Be Valiant

Ep. 34 Episode 18 - Growing Up Santo: How Linda Santo Raised Confident, Balanced Athletes (Audio)

"In this heartfelt and often hilarious episode of Be Valiant, Todd Merkow sits down with longtime friend Linda Santo—sports parent, sports media veteran, and the daughter of Chicago Cubs icon and MLB Hall of Famer Ron Santo—for a wide-ranging conversation about youth sports culture, pressure, and what it really takes to protect kids’ confidence and joy.

Linda begins with her own unique upbringing in a baseball household shaped by her father’s legacy, explaining how her view of sports was influenced not only by Ron Santo the player, but later by Ron Santo the broadcaster—returning to the Cubs spotlight for more than two decades and deepening his bond with the city of Chicago. From there, the conversation turns toward the generational contrast of sports parenting: the “drop-off and go” era versus today’s hyper-involved, high-pressure environment—where kids are coached, evaluated, and specialized far earlier than ever.

At the center of the episode are Linda’s two sons, Sam and Spencer, and their very different journeys through baseball. Sam, a natural athlete (including a remarkable early ability as a switch hitter), experiences the emotional gut-punch of being cut from a high school program—a moment that forces a new path and ultimately leads him to soccer, where he rediscovers confidence and joy before later returning to baseball with a healthier mindset. Spencer, driven and relentless, dives deep into the modern club baseball machine—private coaching, travel weekends, roster politics, and the mental strain of constant performance evaluation. Linda shares the toll that pressure can take on a young athlete’s identity, including the telltale signs of stress and overthinking that parents often miss until it’s staring them in the face.

Together, Todd and Linda unpack the realities of today’s “manufactured athlete” ecosystem: expensive club programs, oversized rosters, status ladders (“A team / B team”), parental sideline dynamics, and the myth that more money and more training automatically equals a college scholarship or pro opportunity. They also underscore a critical theme for families: multi-sport participation isn’t just nostalgic—it can be a lifeline, physically and emotionally, especially when one sport stops being fun.

The episode closes with rapid-fire takeaways and a powerful message Linda returns to again and again: keep perspective, protect the kid, and play the long game. The goal isn’t just producing athletes—it’s raising healthy, resilient young adults.

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