Valiant Learning Search

Burnout

Spotting the signs before the flame goes out.

Choosing Teams & Clubs

Looking beyond wins, rankings, facilities, and promises to find the right developmental environment.

Identity Loss

Who is your athlete beyond the sport they play?

Joy in Sports

Protecting the love of the game at every level.

Money & the Youth Sports Arms Race

Making informed decisions about private training, travel, showcases, camps, equipment, and escalating costs.

After the Final Whistle: Identity Loss, Anxiety & Finding Yourself Again

This is the episode Todd Merkow says is the reason he started Valiant Sports Society. In Episode 31, he sits back down with his youngest daughter Sydney — not to revisit the playing days, but to go somewhere far more difficult: what happened after the game ended for good. Sydney came back for a second conversation because the first one, Episode 3, only told part of the story. This time, she tells

Be Smart. Don't Be Scared.

Todd Merkow sits down with Jonathan Carone — founder and host of Healthy Sports Parents, former youth and competitive athlete, youth sports coach, and sports parent. Jonathan describes himself as the epitome of a marginal athlete: good enough to make all-stars in rec league, never quite good enough to stick on a school team, and completely fine with that. He played rec basketball through eighth gr

Be There for the Journey

Todd Merkow sits down with Jeff Proctor — longtime friend, Valiant Sports Society board member, director, producer, game show creator, and now documentary filmmaker — for a wide-ranging conversation about what it means to be a sports parent when you've lived the athlete's life yourself. Jeff grew up in Carmel, Indiana, the child of divorced parents, playing everything — church baseball, hockey, t

Build a League Worth Believing In

Todd Merkow sits down with Christian Lavers — founder and president of the ECNL (Elite Clubs National League), former Director of Coaching and Methodology at FC Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin finance and soccer alumnus, holder of both an MBA and a law degree, and father of four young children ages four through eight. The ECNL has grown from 40 clubs and roughly 2,000 players at its founding in

Callista Elmore | Love the Game. Protect the Kid. | NCAA Champion & Sports Parent

Callista Elmore knows what it feels like to love a sport enough to build your life around it. Growing up in Tucson, softball became more than something she played. It became part of who she was. That journey eventually took her to the University of Arizona, where she played catcher for legendary coach Mike Candrea and became a two-time NCAA Division I softball champion. But Callista's story isn'

Do college sports have to mean NCAA athletics?

The college sports conversation is often framed as a single destination. For families, it can be more helpful to begin with fit: the student, the school, the sport, and the experience they want to have. NCAA athletics is one route, but it is not the only way to keep playing, competing, and building community in college. A label should not replace a thoughtful look at what the next chapter can hold. The goal is not to chase a particular name. It is to help your child make a decision they can own.

How do parents help their kids enjoy sports?

Enjoyment is not separate from growth. For many young athletes, it is part of what makes growth sustainable. Parents cannot control every team, coach, or result. They can create a home environment where a child feels seen as more than a performance. When a young athlete has room to be honest about what they enjoy, what feels hard, and what they want next, sports can remain their experience.

How do you encourage your child without too much pressure?

Encouragement can feel different to every child. What sounds supportive to a parent may feel like added pressure to an athlete. It helps to ask what support looks like from your child’s point of view. They may want a listener, a ride home without analysis, or simply someone in the stands. The relationship is the foundation. When a child knows they are supported, feedback can become easier to hear when they ask for it.

Should your child specialize in one sport?

Specialization is a decision many families face earlier than they expect. It can be helpful to look beyond a single season and consider the whole athlete. Different sports and experiences can offer new skills, relationships, and a chance for the body and mind to reset. Every family’s situation is different. The important thing is to make a thoughtful choice that accounts for the child’s interest, health, and development.

What do I mean when I say what was old should be new again?

Youth sports can feel like it is always asking families to do more, earlier. This question invites parents to pause and consider what children may need most: room to play, grow, connect, and keep perspective. A healthier sports experience does not reject commitment. It makes space for development, rest, relationships, and a child’s own interest alongside it. Parents can help by remembering that a long sports journey is built one season, one conversation, and one happy moment at a time.

10 Misconceptions About Kids Sports — and How Parents Can Push Against Them

From 'winning leads to advancement' to 'you need to specialize early,' Steve Borelli breaks down the 10 most common delusions sports parents hold — and what the research actually says about each one.

April 26, 2026

A Question Every Sports Parent Should Be Asking

Great article on "I Love to Watch You Play" covers the question, "Is all this investment — financial and emotional — truly helping our kids?"

July 2024

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.

June 21, 2026

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.

June 13, 2026

Crisis on the Sidelines: Youth Sports Facing Epidemic of Bad Behavior, Abuse by Adults

A 100-person brawl in Mesa. Racial taunts at a state basketball playoff. A SafeSport survey showing 78% of athletes have experienced emotional harm. ASU Cronkite News investigates the nationwide crisis of adult misconduct in youth sports — and quotes Be Valiant's Todd Merkow on the $40 billion pressure cooker driving it.

May 7, 2026

Hospital for Special Surgery

Leading orthopedic research and resources on youth sports injuries, prevention, and safe return to play.

TrueSport

A national movement promoting the values of sport — respect, excellence, fun, and community — for athletes, coaches, and parents.

MomsTEAM Institute

Evidence-based resources for sports parents on safety, concussions, mental health, and creating healthier youth sports environments.

Positive Coaching Alliance

Training and resources for parents, coaches, and administrators to create a positive, character-building youth sports environment.

Aspen Institute Project Play

Research, policy, and practical tools focused on making sports more accessible, enjoyable, and developmentally appropriate for all kids.