Spotlight: Asia Mape – Creator of the Website "I Love to Watch You Play", a Site Dedicated to Helping Parents Raise Healthy, Happy, & Successful Athletes

This Week's Information:

What It Is: One of the unexpected joys of building Youth Inc. has been connecting with creators, entrepreneurs, and organizations who share the same mission: making youth sports a positive, meaningful, and sustainable experience for kids and families. 

Enter Asia Mape—a standout voice in this space. She's the founder of I Love to Watch You Play, a platform and movement that’s redefining what it means to raise healthy, high-performing young athletes—without burning them out (or burning yourself out in the process). 

Asia brings a rare combination of credibility and heart. She’s a three time Emmy-award winning sports journalist with experience at FOX Sports, NBC, and TNT—and she’s also a mom of three kids who’ve all competed at high levels. She’s seen youth sports from every angle, and she’s using that experience to drive real change.

Why It Informs Me:

1. She Keeps It Real 
Asia doesn’t gloss over the tough stuff. Whether it’s burnout, overtraining, toxic sidelines, or the mental health toll of pressure-packed seasons, she talks about it openly. Her honesty is refreshing—and needed. 

2. She Combines Research With Real Life 
You get advice you can trust, not just because it’s backed by science, but because it comes from someone who’s lived it. Whether it’s a blog post, podcast episode, or social media hit, Asia’s voice is always warm, relatable, and grounded. 

3. Her Resources Are Actually Useful 
From post-game conversation tips to guidance on early specialization, I Love to Watch You Play is packed with tools that help parents and coaches do better. No fluff—just practical strategies that work. 

4. She’s Pushing Youth Sports Forward 
Asia is helping shift the conversation away from the “win-at-all-costs” mentality and toward a healthier, more emotionally intelligent model. One that supports development, joy, and long-term growth—both on and off the field.

Recommended Read:  

6 Common Mistakes Even Well-Meaning Sports Parents Make (And How to Avoid Them) 

Here’s a powerful excerpt: 

“Mistake #3:  Stepping in too fast when things get tough. The bad coach. The mean teammate. The benching. We want to protect them—but growth lives in the hard stuff. 

Try this instead: Help them problem-solve instead of fixing it for them. Ask, “What do you think your options are?” instead of jumping in with answers.”

Action You Can Take 

Sign up for the I Love To Watch You Play newsletter at: https://ilovetowatchyouplay.com/ 

Follow I Love To Watch You Play on Facebook 

Read Asia’s article describing Her Journey Founding I Love To Watch You Play 

If you come across any content that you think is worth sharing with the broader Youth Inc. community, I’d love to hear from you. Drop me a line at tmurphy@youth.inc. 

Let’s learn, grow, and enjoy the ride—together.