Choosing the Hard Right in Youth Sports

As many long time listeners and readers know, I am a graduate of Fordham University in New York City. This past Monday, on the occasion of Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, one of my former teachers and current university president Father Joseph McShane sent a letter to alumni about courage. I thought it was worth
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#203 Great Assistant Coaches ‘Cement the Cracks’ with Ron Adams, Golden State Warriors Asst. Coach

Listen on the web, iTunes, Spotify, Amazon, and Stitcher This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome Ron Adams, Golden State Warriors Asst. Coach. Ron is in his second season as an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors, his 21st season overall on the bench as an NBA assistant. In his first year with the Warriors,
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Approaching 2021 with Grace, Patience and Kindness

As we wind down the year 2020, a year in which Dictionary.com named the word “unprecedented” as its word of the year, I have been using some holiday downtime to think about 2021, and how to improve upon the challenges of the past 9 months. And the word I keep coming upon is “grace.” I
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Our 2020 Books of the Year

It is that time of year again, when we highlight our favorite books of the past year. This year we are a bit “coach-centric” in our list but we all have coaches in our lives that I am confident would benefit from one of these books. And if you are interested, please click here to
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Two Magic Words

“What were you doing out there?” screamed an angry dad. “I told you to shoot!” yelled the coach to the shell shocked young boy who just passed to his teammate instead of fulfilling the coaches wishes. “He doesn’t know what he is doing” says a third parent, shaking his head as the attack falters and
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The Goal is to Win, the Purpose is Much Deeper: A Sneak Peak at the Every Moment Matters Audiobook

We are so excited to announce the release of the audiobook version of Every Moment Matters: How the World’s Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams. To celebrate the release, over the next few weeks we will be sharing with you select chapters from the book and offering you the opportunity as a podcast listener
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Youth Sports is a Journey, Not a Destination

COVID. Demonstrations and riots. Divisive politics. Home schooling. Wildfires. Smoke. As a coach for 30 years, and a parent for nearly 15 of those years, I am probably like most of you in that I cannot remember a crazier, more stressful, anxiety inducing year than 2020. It seems every time we take one step forward, we
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Great Coaches are Both Firm AND Flexible

I was reading through some of the comments on some old blog posts recently, as they are often enlightening. I came across a few comments, such as: “Are we supposed to be a competitive club, or have fun?” one coach asked. “Are we teaching these kids and demanding excellence, or giving everyone a trophy?” another
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How to be a Great Sports Parent During and After COVID-19

Many years ago, when I first started Changing the Game Project, I travelled to Los Angeles to speak at a parent education day for The Brentwood School. The keynote speaker that day was psychologist and author Madeline Levine. She has written two NY Times bestsellers on parenting (The Price of Privilege and Teach Your Children
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Why Volunteer Coaches Need to be More Like Volunteer Firefighters

If you are a longtime reader of this blog, you may know that my father was a firefighter on the New York Fire Department many years ago. His father was a firefighter. My brother was a firefighter. But what you may not know is that after seven years on the job, my father was badly
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What Will You Be Proud of When We Return to Sports?

Tony Robichaux was a legendary collegiate baseball coach upon his passing in 2019. His teams at McNeese St and Louisiana won numerous conference titles, well over 1000 games, and made over a dozen trips to the NCAA Championships, including a College World Series in 2000. The other day I came across a quote from Robichaux
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Reimagining Youth Sports in a Post-COVID-19 World

“When do you think we will play again, coach?” “Will we finish our season, coach?” “I sure miss practice, even the fitness!” “What about tryouts?” If you are part of a school or youth sports club, these are the questions you have been fielding on a daily basis. Since the state of Oregon closed down
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I Already Miss Watching My Kids Play

It’s Tuesday, March 17, at 3pm. It has been a week since I got to watch my kids play soccer, at their final practice before the state of Oregon cancelled all group gatherings and sporting events. It has been 10 days since I watched their last games. And like all of you reading, I have
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How to Coach Your Own Child: An Excerpt from Every Moment Matters

This week, John will be reading a chapter from his new book Every Moment Matters on “How to Coach Your Own Child.” It is estimated that over 80% of coaches at one time or another coach their own child, yet this unique dynamic is never discussed in coaching education classes, and rarely mentioned by Park and
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Raising Strong, Resilient Girls through Positive Psychology with author and coach Lani Silversides

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome, Lani Silversides. Lani is a former Division I athlete, current high school mathematics teacher, high school varsity and youth coach, sport psychology enthusiast, avid photographer and mother of two. We dive into transitioning from high school to college sports, the importance of understanding sport psychology as a
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#153 How to Help Athletes Transition Out of Sports with former NFL player Phil Costa

This week we welcome Phil Costa, former NFL Player for the Dallas Cowboys. We dive into a question every athlete must eventually face when they come to the end of their plying career: “What now?” Phil shares his experience trying to remake himself after football is over, we discuss how sports prepares athletes for life,
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Another Great Coach Bites the Dust. How Sad!

Yesterday was a tough day. It was a tough day because I had a conversation with another coaching friend who had lost his job. He was not fired for doing anything illegal. He was not fired for anything inappropriate. He was not fired for bullying or demeaning behavior. He was complimented for his integrity and
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#152 The Future Coach: Incorporating psychology into every session with EPL and Olympic Sport Psychologist Tom Bates

This week we welcome back to the podcast Sport Psychologist Tom Bates. Tom has over 15 years working with youth and senior domestic international athletes, coaches, managers and teams helping them to perform under pressure and be at their best when it matters the most. We discuss implementing sport psychology into daily practice, how to
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#151 Kevin Kirk: Olympic and Professional Golf Coach and 2019 PGA Teacher of the Year

In 2019, Kevin Kirk was voted PGA Coach of the Year. Kevin Kirk is one of the top golf coaches in the world. He is a deep thinker, culture creator, and ll-around great guy. We talk bout how to incorporate mental training to golfers, talking with parents, preparing for the national stage as an athlete…you do
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Bonus Episode: “In Search of Greatness” with Film Director Gabe Polsky

If you have not yet watched In Search of Greatness, you will want to after this incredible discussion with the movie’s director Gabe Polsky. We dive deep into his time with some of the greatest athletes of our time, including Wayne Gretzky, Pelé, & Jerry Rice. The film also features Muhammad Ali, Einstein, David Bowie,
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#150 How to Develop Thinking Players with 10x NCAA Champ and Lacrosse Legend Gary Gait

How do you get buy-in from athletes? Why is it important to not try and fit players into a system? How can being a creative thinker make you a better coach? Join us as we answer these questions and much more of Gary Gait, considered by many as the greatest lacrosse player of all-time. iTunes 
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#149 US Soccer Legend Landon Donovan and Carrie Taylor: Breaking New Ground in Professional Soccer with SD Loyal

iTunes  –  Spotify  –  Stitcher Join us as we welcome Landon Donovan and Carrie Taylor to the Way of Champions Podcast this week. Landon Donovan is an American soccer legend. He is the all-time leading scorer for the US national team, a 6x Major League Soccer Champion, and played professionally in MLS, the English Premier
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#148 NFL All Pro, Broadway star, and author of “There is No Plan B for Your A Game”

iTunes  –  Spotify  –  Stitcher From the football field, to the stage, to becoming a best-selling, author Bo Eason joins us on the Way of Champions Podcast to discuss peaking in youth sports, competing against difficult opponents, and the mentality it takes to be the best in the world. Highlights from the Podcast: Bo shares
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#147 Dr. Bob Weil, Sports Podiatrist, on Building a Foundation of Athletic Excellence

iTunes  –  Spotify  –  Stitcher If the shoe fits, performance improves! That is the message our guest this week is so passionate about sharing. Dr. Bob Weil is a sports Podiatrist & host of “The Sports Doctor”, bbsradio.com/thesportsdoctor, a live weekly hour show featuring guests from all aspects of sports medicine, fitness & Wellness. Highlights
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Are Sports Fundamentally Good?

I recently came across a great quote from the poet TS Elliot, who says “Nothing pleases people more than to go on thinking what they have always thought, and at the same time imagine that they are thinking something new and daring: it combines the advantage of security with the delight of adventure.” The quote
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#146 Dr. Jay Martin, All-Time Winningest Men’s Collegiate Soccer Coach

iTunes  –  Spotify  –  Stitcher Dr. Jay Martin, Head Men’s Soccer Coach for Ohio Wesleyan for the past 42 years is the winningest coach in college men’s soccer history. We talk with Coach Martin about the importance of making practice fun, how kids have changed in the past 43 years of coaching, and how to
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#145 ”Inside the Mind of an Elite Athlete with Annie Vernon, Olympic Silver Medalist and World Champion Rower”

Thank you to everyone who has purchased my new book, “Every Moment Matters: How the World’s Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams.” Order 10 or more books for your staff, received 25% off per book. For bulk orders, email john@changingthegameproject.com or visit changingthegameproject.com/everymomentmatters  more information.  What is it like to be be
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Why Do I Coach? An Excerpt from EVERY MOMENT MATTERS

People don’t buy what you do; they buy why you do it. And what you do simply proves what you believe. —Simon Sinek We spend the vast majority of our time in traditional coaching education learning the tools to run a great practice and coach in the competition. Intuitively, this seems to make sense. Yet
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#144 How Do Athletes Define Fun? Amanda Visek PhD shares ideas for Coaches and Parents

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast, we welcome back Amanda Visek, a certified mental performance coach and associate professor at George Washington University. Dr. Visek has contributed to some of the most incredible research out there on youth sports. During our chat, we discuss why fun is looked upon so poorly in youth
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Our 2019 Books of the Year

“The only thing that will prevent you from getting better is thinking that you know it all.” That was the advice Fergus Connelly gave us on our podcast this year, and it is a great concept to think about as 2019 draws to a close. So how do you get better? Well, reading books and
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