Valiant Learning Search

Sideline Behavior

Understanding how our words, reactions, and emotions affect young athletes.

Money & the Youth Sports Arms Race

Making informed decisions about private training, travel, showcases, camps, equipment, and escalating costs.

Compassionate and Competitive

Todd Merkow sits down with Crystalrae States — founder and owner of Boilermaker Softball Club in Pennsylvania, former Division II catcher and head coach, master's-level exercise and sport science professional, and mother of three young kids — for a wide-ranging conversation about what it actually looks like to build a female-first youth sports organization from scratch, why development and winning

From Indoor to the Sand: Finding Your Position, Your Sport & Yourself

In Episode 2 of Be Valiant, Todd Merkow sits down with his oldest daughter Madison — a three-sport high school athlete, collegiate beach volleyball player at MiraCosta College, student athletic trainer for the ASU football program, and now an entrepreneur with her own fitness and wellness company, Lyt Active. What unfolds is a conversation about a young athlete who spent years being shuffled betwe

Stay True to Who You Are

Todd Merkow sits down with Jody Jackson — longtime Fox Sports Arizona broadcaster, current Diamondbacks reporter, and sports mom of two — for a conversation that moves easily between the press box and the bleachers, between the professional world of sports media and the deeply personal world of raising a pitcher and a quarterback in the competitive youth sports landscape of the Phoenix metro. Jod

The Author and Coach on Raising Empowered Athletes — and Getting Out of Their Way

In Episode 10 of Be Valiant, Todd Merkow welcomes Kirsten Jones — Hall of Fame former Division I collegiate volleyball player at the College of William and Mary, 15-year Nike executive who held leadership roles in brand management, retail, and global marketing while working directly with elite athletes and teams around the world, author of Raising Empowered Athletes: A Youth Sports Parenting Guide

The Dean of Arizona High School Sports: 40 Years of Watching Parents Get It Right — and Wrong

In Episode 7 of Be Valiant, Todd Merkow sits down with Kevin McCabe — a man Todd has known for nearly 30 years, going back to their days together at Fox Sports Arizona. Kevin is the host of the Kevin McCabe Show on Arizona Sports 98.7, a weekly radio program that brings high school athletes and coaches into the studio to be celebrated, not analyzed. He has been covering Arizona prep sports for mor

'Don't Be a Helicopter Parent': Annika Sorenstam's Tips for Your Kid's Sports Experience

Golf legend and 10-time major champion Annika Sorenstam was once so shy she would intentionally lose junior tournaments to avoid speaking in public. Now a sports mom herself, she shares what she's learned about fostering independence, going with the flow, and letting kids lead their own journey.

June 3, 2025

'You're Not Getting Scouted at 12': Youth Sports Tips from a Little League World Series Hero

Todd Frazier was the MVP of the 1998 Little League World Series and spent 11 seasons in MLB. Now coaching his own son in Toms River, NJ, he has clear-eyed advice for sports parents: stop worrying about scouting, let kids be kids, and expect failure as part of the process.

June 22, 2025

10 Misconceptions About Kids Sports — and How Parents Can Push Against Them

From 'winning leads to advancement' to 'you need to specialize early,' Steve Borelli breaks down the 10 most common delusions sports parents hold — and what the research actually says about each one.

April 26, 2026

Crisis on the Sidelines: Youth Sports Facing Epidemic of Bad Behavior, Abuse by Adults

A 100-person brawl in Mesa. Racial taunts at a state basketball playoff. A SafeSport survey showing 78% of athletes have experienced emotional harm. ASU Cronkite News investigates the nationwide crisis of adult misconduct in youth sports — and quotes Be Valiant's Todd Merkow on the $40 billion pressure cooker driving it.

May 7, 2026

Don't Forget to Call Mom: MLB Catcher Gets Candid About Sports Struggles

Baltimore Orioles catcher Maverick Handley — Stanford graduate, seven-year minor leaguer — gets refreshingly honest about burnout, self-doubt, identity, and what young athletes and their parents really need to hear.

February 14, 2026

Positive Coaching Alliance

Research-based tools and training to help coaches, parents, and administrators create a positive youth sports environment.

Positive Coaching Alliance

Tools and resources to help coaches and parents create positive, development-focused sports environments.

Positive Coaching Alliance

Training and resources for parents, coaches, and administrators to create a positive, character-building youth sports environment.

Positive Coaching Alliance (PCA)

Positive Coaching Alliance is one of the most trusted organizations in youth sports, dedicated to creating better experiences and stronger cultures for athletes, parents, and coaches. Their tools and training help families understand what healthy leadership, communication, and competition look like.