MORE HAPPY MOMENTS.LESS HARMFUL ONES.
Helping parents reduce pressure, prevent burnout, and protect the mental and physical well-being of young athletes—through free education, media, and trusted resources.
WHAT DOES "MORE HAPPY MOMENTS.
LESS HARMFUL ONES.™" MEAN?
Youth sports should build confidence, resilience, friendships, unforgettable memories, and a lifelong love of the game.
Too often, they also create anxiety, burnout, unhealthy pressure, injuries, and identity loss.
At Valiant Sports Society, we believe every young athlete deserves more of what makes sports great—and less of what causes lasting harm.
IT STARTS WITH PARENTS.
It takes courage to parent differently. To put your child's mental health, physical well-being, and long-term development ahead of winning, rankings, scholarships, and outside pressure.
When parents lead with courage and purpose, youth sports become what they were always meant to be—filled with confidence, joy, resilience, friendships, and lifelong memories, while reducing unnecessary pressure and harm.
When kids feel supported instead of pressured, they are free to compete, grow, take healthy risks, love the game, and become the best version of themselves.
Everything we create is designed to help parents Be Valiant so every young athlete can experience more happy moments, fewer harmful ones, and the freedom to Play Fearless.
WHY VALIANT EXISTS
Valiant Sports Society was born from a simple realization: what happens in youth sports doesn't stay on the field.
It comes home. It shapes confidence, identity, relationships, mental health, and whether a child develops a lifelong love of sports — or walks away from it altogether.
After decades working in sports and raising two daughters through youth sports, we experienced both the incredible joy and the difficult realities that so many families quietly face. The victories, the friendships, and the unforgettable moments. The pressure, injuries, anxiety, disappointment, and conversations at home that no family expects when they first sign up.
Those experiences inspired us to create Valiant Sports Society.
Our mission is simple: To help parents create more happy moments, fewer harmful ones, and the freedom for every young athlete to Play Fearless.
How We Help Parents Be Valiant
We educate, empower, and advocate for youth athletes and their families through free media, parent education, and community resources — so every kid gets to play fearless.
Provide trusted expert guidance through podcasts, articles, videos, webinars, and research.
Empower parents with knowledge so they can confidently support their young athlete's mental health, physical well-being, and long-term development.
Champion healthier youth sports experiences by elevating important conversations and partnering with organizations that share our mission.
Media & Storytelling
The Be Valiant podcast series is your front-row seat to the real stories of youth sports — from the victories, to the struggles, and everything in between. Beyond the podcast, we produce short-form social content, video series, and original storytelling that meets parents and athletes where they are and keeps the conversation going.
Watch or ListenParent Education
We bring research-backed workshops and presentations directly to parents, coaches, and school communities. Our programming tackles the tough conversations — burnout, overtraining, mental health, and the pressure culture that robs kids of the joy of sport — and replaces fear with practical tools families can use today.
Free Resources
Accessible parent education and support without financial barriers. View our resource page for links to help you find important information.
View Resource PageAdvocacy
We believe in being Forces for Good. By collaborating with leading voices, researchers, coaches, and organizations across the youth sports landscape, we amplify the messages and resources that matter most — giving parents and athletes the support, knowledge, and community to push for real, lasting change.
Be Valiant — The Podcast
The conversations sports parents need — and rarely get.
Be Valiant brings coaches, athletes, researchers, and parents together to talk honestly about what's happening in youth sports — the pressure, the money, the mental health toll, and what families can actually do about it. Every episode is free. No agenda. Just real talk.
Why Be Valiant?
New to Be Valiant? Start with Episode 1 — Todd Merkow introduces the podcast and the vision behind fearless sports parenting.
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Sydney Merkow
After the Final Whistle: Identity Loss, Anxiety & Finding Yourself Again
Watch →
Charli Turner Thorne
The Hall of Fame Coach on Culture, Mental Health, and What It Really Takes to Raise an Athlete
Watch →Find what you need
Whatever your family is going through, there's an episode for it.
Be Valiant covers the full spectrum of youth sports — from mental health and recruiting pressure to coaching culture and life after sport. Pick a topic and go straight to the conversations that matter most to you right now.
A Soccer Dad’s Journey: How David Murray Learned to Let His Daughter Scout Lead the Way
David Murray was a competitive soccer player. His daughter Scout is too — but she’s doing it her way. A candid USA Today story about one dad’s evolution from sideline critic to supportive sports parent.
Girls Are Telling Us Why They Quit Sports. Are Adults Listening?
By age 14, girls are leaving sports at twice the rate of boys. A powerful Ms. Magazine piece examines the research — and points to well-trained, supportive coaches as the single most powerful tool for keeping girls in the game.
A Soccer Mom's Hilarious Guide to Surviving Youth Sports
Karen Scholl spent 16 years as a soccer mom and lived to write a book about it. Her candid, funny, and surprisingly wise advice for sports parents — including what to do (and not do) in the car ride home — is a must-read.
"Everything has been leading towards, 'get a scholarship, get to college', and then they get to us, and when they should have the most joy and the most freedom and the most good habits, they're completely burned out.
Stay Informed
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Watch Be Valiant
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video content, interviews, and the Be Valiant series.
Subscribe on YouTubeProtect the Mental Health of Young Athletes
Every child deserves the chance to love sports without fear, burnout, or overwhelming pressure. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, your donation keeps our trusted education, podcasts, videos, and resources free for every family who needs them.
BE VALIANT. PLAY FEARLESS.
