Failure is not something to fear, it's one of the greatest teachers your child will ever have. In this episode, I share a powerful story from coaching middle school football and explains why resilient kids aren't the ones who avoid failure, they're the ones who learn how to bounce back from it.

Discover practical ways to help your child build confidence, perseverance, and the ability to handle life's setbacks without mom and dad rushing in to rescue them every time.

Welcome to the first episode of Parenting The Middle School Years! Youth sports are getting pretty wild these days. So I want to share one of the most important lessons that I had to learn the hard way. And I want to pass on the 5 Magic Words every sports parent needs to know.

Parenting the Middle School Years with Joe Martin helps parents of kids ages 10–14 navigate one of the most important (and challenging) stages of childhood.

Each week, you'll get short, practical episodes filled with real-life stories, actionable strategies, and encouragement to help your child build confidence, resilience, empathy, and strong character.

We'll tackle friendship struggles, bullying, screen time, motivation, self-esteem, peer pressure, negative body image, and all the other challenges that come with raising a middle schooler.

No parenting jargon. No guilt trips. Just practical help for busy parents.

Because parenting should be a team sport.

Your child isn't finished becoming who they're meant to be. And neither are you.