CoachDad
Coach Dad helps dads, coaches, and sports families navigating the pressure, politics, emotions, and purpose of youth sports.
From playing time and parent drama to leadership, faith, discipline, and character, we talk about what really happens behind the game - and how dads can lead well through it.
It starts at home.
Episodes
13 episodes
Why Kids Quit Sports — And What Parents Are Missing
There comes a moment many sports parents dread.Your kid gets in the car, or sits at the dinner table, or walks in from practice and says:“Dad, I don’t want to play anymore.”Most dads immediately feel the ten...
Why Kids Fear the F-word
What is your child really afraid of when they freeze in a big sports moment?Most adults call it a confidence problem. But a lot of the time, it goes deeper than that.In this episode of CoachDad, Jim Miller explains why fear of fai...
Why Coaching Character Makes Better Athletes | Steve Keenum
How hard should you push your kid in sports?Steve Keenum says there comes a point when the athlete has to own the motivation, desire, and drive for himself.Steve spent decades coaching football, has served extensivel...
Shaping How Your Athlete Sees Themself
Your kid has a great game, and everything feels good. The hits, the points, the plays, the praise — it all feels like a win.But then they have a bad game, and suddenly the whole world feels different.That is when dads and coaches ...
The Hidden Costs of Youth Sports for Families
Youth sports cost more than money.Most families know the visible costs: team fees, uniforms, gear, lessons, gas, hotels, tournaments, and meals on the road. But the hidden costs are often harder to count.In this episode of Coach D...
From Iowa to UTSA | Kris Reupke on Failure, Grit & Fatherhood
In Coach Dad’s first guest episode, Jim sits down with Kris Reupke — husband, father, coach, business owner, former Division I pitcher at UTSA, and owner/manager of DBAT New Braunfels.Kris s...
Good Dads Are Accidentally Crushing Their Kid’s Confidence
Most dads who crush their kid’s confidence are not trying to hurt them, they are trying to help. They see the swing that needs work, the missed free throw, the bad body language, the mistake in the field, or the moment their child should have c...
How to Win Without Losing Your Kid
What is the win costing?In this episode of Coach Dad, Jim Miller talks about the cost-benefit analysis every sports family needs to make. Winning is not wrong. Competition is not wrong. Excellence is not wrong. But if winning starts cost...
Travel Ball is Breaking Families - And Nobody Wants to Say It
Travel ball is not automatically bad.But every sports family needs to ask a better question:Is this sport serving our family, or has our family started serving the sport?In this episode of Coach Dad, Jim Miller talks...
Your Kid Needs a Dad More Than a Coach
Your child may have several coaches over the years — but they only get one dad.In this episode of Coach Dad, Jim Miller talks about the danger of letting the coaching voice replace the father voice. Many dads are deeply involved i...
How to Survive the Car Ride Home After the Game
The car ride home after the game can either build your kid’s confidence or quietly break it.In this episode of Coach Dad, Jim talks about why the postgame car ride matters so much for dads, young athletes, coaches, and families na...
It Starts at Home: Why Coach Dad Exists
Youth sports can be one of the best classrooms for courage, discipline, teamwork, toughness, humility, and character. But for many families, the pressure has gotten louder, the schedules have gotten heavier, the car rides have gotten quieter, a...