"Range" Author David Epstein on Talent, Trainability, and Why Constraints Build Better Athletes episode artwork

EPISODE · Mar 4, 2026 · 47 MIN

"Range" Author David Epstein on Talent, Trainability, and Why Constraints Build Better Athletes

from Youth Inc. with Greg Olsen · host Youth Inc.

Bestselling author David Epstein joins Greg Olsen to discuss the science behind what actually drives long-term athletic development in young people. Drawing from his books The Sports Gene and Range — and previewing his upcoming release Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better — Epstein breaks down why trainability matters more than raw talent, how early specialization undermines the athletes it's meant to help, and the coaching methodology being adopted by Victor Wembanyama, Shohei Ohtani, and elite programs around the world. Greg and David also explore the research on reflective practice, why Norway's youth development model outperforms ours, and a phone study that should change how every parent thinks about homework time. Sign up for our newsletter at https://www.youth.inc/newsletterFor more, visit https://www.youth.inc/

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"Range" Author David Epstein on Talent, Trainability, and Why Constraints Build Better Athletes

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