Real Talk for Sport Parents Podcast

Hosted by Samantha Livingstone

Ep. 3 - Sports as a Catalyst for Personal Growth with Amanda Bayliss

In this rich and wide-ranging conversation, Samantha sits down with integrative fitness coach and fellow sport parent Amanda Bayliss to explore the many layers of raising athletic kids while staying grounded in wellness, purpose, and perspective.

Amanda opens up about her own journey—from a running-centered upbringing to college-level burnout, to rediscovering movement as healing and joy. As a mom of three sport-loving boys, Amanda shares hard-earned wisdom about the reality of supporting multiple kids in multi-sport seasons, navigating puberty and performance identity, and honoring each child’s path.

Together, they dive into the deeper meaning behind movement as a form of love, the importance of language around body image, how to model consistency in chaos, and what permission slips we all need to write as sport parents.

04:30 – How Amanda’s upbringing shaped her connection to community and sport
11:10 – Discovering a love for running and following her sisters' path
26:50 – What she would tell her younger self as a runner and athlete
34:20 – Puberty, body image, and letting kids evolve
50:10 – Club vs. school sports: navigating priorities and pressure
1:01:40 – The AAA hockey pivot: honoring her son's desires without panic
1:22:15 – Parking lot workouts: prioritizing parental wellness in creative ways
1:32:30 – The language of fitness: strength over size
1:43:00 – Working across generations—from teen athletes to cancer patients
1:50:15 – What elite athletes have in common: consistency, ownership, and alignment
1:58:20 – Permission slips we all need: your sport is what you do, not who you are

Quotes

· “When you give to your body, it gives back tenfold.”
[1:36:20]

· “Our job isn’t to mold the journey—it’s to create the space for it to unfold.”
[1:13:00]

· “Movement is love. It’s how I pour into others. It’s how I help them love themselves.”
[1:44:45]

Social Media and Links

· RTSP Instagram

· samanthalivingstone

· amandabayliss.com

Books Mentioned:
More Than a Body by Lexie & Lindsay Kite