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Be Valiant: The Podcast for Fearless Sports Parenting is a thoughtful, real-world guide for those navigating the complex and emotional world of youth sports.
- Indexed episodes, last 90 days
- 12
- Latest publication
- Sep 23, 2026
- Audience
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- Earliest in this view
- Jul 8, 2026
Latest episodes
David Murray | Author · Soccer Dad | Chasing the Dream Without Losing the Joy (opens the original)
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What happens when something that starts as a game becomes a family journey filled with travel teams, recruiting pressure, emotional highs and lows — and ultimately Division I college soccer? David Murray lived it....and wrote about it. Host, Todd Merkow, walks through David's sports parenting journey. David is an award-winning journalist, author, and longtime soccer dad whose new book, Soccer Dad , chronicles his family's journey as his daughter Scout moved from recreational soccer through elite
Brea Schmidt, The Top Bleacher | This Is About the Kids: Becoming the Sports Parent They Need (opens the original)
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What if being a better sports parent isn't about doing more — but about knowing when to step back? Brea Schmidt, founder and creator of The Top Bleacher, joins Todd Merkow for a deeply personal conversation about parenting young athletes through the pressure, emotion and chaos of today's youth sports culture. A lifelong athlete, sports mom of three and mental well-being advocate, Brea shares the family experiences that shaped her approach to sports parenting — including the story of her grandfat
Be Valiant Rewind: I Lost Myself After Soccer — Sydney Merkow on Identity, Anxiety & Finding Her Way Back (opens the original)
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What happens when the sport that has defined your life suddenly ends? In this powerful Be Valiant Rewind , Todd Merkow sits down with his daughter, Sydney, for one of the most personal conversations ever shared on the podcast. After years of competitive youth soccer, Sydney opens up about the identity loss she experienced when she walked away from the game—and the anxiety, depression, perfectionism, eating disorder, and mental health struggles that followed. Together, father and daughter reflect
Be Valiant Rewind: Joel Votaw, the View from the Middle of The Field (opens the original)
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What does youth soccer look like from the middle of the field? In this Be Valiant Rewind , Todd Merkow revisits his conversation with Joel Votaw, Arizona Soccer Association State Referee Administrator, veteran referee and sports parent of three, for a perspective every youth sports parent should hear. In Arizona, nearly half of registered soccer referees are 17 or younger — many just 13, 14 or 15 years old. Yet these young officials regularly find themselves on the receiving end of criticism and
Be Valiant Rewind: Dr. Erik Dean-The Case AGAINST Year Round Sports Specialization (opens the original)
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Be Valiant Rewind: Protecting Young Athletes with Dr. Eric Dean Dr Erik Dean Episode Page In this Be Valiant Rewind , Todd Merkow revisits his conversation with Dr. Erik Dean , Medical Director for Sports Medicine at HonorHealth, former Division I football player at the University of Arizona, longtime team physician, youth sports coach, and sports parent. After more than 25 years treating athletes, Dr. Dean has watched youth sports change dramatically—and not always for the better. He explains w
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