Softball icon Jennie Finch-Daigle is our guest on this episode of The Pure Athlete Podcast. Jennie shares her youth sports story with us as a multi-sport athlete, and how that helped her develop her softball skills and abilities. She talks about the role her parents played in her development, how she developed as a young pitcher, and compares her college recruiting experiences to those of today. Jennie also shares about playing travel softball as a high schooler, and shares some incredible stories and memories from her Olympic experience, including a profound story from standing on the podium receiving her gold medal. Finally, as a mom of three young athletes trying to navigate the crazy world of travel baseball/softball, football, club volleyball, and more, Jennie gets very real about the challenges and the fun of making this journey as a parent, and provides advice to today's young athletes and parents.

On this episode we welcome one of the greatest hitters in MLB history, a first ballot Hall of Famer with over 3150 hits, Kansas City Royals legend George Brett. George shares some great stories from his playing days, and why he spent all 21 of his big league years with the Royals. He discusses his thoughts on today's hitting approach, including exit velocity and launch angle - and let's just say he is not a fan. He also discusses talks about the suggestions that Charlie Lou, his hitting coach with the Royals, gave him that led to his success, after never hitting .300 in the minor leagues. And as always, George shares his thoughts with humorous candor.

As an elite young soccer player, Nick Mayhugh excelled on the field but always struggled to overcome some physical limitations that he didn't understand. In spite of that, Nick was on track to play soccer at the highest levels. Until the grand mal seizure he suffered at 14, led him to a series of tests which uncovered that Nick had been born with cerebral palsy and would therefore never play soccer again. Nick shares his story on this episode, how he eventually allowed the news to fuel him into playing D1 College soccer. Nick then played on the U.S. Paralympic soccer team, before become a Paralympic sprinter, winning 3 gold medals and 1 silver at the Tokyo Paralympics. Nick's story is one of grit, determination, and inspiration and you don't want to miss this episode.

One of the most respected players of his era, 7x All-Star 3B David Wright is our guest on this episode. Playing all 14 years of his career with the Mets, Wright was known for leadership, disciplined preparation, and an incredible work ethic (grit). He was also known for being a great teammate, and was named team captain for it. David shares his thoughts about the importance of being a teammate and what being named team captain meant to him. He also shares his youth sports story, how he was underestimated as a young player, how he leveraged his desire to outwork everyone, the role his parents played in his development, and much more. He also shares some fun stories from his time sharing a dugout with Frenchy, his thoughts as a dad and youth sports coach, and his advice for young athletes and parents.

Jeff, Britt, and Brad look back on some of the best moments and guests in 2025, with advice to young athletes planning to move forward in 2026. In addition, they preview some of the upcoming content and 2026 guests for the podcast and for the new PA+ Baseball platform. Also included are some hot takes on the College Football playoffs and Super Bowl predictions, along with a lot of laughs. Hope you enjoy and Happy New Year!

On this episode, we welcome Coach David Cutcliffe, former head football coach at Duke and Ole Miss, and former Offensive Coordinator at Tennessee. Cutcliffe, who coached both Peyton and Eli Manning in college, is often referred to as the Quarterback Whisperer for his ability to develop young QBs. Coach Cutcliffe is one of the most respected people in college football, and thus is still very engaged on staff with the SEC. Parents, players, and especially coaches...you don’t want to miss his thoughts on the current state of CFB, the Manning QB dynasty, and his insights from 40+ years of coaching football and life the right way.

Most parents hope their kids develop strong character, but where does it get prioritized when it comes to pursuing youth sports goals? Pure Athlete lists character as one of the 5 Pillars of a Pure Athlete...why? Jeff, Britt, and Brad dive into this topic on this episode, discussing why character matters both on and off the field or court, how it gets developed, what role that parents and coaches play in this process, and much more.

In addition, the guys make a big announcement at the beginning of the show - don't miss it.

We are excited to replay our 2024 episode with one of America’s most admired and respected sports figures, Coach Tony Dungy! Coach Dungy is a Hall of Famer, Super Bowl winner as a player AND coach, two-time coach of the year and best-selling author. This accomplished legend shared his personal story as a young player and as a dad, as well as many stories from his days as an college/pro player and coach, weaving in great insights for parents, coaches, and players. Coach also shares his insights on the importance of character development, as well as the element he believes is most important to keep at the forefront of sports, at every level...hint, it is a key part of the word fundamentals.

We're so excited to have a true icon and role model on the show today, so buckle up for the wisdom and encouragement of Coach Tony Dungy!