Sports as a Catalyst for Personal Growth with Amanda Baylis
Real Talk for Sports Parents w/ Samantha Livingstone
Release Date: 06/20/2025
Eating Disorders & Youth Sports: What Every Sports Parent Needs to Know with Dr. Kate Bennett
Real Talk for Sports Parents w/ Samantha Livingstone
Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast Hosted by Samantha Livingstone Ep. 19 - Eating Disorders & Youth Sports: What Every Sports Parent Needs to Know with Dr. Kate Bennett In this episode of the Real Talk for Sports Parents podcast, host Samantha Livingstone converses with Dr. Kate Bennett, founder and director of Athlete Insight and Full Send Consulting. They delve into Dr. Kate’s background, including her career as a counselor and sports psychologist, and her personal journey in sports from youth through professional cycling. Dr. Kate shares insights into the...
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Olympian Jamie Rauch on Sports Parenting: Unconditional Support, Pressure & Communication
Real Talk for Sports Parents w/ Samantha Livingstone
Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast Hosted by Samantha Livingstone Ep. 18 - Olympian Jamie Rauch on Sports Parenting: Unconditional Support, Pressure & Communication In this episode of the Real Talk for Sports Parents podcast, host Samantha Livingstone delves into the intricacies of parenting in the world of sports with guest Jamie Rauch. Jamie shares his journey from growing up as a competitive swimmer in Houston, Texas, to becoming an 18-time NCAA All-American and a silver medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The conversation covers Jamie's transition from a...
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Coaching the Human First: Youth Sports, Unstructured Play, and Athlete Mental Health with Eric Kussin
Real Talk for Sports Parents w/ Samantha Livingstone
Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast Hosted by Samantha Livingstone Ep. 17 - Coaching the Human First: Youth Sports, Unstructured Play, and Athlete Mental Health with Eric Kussin In this episode of the Real Talk for Sports Parents podcast, host Samantha Livingstone introduces guest Eric Kussin, a seasoned professional sports executive and founder of the Same Here Global mental health movement. Eric shares his gripping life story, spanning from his childhood marked by his brother's severe health issues to his successful career in the sports industry, including roles with the...
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Olympic Gold Medalist Anita Nall Richesson - The New Gold Standard: Holistic Athletic Development
Real Talk for Sports Parents w/ Samantha Livingstone
Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast Hosted by Samantha Livingstone Ep. 16 - Olympic Gold Medalist Anita Nall Richesson - The New Gold Standard: Holistic Athletic Development In this episode of the Real Talk for Sports Parents podcast, host Samantha Livingstone welcomes guest Anita Nall Richesson, an Olympian and holistic wellness coach. Anita shares her journey from an Olympic swimmer to a nutrition and wellness expert, discussing the importance of holistic approaches in nurturing young athletes. They discuss vital parenting aspects, including fostering intuition,...
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Injury, Identity & Recovery in Youth Sports – Insights from Sports Medicine with Brian Petrone, PA
Real Talk for Sports Parents w/ Samantha Livingstone
Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast Hosted by Samantha Livingstone Ep. 15 - Brian Petrone, PA - Injury, Identity, and Recovery: Insights from Sports Medicine In this episode of the Real Talk for Sports Parents podcast, Samantha Livingstone hosts Brian Petrone, a seasoned sports medicine clinician and parent. Brian shares his extensive experience in sports medicine, both as a physician's assistant with Boston Orthopedics and Wellness and as a parent of three daughters who are competitive athletes. The conversation dives into the impact of sports injuries, especially in youth...
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Tony Hajjar - How to Support Your Child in Sports Without Adding Pressure
Real Talk for Sports Parents w/ Samantha Livingstone
Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast Hosted by Samantha Livingstone Ep. 14 - Tony Hajjar - How to Support Your Child in Sports Without Adding Pressure In this episode, host Samantha Livingstone sits down with Tony Hajjar, a coach, entrepreneur, and performance expert. Tony shares his journey from growing up in a coach’s household to becoming a co-founder of Drive Custom Fitness and Hajjar Volleyball and Performance Center. He discusses his coaching philosophy of 'kids first, wins second,' emphasizing emotional intelligence, personal growth, and community building...
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Mike Murray - The Power of Connection
Real Talk for Sports Parents w/ Samantha Livingstone
Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast Hosted by Samantha Livingstone Ep. 13 - Mike Murray - The Power of Connection In this episode host Samantha Livingstone dives into the complexities of parenting in the world of sports, from youth to professional levels. The guest, Mike Murray, head coach and assistant athletic director at Albany Academy, shares his diverse experiences from being a swim coach, business owner, and sport parent. Their discussion explores the importance of centering human connections in athletics, reflecting on the pressures and ambitions that come with...
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World Champion Cara Stawicki - The Power of Expanders + Creating Space for Dreams
Real Talk for Sports Parents w/ Samantha Livingstone
Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast Hosted by Samantha Livingstone Ep. 12 - World Champion Cara Stawicki - The Power of Expanders + Creating Space for Dreams In this episode, Samantha Livingstone interviews world champion athlete and performance coach Cara Stawicki. Cara shares her journey from suburban New Jersey to becoming a world champion rower and mental performance coach. They discuss the importance of self-trust, the impact of cultural upbringing on sports, and the value of pursuing dreams despite the odds. Cara also talks about her transition to coastal rowing, the...
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From Blue-Collar Roots to Buckeye Leadership: Bill Dorenkott on Resilience, Family, and the Power of Sport
Real Talk for Sports Parents w/ Samantha Livingstone
Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast Hosted by Samantha Livingstone Ep. 11 - From Blue-Collar Roots to Buckeye Leadership: Bill Dorenkott on Resilience, Family, and the Power of Sport In this episode, Samantha sits down with Bill Dorenkott, the Director of Swimming and Diving at Ohio State University, to discuss the complexities of parenting athletes within the world of sports. Bill shares his extensive coaching experience, his personal athletic journey, and insights from being both a coach and a sports parent. The conversation delves into the importance of balancing...
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Parenting in Youth Sports: Greg Harden's Influence on Identity, Pressure & Performance w/ Jen Woodruff
Real Talk for Sports Parents w/ Samantha Livingstone
Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast Hosted by Samantha Livingstone Ep. 10 - Jen Woodruff - The Power of Mentorship In this episode of the Real Talk for Sports Parents podcast, host Samantha Livingstone brings in Jen Woodruff, her former University of Michigan swim teammate, to discuss the intricate dynamics of parenting in the world of sports. Jen shares her journey from being a Michigan swimmer coping with significant life events, to becoming a collegiate coach, and now a sports parent and spouse of a coach. They discuss the importance of mentorship from figures like Greg...
info_outlineReal Talk for Sport Parents Podcast
Hosted by Samantha Livingstone
Ep. 3 - Sports as a Catalyst for Personal Growth with Amanda Bayliss
In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, Samantha sits down with integrative fitness coach and fellow sport parent Amanda Bayliss to explore the many layers of raising athletic kids while staying grounded in wellness, purpose, and perspective.
Amanda opens up about her own journey—from a running-centered upbringing to college-level burnout, to rediscovering movement as healing and joy. As a mom of three sport-loving boys, Amanda shares hard-earned wisdom about the reality of supporting multiple kids in multi-sport seasons, navigating puberty and performance identity, and honoring each child’s path.
Together, they dive into the deeper meaning behind movement as a form of love, the importance of language around body image, how to model consistency in chaos, and what permission slips we all need to write as sport parents.
04:30 – How Amanda’s upbringing shaped her connection to community and sport
11:10 – Discovering a love for running and following her sisters' path
26:50 – What she would tell her younger self as a runner and athlete
34:20 – Puberty, body image, and letting kids evolve
50:10 – Club vs. school sports: navigating priorities and pressure
1:01:40 – The AAA hockey pivot: honoring her son's desires without panic
1:22:15 – Parking lot workouts: prioritizing parental wellness in creative ways
1:32:30 – The language of fitness: strength over size
1:43:00 – Working across generations—from teen athletes to cancer patients
1:50:15 – What elite athletes have in common: consistency, ownership, and alignment
1:58:20 – Permission slips we all need: your sport is what you do, not who you are
Quotes
· “When you give to your body, it gives back tenfold.”
[1:36:20]
· “Our job isn’t to mold the journey—it’s to create the space for it to unfold.”
[1:13:00]
· “Movement is love. It’s how I pour into others. It’s how I help them love themselves.”
[1:44:45]
Social Media and Links
Books Mentioned:
More Than a Body by Lexie & Lindsay Kite