Be Valiant - Powered by Valiant Sports Society
Be Valiant: The Podcast for Fearless Sports Parenting is a thoughtful, real-world guide for those navigating the complex and emotional world of youth sports. Hosted by Todd Merkow, the founder and CEO of Valiant Sports Society, the show brings together a wide range of voices — from parents who've been in the trenches, to former youth athletes now reflecting on their journeys as adults, to experts in mental performance, physical health, and orthopedic care. Coaches, trainers, and thought leaders join the conversation to share firsthand insights on what young athletes truly need to thrive — and why parent education is essential to that success. With a focus on honesty, growth, and fearless support, Be Valiant empowers parents to lead with purpose, patience, and perspective — increasing the likelihood that their kids not only develop in healthy, positive ways but also have the most fun possible along the way.
Episodes
What happens when the sport that has defined your life suddenly ends?
In this powerful Be Valiant Rewind, Todd Merkow sits down with his daughter, Sydney, for one of the most personal conversations ever shared on the podcast. After years of competitive youth soccer, Sydney opens up about the identity loss she experienced when she walked away from the game—and the anxiety, depression, perfectionism, eating disorder, and mental...
What does youth soccer look like from the middle of the field?
In this Be Valiant Rewind, Todd Merkow revisits his conversation with Joel Votaw, Arizona Soccer Association State Referee Administrator, veteran referee and sports parent of three, for a perspective every youth sports parent should hear.
In Arizona, nearly half of registered soccer referees are 17 or younger — many just 13, 14 or 15 years old. Yet these young off...
Be Valiant Rewind: Protecting Young Athletes with Dr. Eric Dean
In this Be Valiant Rewind, Todd Merkow revisits his conversation with Dr. Erik Dean, Medical Director for Sports Medicine at HonorHealth, former Division I football player at the University of Arizona, longtime team physician, youth sports coach, and sports parent.
After more than 25 years treating athletes, Dr. Dean has watched...
This week on Be Valiant Rewind, we revisit our conversation with former Arizona State and professional baseball player Andrew Beinbrink, founder and CEO of SportsForce.
Andrew brings a unique perspective to youth sports—as a former multi-sport athlete who reached the highest levels of college and professional baseball, and now as someone who works directly with athletes and families navigating the increasingly complicated col...
Be Valiant Rewind | When the Dream Unexpectedly Changes (Part 3) – The Athlete's Perspective with Will Proctor
In this special Be Valiant Rewind, we're revisiting the powerful conclusion of our three-part conversation with the Proctor family.
After hearing from sports dad Jeff Proctor and sports mom Lisa Proctor, the final chapter belongs to the athlet...
Be Valiant Rewind | When the Dream Unexpectedly Changes (Part 2) – A Mother's Perspective with Lisa Proctor
In this special Be Valiant Rewind, we're revisiting Part 2 of our powerful three-part series with the Proctor family.
After hearing from sports dad Jeff Proctor, this conversation shifts to the perspective only a mother can provide.
Some conversations deserve a second listen.
In this Be Valiant Rewind, Todd Merkow revisits one of the most honest and relatable conversations about youth sports parenting with longtime sports broadcaster and father of three daughters, Barry Buetel.
Despite a career spent around professional sports, Barry admits he was completely unprepared for the emotional reality ...
In this Be Valiant Rewind episode, Todd revisits his conversation with longtime friend and Arizona high school sports voice Kevin McCabe, known by many as the "Dean of Arizona High School Sports."
With more than 40 years covering athletes, coaches, schools, and communities across the state, Kevin brings a rare perspective as both a broadcaster and a sports dad. He and Todd discuss the changing landscape ...
Longtime Arizona sports broadcaster Jody Jackson has spent her career around elite athletes, but some of the most important lessons she's learned came as a sports parent.
In this Be Valiant Rewind episode, Jody shares the journey of raising two highly competitive athletes—Connor, a collegiate quarterback, and Caitlin, a standout softball pitcher—while navigating the realities of youth sports,...
In this Be Valiant Rewind, Todd Merkow revisits a powerful conversation with Linda Santo, sports parent, longtime sports media executive, and daughter of Chicago Cubs legend and MLB Hall of Famer Ron Santo.
Growing up around one of baseball's most beloved figures gave Linda a unique perspective on sports, competition, and what truly ...
As youth sports become increasingly focused on scholarships, recruiting, NIL, and the pursuit of Division I athletics, many families lose sight of what truly matters: finding the right fit for their child.
In this Be Valiant Rewind episode, Todd Merkow sits down with former East Coast Conference Commissioner Dr. Robert "Bob" Dranoff, a lifelong college athletics leader, professor, and sports parent, to d...
In this Be Valiant Rewind episode, Todd Merkow sits down with Steve Borelli, longtime USA Today journalist, youth sports columnist, coach, and sports dad, for one of the most insightful conversations we've had about the realities of raising young athletes.
Drawing from years of experience on the sidelines and hundreds of conversations with parents, coaches, and athletes, Steve shares practical wisdom on ...
In this special "rewind" of Be Valiant, host Todd Merkow sits down with longtime friend, former collegiate and national team soccer player, coach, consultant, and sports parent Mike Strati for one of the most insightful conversations we've had about youth sports culture.
Drawing from his experiences as an athlete, coach, and father of three, Mike shares a refreshingly honest perspective on what really ma...
Some conversations are too important to be heard only once.
This week, we're revisiting one of the most impactful episodes of Be Valiant with Mark Hilinski, co-founder of Hilinski's Hope and father of former Washington State quarterback Tyler Hilinski.
After losing Tyler to suicide in 2018, Mark and his wife Kim turned unimaginable grief into a national movement dedicated to improving menta...
Former Arizona State women's basketball coach and Hall of Famer Charli Turner Thorne joins Valiant Sports Society CEO Todd Merkow for one of the most important conversations Be Valiant has had about youth sports, mental health, coaching culture, and parenting.
Over a 25-year coaching career at ASU, Charli built nationally respected programs centered not just on performance, but on mental wellness, emotional resilience, leaders...
During Mental Health Awareness Month, we're revisiting one of the most personal and important conversations we've had on Be Valiant.
Todd sits down with his oldest daughter, Madison Merkow, for an honest discussion about the emotional realities of youth sports; including pressure, injuries, recruiting, confidence, identity, burnout, and the mental health struggles that often go unseen by parents, coaches...
Content Note: This episode includes discussion of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, self-harm thoughts, and mental health struggles related to youth sports.
In this deeply personal episode of Be Valiant, Todd Merkow sits down again with his daughter Sydney to talk about what happened after her youth soccer journey ended. Sydney opens up about identity loss, anxiety, depression, perfectionism, eating disorder stru...
In this powerful re-release of Be Valiant, Todd Merkow sits down with his daughter Sydney Merkow to reflect on her youth sports journey while she was still playing competitive soccer.
From the outside, Sydney's story looked like success — championships, leadership, and high-level competition. But beneath the surface, a very different reality was unfolding.
Sydney opens up about the pr...
In this follow-up conversation, Linda Flanagan returns to Be Valiant to move beyond the problems in youth sports and focus on what parents can actually do to create a better experience for their kids.
After unpacking what youth sports has become in Part 1, this episode shifts to a more empowering conversation—centered on perspective, priorities, and the choices families can make to take back control.
Linda shares real-world i...
Popular Podcasts
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
Betrayal Weekly is back for a new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. If you would like to share your story, you can reach out to the Betrayal Team by emailing them at betrayalpod@gmail.com and follow us on Instagram at @betrayalpod and @glasspodcasts. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations, and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience, and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack.