Healthy Youth Sports

About Healthy Youth Sports

Join Eric Utterback, Director of the National Youth Sports Health & Safety Institute, as he discusses youth and adolescent sports, injury prevention, physical activity and health, with some of the world's leading subject matter experts. This podcast is designed for coaches, administrators, parents and athletes.

Publisher

American College of Sports Medicine

Category

health & fitness · sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

25 Oct 2023

Latest episode

8 Sept 2025

Latest episodes

40 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   8 Sept 2025

   Performance and Appearance Enhancing Drugs

   Welcome to Healthy Youth Sports, a podcast by the National Youth Sports Health and Safety Institute (NYSHSI), a community impact program of the American College of Sports Medicine. In this episode Eric Utterback sits down with Don Hooton Jr., President of the Taylor Hooton Foundation, to explore the growing crisis of Performance and Appearance Enhancing Drug (PAED) use among young athletes. 🎧 This conversation covers: The most commonly used PAEDs by youth The difference between performance and appearance enhancement Warning signs, cultural influences, and prevention strategies Learn about the Taylor Hooten Foundation. (https://taylorhooton.org/) Listen to The ALL ME® Podcast (https://taylorhooton.org/podcast/) from the Taylor Hooten Foundation.

2. 

   13 Aug 2025

   Baseball Player Throwing Injuries

   In this episode of Healthy Youth Sports, hosted by Eric Utterback, we take a deep dive into one of the most pressing issues in youth baseball: throwing injuries. Whether you’re a coach, parent, clinician, or athlete, this episode is packed with expert insights to help prevent and manage arm injuries in young players. Joining the conversation are two of the nation’s leading orthopedic sports medicine experts: Dr. George Richard, orthopedic surgeon at Rothman Orthopaedics Florida and former fellow at the American Sports Medicine Institute, brings biomechanical and surgical expertise—especially around ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries. Dr. Daryl Osbahr, president and chairman of Orthopaedic Surgery at Rothman Orthopaedics Florida and co-chief medical officer for USA Baseball, offers a national perspective on injury prevention, policy, and performance care across elite and youth sports. The episode explores a wide range of critical topics, including: Why throwing injuries are uniquely challenging in youth athletes The six phases of throwing—and where stress builds up Myths and misconceptions among coaches and parents Fatigue as a key risk factor—and how to spot it The effects of year-round play and early specialization The ongoing debate around breaking balls in young throwers Mechanics, the kinetic chain, and the power of prevention When to choose surgery vs. nonoperative care How to spot early warning signs of overuse Best practices for return-to-play after elbow surgery Emerging technologies and data in youth injury management The discussion also addresses national injury prevention efforts like Pitch Smart, the challenges of enforcing voluntary guidelines, and how organizations can foster a health-first culture in youth baseball. Whether you're dealing with Little Leaguer's elbow or evaluating advanced diagnostic imaging in young throwers, this episode delivers evidence-based, actionable strategies from two leaders shaping the future of sports medicine. Listen now—and share with your community of parents, coaches, and providers. For more on this topic, check out the companion blog post from Dr. Richard and Dr. Osbahr on the ACSM Hot Topic series (ACSM member exclusive content): Throwing Injuries in the Baseball Player – July 22, 2025 Looking to make a lasting difference in youth health and performance? Get certified as a Youth Fitness Specialist with ACSM/NYSHSI’s self-paced online course and earn 13 CECs. Learn more at acsm.org/youthfitness

3. 

   31 Jul 2025

   Preventing Achilles Injuries in Youth

   In this episode of Healthy Youth Sports, host Eric Utterback is joined by renowned podiatrist Jeffrey Ross, DPM, MD, FACSM, to explore one of the most serious injuries in sports—the Achilles tendon tear. Prompted by the 2025 NBA playoffs, where three star players suffered Achilles injuries, this conversation takes a deep dive into how and why these injuries occur, and more importantly, how they can be prevented in youth athletes. Dr. Ross shares insights from his clinical experience, personal recovery, and current research to provide evidence-based strategies for injury prevention. Topics include early warning signs, the role of calf strength and ankle mobility, the dangers of early specialization, and the importance of load management. Whether you’re a parent, coach, or athlete, this episode offers actionable tips to help build stronger, more resilient lower limbs and support long-term athletic health.

Who has been a guest on Healthy Youth Sports

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Dr Eduardo Bustamante
• Jim Dower
• Dr Rebecca Hasson
• Heidi Roy-Borland
• Aimee Taylor

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

4.2 / 5

6 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

5 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 51 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

75

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

67

Contact Healthy Youth Sports

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.