A speaker series & podcast for sports parents, athletes & local business
Real answers for parents of athletes. Honest conversations with Athletic Director, Coach and Speaker Mike Allen and attorney Rory Pendergast.
What is Let's Talk Youth Sports?
Let's Talk Youth Sports is a speaker series and podcast created for sports parents, athletes and the businesses that support the youth sports community.
Through pop-up events, conversations and expert-led discussions, it tackles the real questions parents navigate throughout their child's youth sports journey.
Honest answers to the questions that come up at every stage of your child's sports journey.
Guidance on confidence, habits and the road from middle school to high school and beyond.
A genuine way to connect with San Diego's youth sports families through experiences that help them.
Watch
Mike Allen and Rory Pendergast on competition, progress and the part parents play in a young athlete's journey. Filmed at A7D Creative Group.
The series
Almost nobody gets real answers.
Should your kid specialize or keep playing multiple sports? What are coaches actually looking for? How do you keep your athlete in love with the game when the pressure starts building? Why does every other parent in the group chat seem to have a plan you never got?
These are the conversations happening at kitchen tables everywhere. This series brings them into a room, or onto a screen, with someone who has spent a career on both sides of them.
Invest in the Athlete. Elevate the Family.
Each session stands on its own. Pick the one that fits your athlete's stage.
The jump to high school sports is one of the biggest seasons in a student-athlete's life. What coaches evaluate before your athlete ever steps on the field, preparing academically and athletically at the same time, the mistakes that cost kids a roster spot, and building confidence before day one.
Today's athletes face more distraction, pressure and burnout than any generation before. Build a healthy sports environment at home, balance competition with enjoyment, develop resilience through a bad season, and form habits that last past the final game.
Session 1 gets your athlete through the door; this one covers the four years that follow. Training expectations, talking with coaches without becoming "that parent," academic eligibility, recruiting timelines, character development, and a personal plan for your athlete.
What's next
More dates are on the way as we are booking in more schools and communities. Follow along on Instagram for the next in-person, Zoom and podcast dates.
The podcast
The Let's Talk Youth Sports Podcast brings the series to any parent, in any city or country, on your own schedule. New episodes land weekly through October.
What would change if coaches, parents and administrators could rewrite the youth sports experience from scratch? Mike shares the shifts he'd make first, and what parents can start doing today without waiting for the system to catch up.
Part one of the tryout run goes behind the curtain on what coaches are actually evaluating when they watch your athlete.
Part two: how to walk into tryouts prepared instead of anxious. Together, episodes 5 and 6 turn tryout uncertainty into a plan.
Why attend
Youth sports are about so much more than the scoreboard.
The wins, the losses, the pressure, the friendships, and the lessons that stick long after the final whistle. This is a space for the honest conversations that actually help parents raise a young athlete.
And it's like no other parent sports event. Make it a fun day out and join the youth sports conversation with us.
![Thank you to the event sponsors flyer: Rory Law, A7D Creative Group, Explore North Park, [aka] Screen Printing](/s/ltys-flyer-sponsors.jpg)
Mike's story
Before Mike Allen became a professional basketball player, coach, trainer, athletic director and mentor, he was a young athlete trying to find his way in a single-parent home. A three-sport high school athlete recruited by Division I programs for football and baseball, he turned that down to follow a coach who believed in him.
He went on to become a three-time All-American and three-time National Champion and MVP in basketball, the sport nobody had recruited him for. Today he is a Director of Athletics, coach and youth sports leader with a Master's degree in Sports Management and Leadership.
One coach changed what was possible for him. That is what he is here to talk about.
With the right guidance and support, belief can change a young athlete's life.
Thank you to our partners
A Mike Allen Sports × Nosh Brand Consulting event
FAQ
Anything else on your mind? Bring it to the live Q&A, or reach out and we'll answer it directly.
Get in touchLet's Talk Youth Sports is a speaker series and podcast created for sports parents, athletes and the businesses that support the youth sports community.
Through pop-up events, conversations and expert-led discussions, it tackles the real questions parents navigate throughout their child's youth sports journey, from choosing the right path and preparing for high school sports to keeping kids engaged, managing pressure and understanding what comes next. It's designed to create real conversations, practical information and meaningful connections around youth sports.
Any parent or guardian of a student-athlete from middle school through high school, in any sport, anywhere in the world. Whether your athlete is just starting out or deep into a competitive season, these conversations are built for you.
Let's Talk Youth Sports bridges the gap between small businesses and the youth sports families they want to reach. Instead of simply buying an ad or putting a logo on a banner, your business becomes part of an experience that is genuinely useful to sports families.
Host a session, sponsor a session or season, or partner with us on resources. Email letstalkyouthsports@gmail.com to start the conversation.
No. Sessions are held in person for local families, and on Zoom and the podcast for everyone else. Join live from anywhere, or listen on your own schedule.
A 30-minute presentation built around a specific stage of the athlete journey (the middle school transition, tryouts, staying engaged, recruiting and more), followed by a live Q&A facilitated by attorney Rory Pendergast.
Parents are the primary audience and athletes are welcome, but in-person sessions are really meant to give sports parents a fun day out.
Yes. One in-person ticket covers two people and includes one gameday swag bag.
No. Each session stands on its own, so pick the ones that fit your athlete's stage or sport. There's no need to attend in order.
The middle-school-to-high-school jump, what coaches actually look for, staying engaged and avoiding burnout, recruiting and life after competition, sport-specific seasons (football, basketball, volleyball, baseball) and mental health.
Yes. Motivation, recruiting, coach relationships, family pressure, injury and burnout apply across countries and systems. Sessions stay general so they translate to your local sports structure.
There's plenty of street parking in the neighborhood, and the North Park Parking Garage is on 29th Street and North Park Way. Get directions.
Get involved
Let's Talk Youth Sports bridges the gap between small businesses and the youth sports families they want to reach.
Instead of simply buying an ad or putting a logo on a banner, your business becomes part of an experience that is genuinely useful to sports families.
We connect businesses with San Diego's youth sports community through conversations, experiences and resources that help parents navigate their child's sports journey.
Bring an in-person event to your school, club or organization. We'll work with you on scheduling, format and a topic focus for your community's athletes.
Support the series and get visibility with an engaged audience of sports parents and student-athletes.
Schools, clubs, businesses and organizations are welcome to collaborate on cross-promotion, guest speakers and resource sharing.