8. PlayMakersUSA: Creating a Love for Sport in Children

On today’s episode I chat with Jeoff De Waele and Brian Conklin, two of the three partners in PlayMakersUSA. Situated in West Linn, Oregon, PlayMakersUSA is a community-based youth sports program focused on helping youth athletes grow on and off the field. Their objective is simple: deliver a program that creates a pathway to personal growth for their players by integrating educational components that help build well-rounded individuals.During this conversation, Brian, Jeoff and I discuss PlayMakersUSA’s focus on fun and skill development and how it plays a crucial role in removing the stress from youth sports. We discuss the importance of establishing a love of sport first instead of jumping immediately into pressure-filled situations with young athletes - avoiding this pressure early on keeps kids playing longer and leads to better outcomes. We also discuss the role of parents in creating healthy sport cultures, how to innovate to create fun sporting environments, and how focusing on enjoyment and participation early builds the foundation for long-term athletic success.  It was a pleasure to speak with Brian and Jeoff and learn more about their very original approach. There’s a lot here to help coaches, parents, and youth sport administrators think differently about the experiences we’re creating for our kids.  Episode Sponsor:Bare Ware: Use code SPORTS15 at checkout to get 15% off your order. 👉 shopbareware.comTo learn more about PlayMakersUSA:Website: https://www.playmakersusa.com/Instagram: @play.makers.usaTo connect with Jason:Website: jasonmagennis.comLinkedIn: Jason MagennisInstagram: @youthsportsunitedpod or @jasmagenniThe best way to support Youth Sport United is to subscribe or follow, leave a rating or review and share your favourite episodes with friends and parents dedicated to creating healthy sporting cultures for our kids. If you’d like to learn more about my coaching practice, head over to jasonmagennis.com/coaching.