Simon Bennett: The Holistic Approach to Raising Athletes

Simon Bennett joins the community for Episode 9. Simon is a high-performance expert and former NHL strength and conditioning leader who emphasizes holistic athlete development and entrepreneurship. He reflects on his early experiences in rural Alberta, where unstructured play like skating on the river shaped his love for sport and creativity. Simon highlights the value of playing multiple sports in youth, explaining that diverse skill development builds a stronger athletic foundation than early specialization. He also discusses the pressures of modern sport systems, noting the balance between development, exposure, and avoiding burnout. Throughout, he stresses the importance of communication, self-awareness, and strong values in both athletic development and parenting.Bennett discusses his experience raising highly active, competitive children and emphasizes the importance of creating natural, pressure-free moments for communication rather than forcing structured conversations. He highlights that young athletes benefit from playing multiple sports early on, as it builds a broad range of physical and cognitive skills before specializing later. The conversation also explores parenting philosophy, stressing that each child is different and that support should be tailored to their individual needs and emotional state. Simon reflects on his own upbringing, noting how discipline, responsibility, and early work shaped his identity.Our team:Nuance Hockey - Sean ConnautonMah Golf - Matt MahTaylor MedakBolt Media & Design - Dylan FlaschThank you to our guest & sponsors:Simon BennettEarth WaterBird and Barley - promo code YSC15 for 15%!FG Promotions - mention YSC for 5% off your 1st purchase!A new episode every 3 weeks on:YouTubeAppleSpotifyAmazonAudibleFollow us on:InstagramTik TokFacebookXThreads