Practical frameworks to help parents and coaches understand how to support young athletes through anxiety, failure, and adversity — without removing the very discomfort that builds resilience. The core philosophy is that sports are a microcosm for life, and the emotional reps kids get on the field directly prepare them for challenges far beyond it.
Raising the Resilient Athlete
Claim This Podcastby Betsy Carmichael
5.0(3 reviews)
2 episodes
Updated Daily
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Podcast Overview
Practical frameworks to help parents and coaches understand how to support young athletes through anxiety, failure, and adversity — without removing the very discomfort that builds resilience. The core philosophy is that sports are a microcosm for life, and the emotional reps kids get on the field directly prepare them for challenges far beyond it.
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Publishing Since
6/3/2026
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Recent Episodes
June 3, 2026
Ep2 - Your Kid's a Sore Loser
<p><strong>Topics covered:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>What makes a sore loser?</strong> The difference between healthy competitive drive and unhealthy responses that get in the way of play</li><li><strong>What's happening in a kid's brain</strong> during a tough loss or bad play — and why it's not the moment to teach life lessons</li><li><strong>The "wait out the storm" approach</strong> — how to offer physical comfort without coddling, and why timing matters</li><li><strong>Age-appropriate strategies</strong> — what support looks like for a 5-year-old vs. a 10-year-old vs. a teenager</li><li><strong>What NOT to say</strong> after a loss ("You're fine," "You'll get them next time") and what to do instead</li><li><strong>The role of proactive preparation</strong> — setting expectations with your team before the game and using cues or signals in the moment</li><li><strong>Practicing losing</strong> — Betsy's approach of intentionally beating kids at games in therapy sessions to build the skill of handling disappointment</li><li><strong>Parental accommodation</strong> — how yelling at refs or emailing coaches can backfire, and how to support kids without taking over</li><li><strong>Family core values</strong> as an anchor — how defining and revisiting them creates a north star for kids in competitive moments</li><li><strong>Coach behavior on the sidelines</strong> and its outsized impact on kids' emotional regulation</li></ul><br/><p><strong>Key takeaways:</strong></p><ul><li>Losing is a skill. It has to be practiced.</li><li>You are the co-regulator — your calm is contagious (and so is your dysregulation).</li><li>Kids aren't hearing your words in the heat of the moment, but they are watching you.</li><li>Small wins count. Progress isn't all-or-nothing.</li></ul><br/>
June 3, 2026
Ep1 - Your Kid's a Nervous Nelly
<p><strong>Raising the Resilient Athlete — Episode 1: The Nervous Nelly</strong></p><p>In this debut episode, host Rob sits down with child and family therapist <strong>Betsy Carmichael</strong> (Alvord Baker & Associates) and <strong>Carl Ehrlich</strong>, founder & CEO of Flag Star Football and former Harvard football team captain, to talk about nerves, anxiety, and how sports can be a powerful training ground for life.</p><p><strong>What We Cover:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Nerves are good</strong> — Why being nervous before a big moment is a sign you care, and why we shouldn't want to eliminate nerves entirely</li><li><strong>What parents get wrong</strong> — The instinct to say "it's no big deal" or "you'll be fine" and why that backfires every time</li><li><strong>Validate, then express confidence</strong> — The two-step approach that actually works: acknowledge the hard feelings and express belief that your child can handle them (not that they'll succeed — that they can handle whatever happens)</li><li><strong>Proactive vs. in-the-moment strategies</strong> — Why you can't coach kids through a meltdown in real time, and how to build the plan before the storm hits</li><li><strong>Behavioral rehearsal</strong> — How to practice the hard moments (car rides, pre-game routines, even dropping the ball on purpose) so kids have tools when it counts</li><li><strong>Worry brain</strong> — Betsy's concept for labeling anxious, unrealistic thinking and giving it less power by externalizing it</li><li><strong>The debrief / postmortem</strong> — Why the post-game conversation matters as much as the prep</li><li><strong>Rewards & praise</strong> — Why tangible rewards aren't dirty words, how praise is the most powerful reinforcer, and how to transition kids from external to internal motivation</li><li><strong>Sports as a microcosm for life</strong> — How the reps kids get on the field (tolerating loss, recovering from mistakes, sitting with uncertainty) translate directly to academics, careers, and adult challenges</li></ul><br/><p><strong>Key Takeaways:</strong></p><ol><li>Validate the feeling first — "That sounds really hard" — before anything else</li><li>Express confidence that they can handle discomfort, not that they'll succeed</li><li>Build a plan proactively, not in the heat of the moment</li><li>Use behavioral rehearsal — involve all the senses</li><li>Do a postmortem after hard moments to build a narrative of resilience</li><li>Be an emotional scientist, not an emotional judge — get curious, not reactive</li></ol><br/><p><strong>Guests:</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Betsy Carmichael</strong> — Child & Family Therapist, Albert Baker & Associates</li><li><strong>Carl Ehrlich</strong> — Founder & CEO, Flag Star Football; former Harvard Football captain</li></ul><br/><p><strong>Next episode:</strong> The Sore Loser</p>
2 total episodes available
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