Loading episode…
Loading episode…
Listen guide
"The Coaching Culture That Pushes Parents Out: Tracy Slusser" is an episode of The Swim Brief. Runtime 56 min. Published October 5, 2026. Hit play above to stream it here, or open the free Spot Sports app for background play and offline downloads.
Episode context
Listen here or keep browsing the show and related sport coverage from here.
Tracy Slusser has coached three NCAA championship teams. She has also experienced a coaching culture that made having children feel incompatible with doing the job at the highest level.
We talk about the expectations she absorbed early in her career, what happened when a fellow coach brought her child onto the deck at Nationals, and the changes Tracy wants to see—from emergency deck passes to better coverage when coaches take leave.
Today, Tracy works with coaches on leadership, confidence, and the skills needed to build a career they can sustain. We close on a question that connects her past work to what she does now: when coaches want to perform at the highest level, who helps them get better?
Next listen
All from The Swim Brief →
Next listen
You Don’t Have to Write the Workout — Stephanie Juncker
