Managing the MADness: Recent Episodes
Tim Meyer
Managing the MADness is a collection of interviews with the parents of youth athletes. My name is Tim Meyer and I’m the owner of MAD Training, a personal training studio located in Cedar Park, Texas that focuses on youth sports performance and adult fitness. After 12+ years as a personal trainer to youth athletes from various sports backgrounds, the one common denominator is that all of my clients have well-intentioned, supportive parents that want to raise happy, healthy, and successful student-athletes. These are their stories about navigating the highs and lows of youth sports.
In the final episode of our second season, Coach Tim sits down with Makenna Garcia, a former goalkeeper at Auburn University who has just completed a transfer to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette. A former standout at Lonestar Soccer Club, Makenna’s journey has certainly been a roller coaster ride of ups and downs. From winning not only a high school state title, competing for a club soccer national title, to being recruited and signed by a Division 1 school, she’s also suffered two ACL tears and had to grind her way back to the field. Her story is one of perseverance, hard work, struggle, and ultimately, faith.
In this episode, you’ll meet sisters Maddie and Sydney Sheehan. Both were standout youth athletes in their respective sports, volleyball and soccer. Raised in Cedar Park, Texas, they both earned Division 1 scholarships to schools outside their home state. However, after successful starts to their college careers, both Maddie and Sydney suffered career-ending concussions within months of one another and decided to move back home to finish their education. Their story revolves around learning how to deal with adversity, finding your voice and standing up for yourself, and how the bonds of family draw in even closer and prop you up when things don’t go the way you expected. A great listen for any parent or athlete looking to play at the college level or bouncing back from an injury.
In the highly competitive sport of swimming, Tate Jackson has seen it all. A nationally ranked youth swimmer, a college national champion, and a former pro and member of team USA, Tate has a lifetime of experience to share. In this interview, he talks about the massive support his family gave him in pursuing his dreams, his non-traditional recruiting process and stellar college career, and gives tons of great advice to young athletes on how to handle the ruthlessly tight margins and grueling life of a swimmer.
In this episode, you’ll meet Sophie Walsh, an Austin-area soccer standout, Auburn University alum, and elementary school teacher. Coach Tim and Sophie discuss how her parents supported her dream of playing college soccer, how club soccer helped prepare her for the rigors of college sports, the ups and downs of being a college athlete, and her favorite pre-training meals that she shared with her dad while growing up. This open and honest interview is a great story of how loving and positive parents can raise someone to be both a highly talented athlete and a wonderful human being.
For the second season of our podcast, we’ve flipped the script and we’re talking with former youth athletes about the roles their parents played in supporting their sporting endeavors. In this episode, Coach Tim talks to Marion Watkins, a personal trainer at MAD Training, and former University of Texas lacrosse standout. This Houston native pulls back the curtain and talks all about her youth exploits, multiple ACL tears, and how her parents helped shape her into the person she is today through patience and understanding. There are tons of fun stories in this one, so sit back and enjoy!
In this episode, you’ll meet Kevin McHorse, a physical therapist for young athletes and father of two. We discuss his approach to raising two athletic daughters and how he helped them deal with hardships that they faced. We take a deep dive into two common injuries he sees, Osgood-Schlatter’s and Sever’s Disease, and how best to treat them. And Kevin also gives his perspective on how parents should balance their child’s injuries and playing time. This insightful conversation with a well respected medical professional is a great listen for any parent looking to help their kid feel and play their best.
In this episode, you’ll meet Vince Padua, father to Sam and Ben. Having grown up on the golf course, both boys have been making a name for themselves in the junior golf ranks for a few years now. Listen in as Vince shares some great insight into managing sibling rivalry, dealing with major brand sponsorships, and how he’s put a priority on raising good kids who also happen to be good golfers.
In this episode, you’ll meet Cleo Cooke, father to Hiro and Mako. At the heart of our conversation, we talk about the strategies Cleo and his wife Chikako used in raising children in a dual culture (American and Japanese) environment. You’ll also get some great insight into how you can help your child navigate the world of youth baseball.
In this episode, you’ll meet Chad Brown, a soccer dad to two daughters, Chloe and Ally. During our chat, we go deep into the world of club soccer and follow Ally’s rise through the ranks to earning a college scholarship. There are setbacks and challenges along the way, but Chad’s balanced and measured approach was clearly a key to helping Ally achieve her goal. This conversation is a great listen for any parent trying to help their kid compete at the next level!
In our first episode, you’ll meet Anne Grieshop. Anne is the mother of Jack, Ryan, and Sean. At the heart of their story is the move the family made to allow Sean to follow his dream of collegiate swimming and how Anne helped manage three boys’ scholastic and athletic careers.