Zach talks with Michael Huber, a mental performance coach (sports psychologist) and dad of two teenage soccer players, about the real value dads bring when they step up to coach youth sports. Mike spent 19 years in corporate consulting before burning out and moving into sports psychology, largely inspired by coaching his own kids and watching how parents and coaches interact with young athletes. The core message: in the early years (5–10), coaching isn't about sport knowledge — it's about showing up, keeping it fun, and setting expectations so kids stay in the game long enough to choose it for themselves. Mike and Zach unpack rewarding process over outcomes, asking kids more questions instead of making statements, and modeling emotional regulation (including Mike's own story of losing his cool). The episode is a direct nudge to hesitant dads: you don't have to be qualified today — throw yourself in, learn, and in five years you can be the coach everyone counts on.
For 5–10 year olds, coaching is about showing up, smiling, and helping kids have fun — not curveballs and technique. Kids remember the coach who put an arm around them and didn't yell, not the mechanics.
Kids self-select in and out of sports. The way to keep a 10-year-old in the game is to make practices fun while sneaking in learning, so they stay long enough to decide for themselves whether they want to go further.
Kids get conditioned from T-ball to feel good only when they "get a hit." Reward good swings, good approach, and progress so they learn to judge success by what's in their control.
For parents, the #1 move is taking your hand off the wheel — get curious about your kid's experience so advice lands and the sport stays theirs, not yours.
Even with 10-year-olds, a clear framework plus room for kids to speak up builds respect and trust. One-way communication makes kids shut down.
Coaches and parents are human. When you lose your cool, don't beat yourself up; reflect, learn, and come back to teach the lesson. That models the behavior you want to see in your kids.
They don't remember. Oh, I learned how to throw a curveball... They remember like, Hey, this guy put his arm around me and he smiled at me and he didn't yell at me.
Sign up to help coach your kid's team this season — volunteer as an assistant coach if head coach feels like too much.
Plan each practice around 2–3 fun activities (relays, rallies, game-type drills) that also build a fundamental, so kids stay engaged.
This week, replace one instruction with a question — ask your kid what they experienced instead of telling them what to do.
Set clear team/family expectations up front (respect for teammates, coaches, listening) and reinforce them consistently.
Reward the process out loud — praise good swings, good effort, and improvement instead of only results.
Practical skills, real stories, and one thing to actually do this week with your family. Written by a dad in the trenches, not a marketing department.
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