Some of the Best Advice from Youth Inc.'s Deep Roster of Ambassadors and Experts

For more than a year, Youth Inc. has compiled an impressive roster of ambassadors who have excelled in their respective sports. They have each recorded a half dozen episodes with star athletes, coaches and mental health experts.

Here are some of the highlights from those episodes. 

Aaron West and Steve Nash

Pearls of Wisdom: “I was in a unique value system and challenge of how creative can I be?” said two-time NBA MVP Steve Nash. “How clever can I be? How deceptive. I felt the joy from my dad in the great pass. Making an intelligent decision.”

Why it Matters: Nash proved over the course of his decorated NBA career that you don’t have to score to make an impact. Being the best athlete isn’t the most important thing. Being a team player and a good teammate can make you invaluable.

Seth Davis and Tom Crean

Pearls of Wisdom: Crean says that there are two things that are important with every player: 1. Are they improving? 2. Do they have a clear sense of what their role is?

“I didn’t coach with no,” said Crean. “I coached with not yet.”

Why it Matters: Being positive and showing players that you care about them is crucially important in coaching. Crean talked about creating a plan and then showing a player right away how they can fix things.

Mick Cronin and Buzz Williams

Pearls of Wisdom: “Part of the depth of our relationship is I don’t waste their time,” said Maryland men’s basketball coach Buzz Williams. “When I text players they are going to respond right away because there is meaning to the text. I’m trying to help [them] out with their life.”

Why it Matters: In today’s transactional sports world, it’s not only important to empower players, it’s also crucial that coaches show them that they care. Coaching is more than just Xs and Os. The life skills matter.

Coach RAC

Pearls of Wisdom: “Be the kind of teammate that’s selfless, doesn’t complain and works hard,” said Coach RAC. “When I succeed my teammates are going to be in the dugout cheering me on.”

Why it Matters: RAC told the story of hitting a home run in Nationals Park (he was signed by Washington out of college) and running around the bases with an American flag. The moment was so much more special because RAC’s teammates were going nuts. Said the Savannah Bananas’ Bill LeRoy, “That was the coolest moment of my career.”

Gene Steratore

Pearls of Wisdom: “All of the participants have to share a common goal even though or road to get there might be different,” said Steratore. “The most valuable piece is the game itself and what the game is going to bring. Everyone must agree on something because then we have a basis to build [toward] something.”

Why it Matters: Officials aren’t the enemy. They want the game to be clean and fair. If we can view officials as a vehicle to help make the game better and not see them as an barrier we’ll all be better off.

Matt Hogan and John Tillman

Pearls of Wisdom: Be careful what you post of social media and use it to your advantage.

Why it Matters: University of Maryland coach John Tillman says college coaches are watching closely what recruits are posting on their social accounts. Social media can be a positive. “If you’re posting about the success of others that can be seen as a positive,” said Tillman. “What gets concerning is when you see kids posting about being at a party or positive something negative about a teammate or a team you play.”  

Lauren Chamberlain and Cat Osterman

Pearls of Wisdom: “Fun is when you see your craft unfold — the no-hitter, the perfect game, the hard work paying off.”

Why it Matters: Fun takes many forms. For some, it’s laughter and chants in the dugout; for others, it’s the deep satisfaction of mastery — the moment all that work finally shows.

Colleen Fink and Dan Gallagher

Pearls of Wisdom: Playing free starts with feeling loved. If I don’t feel loved by my coach or my teammates, I’m not going to play completely loose.

Why it Matters: Kids can’t play free when they’re afraid to make mistakes. When they feel valued and supported, effort and joy naturally follow.

Trey Hardee and Greg Duplantis

Pearls of Wisdom: If all a kid does is train, that’s not a normal life. I don’t think you get long-term success that way.

Why it Matters: Chasing greatness shouldn’t mean trading away childhood. Balance and belonging build champions who last.

John Isner and Dr. Jim Loehr

Pearls of Wisdom: “I’m a big fan of journaling," said Loehr. "What I want them to do is to begin to train their inner voice on how to deal with situations that come up. And what’s amazing is that starts to come through in a very dynamic way. And all of a sudden you don’t fear it anymore. … There’s something magical about writing down how you want your brain to work in those tough moments.”

Why it Matters: Dr. Loehr reframes journaling as a form of mental conditioning. By handwriting how they want their minds to respond under pressure, athletes turn reflection into rehearsal — building the calm, constructive self-talk that drives consistent performance.

Leah Janzen and Kristen Jones

Pearls of Wisdom: “You can how yourself to death," said Jones. "It’s not about how — it’s about what is my purpose and why is that so important to me. If your why is strong enough, everything takes care of itself.”

Why it Matters: Kids and parents get caught chasing outcomes — the perfect team, the big goal, the next step. Jones reminds us that clarity and purpose, not pressure, keep the journey joyful and sustainable.

Erica Mulholland and Jaecee Hall

Pearls of Wisdom: Social media is a double-edged sword — it’s the easiest way to promote women’s sports, and the easiest way to tear yourself down.

Why it Matters: Comparison is confidence’s biggest enemy. Building strong female athletes starts with teaching them to speak kindly to themselves and surround themselves with people who lift them higher.

Troy and Billy Mullins

Pearls of Wisdom: “You can’t do anything if your body’s stressed," said Billy Mullins. "The first thing you have to learn is to relax — breathe slow, take your time, and build from there.”

Why it Matters: Young athletes often equate toughness with pushing harder. But real strength comes from control — learning to relax, recover, and grow gradually with confidence.

Shelby Rogers and Piotr Sierzputowski

Pearls of Wisdom: “After practice, don’t ask if they won or lost — ask if they gave everything they had,” said Sierzputoski.

Why it Matters: Mental toughness starts at home. The way parents talk about effort and growth teaches kids to value progress over results — the foundation of real confidence.

Phoebe Schecter and Rob Currin

Pearls of Wisdom: “Let the game be the teacher," said Currin. "Ease your grip on control and let the sport do what it does — it’s a natural teacher of life.”

Why it Matters: Parents want to protect and direct every moment, but sports already hold the lessons kids need — resilience, teamwork, humility. When we step back, the game steps in.

Alec Ingold and Dr. Pete Miller

Pearls of Wisdom: “The most powerful thing every coach and parent does in a sport setting is modeling the desired behaviors," said Miller. "It doesn’t matter what we say we want out of them — if we don’t model it, everything else is undercut.”

Why it Matters: Kids learn more from what we show than what we say. If parents and coaches want poise, positivity, and accountability in young athletes, they have to live those same traits on the sidelines. The surest way to raise good teammates and leaders is to be one.

Spencer Lee and Kennedy Blades

Pearls of Wisdom: “Go out there, have fun, and don’t put too much pressure on yourself because you’re learning," said Blades. "Try new moves, keep building your arsenal, and don’t be afraid to fail — that’s how you find your style.”

Why it Matters: Blades reminds young athletes — especially girls in growing sports — that progress comes from curiosity, not perfection. When kids are free to experiment and make mistakes, they discover who they are as competitors and help their sport evolve.

Katelin Opitz and Jordan Larson

Pearls of Wisdom: “Go have a conversation with the coach — learn where you are and where you stand and what you need to get better at," said Larson. "It doesn’t mean you’re challenging them; it just gives you a baseline of where you can grow.”

Why it Matters: Larson teaches that clarity beats guessing. When athletes ask direct questions instead of assuming, they take ownership of their growth, build trust with coaches, and create a clear path forward.