Olympian Jamie Rauch on Sports Parenting: Unconditional Support, Pressure & Communication

Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast Hosted by Samantha Livingstone Ep. 18 - Olympian Jamie Rauch on Sports Parenting: Unconditional Support, Pressure & Communication In this episode of the Real Talk for Sports Parents podcast, host Samantha Livingstone delves into the intricacies of parenting in the world of sports with guest Jamie Rauch. Jamie shares his journey from growing up as a competitive swimmer in Houston, Texas, to becoming an 18-time NCAA All-American and a silver medalist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. The conversation covers Jamie's transition from a career in finance to coaching, his insights on parenting two young swimmers, and the importance of creating a supportive, balanced environment for young athletes. Key themes include avoiding the pitfalls of living vicariously through children's sports achievements, the value of unconditional support, and the challenges and rewards of coaching. Jamie emphasizes the importance of checking in with young athletes about their enjoyment and commitment levels and highlights the need for both parents and coaches to understand their roles in a child's sporting journey. · 02:41 Jamie's Early Life and Family Influence · 04:09 The Role of Sports in Jamie's Childhood · 06:20 Transition to Competitive Swimming · 11:19 Parental Support and Coaching Influence · 18:29 High School and College Swimming Journey · 24:19 The Texas Swimming Experience · 31:54 The Irony of 'Never Say Never' · 32:12 From Finance to Coaching: A Career Shift · 33:01 Diving into Triathlons and Coaching · 35:06 The Challenges and Rewards of Ironman Training · 37:44 Balancing Parenting and Coaching · 39:03 The Importance of Trust Between Parents and Coaches · 46:07 Encouraging Kids in Sports: A Parent's Perspective · 56:41 The Value of Delayed Gratification in Sports Quotes • "And for me, that's kind of been my goal as a father and husband also, is that the four people that I share this house with are by far the most important people in my life." [03:36] •  "I think parents need to do a little better job of making the assumption that the people that they are paying money to coach their kids care a lot about their kids." [39:19] •  "So it's really easy, I think, to fall into a trap of judging how you're doing as a parent by how successful your kids are in a classroom or in sports, when in fact there's so much more to that person than school. And in my case, swimming or water polo." [54:41] Social Media and Links · RTSP Instagram · samanthalivingstone.co · Instagram @Jamie.rauch · Jamie Rauch Wiki · Patrickbradycoaching.com Jamie's Bio Based in Chicago, Illinois, Coach Jamie brings a depth of knowledge to the table, specifically in the swimming area where he is a Silver Medalist in the 2000 Olympic Games, 18 time NCAA All-American, and a Team USA representative at other World stage swim events. Swimming isn't the only thing Jamie knows. He's also an Ironman Kona and 70.3 World Championship qualifier, Boston Marathon Qualifier, and Ultra-Marathon competitor. More important than Jamie's impressive athletic resume is his willingness to learn, communicate, and passion to teach. Since I started working with Jamie as an athlete he has always shown interest in understanding the process. His interest in coaching comes from a place of genuine excitement about helping athletes achieve and exceed their goals. To me, he has all the qualities necessary to cultivate successful relationships with any athlete he works with. With that approach and his "student of the sport" mentality, I knew adding Jamie to the coaching roster would be a winning move.