If you’ve ever stood on the sidelines watching your child compete and quietly asked yourself—
Are they actually enjoying this… or just pushing through it?
—you’re not alone.
Today’s episode speaks directly to that question.
We’re joined by Dr. Jones and Dr. Chirby, psychologists with over 20 years of experience and the founders of MindBalanceSPORT. Their work spans clinical psychology, university-level athletic performance, and decades of lived experience as sports parents themselves. Between them, they’ve raised six kids across youth sports, elite club teams, and collegiate athletics.
After more than 15 years on the sidelines, one thing became impossible for them to ignore:
In youth sports, we train bodies constantly—but we rarely train minds.
That missing piece shows up in ways many families recognize all too well: rising stress, emotional shutdown, fear of failure, burnout, and kids leaving sports they once loved.
In this conversation, we dig into what healthy development in sports actually looks like, why mental skills are just as trainable as physical ones, and how parents can support confidence, resilience, and joy—without adding pressure.
This is an episode for parents who care deeply, who want their kids to grow through sports rather than be worn down by them, and who believe that performance and well-being don’t have to be opposites.
👇 Full episode at
🎙️ PODCAST: The Youth Sports Parenting Tribe
The only global podcast helping parents raise resilient athletes through world-class voices in sport.