#296 John and Jerry Ask Us Anything Episode: Using Exercise as Punishment, Do We Need a National Sports Ministry, When is is the Right Time to Quit My Coaching Job, and More
Friday, 28 October 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher This week on the podcast, Jerry Lynch and John O’Sullivan answer some questions sent to us by our Patreon Podcast Champions. These are our biggest supporters, and we gave them the chance to ask us anything. The most popular type of questions revolved around some recent topics, including: using physical exercise
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#295 Ryan Bernacchi, Fmr. Navy Captain, TOP GUN Instructor, and Commander of the Blue Angels on Character, Leadership, Team Building, and the Importance of Visualization to High Performance
Friday, 21 October 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Listen and Watch the Podcast on You Tube: @WayofChampionsPodcast Captain Ryan Bernacchi, USN (Ret.) is a retired naval officer who possesses a unique background in aviation, leadership, high performance teamwork, and organizational culture. During his distinguished 25-year career in the Navy his notable positions include the Commanding Officer and Flight Leader of
- Published in Leadership, Podcast
#294 Raymond Verheijen, 4x World Cup and EURO’s Coach, on the Importance of Fitness Training Within Sport Context, Overuse Injuries, Periodization of Training, and Managing Load When Athletes Play up an Age
Friday, 14 October 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Raymond Verheijen (@raymondverheije) is a world renowned fitness coach and has been involved as an assistant in 4 World Cups and 4 EURO’s working under Legendary Dutch coach Gus Hiddink, as well as working with several European top clubs like FC Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City. As a youth player Verheijen
#293 Linda Flanagan: How Money and Mania Have Ruined Kids’ Sports, Why it Matters, and How to Take Back the Game
Friday, 07 October 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Linda Flanagan is a freelance journalist, researcher, and former cross-country and track coach. A founding board member of the NYC chapter of the Positive Coaching Alliance and 2020-21 Advisory Group member for the Aspen Institute’s Reimagining Sports initiative, her writing on sports has appeared in The Atlantic, Runner’s World, and NPR’s
- Published in Podcast, Problems in Youth Sports
#292: Christopher Kolenda, Retired US Army Colonel, on Servant Leadership, Getting Buy In From Your Team, and Taking Lessons from the Battlefield to the Sports Field
Friday, 30 September 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Christopher Kolenda is a West Point Grad and a retired US Army Colonel, as well as the founder of the Strategic Leaders Academy, Kolenda helps leaders and their teams soar to new heights. During his military career, Kolenda, a combat leader and trusted adviser to three four-star generals and two undersecretaries
- Published in Leadership, mental health, Podcast
#291 Steve Magness, Author and Former Elite Runner, on His New Book “Do Hard Things: How We Get Resilience Wrong and the Science of Real Toughness”
Friday, 23 September 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Steve Magness (@stevemagness) is a world-renowned expert on performance, well-being, and sustainable success. His most recent work is Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness. He is coauthor of the best selling Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox. In his coaching practice, Steve
- Published in Mental Toughness, Podcast
Confidence CANNOT be Given; it Has to be EARNED!
Tuesday, 20 September 2022
Don’t we all wish our children were more confident? Don’t we wish there was a magic confidence pill, or some special words that we could say to our children that would have them step into the arena bursting with the belief that they could accomplish any task? And is there anything more painful than to
- Published in Confidence
#290 Tim Hightower, NFL Running Back, on His Four Year Quest to Return from Injury, Resiliency, and Having a Dream Worth Fighting For
Friday, 16 September 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher On October 23, 2011, Tim Hightower (@Tim_Hightower) was the starting running back for the Washington Commanders (then known as the Redskins) of the National Football League, when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a game. Over the next four years he faced a lengthy recovery in body
- Published in Football, Injuries, Mental Toughness, Podcast
#289 Stephan Wiedner, Psychological Safety Expert, on Building High-Performing Teams, Giving Your Athletes the Courage to Speak Up, and the Confidence They Will Be Heard
Friday, 09 September 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher According to research, the #1 characteristic of high performing teams is a high degree of psychological safety, but what exactly is that, and how can we build it? That is why we brought on this week’s guest Stephan Wiedner. He is a psychological safety expert whose career has focused on developing
- Published in Coaching, Podcast, psychology
#288 Seth Pepper, 23x All-American Swimmer and Mental Performance Coach: How to Nurture Intrinsic Motivation, Embrace Failure as an Opportunity, and Unlimit Your Potential
Friday, 02 September 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Seth Pepper (@sethpepper) is a 23x All-American and 2x National Champion swimmer from the University of Arizona who won Gold Medals at the World University Games and the Pan Pacific Championships.And he only started swimming at age 14. Though he fell inches short of fulfilling his dream to be an Olympian,
- Published in Coaching, Mental Toughness, Podcast
Creating the Ideal Learning Environment
Thursday, 01 September 2022
I have been on the road the last few weeks, visiting with some high performance teams and coaches across numerous sports from New York to Belgium to Vermont and finally, Colorado. In that time, regardless of whether these coaches were working with adults or children, similar questions kept popping up. “What does a great learning
- Published in Coaching, Leadership, Talent Development
#287 Adam Kuhn, Founder of Satori Soccer, on Using Surveys and Data Analytics to Improve Player Experience and Build a Better Youth Sports Organization
Friday, 26 August 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Adam Kuhn is the director of a nonprofit startup, Satori Soccer (www.satorisoccer.org), a youth soccer coach, and has a business background in data analytics in the field of improving customer experiences. In a youth sports world that is increasingly using analytics to improve performance on the field, the importance of player
- Published in Data Analytics, Podcast, Problems in Youth Sports, Soccer
#286 John Kessel, Former USA Volleyball Director of Sport Development: “Lines Teach You How but the Game Teaches You Why!” (replay)
Friday, 19 August 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher John Kessel (@JohnKesselUSAV) is the recently retired Director of Sport Development for USA Volleyball and one of the most sought after coach educators and sport developers in the world. John has been coaching since 1971 at the collegiate level or above, including Women’s U.S. Open titles in 1986 & 1987, Disabled
- Published in Coaching, Podcast, Volleyball
#285 Dave Aranda, Baylor Football Head Coach, on Winning the Big 12 Championship and Sugar Bowl in 2022, and the Importance of Authenticity, Vulnerability, and Finding Your Coaching Why
Friday, 12 August 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Dave Aranda is the Head Coach of Baylor Football, the 2021 Big 12 Champions and winners of the 2022 Sugar Bowl. A 2020 National Champion Asst. Coach at LSU and a 26-year coaching veteran, Dave Aranda was named the 28th head coach in Baylor Football history on Jan. 16, 2020. In
#284 Steve Gomez, 3x NCAA Champion Women’s Basketball Coach at Lubbock Christian University, on Selflessness, Sacrifice, Coaching Males vs Females, and Building a Sustainable Championship Culture
Friday, 05 August 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Steve Gomez is the 3x NCAA Champion women’s basketball coach at Lubbock Christian University. He graduated from LCU in 1988 with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mathematics, and played on the mens basketball team where he is still in the top of many categories in the record books. He then
- Published in Basketball, Coaching, Podcast
Timeout! The Importance of Downtime for Youth Sports Families
Thursday, 04 August 2022
“But dad, we have so much going on!” “Do we have to go mom? I want to play in another tournament?” “Will we miss out if we don’t do the extra private training?” Have you heard these types of sentiments before from your spouse or your children? I know I have. The past few weeks
- Published in Family Values
#283 Podcast Lessons That Changed the Way I Coach: Kris Van Der Haegen, Mark Upton and Mark Bennett from Season 1 and 2
Friday, 29 July 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Last week, the Belgium Red Flames Women’s Soccer Team qualified for the knockout stages of the 2022 Women’s European Soccer Championships, the first time the team has advanced that far in a major tournament. Our friend and popular podcast guest Kris Van Der Haegen is the assistant coach of that team,
#282 Dre Baldwin, Founder of Work on Your Game, Author of 31 Books, and Former Pro Basketball Player on Overcoming Fear, Discipline and Resilience
Friday, 22 July 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher As CEO and Founder of Work On Your Game Inc., Dre Baldwin has given 4 TEDxTalks on Discipline, Confidence, Mental Toughness & Personal Initiative and has authored 31 books. He has appeared in national campaigns with Nike, Finish Line, Wendy’s, Gatorade, Buick, Wilson Sports, STASH Investments and DIME magazine. Dre has
- Published in habits, Mental Toughness, Podcast
#281 Wayne Goldsmith, World Renowned Coaching Professional, on Issues with Early Talent ID, and How to Fix Coach Education
Friday, 15 July 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Wayne Goldsmith has been at the forefront of sports innovation, education and development for over 25 years. His unique “whole of sport” background – having worked across every level and aspect of sport around the world gives him the insights to see the real problems in your sport and help you
Is Your Child’s Youth Sports Experience Transactional or Transformational?
Tuesday, 12 July 2022
This week I am headed to Chicago to speak at a youth sports conference called Rev, for clients of one of our partners, the web development and online registration organization Sprocket Sports. I have been tasked with moderating a panel called “The Secret Sauce of Taking Your Club from Transactional to Transformational,” and I am
- Published in Problems in Youth Sports, Soccer, Team Culture
#280 Keagen Hadley, The ACL Therapist, on Overcoming the Psychological Challenges of Sports Injuries
Friday, 08 July 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Keagen Hadley (@theacltherapist) is an occupational therapy doctor specializing in using psychological treatments such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) with his patients. As a patient and therapist, he has a deep understanding of the interventions and knows how emotional stress can interfere with rehabilitation, daily activities, and overall quality of
#279 Martin St Louis, Montreal Canadians Head Coach and 6x NHL All Star: “I was Really Good at Getting Better.” (replay)
Friday, 01 July 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Martin St. Louis is currently the Head Coach of the Montreal Canadians of the National Hockey League. During his career, he played over 1,000 games and scored 1,000 points in an NHL career that began with the Calgary Flames in 1998 and ended with the New York Rangers in 2015. St.
#278 JP Nerbun, Author and Coach Mentor, on Implementing a Proven Process for Creating an Extraordinary Team Culture
Friday, 24 June 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher J.P. Nerbun (@jpnerbun) is a coach, sports consultant, and the founder of TOC Culture Consulting, a global sports-consulting business. He has over a decade of basketball experience, coaching men and women in Ireland, Lithuania, and the United States, at the professional, collegiate, and high-school levels. His mission is to help leaders
- Published in Podcast, Team Culture
#277 Dr. Joe Parent, Performance Psychologist and Mindfulness Expert: How to Get Out of Your Own Way in Golf, Sports and Life
Friday, 17 June 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Dr. Joe Parent is a highly regarded expert in Performance Psychology and Applied Mindfulness, working with athletes, actors, artists, and executives. He is a well known psychology consultant, as well as a media commentator, business executive coach, and author of the classic Zen Golf and numerous other books. Dr. Parent developed
#276 How to Become a Transformational Coach with Dr. Jean Cote, World-Renowned Expert in Youth Sports and Coach Development (replay)
Friday, 10 June 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Dr. Jean Côté (@JeanCote46) is professor and Director in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s University at Kingston (Canada). His research interests are in the areas of children in sport, coaching, positive youth development, and sport expertise. Dr. Côté has published more than 130 papers on a variety
- Published in Coaching, Podcast, sport psychology
#274 Dr Jerry Lynch on Everyday Champion Wisdom: Mindful Lessons in Mastery for Coaching, Competing and Cohesive Teams
Friday, 27 May 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Dr Jerry Lynch, our esteemed co-host of this podcast, has just released his fifteenth book Everyday Champion Wisdom: Mindful Lessons in Mastery for Coaching, Competing, and Cohesive Teams. In this week’s episode, John and Jerry discuss the book, which is a collection of Jerry’s greatest hits over fifty years of working
Confidence is a Feeling, Competence is a Behavior
Tuesday, 24 May 2022
We have all seen the interview many times. The star athlete comes off the field or court, and the first question the interviewer asks is “You were looking really confident out there today, what was your secret?” We might even say the same thing to our own young athletes that we coach and mentor: “Wow,
- Published in Confidence, sport psychology, Sports Parenting
#273 Dan Abrahams, Sport Psychologist, on Creating a Mental Framework, Stomping the ANTS, and Improving Your Inner Dialogue (replay)
Friday, 20 May 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Dan Abrahams is a sport psychologist who works alongside individuals, teams, coaches and organizations globally. He is known for his passion to de-mystify sport psychology and for creating simple to use performance techniques. A former professional golfer and PGA qualified, Dan has a First Class Honors degree in Psychology and a
- Published in Podcast, sport psychology
#272 Jonah Oliver, Performance Psychologist, on Taking Positive Action, Building Capacity to Embrace Pressure, and Finding Your Why in Order to Perform Your Best
Friday, 13 May 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Jonah Oliver (@jonah_oliver1) is one of Australia’s leading performance psychologists. Combining his training in sport psychology and neuroscience, Jonah brings a unique, simple and effective approach to facilitating peak performance. Over the past two decades he has worked with a wide variety of clients: ranging from professional golfers (caddying on the
- Published in Coaching, Podcast, sport psychology