In today's episode, we are joined by Kirsten Jones. Among other things, Kirsten is a parent to a collegiate athlete, podcast host, former collegiate volleyball player, volleyball coach, author, and she is also a certified Peak Performance and Sports Parenting Coach. The topic of today's conversation is all about how we, as parents, coaches, and teachers, can better prepare our young athletes for their journey ahead. If you are a parent, teacher, coach, or mentor to young people, this episode is for you. But athletes, don't skip this episode. There is plenty of actionable advice for you too, on how to take ownership of your athletic career, and how to develop important life skills such as resilience, grit, and the ability to pivot when things don't go your way! Topics covered in today's conversation: - Fixed vs Growth Mindset. - Envisioning long-term goals. - Growth mindset and effort. - Building grit through competencies. - Supporting young athletes emotionally. - Finding the right fit. - Parent and Coach Relationships. - Empowering young athletes. - Youth sports and societal pressure. - Athletic recruiting and transfers. - Lessons from when things don't go our way. - Finding your passion. - Worst advice given. - Valuing individual levels in coaching. - Fostering independence in children. More information about today's guest: Kirsten Jones, Peak Performance & Sports Parenting Coach. Her new Book -Raising Empowered Athletes: A Youth Sports Parenting Guide for Raising Happy, Brave, and Resilient Kids Get your copy on Amazon, or anywhere that you buy books:  https://a.co/d/aS7h4ZS Kirsten's Podcast - #RaisingAthletes can be found on the website: ww.KirstenJonesinc.com  Thank you for tuning in! If you are listening on Apple or Spotify, please leave a rating or a review to help us have conversations with impactful guests like this! --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/brett-sikora-downtheline/message