Youth Inc. with Greg Olsen

IMG Academy CEO Brent Richard joins Greg Olsen to break down what's really happening at the intersection of youth sports and college athletics. Beyond IMG's world-class boarding school and development platform, Brent dives into the supply-and-demand crisis squeezing high school athletes out of college roster spots — from extended eligibility and the transfer portal to why Olympic sports are more financially viable than headlines suggest. They unpack the Add More Athletes campaign, why families are reclassifying at record rates, and how the NCAA's inability to enforce rules is creating a system where age and experience trump development. This one gets into the business, the economics, and the policy — and it's a conversation every sports parent needs to hear.Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

This week: Greg recaps a trip to LA that somehow ended with a 5:30 AM workout alongside Christian McCaffrey. Then Daniel Jones joins the show to open up about life off the field and the cause closest to his heart. Plus, listener questions and the debate everyone's been waiting for — what's the greatest youth sports movie of all time?

Kerri Walsh Jennings, three-time Olympic gold medalist and legendary beach volleyball star who co-founded youth programs. She reflects on a multi-sport childhood that built grit. She warns about specialization and overtraining in youth sports. She explains the fundamentals, trust, and communication that made her partnership work. She shares what competing while pregnant and parenting taught her.

Hayley Scamurra, a relentlessly hardworking Olympic gold medalist known for late development and toughness, and Kelly Pannek, a Minnesota-raised Olympian praised for hockey IQ and coaching roots, talk growing up on the ice, playing multiple sports, coaching influences, team bonding, and why hockey builds resilience and joy for young athletes.

David Epstein, bestselling author and science journalist known for The Sports Gene and Range, explains why trainability often beats raw talent. He discusses why broad early development outperforms early specialization. He previews Inside the Box and how constraints and reflective practice boost learning. He contrasts Norway’s development model with the US and warns that phones harm attention and practice quality.

Best-selling author Michael Lewis (Moneyball, The Blind Side, Going Infinite) joins Greg Olsen to talk about the youth sports industry — how it got so expensive, why parents keep spending, and what his own family's journey through travel softball taught him about the system. From coaching his daughters in Berkeley to watching the business side explode, Lewis breaks down what's really driving the youth sports machine.Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

Greg Olsen sits down with Jim Craig — the goalie who backstopped the 1980 Miracle on Ice team to gold — to talk about what it really takes to win at the Olympics. Jim breaks down his journey from community college to Lake Placid, what Herb Brooks did that no other coach could, and why he believes this American team has what it takes. A must-watch for any hockey fan following the U.S. Olympic run.

Panthers legend Greg Olsen sits down with franchise QB Bryce Young for a conversation Carolina fans have been waiting for. Bryce opens up about everything — being told he was too small his entire life, what Nick Saban was really like behind closed doors at Alabama, getting benched in the NFL for the first time ever, and the mindset shift that fueled one of the best comeback stories in the league. Two Panthers icons, one incredible conversation.Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

Greg Olsen is out this week, so Alec Ingold and JJ Jansen step in to hold it down. Alec — a Dolphins fullback who's all-in on youth development — and JJ — a 17-year Panthers veteran and dad of young athletes — sit down to talk about what actually matters in youth sports. They get into coaching youth baseball, the coach-parent dynamic, finding a role for every kid on the team, and why the lessons learned between the lines stick with you long after the season ends.Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

Harrison Phillips, NFL defensive lineman and Special Olympics advocate, reflects on inclusion and lifelong passion for sport. Kerri Walsh Jennings, Olympic beach volleyball legend, shares lessons on longevity, teamwork, and joyful coaching. Cam Newton, charismatic NFL quarterback, talks about developing young quarterbacks and embracing discomfort to grow. Multiple short conversations focus on youth sport culture, coaching, and why playing broadly matters.