"I've been following Kirsten Jones's work for years now, and there's no one better to write about the state of youth sports. She has personal and professional experience navigating the world of sports, and her writing will be a valuable source of research, expertise, and guidance for sports families everywhere."-- Jessica Lahey , New York Times Best-Selling Parenting Author, The Gift of Failure "Kirsten Jones, a celebrated collegiate athlete and performance coach, provides parents with needed perspective and calm advice for bringing up children in the current overly-professionalized high-pressured world of youth sports."-- Charlie Firestone , President, Rose Bowl Institute "Having coached athletes at every level from youth to professional, I have witnessed the benefits of psychology in sport. Raising Empowered Athletes is perfect for families who seek to gain an advantage in the modern youth sports era."-- Alex Popp , Postgraduate Basketball Coach at IMG Academy "Kirsten's message on grit to our student athletes and parents was so powerful. She gave great insights and simple, clear steps which everyone could put into practice immediately." -- Michael Pilawski , Director of Athletics, St Francis High School, Mill Valley, CA "As a club and high school volleyball coach for the last 30 years, I've had the privilege of leading dozens of winning teams.
Kirsten was an integral part of guiding our national championship team by helping them develop their mindset off the court so they could play aggressively and fearlessly flow on the court which led us to an unprecedented 36-0 season in 2021." -- Cari Klein , National HS Girls Volleyball Coach of the Year 2021, Marymount High School, Los Angeles, CA "Kirsten's expertise in motivating and drawing out the best potential inside others is incredible. She doesn't just motivate you; she causes you to believe, a believing that perseveres through setbacks. I'm so grateful for her investment in me during a time when I was feeling forgotten after retiring from professional football. Above all, her heart for others is what makes her a tremendous success." -- Derek Cox , Former NFL Cornerback, UCLA MBA '21 "Many athletes and coaches focus on the physical side of the game: lift heavier, practice harder, run faster, often putting the mental side in the backseat. However, I truly believe sports psychology separates the star athletes from the superstar athletes. Kirsten helped me perform to the best of my ability, and she made my senior year of volleyball so much more enjoyable.
Though my volleyball career is over, I carry with me the lessons and habits Kirsten taught me as I move forward in life both on and off the court. If you are looking to elevate your game, connect with Kirsten. I am so grateful I did." -- Caitlin Keefe , Stanford '20, NCAA 3x National Champion.