Trained Podcast: Raise Athletes Right With 
Dr Jim Taylor

Coaching

You can’t give kids a head start to the podium, says sport psychologist Dr Jim Taylor. But you can give them an edge in life.

Last updated: October 7, 2021
2 min read
Sport Psychologist Jim Taylor on How to Keep Your Kids Playing

Trained is a podcast exploring the cutting edge of holistic fitness.

Less than 1 percent of kids grow up to be pro athletes. But the point of getting kids involved in sports isn’t to raise the next Serena or LeBron, says sport psychologist and parenting expert Jim Taylor, PhD. It’s to give them the mental tools to be healthy, happy and successful for the rest of their lives. On this episode of Trained, the former alpine ski racer joins host Jaclyn Byrer to break down the benefits of youth sports and share advice on how parents can get — and keep — kids involved. The secret, he says, is creating positive athletic experiences and not buying into the “youth sports industrial complex.” Drawing on his experience as a father of two athlete daughters, he also digs deep into all the factors that can hold girls back in sports and identifies ways that each of us can help close that gender gap.

“Sports provides an armor. It changes their goals. It changes their attitudes, their perceptions about what it means to be a girl or a woman or a female. It teaches them to be proactive and assertive.”

Jim Taylor
PhD, sport psychologist and author of Raising Young Athletes

Have a question about mindset, movement, nutrition, recovery or sleep? Have a suggestion for a guest or topic? Email Jaclyn at trained@nike.com, and she’ll see what she can do.

Originally published: October 7, 2021

Related Stories

How to Practice Gratitude and Grace, According to Tunde Oyeneyin

Coaching

Trained Podcast: Tap Into Gratitude With Tunde Oyeneyin

WNBA Player Kayla McBride on Prioritizing Mental Health for Athletes

Coaching

Trained Podcast: Mental Health Miniseries: Kayla McBride

How Diet Affects Mental Health, According to Nutritional Psychiatrist Uma Naidoo

Coaching

Trained Podcast: Mental Health Miniseries: Uma Naidoo, MD

How Exercise Improves Mental Health, According to Dr Jennifer Heisz

Coaching

Trained Podcast: Mental Health Miniseries: Jennifer Heisz, PhD

What Self-Care Is and How to Practice it, According to Dr Theresa Melito-Conners

Coaching

Trained Podcast: Own Your Self-Care With Dr MC