Hi, I’m Hernán Chousa
Father, former professional tennis player, author, speaker, SportsEdTV senior contributor, and host of The Youth Sports Parenting Tribe podcast
I fell in love with tennis as a kid. I’d spend hours hitting balls against a wall, imagining center court matches, lost in the rhythm of the game. That simple joy, fueled by years of dedication, eventually led me to the ATP Tour, where I reached a career-high ranking of 300 in the world.
When I became a father, I naturally passed my love for sports on to my kids. I thought I was equipped to guide them — I had lived the journey. But I quickly realized that parenting in sports is an entirely different game.
Despite my background, I made mistakes. I pushed too hard. My oldest son, Julián, quit tennis at 15. My well-intentioned pressure, combined with outside expectations, took the joy out of something he once loved.
That moment changed everything.
I realized I was parenting from a place of fear and habit, copying a model I had inherited from my father. It forced me to pause, reflect, and start again. That journey wasn’t easy — and it still isn’t. Parenting is a daily reset. No matter what happened yesterday, we start from scratch every day.
Since then, I’ve dedicated myself to helping other parents avoid the same mistakes. I wrote ParentShift as a book to share my story and the key shifts that changed everything for me as a sports dad. Later, I created the ParentShift online course because I believe online learning is one of the most effective and accessible tools to train and empower parents worldwide.
I also host The Youth Sports Parenting Tribe podcast, where I’ve interviewed leading voices like:
- Rick Macci, the coach of five world No. 1 players
- Daniel Orsanic, Davis Cup-winning captain for Argentina
- Billy Pate, Head Coach of Princeton Men’s Tennis
- Valorie Kondos Field, legendary UCLA gymnastics head coach
- Dorota Stanczyk, transformation expert, artist, and conscious leadership guide
I contribute as a Senior Contributor for SportsEdTV, and have spoken at events like The Winning Summit (2021 and 2022) and The Intentional Parent Conference 2025, sharing my journey and the hard lessons I’ve learned along the way.
Each interview, each conversation, helps me grow as a father and as a human being.
My mission is to help kids enjoy sports by guiding their parents to lead with empathy, awareness, and intention.
Because this isn’t just about performance.
It’s about presence.
It’s not about raising champions — it’s about raising grounded, joyful human beings.
Welcome to the Tribe.
