MEET THE PANELISTS
Parenting the Competitive Athlete: Building Confidence Without Pressure
This webinar is designed to help parents confidently navigate their role in their athlete’s journey.
Quincy Davis III
Quincy Davis III, Ed.D., CMPC, is the Assistant Director of Counseling and Sport Psychology at Mississippi State University, where he specializes in supporting the mental health and performance of elite collegiate athletes. Dr. Davis is a former collegiate basketball player, having competed at Adams State University and Presentation College. His experiences as a student-athlete helped shape his passion for the psychological side of performance and athlete development. He began his professional career as a school counselor at Eastview High School, where he also coached girls’ basketball and worked closely with student-athletes and families.
Paul Weidner
Paul Weidner who played college baseball at Bethel University. During his collegiate career, he began his coaching journey with Great Lakes Baseball Academy, where he later became Director of Baseball Operations and now serves as Executive Director. He also gained valuable college coaching experience as an assistant at Bethel and at Creighton University, and currently the Associate Head Coach at Bethal. Paul further expanded his coaching résumé in elite summer leagues, including the Cape Cod League and as head coach of the Rochester Honkers in the Northwoods League. He now serves as a mental performance coach after earning his master’s in applied sport psychology, leading the Mental Performance program at Great Lakes and helping athletes build confidence, focus, and resilience.
Molly Kasper
Molly Kasper was a standout player at Winona State University, she was a four-year starter, led her team to its first NCAA Division II Tournament appearance, and earned both all-conference and all-academic honors. She has built a highly successful coaching career as Head Girls Basketball Coach at Eastview High School, surpassing 200 wins, leading multiple state tournament appearances, and guiding her team to an undefeated state championship season in 2018.
Her excellence has been recognized with numerous honors, including USA Today High School Sports Coach of the Year and multiple statewide Coach of the Year awards. Since 2016, she has also led the Annual Female Leadership Academy, empowering female student-athletes through leadership development, character-building, and personal growth.
Daron Franklin
Daron Franklin is the creator of F42 Empowerment and a dedicated coach committed to helping individuals achieve success through intentional growth and small, consistent wins. He brings extensive coaching experience as a former head football coach and mentor who has worked with athletes ranging from high school to Division I and even NFL levels. As a player, Franklin was a four-year starter and two-time Defensive Back at Langston University before continuing his career in professional arena and indoor football leagues. In addition to coaching, Franklin has a strong background in education, having served as a mathematics facilitator and educator.
Karin Young
My experience at the University of Oregon was incredibly rewarding and made all of my hard
work on the tennis court worth it. It helped me grow both as a person and as a player. I chose to graduate high school a semester early so I could train with higher-level players and get a jump start on my college career, beginning at Oregon in January 2022. While it was a big adjustmentand forced me to mature quickly, I wouldn’t change it for anything.
Although I missed my friends and family back home, I quickly found myself surrounded by a
supportive and encouraging team culture. Being part of that environment taught me the
importance of a “team first” mindset while still prioritizing my academics. I am currently at Belmont University as an assistant women's tennis coach.
Bennett Davison
Bennett played basketball at University of Arizona under legendary head coach Lute Olson and was part of the 1997–1998 team that won a National Championship. Following his college career, Bennett entered the NBA Draft but ultimately chose to pursue professional opportunities overseas—launching a 13-year international career.
In addition, Bennett is the creator of EuroHoopLife.org, a platform dedicated to helping current and aspiring players navigate the overseas basketball journey.
Bennett is currently a high school EMT health science teacher in the Mesquite School district for the last 7 years and a Personal training and basketball skills and drills coach in my free time.
Ron Backes
Ron Backes attended the University of Minnesota and competed in the shot put and discus, where he won six Big Ten Championships and an NCAA Indoor Shot Put Championship.
After graduating from college, he continued to pursue athletics, and competed at the world-class level, winning the U.S. Indoor Shot Put Championship three times and the U.S. Outdoor Championship once. He went on to represent the United States in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain, finishing 10th in the shot put. Ron has been on the staff with Minnesota FCA since 1999. Today, he serves in Coaches Ministry. Ron’s responsibilities are to strengthen and expand FCA’s ministry to coaches throughout the state.
Tina Miller Lloyd
Tina Miller Lloyd is a University of Miami Sports Hall of Fame inductee, recognized for her successful collegiate golf career. She won seven tournaments, had 26 top-10 finishes, and tied for medalist at the 2003 Big East Championship. She also played three years of professional golf.
Tina understands firsthand the discipline, resilience, and mindset required to compete at the highest level. After her playing career, she successfully transitioned into the business side of sports and media, holding leadership roles with brands such as NBC Sports and Golf Channel, where she helped launch and grow major digital and streaming platforms.
Geoff and Dana Young
Geoff & Dana Young are parents of Divison I athletes. Geoffrey Young is the current Head Men’s Tennis Coach at Purdue University and former University of Minnesota Tennis Coach. He and his wife, Dana, both played collegiate tennis—Geoffrey at Northwestern and Dana at Minnesota. Dana later became the Head Professional at the Baseline Tennis Center, where she led programming and player development for over a decade.
Gavin went on to play at the University of Michigan and now competes professionally, while Karin played at the University of Oregon and currently serves as a Graduate Assistant Coach at Belmont University. Geoff and Dana bring a wealth of perspective and experience as parents who supported their children through the full journey of Division I athletics.
Jeff and Stephanie Crowl
Jeff and Stephanie Crowl are the proud parents of two former Division I student-athletes. Their son, Steven, played basketball for four years at the University of Wisconsin–Madison Badgers and has since gone on to play professionally. Their daughter, Lauren, competed in volleyball at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities Gophers, where she also played for four years.
Both Steven and Lauren remained committed to the schools they originally chose. Jeff and Stephanie bring a wealth of perspective and experience as parents who supported their children through the full journey of Division I athletics.