#372 Chad Metcalf, Former Navy SEAL and Professional Golfer, on the Key Components of Mental Toughness
Thursday, 11 April 2024
Former Navy SEAL, professional athlete, and entrepreneur Chad Metcalf (@chadmetcalf) is the author of Young Athletes’ Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness. Chad’s journey began when he was a child. A self-described ‘late bloomer,’ he had the importance of faith, self-belief and focus instilled in him at a young age, equipping him with a strong mental
- Published in Mental Toughness, Mindset, Podcast
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#368 Eric Potterat, PhD, Mental Performance Coach for the US Navy SEALs, LA Dodgers, and US Women’s National Soccer Team
Thursday, 14 March 2024
Eric Potterat, PhD, is a clinical and performance psychologist and a leading expert in individual and organizational performance optimization. Eric retired as a commander from the US Navy after twenty years of service, during which he helped create the mental toughness curriculum used during Navy SEALs BUD/S training. Eric spent several years as the director
- Published in Mental Toughness, Podcast, Soccer, sport psychology
#364 Wells Thompson, Former MLS Player and Founder of Soccer Resilience, on How to Think Better so you can Perform Better
Friday, 16 February 2024
Wells Thompson is a former Major League Soccer Player and the Founder of Soccer Resilience, an mazing resource for players and teams to build inner strength and help athletes think better so they can perform better. Wells was an all ACC player at Wake Forest and the 5th pick in the 2007 MLS Super Draft.
- Published in Leadership, mental health, Mental Toughness, Podcast, Soccer
Do You Work Hard, or Do You COMPETE?
Sunday, 04 February 2024
“But coach, I am working hard out there,” many of us have heard often as a coach. “Yes Dad/Mom, I am trying my best” sounds familiar to many a parent. We all want our athletes to work hard and apply themselves in training and games. But is something more needed to truly excel? Is working
- Published in Basketball, Mental Toughness, Team Culture
The Storm Has Its Purpose
Thursday, 16 November 2023
The other day I was on a live webinar with a couple of dozen parents of young athletes, almost all moms. They were there to gain some insight into how they could best support their children on the sporting journey across a variety of sports. I was asked a question that is a very common
- Published in Adversity, Family Values, Mental Toughness, Parenting
#345 Rebecca Rusch, World Record Endurance Athlete, Philanthropist and Emmy Award Winner: “Movement is Medicine, and Adventure is Therapy”
Friday, 06 October 2023
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Listen and Watch the Podcast on You Tube: @WayofChampionsPodcast Rebecca Rusch (@rebeccarusch) is an author, filmmaker, adventure athlete and world champion biker and skier. Her memoir Rusch to Glory: Adventure, Risk & Triumph on the Path Less Traveled, continues to receive popular and critical acclaim. She is the Emmy-winning protagonist of Blood Road,
- Published in mental health, Mental Toughness, Motivation, Podcast
#323 Dr. Rob Bell, Sport Psychologist and Mental Toughness Coach: “The Process Takes Perspective, the Product Takes Patience”
Friday, 05 May 2023
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Listen and Watch the Podcast on You Tube: @WayofChampionsPodcast Dr Rob Bell has written eight books on mental toughness and puts out a sport psychology podcast called 15 Minutes of Mental Toughness. Since 2006 he’s consulted with hundreds of athletes, coaches, and teams. He also currently serves as a Sport Psychology coach
- Published in Mental Toughness, 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
#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
#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
#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
#256 Joe Towne, Actor and Performance Coach: Developing a Winning Mindset, Working Through Adversity, Self Talk, and Learning from Failure
Friday, 21 January 2022
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Joe Towne (@MeJoeTowne) is an actor, producer, writer and performance coach and mentor for numerous athletes, actors, broadcast professionals and more. His professional journey has taken him from coast to coast and across the Atlantic. He graduated with a BA in Theater from The University of Southern California and interned at
- Published in Mental Toughness, Mindset, Podcast
#236 Cassidy Preston, Mental Performance Coach: How to Overcome the Results Trap, the Confidence Conundrum, and the Over-Thinking Paradox
Sunday, 05 September 2021
Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher Dr. Cassidy Preston (@CassidyPreston) is a mental performance coach and the founder of Consistent Elite Performance. He was a high level hockey player as a youth, played 5 years of university hockey, and five years of OHL major junior level before transitioning into coaching AAA Hockey. His own struggles as a
- Published in Mental Toughness, Podcast
#182 “Great Athletes See The Field From Above” with Michael Murphy, author of Golf in the Kingdom
Sunday, 23 August 2020
This week on the Way of Champions Podcast John and Jerry welcome Michael Murphy, author of Golf in the Kingdom. This is a little bit different of a conversation than we normally have on here, but well worth your time. Jerry and Michael go way back and Jerry credit Micheal as being a huge influence
- Published in Mental Toughness, Podcast
Pound the Rock! What the San Antonio Spurs Can Teach Us About Getting 1% Better Every Day
Wednesday, 07 February 2018
One of the most successful sporting franchises across the globe the last few decades is the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA. With five NBA titles since 1999, 22 overall division titles, having won at least 50 games for 18 consecutive seasons, and having missed the playoffs only 4 times in their history, the Spurs
- Published in Deliberate Practice, Mental Toughness
Lionel Messi and the Will to Compete
Tuesday, 25 April 2017
Lionel Messi lay battered on the turf. As he raised his head from the grass, he spit out a mouthful of blood and a tooth. He’d just taken an elbow to the face, one of many kicks, elbows, and bruises he would endure that day. Soon after another player was given a red card for
- Published in Mental Toughness, Messi
The Extra Mile
Tuesday, 16 August 2016
The extra mile is a lonely place, but it is the only path to greatness. There are no fans lining that mile. No cameras. No bright lights. Most of your teammates won’t join you there, because your dreams belong to you, not them. Many of your “friends” will tell you that you are wasting your
- Published in Goal Setting, Mental Toughness, Motivation
How to Raise a Lion Chaser!
Monday, 04 August 2014
“Coach, I don’t want to take a penalty shot,” said a very nervous 13 year-old player of mine a few years back. We were in the Oregon Soccer State Cup semifinals, and this talented but not quite confident young girl looked in no mood to take a shot in the penalty shootout to determine whether
- Published in Book reviews, Confidence, Mental Toughness
Rescue Your Kids From “Affluenza”: Teach Them Grit!
Monday, 16 December 2013
The recent news out of Texas, where a 16 year old driver was only given probation for driving drunk and killing four innocent bystanders, popularized a new psychological term in the process. Apparently, parents raising children in wealthy suburbs with little oversight, few rules, and utter indifference to their behavior are causing “affluenza,” a supposed
- Published in Mental Toughness, Praise, Sports Parenting
The Missing Ingredient
Monday, 02 December 2013
If you have coached long enough, you have probably said this about a player: “He’s got a lot of talent, but he is just missing something.” I have written on similar subjects in the past, and there has been academic research in this area. In all likelihood, that missing ingredient was often the inner drive
- Published in Mental Toughness, Sports Parenting
Are Your Kids Mentally Weak?
Friday, 04 October 2013
Are your kids mentally tough? Can they be pushed to achieve great things, or do they need to be coddled? Do they deal well with disappointment and failure, or do they fear it, and thus avoid challenging situations? Do they fear strict, demanding coaches, or do they thrive on them? As parents we know our
- Published in Confidence, Mental Toughness
Mental Toughness Week
Tuesday, 01 October 2013
Why are we so afraid to challenge kids these days, or to let our kids be challenged? We all know that our greatest accomplishments, the things we are most proud of in our lives, be they building a business, or our family, or athletic achievements, all came with struggle! Nothing great comes easy. This week
- Published in Confidence, Mental Toughness