#42 What’s Happening to High School Sports? | Adam Anderson Returns
Adam Anderson is back on Everyday Mike to talk Friday night football in Central Illinois and what he’s seeing around high school sports right now.
We start with a look ahead at Friday Night Showdown, including Taylorville at Mount Zion in Week 8 and a big Week 9 matchup at Williamsville.
Then the conversation gets bigger.
Why are some schools struggling to field varsity football teams? Are athletes being pulled in too many directions? Have parents and coaches unintentionally killed some of the value of JV and lower-level development? And are we giving young athletes enough time to actually develop, struggle, fail and grow?
Adam and I also get into specialization, club sports, private training, social media, instant gratification, understanding your role, building strong programs and why the best coaches continue to evolve.
We finish with something I think matters well beyond football: athletes, coaches and parents all need to understand where they are, be present, and give everything they’ve got to the people in front of them.
If you love high school sports, coaching, parenting athletes or Friday night football, there’s a lot in this one.
22 Sept 2026
#41 There's More in the Tank w/Cody White
Cody White made it to the NFL. But this conversation isn’t really about the NFL.
It’s about everything it took to get there, and what happens when that chapter ends.
Cody and I talk about growing up as a multi-sport athlete, competing at a high level in basketball, eventually choosing football, playing at Illinois State, and earning his way into the NFL as an undrafted free agent.
But some of the best parts of the conversation come after football.
We get into what professional sports taught him about handling pressure, showing up every day, being prepared, adapting when the plan changes, and learning how to fail.
Then we talk about the next chapters: farming, agriculture, coaching, marriage, and raising three young athletes with his wife Mallory.
Cody has an interesting perspective as both a former professional athlete and a dad trying to navigate today’s youth sports world. We talk specialization, travel sports, letting kids play, challenging them without burning them out, and remembering that their value has nothing to do with whether they become the star of the team.
Because eventually the jersey comes off.
What stays with you is the person you became while wearing it.
14 Aug 2026
#40 Who's Protecting the Kids
We spend a lot of time asking whether someone can make our kids better.
Can they coach? Can they train? Can they help them win? Can they get them recruited? Can they develop the livestock that wins the show?
But maybe we’re stopping one question too soon.
In this episode of Everyday Mike, Mike looks at youth sports, travel clubs, “elite” teams, livestock showing, and the adults we willingly place around our kids. He asks a question every parent and coach should wrestle with:
If my child becomes more like this adult, am I okay with that?
Because technical ability matters. Winning matters. Development matters.
But character ought to be the price of admission.
This isn’t an episode with easy answers. It’s a challenge for parents, coaches, trainers, club directors, stockmen, and anyone else entrusted with influencing young people:
Who’s protecting the kid underneath the uniform, the trophy, and the competition?
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
36,077
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.4 / 5
7 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 50 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
59
Social presence
0
YouTube
72
Engagement
32
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