Marina Villatoro, founder and host of the Raising Pro Athletes podcast and a mother dedicated to supporting her son’s journey as a competitive rock climber, joins The Youth Sports Parenting Tribe to share her raw, real-world experience raising high-level athletes. From the unseen hours behind the highlight reels to navigating marriage, mindset, and performance in youth sports, Marina opens up about what it really takes to support your child’s dreams without losing yourself or your family in the process.
Marina Villatoro is the creator and host of Raising Pro Athletes, a podcast that shines a light on the parents behind young athletes—the sacrifices, the struggles, the laughter, and the lessons that never make it into the trophy photos. As a mom actively guiding her son Keanu through the world of competitive rock climbing, Marina has lived the full spectrum of youth sports parenting: the early mornings, the travel, the emotional rollercoaster, and the constant balancing act between pushing hard enough and letting go at the right time.
In this episode she talks openly about how to keep your marriage strong when youth sports dominate the family calendar, what actually drives human performance (and what doesn’t), and how to support teen athletes without hovering or projecting your own agenda. Marina brings the same honest, no-filter energy she’s known for on her own podcast, offering practical insights for any parent whose child is chasing big goals in individual or team sports.
ParentShift course 30% off with the code TRIBE. Link below:
ParentShift (English): https://www.hernanchousa.com/courses/parentshift?ref=c23daa
Entrena Tu Legado (Spanish): https://www.hernanchousa.com/courses/entrenatulegado?ref=c23daa
Connect with Marina Villatoro
You can explore more of Hernan’s work on his website, https://www.hernanchousa.com/.