Why "Elite" Youth Sports Are Breaking Our Kids and the 4-Quadrant Solution
Wed Jan 14 2026
Beyond the Scoreboard is committed to creating an audio experience to help you develop into the best leader you can be, so you can transform your athletes to reach their full potential both on and off the court.
👉 Is your child in an “elite” sports program that feels more like a factory than a playground?
In this episode of The Beyond the Scoreboard Podcast, Coach Justin Furtado pulls back the curtain on the toxic “win-at-all-costs” culture in youth basketball, AAU programs, and club sports that are burning kids out before they even hit high school.
⚠️ 70% of kids quit sports by age 13. Why? Because too many programs treat 10-year-olds like professional athletes, pushing them to perform, train, and win instead of develop.
In this episode, you’ll discover:
Why the “elite” label is often a red flag for parentsHow programs with high standards but no support crush confidence and love for the gameThe dangers of old-school “Bobby Knight” style coachingHow overuse injuries like Achilles problems are creeping into youth sportsThe difference between accountability with care vs pressure that destroys motivation
💡 Whether you’re a parent, coach, or athlete, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew about youth sports. It’s time to take back sports from the trophy-chasing factories and focus on growth, confidence, and mental toughness.
CHAPTERS:
0:37 Problems With Elite Youth Sports
1:30 Why Kids Drop Out of Sports
3:00 High Standards vs High Support
4:30 Balancing Coaching and Accountability
5:30 Conceptual Offense and Practice Structure
6:30 Building Mental Toughness and Confidence
7:30 Focus on Development Over Winning
8:30 Tips for Coaches and Parents
🎯Spoiler: If your kid’s program is all about wins, medals, and rankings… it might be doing more harm than good.
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Make Money Coaching Sports: https://www.makemoneycoachingsports.com/btg
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BTG Website: https://btgbasketball.org/
#sports #basketball #sportspodcast #youthsports #aau
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Beyond the Scoreboard is committed to creating an audio experience to help you develop into the best leader you can be, so you can transform your athletes to reach their full potential both on and off the court. 👉 Is your child in an “elite” sports program that feels more like a factory than a playground? In this episode of The Beyond the Scoreboard Podcast, Coach Justin Furtado pulls back the curtain on the toxic “win-at-all-costs” culture in youth basketball, AAU programs, and club sports that are burning kids out before they even hit high school. ⚠️ 70% of kids quit sports by age 13. Why? Because too many programs treat 10-year-olds like professional athletes, pushing them to perform, train, and win instead of develop. In this episode, you’ll discover: Why the “elite” label is often a red flag for parentsHow programs with high standards but no support crush confidence and love for the gameThe dangers of old-school “Bobby Knight” style coachingHow overuse injuries like Achilles problems are creeping into youth sportsThe difference between accountability with care vs pressure that destroys motivation 💡 Whether you’re a parent, coach, or athlete, this episode will challenge everything you thought you knew about youth sports. It’s time to take back sports from the trophy-chasing factories and focus on growth, confidence, and mental toughness. CHAPTERS: 0:37 Problems With Elite Youth Sports 1:30 Why Kids Drop Out of Sports 3:00 High Standards vs High Support 4:30 Balancing Coaching and Accountability 5:30 Conceptual Offense and Practice Structure 6:30 Building Mental Toughness and Confidence 7:30 Focus on Development Over Winning 8:30 Tips for Coaches and Parents 🎯Spoiler: If your kid’s program is all about wins, medals, and rankings… it might be doing more harm than good. ========================================== Make Money Coaching Sports: https://www.makemoneycoachingsports.com/btg ========================================== CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Coach Furtado IG: https://www.instagram.com/coachfurtadoo/?hl=en Beyond the Scoreboard Podcast IG: https://www.instagram.com/beyond_the_scoreboard_pod/ BTG Basketball IG: https://www.instagram.com/btg_basketball/ BTS Newsletter: https://btgbasketball.org/bts-newsletter-subscribe BTG Website: https://btgbasketball.org/ #sports #basketball #sportspodcast #youthsports #aau