When sports kids experience concussions, they don't just affect kids' brains, they affect their bodies and even their families, said Robert Baric, a chiropractor and member of the Brain Injury Association of North Carolina.

A concussion can change kids' heart output, sleep and hormonal balance, for example. And it can affect the family, or, as Baric says, create a "traumatic family injury."Parents may have to take time off work to care for the child or teen who experienced the concussion. Other children in the family don't get as much attention while the parents are focused on helping heal the brain injury.

He describes the effect of concussions on young athletes' confidence and explains what parents should do when their young athletes have concussions.

About the guest

Robert Baric is CEO of MyConcussionDr

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Visit host Lisa Cohn at LisaECohn.com

How can sports parents create well-rounded kids in youth sports, which can be hyper-specialized and intense?

David Murray's book, Soccer Dad, is the story of a "soccer-ignorant, sports-ambivalent writer who saw his daughter from the kiddie leagues through the travel-sports gauntlet to a coveted Division I scholarship. And then realized his work had only begun," says his book's Amazon description.

In this interview, he discusses the challenges of helping kids find a balanced life when they're immersed in the youth sports world.

He suggests:

--Introduce larger heroes (Muhammad Ali, Billie Jean King)

--Anchor the sport in values (teamwork, sisterhood, purpose)

--Seek meaning beyond scholarships

About the guest:

David Murray's daughter, Scout, "loved soccer from toddlerhood. Her drive and skill pulled the Murray family into the world of youth sports―one as culturally obsessive as it is economically exclusive, where each new achievement presents more challenges." Learn more on Amazon.

Visit LisaECohn.com to learn more about host Lisa Cohn.

Visit our youth sports psychology blog at YouthSportsPsychology.com

True leaders in sports don't need the spotlight. They earn trust through preparation, emotional control and how they show up every day—not by being the loudest voice, said Dan Gold, a sports dad, former surgeon and businessman and the author of Game Changers.

The foundation of quiet leadership is emotional regulation. When pressure rises, strong leaders stay steady rather than escalating emotionally, he said.

Guest:

Dan Gold, author of Game Changers

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Visit our blog at YouthSportsPsychology.com

Visit host Lisa Cohn at LisaECohn.com