of the first crew team in school history to attend the Head of the Charles Regatta.  Currently is a junior at FIT.

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Episode 20: Emma Smyser on Ending A Career Early

“He was the reason why it was so hard, and not because I knew he’d be mad, but just because I knew it would be heartbreaking in a sense, for him.”

— Emma Smyser

Emma began playing golf competitively before beginning kindergarten, learning the game through play at three and four years old with her father on the course adjacent to their home in Indiana. She competed in middle and high school tournaments throughout Indiana and the country, placing second in the Indiana State Championship before going on to compete collegiately with the University of Florida for one year, transferring to Florida Gulf Coast University, and ultimately deciding to end her career to pursue rigorous studies in nursing. Emma and Kathy discuss the importance of quality time spent with her parents as an athlete, the enjoyment of the sport as a paramount to continuing in her athletic career, and ultimately  choosing to pursue a course of study, and a passion, away from athletics. Emma is now an EMT and is thrilled to be focused on pursuing her degree.

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Episode 19: Patrick O'Sullivan on Breaking Away and Parents Staying in Their Lane.

“I always just say I loved hockey more than I hated what was happening to me, and I felt like in the end, like that would somehow mean more… I made it make sense mentally, because I had to do something. ”

— Patrick O’Sullivan

Patrick is a former NHL player, bestselling author, hockey analyst, Sirius Radio talk show host, husband, father, and fellow podcast host of “The Morning Bagger”. Kathy and Patrick discuss the lengthy process of healing from abusive relationships in sports, especially in the parent-athlete relationship, and the simplicity of supporting your athlete while realizing their passion ultimately directs performance more than any one thing a parent can contribute. Patrick is able to share his story of abuse after years of healing through partnership with medical professionals. His story is a powerful example of the impact of trauma and the damage it inflicts. He also highlights how many parents and coaches chose not to reach out in his situation, and urges all listeners to be aware of the signs of abuse, and seek help immediately from the police when you think abuse may be occurring.

“A simple phone call can be something that changes a child’s life…

Anything that’s not normal. There’s certain things if you’re around, if your child plays sports or even if it’s anything kind of team-based, where you’re around a group of kids all the time, you know some of the idiosyncrasies that these kids have, and if anything looks abnormal, and you’re seeing this now for a couple weeks, there might be something there. And the best case scenario is that you say something, and you’re wrong.”

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Episode 18: Morgan Reichert on Finding Purpose Post Sports

“Every week it seemed like I was given another thing that I could hold onto… it was a big deal, and they made it a big deal with me.  ”

— Morgan Reichert

Morgan ran her first road race at age five, supported by her relationship with her father, and his constant support. Through his encouragement to compete, she began competing in 7th grade, going onto a successful middle and high school career, becoming a top state competitor in Ohio as a high school student. At Ohio University, after earning a scholarship to compete, she earned all-conference honors in cross country, as well as twice in track, before having to red-shirt from multiple stress fractures. After two full seasons of recovery, she was able to use her red shirt year to compete at FGCU while completing her masters degree. Morgan now helps others pursue their own goals as a Wellness Coordinator for the city of Naples. She and Kathy discuss the importance of relationships, finding identity as an athlete, and as an individual on and off the field.

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Episode 17: Dr. Taryn Morgan on Keeping Balance

“Keeping the balance I think was done well. I work with a lot of athletes now that there’s so much pressure on the outcome and winning, and it’s all about the sport. That I think that’s a struggle for them.”

— Dr. Taryn Morgan

Kathy has known Sports Psychology expert Dr. Taryn Morgan for over ten years as both a mentor and friend. She brings insight and empathy to her work as Director of Athletic and Personal Development at IMG, working with student athletes on many levels. She is also a spouse and parent herself, and during her decorated tennis career was ranked number one in Girls’ Junior tennis and number nine nationally. She continued on to play for Division I Stetson University and went undefeated (26-0) during one of her seasons there. She was a Second Team Academic All-American and inducted into the Stetson University Hall of Fame, and recently the ASUN Hall of Fame. Kathy and Taryn discuss making mistakes, learning and growing, and maintaining a separation between life on and off the court (and sometimes letting her Dad take her tennis lesson). Her greatest encouragement to parents is to truly allow your children to enjoy their sport, and enjoy it with them!

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Episode 16: Hannah Wellhite on Parents Showing Up

“When I see that someone is faster than me, he sits me down, and he says, “It’s just on paper they haven’t beaten you yet, it’s just an emblem on paper”.”

— Hannah Wellhite

Hannah was a four-time varsity high school track athlete, garnering  four state medals and two school records to her name before rising to collegiate competition in 2016. Currently competing for the Augustana women’s indoor and outdoor teams, she holds the 200m school record for the Vikings in both indoor and outdoor season competition. Hannah is a three-time national qualifier and two-time all-American who placed 5th in the 100m and 6th in the 200m NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships in 2018. Kathy and Hannah talk discipline, dedication, letting go of control, and how to guide your student through the sometimes-stressful process of early specialization. Hannah has her eye on the Augustana records in the 100m and 60m, as well as a national championship for her junior season in 2018-2019.

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Episode 15: Victor Furtado on Supportive Parenting

“If I didn’t have the support of my parents, I don’t think I would have gone this far.”

— Victor Furtado

Victor is an incredibly talented swimmer hailing from São Paulo, Brazil. He began his career in the pool at ten, participating in 3 international championships before coming to the United States to compete with the Florida Institute of Technology men’s team in 2016. During his freshman season, Victor qualified for Nationals, going on to a Sunshine State Conference Championship, breaking the FIT record for the 100m freestyle, and competing in the finals for the 2017 Nationals his sophomore year. This past season, he broke his own record in the 100m freestyle (twice!), broke the 50m freestyle record for both Florida Tech and the Sunshine State Conference, and placed second at Nationals in both the 50m and 100m races. Victor’s love of swimming came from supporting his father as he recovered from an injury with pool exercise, and this support has been extended back to Victor by his entire family, guiding his performance and ethics as an athlete. Kathy and Victor hone in on what it looks like to support your athlete unconditionally and give your fullest as an athletic competitor. He plans to perform at 100% and win a national championship in his upcoming senior season.

Episode 14: Karlyn Prisco on Parents and Thought Systems

“At the end of the day, everyone is a person, your dad, your mom, they’re still people, your child, they’re still a person, they’re going to have their own thought systems. ”

— Karlyn Prisco

Karlyn has been playing soccer for over twenty years, beginning at four and joining competitive league play at eight. She was a three-sport letterman all four years of high school in swimming, soccer, and track before going on to a successful five seasons at Florida Tech as a goalkeeper for the Panthers. In 2017 they were the Sunshine State Conference Champions and Karlyn was named a Sunshine State Conference Most Outstanding Player. Karlyn also served as a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee for two years of her collegiate career, helping to inform the decisions of the NCAA. She joins Kathy to talk about loyalty, communication, the importance of having a why, and why getting on the field was not as impactful as leaving a legacy off the field. She gives sound advice to students and parents on controlling what you can and setting short-term goals. In August she embarks on her next challenge, pursuing her master’s degree at Florida State on a full-tuition scholarship.

Episode 13: Coaching Parents to Parent Athletes with Janis Meredith

Most parents want to raise a champion...the biggest factor is (the parent) themselves. - Janis Meredith

Janis Meredith is a youth sports parenting blogger, podcaster, and parent coach.  She helps busy, often overwhelmed parents by providing resources to guide them as they strive to give their children a positive and growing youth sports experience. In this episode, Janis talks about the importance of self-care and discipline so parents can bring their best self to raising their youth athlete.

Janis offers coaching calls for sporting parents follow this link for more info: https://jbmthinks.com/

Episode 12: Training to Succeed at Parenting with Will Kastroll

The success of training, is the training of success. - Will Kastroll

Will Kastroll’s happiest achievement is his marriage to his wife of 22 years. They have 8 children ranging from age 22 to 4 and they live in Naples Florida where he owns a multi-location insurance agency business.

In this episode, he talks with Kathy about his own sporting experience, the lessons he's tried to pass on to his children and one of his secrets, "deliberate practice". Training to succeed is an arduous journey but in Will's estimation it's THE way to get to sustained success not only on the court or field, but in life.

And Will knows a thing or two about success. He's played sports his whole life. In high school he was an all state soccer goalie, in college Will played Division I lacrosse at Penn State. In his spare time he likes to compete in local Crossfit competitions, open water distance swim, and work on his yoga practice.

Will volunteers his time as President of the Board of Trustees at Royal Palm Academy, a private Catholic grade and middle school in Naples, FL.

Episode 11: Parenting Your Athlete, Not Managing Your Athlete with Mark Leeds

You can’t always dominate and win, everytime. - Mark Leeds

Mark Leeds is the Chief Sales Officer  for ProHCM Holdings, a human capital management technology and services company based in Massachusetts. He's also the father of Mitch Leeds, a pitcher for the Lafayette Leopards in college and now a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays organization.

Mark joins Kathy to discuss his own experiences as a sporting parent, the hardship of overcoming a divorce for Mitch and how those hardships and obstacles helped form the man that Mitch is today. Have you ever butted heads with your athlete? Or do you hope to help them avoid regret? Then this episode is for you.

Episode 10: Putting the Family First with Abby Milon

Abby Milon, attorney, college professor, wife, and mother of three children who all grew up playing a variety of sports joins us in this episode. 

Abby grew up in a sports family with four of her brothers earning college football scholarships.  Several of her older nephews also played college sports thus providing a framework for her in raising her three children as scholar athletes. Her husband, Wally Milon,  played several sports in high school but focused on academics in college rather than continue down the athletic path following a severe concussion on the football field as a punter. 

Of the three children, Matthew exhibited an intense interest and talent for playing basketball around 4th-5th grade.  He is the reference point for this discussion about raising a student athlete who excels in a particular sport.

Abby offers great insight into balancing the needs of the "star athlete" with the family's goals and values as well as the needs of the other children. She also highlights the importance of a "team first" mentality as a cheering, supportive parent.

Episode 09: Big Picture Parenting with Jim Thompson

Jim Thompson, founder and CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, joins Kathy this week to share insights for parents and adults in youth sports culture. Ways to help keep sports, life, and personal development all in the right balance.

Jim started PCA in 1998 to transform the culture of youth sports into a Development Zone™ with the goal to develop Better Athletes, Better People. PCA’s vision of youth sports as a Development Zone has attracted the support and involvement of many elite coaches, athletes, academics and business leaders in this country. 

He challenges us as parents and coaches to focus on the "Big Picture" for our children and the kids in our responsibility as we provide sound examples for the next generation of Peak Performers.

Episode 08: Protecting Your Athlete from a Predatory Coach or Trainer with Mitch Abrams

"My child could never be caught up in something like that." We've all thought it. Surely the parent KNEW something was wrong! With the current #metoo movement revealing story after story of abuse and molestation by coaches, trainers, doctors and others in the sporting world, the truth is it's NOT always apparent. 

Mitch Abrams, a sport psychologist and the nation's expert in anger and violence in sports, joins Kathy Feinstein to discuss this pressing issues for parents of sporting children and young adults. This is a serious conversation, not just for assurance that we're all doing the right thing, but to arm ourselves and each other with actionable takeaways. What to watch for, how to know when to intervene and the tactics used by the perpetrators, this episode is a MUST LISTEN for every sporting parent.

The larger answer (in Mitch's estimation) is a broader conversation about masculinity, sexuality and consent. Arming our children with knowledge, emotional and social intelligence turns potential victims into empowered individuals and potential perpetrators into people with the vocabulary to seek the help they need.

"If you have any coach that says 'I won't meet with the parents' you RUN. Run for the hills." - Mitch Abrams.

Episode 07: Unleashing the E-Athlete with James Leath

James Leath is a speaker, writer, and performance coach. The founder of Unleash the Athlete, a leadership development company for athletes and coaches, James is the former Head of Leadership Development at IMG Academy where he worked with elite athletes from middle school to the professionals.

James talks with Kathy in this episode about his work with college and high school athletes as well as his latest role, the Director of Performance for the professional eSport organization, Complexity Gaming.

Whether you're parenting an e-athlete, a traditional athlete or just a kid you hope grows up to be a healthy, happy, well-rounded adult, there's something in this episode for you!

Episode 06: You Can Always Try - Setting an Expectation of Effort with Paul Heuerman

Paul Heuerman, Center for the Michigan Wolverines and briefly a member of the Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers, is now a member of one of the most prestigious law firms in the country. He’s also loving dad to three athletes, Jeff, tight end for Ohio State and now the Denver Broncos, Mike, tight end at Notre Dame and Matt, who turned down college football scholarships to pursue his love of Golf.

Paul talks about his efforts to recreate his own childhood relationship with sport. His family’s sport philosophy is one that focuses on fun, team goals and a level-headed approach that reminds his sons that there’s always a bigger and smaller fish in the pond.

You’ll enjoy the stories Paul shares of raising his three boys, but you’ll also gain a new insight into the balance of sport, life, faith and family that has brought such success and happiness to the Heuerman’s.

Episode 05: Winning Youth Coaching - Gold Medal Parenting Advice with Craig Haworth

Craig Haworth is the founder of the Winning Youth Coaching Podcast, which has served coaches around the world since 2014 with over 125 episodes that have been downloaded more than 200,000 times!

A passionate youth sports coach, Craig is a husband, father of three and a believer that coaches can change the self-esteem and future of the young people they coach.

In this episode, Craig talks with Kathy about sport/life balance, the coach/parent/athlete relationship, his own career and http://WinningYouthCoaching.com

You won't want to miss the Gold Medal Parenting advice and practical tips Craig shares with Kathy. To find more great coaching resources from Craig, visit his site linked above.