Ep. 204 – The On-Fire Brain and the Future of Youth Sports

A Special Episode on Refereeing, Emotional Regulation, and Showing Up as the Sane Adult in the Room

In this special edition of the Renegade Lawyer Podcast, Ben Glass steps away from case law and legal marketing—and dives into one of his biggest passions: youth soccer refereeing.

Now in his 52nd year wearing the whistle, Ben shares a presentation he recently gave to high school soccer referees in Northern Virginia. But this talk isn’t about yellow cards or offside calls—it’s about brain science, emotional regulation, and why the real job of adults in youth sports is to protect the experience for kids.

Drawing from decades of personal experience as both a referee and a parent of nine (including four children adopted from China), Ben opens up about how raising kids with early trauma taught him how to better handle on-fire brains—on the sidelines, the field, and at home.

🧠 Highlights:

• Why descent is a cancer on the game—and what referees can do about it
• What happens to the brain in moments of emotional escalation
• How lessons from parenting trauma-impacted kids can transform your leadership on the field
• Why every youth sports adult needs to adopt the mindset of "the sane adult in the room."

“You don’t calm an on-fire brain with logic or threats. You calm it by being heard.” — Ben Glass

📚 Bonus: Want to learn more about Ben’s adoption journey and how it reshaped his understanding of emotional regulation?

👉 https://youtu.be/ibJHocmHH-g?si=G5kGM3x8GTGyS9ud

This one’s for:

• Referees in any sport
• Parents of youth athletes
• Coaches and volunteers
• Teachers, mentors, and anyone in emotionally high-stakes environments

🎧 Listen now on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

Ben Glass is a nationally recognized personal injury and long-term disability insurance attorney in Fairfax, VA. Since 2005, Ben Glass and Great Legal Marketing have been helping solo and small firm lawyers make more money, get more clients and still get home in time for dinner. We call this TheGLMTribe.com

What Makes The GLM Tribe Special?

In short, we are the only organization within the "business builder for lawyers" space that is led by two practicing lawyers. 

One thing we're sure you've noticed is that despite the variety of options within our space, no one else is mixing
the actual practice of law with business building in the way that we are.

There are no other organizations who understand the highs and lows of running a small law firm and are engaged in talking to real clients. That is what sets GLM apart from every other organization, and it is why we have had loyal members that have been with us for two-decades.