How the Youth Inc. Ambassador & Expert Network was Built

Sometimes, the right conversation at the right time changes everything.

In 2023, I had the good fortune of being introduced to Greg Olsen—just after he wrapped Season 1 of the Youth Inc. podcast. What began as a passion project for Greg—born from his real-life experience coaching his three kids in youth sports—was starting to gain momentum. Listeners appreciated the honest conversations, the practical insights, and the heart behind the show.

But Greg was at a crossroads. Producing a weekly podcast was demanding. And juggling that with his roles as an Emmy-winning NFL broadcaster and hands-on youth sports coach for all three of his kids made the pace unsustainable.

At the same time, I was coming to the end of a 20+ year career in corporate media, eager to channel my experience into something with meaning—something that could serve a growing audience in a high-impact space.

That’s where the serendipity came in.

We were both wrestling with the same questions: How can we make youth sports better for kids, parents and coaches? And how can content—done well—be part of that solution?

As both a media veteran and a youth sports parent, I saw what Greg had built and thought: This is just the beginning. There’s massive demand for practical, trustworthy content in this space—and Greg’s voice had already proven its value.

But we needed to think bigger than a single podcast. 

I pitched Greg on a simple but powerful idea: let’s build a network of passionate, experienced voices from across the youth sports world—people like Greg—who can create focused, relevant, sport-specific content for families and coaches. And let’s organize it all on one easy-to-use platform, searchable by both sport and topic. 

Why? Because the challenges in youth sports aren’t one-size-fits-all.
The issues facing a girl in youth soccer are different from those facing a boy in youth wrestling or a kid just picking up tennis. The needs of parents, athletes and coaches vary—and the most useful advice lives at the intersection of expertise in a specific sport and deep knowledge of a relevant topic.

That’s our North Star:

At the intersection of sport and topic lies insight.

For example: What happens when you pair tennis great John Isner with Bryan Shelton—NCAA champion coach and father of rising star Ben Shelton—for a conversation about parenting young athletes? You get real, applicable advice for tennis families navigating real challenges. 

Watch the video of John and Bryan here

That’s the model we’re building at Youth Inc.

We’re proud to introduce the first wave of amazing Experts who are helping us bring this vision to life. People who are all-in on supporting youth athletes—and who are generous enough to share what they’ve learned along the way.

We’re just getting started. And we’d love for you to join us.

👉 Click here to meet our Team of Ambassadors and Experts

👉 Interested in becoming part of the Youth Inc. Network? Reach out directly: tmurphy@youth.inc

Let’s build something great for the next generation—together.