Changing the Game ProjectChanging the Game Project

  • HOME
  • ABOUT US
    • MEDIA
    • INFO FOR PARENTS/COACHES
    • RECOMMENDED RESOURCES
  • BLOG
  • PODCAST
  • BOOKS/VIDEOS
    • BOOKS/ONLINE COURSES
  • HIRE A SPEAKER
    • UPCOMING EVENTS
  • WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE
  • CONTACT
  • LOGIN

#204 Actor and Producer Mike O’Malley on Parenting Your Young Athletes in the “Adultified” World of Youth Sports

Sunday, 24 January 2021 by James Leath
This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome Mike O'Malley, actor, producer, and youth sport advocate. You have seen Mike on Morning Show, The Good Place, Yes, Dear;  Parks and Recreation, Justified; My Own Worst Enemy; My Name is Earl; Welcome to the Family and The Mike O’Malley Show. Mike is also a champion for youth sports.
parentingyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
No Comments

Choosing the Hard Right in Youth Sports

Wednesday, 20 January 2021 by John O'Sullivan
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
core valuesproblems in youth sportsyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Coaching, Parenting
No Comments

Approaching 2021 with Grace, Patience and Kindness

Monday, 04 January 2021 by John O'Sullivan
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
coachingparentingpatienceyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Coaching, Motivation, Sports Parenting
No Comments

Two Magic Words

Tuesday, 20 October 2020 by John O'Sullivan
“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
communicationyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Coaching, Parenting
No Comments

Youth Sports is a Journey, Not a Destination

Monday, 14 September 2020 by John O'Sullivan
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
positive sports experiencessports parentingyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Parenting
No Comments

Great Coaches are Both Firm AND Flexible

Monday, 27 July 2020 by John O'Sullivan
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
high school sportsleadershipyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Coaching
No Comments

How to be a Great Sports Parent During and After COVID-19

Monday, 29 June 2020 by John O'Sullivan
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
COVID-19parentingyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in COVID-19, Parenting
No Comments

Why Volunteer Coaches Need to be More Like Volunteer Firefighters

Tuesday, 09 June 2020 by John O'Sullivan
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
coachingyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Coaching
No Comments

I Already Miss Watching My Kids Play

Tuesday, 17 March 2020 by John O'Sullivan
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
coronavirusyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Parenting
No Comments

Are Sports Fundamentally Good?

Thursday, 26 December 2019 by John O'Sullivan
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
culturepositive sports experiencesyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Coaching, Parenting, Problems in Youth Sports
No Comments

Why Do I Coach? An Excerpt from EVERY MOMENT MATTERS

Tuesday, 10 December 2019 by John O'Sullivan
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
college sportshigh school sportsSteve Kerryouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Coaching
No Comments

#144 How Do Athletes Define Fun? Amanda Visek PhD shares ideas for Coaches and Parents

Sunday, 08 December 2019 by John O'Sullivan
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
researchyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
No Comments

Do Sports Actually Teach Character?

Tuesday, 01 October 2019 by John O'Sullivan
Head to any sports field this afternoon, and you will hear whistles blaring and coaches urging on their players to work harder and compete more. You will see exhausted athletes with their hands on their knees being implored to do one more set, or a coach shout “do it again” when a rep is not
charactercoachingsports parentingyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Article
1 Comment

A Coach’s Words Can Change a Life

Tuesday, 28 May 2019 by John O'Sullivan
(This article was submitted by Pete Jacobson, a varsity HS coach in New York for almost 20 years. He also works with coaches of all levels through WinSmarter to help them get better at what they do, have a greater impact and go home happy.) “When you hit your leg attacks well, you can take
leadershipyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Coaching, Uncategorized
2 Comments

Don’t Steal the Reps from Your Athletes

Wednesday, 01 May 2019 by John O'Sullivan
Imagine you went to your child’s algebra class and got to be a fly on the wall. Imagine the teacher was being assessed on your child’s test results in two days. Now imagine that instead of teaching your child how to problem solve, and the concepts behind doing algebra problems, she just took out the
motor learningyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Coaching, Parenting
3 Comments

An Open Letter to the Out of Control Sports Parent Sitting Next to Me in the Stands

Wednesday, 20 March 2019 by John O'Sullivan
Dear Out of Control Sports Parent, You. Yeah, you. The one shouting “Get the rebound!!!” to your kid. The one with the heart palpitating so loudly that you cannot contain yourself. The one yelling and complaining about the coach. The one hollering at the 13-year-old referee.  The one angry at my kid for making a
parent behaviorproblems in youth sportssports parentingyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Article
2 Comments

#103 How to Build a Model Youth Sports Organization w/ John Luetkemeyer

Sunday, 24 February 2019 by John O'Sullivan
Join us as we talk to John Luetkemeyer about how a youth sports organization went from a local disaster to national recognition based on volunteers changing how we trained players! It is an incredible conversation filled with nuggets of wisdom. John has spent 25 years as a youth hockey coach working with players from mini-mite to high
positive sports experiencesteam culturethe business of youth sportsyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
No Comments

#100 “Every Child is One Relationship Away from a Successful Life:” A Lesson on Transformational Coaching from Joe Ehrmann and Jody Redman of the InSideOut Initiative

Sunday, 03 February 2019 by John O'Sullivan
This podcast would not exist, the Changing the Game Project would not exist, if it were not for Joe Ehrmann. Many years ago, I read his incredible book InsideOut Coaching, and it changed my life forever. It validated for me that there was more to coaching than Xs and Os, and that I wanted to
coachinghigh school sportsleadershipyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
No Comments

#98 MLS All Star and US National Team Forward Brian Ching discusses his Journey from Hawaii to the World Cup

Sunday, 20 January 2019 by John O'Sullivan
He was not always the best player in the group, he didn’t play soccer year-round, and he didn’t have access to see the game being played by the best. He did work harder than anyone else and always kept the mindset there was room to be better. Because he chose work ethic as his guide,
coachingmindset for athletesperformanceyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
No Comments

The Professionalization of Youth Sports

Friday, 18 January 2019 by John O'Sullivan
“The Fulham coaches distilled the threat, defined the tactics and dictated the tempo at which they expected their team to play. It was a tough European tournament, featuring Paris Saint-Germain, Monaco, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Anderlecht and Feyenoord, but it was deemed to be winnable.” So begins Chapter 2 of the great book No Hunger
coachingproblems in youth sportsspecializationyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Article
5 Comments

#93 Super Bowl Champion and All-Pro Lineman Matt Birk and the Case for Late Specialization in Sports

Sunday, 16 December 2018 by John O'Sullivan
He didn’t specialize early. In fact, he didn’t play until late in his childhood and scouts were not lining up to sign him for college football. Still, Matt Birk forged a great career and became one of the best Lineman in the NFL. Do you really need to focus on one sport early in your
specializationyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
No Comments

#92 A Fireside Chat on the Future of Coaching with Mark Bennett, Stuart Armstrong, Juan Gonzales Mendia, and John O’Sullivan

Tuesday, 11 December 2018 by John O'Sullivan
Become a fly on the wall and listen in as the experts behind the Future Coaching Conference plan out the sessions, discuss what it means to be a great coach, differentiate between resilience, grit, and mental toughness, and much more. Stuart Armstrong hosts from his car while driving the M6, and John, Mark, and Juan
coachingleadershipmental toughnessyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
No Comments

#91 A Conversation with World Cup and Olympic Sports Psychologist Bill Beswick

Sunday, 09 December 2018 by John O'Sullivan
It is important the people coaching our children have all the qualities and skills necessary to develop success beyond the game. Who “coaches” our children’s coaches? This week, we continue with this theme of coach development to discuss how vital it is to have someone “coaching the coaches”. Bill Beswick is widely considered one of
coachingleadershipyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
No Comments

#89 A Commitment to Changing the Culture of Coaching with Lynn Berling-Manuel, CEO of United Soccer Coaches

Sunday, 25 November 2018 by John O'Sullivan
To make real change we need those in a position of influence to support and advance the cause. United Soccer Coaches is the largest coaching membership organization in the world and they have recently committed to changing the coaching culture. Listen to this conversation with Lynn Berling-Manuel. Enjoy the Show! Show Notes 5:15 The single
coachingcore valuesyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
No Comments

#86 Building faster, stronger athletes at every age with Olympic and World Champion strength coach Mike Boyle

Sunday, 04 November 2018 by John O'Sullivan
Does weight lifting stunt growth? At what age should my kid start lifting? Mike Boyle is one of the pioneers in strength training and has worked at all ages and stages of sports. He answers these questions and more in this week’s episode. Enjoy the Show! Show Notes 7:00 One of the original strength coaches
performancespecializationstrength coachyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
No Comments

Our Children Become the Messages They Hear the Most

Friday, 26 October 2018 by John O'Sullivan
Picture the young swimmer stepping up to the starting blocks in a championship race. What is he thinking in that moment? Visualize the soccer player, stepping up to take the deciding penalty kick. What is going through her head? Think of the basketball player, standing on the free throw line needing to make two free
coachingcommunicationmessages for kidsyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Article, Book reviews
4 Comments

#83 Children Become the Messages They Hear the Most with Dr. Jim Taylor, Sports Psychologist and author of Raising Young Athletes

Sunday, 14 October 2018 by John O'Sullivan
What do you say to your athlete in the car ride to and from the game? What is the message during games, especially in those tense moments of high pressure? What we say to our children, becomes their inner voice. Listen in for Dr. Jim Taylor’s advice on creating successful youth athletes. Enjoy the Show!
coachingyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
3 Comments

#82 The Barcelona Way: Unlocking the DNA of a Winning Culture with author Damian Hughes

Sunday, 07 October 2018 by John O'Sullivan
Great cultures abound as examples of sporting success. The key is to build your own, using the success clues left by others as your guide. In this episode, Damien Hughes outlines the clues left by Barcelona and other great sports cultures so we can begin to develop a culture of success with our teams. Enjoy
coachingcore valuescultureyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
2 Comments

#81 Lessons from Kris Van Der Haegen, Mark Upton, and Mark Bennett that have made me a Better Coach

Sunday, 30 September 2018 by John O'Sullivan
Sports are as much a learning journey as for us as it is for the athletes we coach. We MUST be willing to learn from those around us and evolve for the sake of those we lead. In this episode, John shares the three greatest lessons he has learned over the last 80 shows. Enjoy
coachingyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Podcast
1 Comment

Are you a Blockbuster Coach, or are you a Netflix Coach?

Wednesday, 05 September 2018 by John O'Sullivan
Have you ever heard of Blockbuster Video? Have you seen one lately? There is a reason only one Blockbuster store remains today. Let me explain. In 1992 I was a senior in High School playing for one of the top high school soccer teams in the state. We were successful because our coach was one
coachingyouth sports
Read more
  • Published in Article
2 Comments
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

We are Powered by Sports Refund!

Follow Us On …

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on LinkedInFollow Us on iTunes

Grab a Copy of John’s new book Every Moment Matters, Now on Audiobook!

CLICK BELOW TO WATCH JOHN’S TED TALK “CHANGING THE GAME IN YOUTH SPORTS”

John at TEDx Bend cropped

Click Below to Buy Our Books and Videos

CTG Cover No Balls

Click Image to Get our Free Coaching Mastery Course

Most Popular Posts

Find an Article or Podcast

  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact Us
  • GET SOCIAL

© 2020. All Rights Reserved. Changing the Game Project.

TOP