Picking Teams: A Playbook for Parents

About Picking Teams: A Playbook for Parents

Picking Teams is a podcast that dives into the playbooks of seasoned coaches. Host Amy Bryant is a 23-year veteran college coach, and her guests hail from the professional, college and youth ranks. Together they'll share real stories from their coaching experiences to empower parents to be positive forces in their children's sports journeys. The podcast is also a great resource for coaches and anyone interested in youth, college and professional sports. Topics covered include: strategies for positively supporting youth sport athletes; college recruiting guidance and etiquette; tips for identifying team culture and coaching styles; college admissions, applications and the recruiting process; student-athlete mental and physical health; and more. Amy Bryant is a student-athlete college counselor and sports recruiting advisor for Bryant College https://bryantcollegecoaching.com/ a full-service college counseling and athletic recruitment advising firm.

Publisher

Amy Bryant

Category

education · kids & family · sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

9 Jun 2024

Latest episode

18 Aug 2025

Latest episodes

26 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   18 Aug 2025

   Trusting the Process with Coach Keenan Hickton

   Today’s Play: Amy and Keenan Hickton explore how parental support rooted in trust, humility, and awareness can unlock an athlete’s full potential. Keenan reflects on how his own parents supported his late transition to golf with unconditional encouragement—while also resisting the urge to overstep as knowledgeable former athletes. The conversation highlights the critical importance of letting coaches coach, staying grounded in reality, and helping student-athletes learn to take ownership of b...

2. 

   28 Jul 2025

   Double Vision with Coach Tommy Valentini

   Today's Play: Gustavus Adolphus head coach Tommy Valentini shares the powerful story behind his team’s NCAA doubles national championship—one rooted in culture, gratitude, and perspective. Tommy highlights how his players prioritized team values, even in the highest-pressure moments, and honored a lost classmate in a deeply meaningful way. He offers insight into how true freedom in sport comes from knowing your worth isn’t defined by wins or losses—a mindset built over years, starting in yout...

3. 

   14 Jul 2025

   The Greatest Charity in the World with Coach Kirk Wagner

   Today’s Play: Kirk Wagner shares the story of his journey from a soccer-playing son of German immigrants to a high school coach in Atlanta, weaving in lessons from his professional playing days in Germany and his path through college recruiting. Kirk emphasizes the values of reliability, lifelong learning, and being the coach he always wished he had. He also pulls back the curtain on the financial and emotional realities of coaching, encouraging parents to adjust their expectations and apprec...

Who has been a guest on Picking Teams: A Playbook for Parents

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

• Coach Steve Brown
• Steve Brown
• Coach David Harbin

Reach and audience

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

YouTube views

277

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

8 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 44 / 100

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

Quality

49

Social presence

0

YouTube

64

Engagement

32

Contact Picking Teams: A Playbook for Parents

Guest appearances

Books guests

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