Way of Champions Podcast

#495 Lessons on leadership and Performance Under Pressure from Rick Jordan, Podcaster and CEO Aug 19, 2026 55:00 Rick Jordan (@MrRickJordan) is CEO & Founder of ReachOut Technology, and is a nationally recognized voice on Cybersecurity, Business, and Ethics. He is the host of the All In with Rick Jordan Podcast reaching fans in 29 countries, and a frequent expert guest on ABC, NBC, CBS, and FOX. He is also a featured speaker at NASDAQ, Harvard, West-Point Military Academy, and the best-selling author of his

"You can't make a great athlete but you can screw one up" with Britt Lee and Brad Williams of Pure Athlete Aug 13, 2026 01:05:15 This week on the podcast, we are joined by Britt Lee and Brad Williams of pureathlete.com. Pure Athlete is a leading content creator and influencer focused on the world of youth sports. Their mission is to help young athletes, parents, and coaches successfully navigate the increasingly complex culture of youth sports in a healthy way, while being a catalyst for improving the culture. We connect wi

#493 "Leadership is a skill, not a character trait" John, Jerry and Thom McDonald Discuss our new book Captain: The Athletes Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader Aug 5, 2026 01:36:27 As we close in on episode 500, John and Jerry recently participated in a webinar for hundreds of athletic directors and coaches through our great friends at Championship Productions. It was supposed to be a one-hour webinar, but we had so many questions and such rich discussion that it lasted 90 minutes. We thought it would be great to share this with all of our podcast listeners. Hosted by Coach

#492 Mental Mastery for Young Athletes with Phil Phillipou Jul 29, 2026 53:19 With over 20 years of coaching experience across the UK, USA, and Spain, Phil Phillipou (@mindsightsport) has developed a unique approach to youth football mindset training that combines practical coaching expertise with proven sports psychology principles. Phil's background includes working with grassroots academies, professional youth systems, and individual players at all levels. His methods fo

#491 How to Lead By Example, Be a Leader Even When on the Bench, and Navigate Difficult Leadership Conversations: 3 Audio Chapters from CAPTAIN Jul 20, 2026 26:46 This week we are taking a deep dive into leadership on the podcast. We're currently in negotiations to record an audio book version of Captain: The Athlete's Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader. We thought it might be cool to listen to a few of the chapters from the book. In this week's podcast, we have one chapter from each section of the book. In the Qualities of Leadership section, we sh

#490 Jessica Renney and Paula McQuaid of Hone Athletics on Understanding and protecting Athlete Mental Wellness Jul 15, 2026 01:06:22 Paula McQuaid, co-founder and in-house research lead, fuels HONE's innovation with her passion for uncovering what truly shapes human wellness. For the past fifteen years, she's dedicated herself to understanding how people thrive, then translating that insight into tools that help athletes, coaches, and organizations perform at their best through HONE's platform. With a Master of Counselling and

#489 Christian "Boo" Boucousis on How the Fighter Pilot Mindset Helped Win Two Superbowls Jul 9, 2026 01:09:32 Christian Boucousis (@christianbooboucousis) was the youngest ever Royal Australian Air Force Pilot, earning the call sign "Boo" which has become his personal brand. His business Afterburner brings together a high-performing team of fighter pilots to teach businesses how they can leverage the power of the fighter pilot mindset. They've transformed performance at 3,500+ companies like Google, Pfize

#488 "Fitness with the ball can give you almost everything" with Garga Caserta, Former Strength and Conditioning Coach for the US Women's National Team and Head of Performance for KC Current and Portland Thorns Jun 30, 2026 01:15:26 Garga Caserta (@GargaCaserta) is the former Head of Performance for the KC Current and the founder of TALO. With over a decade of experience training world-class athletes, Garga has coached at the highest levels of sport, including stints with the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, the Portland Timbers, and the Portland Thorns. His teams have won an NWSL championship and were 2x Supporters Shield

#487 Antonina Samoilova, Record Breaking Ukrainian Mountaineer on Fear, Mentality, and Her Journey to Scale the World's 14 Highest Peaks Jun 24, 2026 01:02:40 Antonina "Tonya" Samoilova (@tonya.samoilova) ) is a record-setting Ukrainian mountaineer and alpinist known for scaling the world's most formidable peaks while raising global awareness for her homeland. She began her high-altitude mountaineering journey relatively recently in 2018, starting with Mount Kilimanjaro, and quickly transformed into one of Ukraine's most prominent endurance athletes. S

#486 "Give the stage to the players and you will be surprised how they can shine" with Anne Walker, 4x NCAA Champion Coach of Stanford Women's Golf Jun 17, 2026 01:07:26 Anne Walker is the Head Coach for Women's Golf at Stanford University, and has established herself as one of the premier college coaches in the country. In addition to leading the Cardinal to its first four NCAA titles in school history (2015, 2022, 2024, 2026), Walker has mentored some of the most recognizable names in the sport. Stanford has enjoyed unprecedented team and individual success unde

#485 Two Approaches to Teaching Leadership with JP Nerbun, Author of THE CULTURE CAPTAIN, and John O'Sullivan, co-author of CAPTAIN Jun 9, 2026 01:23:38 This week on the podcast, we are doing a little something different. It's a conversation between JP Nerbun and John regarding the nearly simultaneous release of their new books on being a team captain and leader. Some people might think it interesting that authors with similar subjects would be collaborating on a book launch, but both of us do not believe in the scarcity mindset. The leadership sp

#484 Ray Power, UEFA A Licensed Coach and Confidant to Elite Coaches: "We give up our well being just to win a title!" Jun 5, 2026 01:09:16 Ray Power (@power_ray) is a highly regarded international football/soccer coach, author, and coach educator. Holding a UEFA A License from the English FA, he is well-known globally for his youth development expertise, his best-selling coaching books, and his player-centered coaching philosophy. His books include Making the Ball Roll and Coaching Youth Football, and he has managed academies in mult

#483 Ryan Warsofsky, San Jose Sharks Head Coach, on Joy, Patience, Embracing the Process and Changing the Culture of a Locker Room May 27, 2026 01:19:18 Ryan Warsofsky just completed his second season as the head coach of the NHL's San Jose Sharks, this past season leading them to 39 wins, an 18 win improvement over 2025. He also served as the head coach for the U.S. Men's National Team for the first time at the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship, winning a gold medal. Prior to joining the Sharks, Warsofsky was the head coach of the Chicago Wolve

#482 Phill Drobnick, Olympic and World Champion Team USA Curling Coach and National Team Director May 21, 2026 01:06:38 Phill Drobnick (@CoachPhill) recently retired as the National Team Director at USA Curling after the 2026 Milan Olympics, bringing an end to nearly two decades of coaching experience at the international level. Since 2005, Phill has been instrumental in guiding Team USA to international success, including notable achievements at the Olympics and World Championships. Phill's coaching highlights inc

#481 How the Greatest Performers Reach Their Highest Potential with Ric Bucher, NBA Analyst and Author of Coachable May 13, 2026 01:17:11 Ric Bucher is an American NBA analyst for Fox Sports and an occasional host of FS1's "Speak" (formerly known as "Speak For Yourself") afternoon talk show. He also hosts a daily podcast, "On The Ball with Ric Bucher." Before joining Fox he was a SiriusXM radio host and senior writer with Bleacher Report. He has appeared on NBA TV as an analyst and on TNT as a sideline reporter for NBA telecasts. Pr

#480 Dan Abrahams, EPL Sport Psychologist, on Developing a Mental Playbook for Performing Under Pressure May 6, 2026 01:17:44 Dan Abrahams (@DanAbrahams77) is a sport and performance psychologist. A former professional golfer, Dan has spent the last 20 years working with some of the best sports competitors in the world. He has been consultant psychologist for Aston Martin F1, and has been Lead Psychologist for England Golf and for England Rugby. He has held contracts with six Premier League football teams. In the U.S. he

#479 Dusty May, 2026 NCAA Champion Coach of Michigan Men's Basketball, on Creating a Culture of Error in and a Player Centered Environment in Practice, His Non Negotiables, and the Importance of Love in Coaching Apr 28, 2026 01:13:54 This week we welcome Dusty May, Head Coach of the 2026 NCAA Champion Michigan Wolverines Men's Basketball team. He was hired in 2024 by Michigan and immediately turned the program around winning 18 more games than 2023 and leading the Wolverines back to the top of the Big 10 and to the NCAA Sweet 16. In 2026 they went 37-3 and defeated UConn in the NCAA final to take their second ever national tit

#478 When Hard Things Happen, Culture Matters the Most with Erin Quinn, Middlebury College Athletic Director Apr 22, 2026 01:18:18 This week we welcome back Erin Quinn to the podcast. Quinn has spent the last twenty years as the athletic director at Middlebury College in Vermont, being recognized as the National AD of the Year in 2021. Under his tenure, his teams have won 19 NCAA championships, 69 NESCAC conference championships, and 29 Middlebury athletes have won individual NCAA championships. Prior to becoming athletic dir

#477 Daniel Coyle, NYT Bestselling Author, on How to Flourish, Find Meaning, Joy and Fulfillment in Sports and Life Apr 15, 2026 01:10:46 Daniel Coyle (@danielcoyle) is the New York Times bestselling author of The Culture Code, which was named best business book of the year by Bloomberg BookPal and Business Insider. Coyle has served as an adviser to many high-performing organizations, including the Navy SEALs, Microsoft, Google, and the Cleveland Guardians. His other books include, The Talent Code, The Secret Race, The Little Book o

#476 Mentlaity Wins with former Harvard Womens Basketball Coach Kathy Delaney-Smith,, NFL and MLB Sport Psychologist Dr Jonathan Jenkins, and Sport Psychologist and NCAA Champion Dr. Kimberly O'Brien Apr 8, 2026 01:18:36 This week on the podcast, we are joined by three incredible guests: Kathy Delaney-Smith, Dr. Jonathan Jenkins, and Dr. Kimberly O'Brien. Kathy Delaney-Smith is the winningest head coach in Ivy League women's basketball history. She spent 40 seasons at Harvard University, winning 11 Ivy League titles and taking her teams to six NCAA tournaments and eight women's NIT tournaments. Her teams won over

#475 The 20 Year Journey to Three Olympic Hockey Gold Medals with Ken Martel, USA Hockey Senior Director of Player and Coach Development Apr 1, 2026 01:11:40 In 2026, USA Hockey accomplished something no other nation has ever done, winning Olympic gold medals for Mens, Women's and Paralympic Ice Hockey. Yet this was not something that happened overnight, and in fact was the culmination of nearly two decades of growing the game and modifying rules and game formats in order to develop more skillful players and a much larger player base to choose from. An

#474 Joe De Sena, Founder of Spartan Obstacle Course Racing, on Why We Need to Teach Our Kids to Do Hard Things Mar 26, 2026 46:39 After building a multimillion-dollar pool and construction business in college, and creating a Wall Street trading firm, Joe De Sena set his sights on ripping 100 million people off their couches by creating the Spartan lifestyle. He moved his family to Pittsfield, Vermont to operate an organic farm, a bed and breakfast, and a general store for hikers. It was here his passion grew for ultramaratho

#473 Jason Sacks, CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, on Educating One Million Coaches and Making Systemic Change in Youth Sports Mar 19, 2026 01:05:33 Jason Sacks is the CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance (@positivecoachus). He joined the organization in April 2006 and has since served in a variety of capacities, including President, Chief Development Officer, EVP for Business Development & Philanthropy, Director of Partnership Development, and as Executive Director of PCA's Chicago, IL chapter. Jason began his career at PCA as the Partner Develo

#473 Jason Sacks, CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, on Educating One Million Coaches and Making Systemic Change in Youth Sports Mar 19, 2026 01:05:33 Jason Sacks is the CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance. He joined the organization in April 2006 and has since served in a variety of capacities, including President, Chief Development Officer, EVP for Business Development & Philanthropy, Director of Partnership Development, and as Executive Director of PCA's Chicago, IL chapter. Jason began his career at PCA as the Partner Development Associate for

#472 Dr. Jean Cote on Transformational Coaching, Enjoyment, and his new Research on the Factors that Promote Continued Interest in Youth Sports, Mar 11, 2026 01:01:25 Dr Jean Côté is a Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen's University, Canada. His research interests include children in sport, coaching, youth development, and sport expertise. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS) and the International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP), and has published over 200 peer-reviewed

#471 Champ Bailey, NFL Hall of Famer, on Being a Role Model for Teammates, and a Leader on and Off the Field Mar 4, 2026 01:22:19 Roland "Champ" Bailey, Jr. is t a Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play in the NFL. During his playing days for the University of Georgia, Washington Redskins, and Denver Broncos, Champ built a stellar reputation as a diligent and detailed leader who modeled high-performance. He still holds two NFL records with 203 career pass deflections and being selected t

#470 Chris Malleo, former Pro Football Player and Author of The Chairleader, on the Extraordinary of Coach Frankie Kineavy, and Leading Without Limits Feb 25, 2026 01:03:47 Chris Malleo is a former Northwestern University and professional football player. After retiring from paying, he became head coach at The Peddie School in New Jersey, and led a perennial underachieving team to a #1 national ranking through a system of culture, belief, and standards. While at Peddie, Chris hired an incredible coach named Frankie Kineavy. Frankie was non verbal, and had suffered fr

#469 "The best form of coach education is coach retention" wth Dr. Vince Minjares, Aspen Institute Sport and Society Program Manager and Coach Developer Feb 19, 2026 01:11:07 Dr. Vince Minjares is a Program Manager of the Aspen Institute Sports & Society Program with responsibility for driving Project Play's school sports and coaching portfolios. His current work addresses systemic issues in youth sport development with a focus on coaching, athlete development, and player health. Current projects include the Million Coaches Challenge, National ACL Injury Coalition and

#468 Shane Battier, the "No Stats All Star" on his 2x NBA Championships, his All American High School and Collegiate Career, and the Importance of Modeling Championship Behaviors Feb 12, 2026 01:25:38 Over a distinguished NBA and collegiate career, Shane Battier established himself as a scholar-athlete, All-American, leader, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "No-Stats All-Star" by Michael Lewis in a New York Times Sunday Magazine cover story, Shane is regarded as one of the most successful, albeit atypical, basketball players in history for using his leadership, lockdown defense, and intellect to

#467 Katie Van Dyck, Antitrust Attorney, on the Negative Influence of Private Equity in Youth Sports Clubs, Leagues and Tournaments Feb 5, 2026 01:13:40 Katherine Van Dyck (@capitalKVD) is an experienced antitrust lawyer and founder of KVD Strategies PLLC, with senior fellowships at the American Economic Liberties Project and UC Berkeley's Civil Justice Research Initiative. During the Biden Administration, she served as an Attorney-Advisor at the Federal Trade Commission. Katie's work focuses on how concentrated economic power harms consumers, wor

#466 Brad Stulberg, Author of The Way of Excellence, on Redefining Excellence, the Mindset of High Performance, Building Effective Habits, and Finding Meaning in it All Jan 28, 2026 01:12:36 Brad Stulberg researches, writes, and coaches on performance, well-being, and sustainable excellence. He is the bestselling author of The Practice of Groundedness and Master of Change, and coauthor of Peak Performance. Stulberg regularly contributes to the New York Times and his work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic, among many other outlets. He serves as the co-host o

#465 What Would Your Yoda Say? Dr. Jim Loehr and Dr. Haley Perlus Join for a Conversation About Mindset, Coaching Your Inner Voice and the Importance of Gratitude Jan 23, 2026 01:20:57 Dr. Jim Loehr is a world-renowned performance psychologist, whose ground-breaking, science-based energy management training system has achieved worldwide recognition. He has authored 17 books and worked with hundreds of world-class performers from the arenas of sport, business, medicine and law enforcement, including Fortune 100 executives, FBI Hostage Rescue Teams, and military Special Forces. Dr

#464 Cara Stawicki, Mental Performance Coach and 2019 World Champion Rower Jan 14, 2026 01:08:44 Cara Stawicki (@carastawicki) is a World Champion rower with nearly 20 years of competitive experience, including multiple World Rowing Championships and national team selections. Drawing on her firsthand understanding of high-level athletic performance, she now supports high-striving athletes and professionals in reaching their full potential through executive and mental performance coaching. Sh

#463 Tom Farrey, Executive Director of Aspen Institute Sports and Society Program, on Achievable Steps to Get More Kids Playing Sports, Build Facilities, and Educate Coaches Jan 7, 2026 01:04:56 Tom Farrey is the founder and executive director of the Aspen Institute's Sports & Society Program, which he launched in 2011 to convene leaders, facilitate dialogue, and inspire solutions that help sports serve the public interest. He is best known for creating Project Play, the program's flagship initiative that develops and shares knowledge to grow youth sports participation. Since 2013, Projec

#462 Joey Leonardo, 2026 Freeride World Tour Skier, on his Unique Pathway to Becoming a Professional Big Mountain Skier Jan 3, 2026 01:07:57 Joey Leonardo (@j.bag_) is a professional freeride skier from Edwards, Colorado, who has officially qualified as a rookie for the 2026 Freeride World Tour (FWT). Joey qualified for the 2026 tour by finishing second in the Americas series of qualifiers in the winter of 2025. in 2020, he won the Freeride Junior World Championships, and then spent the last 4 years getting a degree from Montana State

#461 Linda Flanagan: How Money and Mania Have Ruined Kids Sports, Why it Matters, and How to Take Back the Game (replay) Dec 26, 2025 01:05:34 After a recent visit to the US House of Representatives, John has been thinking a lot about the business of youth sports and how we can fix the many issues plaguing it. In this replay of episode 293, John has a discussion with Linda Flanagan 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

#460 Joe Baker, Author of "The Tyranny of Talent" on Defining, Identifying, and Developing Talent While Never Losing Sight of Long Term Engagement Dec 18, 2025 01:05:25 Dr. Joe Baker (@bakerjtoronto) is the Tanenbaum Research Chair at the University of Toronto, Canada. He is a world-leader in research on talent identification, developing sport expertise, relative age effect, and high performance athlete development and has held visiting researcher/professor positions in the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany. His research considers the varying influences on op

#459 Harrsion Bernstein, Founder of Soldiers to Sidelines, on Giving our Former Soldiers the Ability to Serve Again Through Coaching Dec 11, 2025 01:02:48 Harrison Bernstein is the founder of Soldiers To Sidelines (STS) and has served as executive director since May 2014. STS evolved from a passion project to a burgeoning nonprofit once Harrison resigned from coaching college and professional football to focus 100% on the STS mission. Harrison was able to attract key advisors and officers to help steward the mission. Since 2018, the board has grown

#458 Gary Gait, Syracuse University Men's Lacrosse Head Coach: "It's not men's or women's lacrosse. it's just lacrosse." Dec 3, 2025 01:16:52 Jerry and John are so thrilled to welcome back Gary Gait to the podcast. Gait is widely considered the greatest men's lacrosse player of all time, and his remarkable playing career features a winning theme at every level. A three-time NCAA Champion, Gait led Syracuse's most dominant stretch in program history, losing just one game in three seasons from 1988-90. He is a two-time recipient of the Lt

#457 John Lind, Sweden Ice Hockey Director of Education and Research, on Developing as Many Kids as Possible, as Long as Possible, in the Best Environment Possible Nov 28, 2025 01:14:32 John Lind is the Director of Education and Research at the Swedish Ice Hockey Association. He has a background as a player at the junior national team level and later worked as a coach and manger within Swedish ice hockey before taking on his current role at the Association. John is part of IIHF:s advisory group on education, as well as part of the TIDES Network, a group of international researche

#456 Sean Mullin, Writer and Director of Brothers on Three: The Story of West Point Rugby Nov 20, 2025 01:03:46 Sean Mullin is an award-winning filmmaker. He has been a writer, director and/or producer on seven films that have received theatrical releases. His critically-acclaimed feature film debut as a writer/director – Amira & Sam – won the top prize at numerous festivals and was distributed theatrically by Drafthouse Films in 2015. His documentary about baseball legend, Yogi Berra – It Ain't Over – rece

#455 Chris Armas, former MLS Head Coach and Manchester United Asst. Coach, on Loving Your Players, Investing in Relationships, and Keeping an Optimistic Outlook on Life Nov 13, 2025 01:21:21 Chris Armas is a 2025 inductee into the US Soccer Hall of Fame. During his playing career, he played 12 seasons in Major League Soccer for the LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire, and was a 5x MLS Best XI selection, an MLS and US Open Cup Champion, and played 66 games for the US National Team. The 2000 US Soccer Player of the Year and 2005 MLS Comeback Player of the Year, untimely injuries derailed his inc

#454 Dr. Sue Schimmel and Maureen Breeze, Authors of Playing the Long Game, on Tools for Parenting Elite and College Athletes Nov 5, 2025 01:15:18 This week we step away from youth sports and talk about how parents can best support truly elite level, college, and professional level athletes on their journey in sports with Dr Sue Schimmel and Maureen Breeze, authors of the new book Playing the Long Game: A Handbook for Parenting Elite and College Athletes. We discuss conversation strategies, unintentional parental pressure, and investing in t

$453 Jenny Levy, 4x NCAA Champion Coach of UNC Women's Lacrosse on Demanding Failure in Practice, Building Stronger Relationships Through Casual Conversations, and Being a Lifelong Learner Oct 30, 2025 01:12:08 "Mediocrity works fine until it meets passion" says a favorite sign on the wall of this week's guest, on for the third time, Jenny Levy. Everytime she joins us we are blown away by what she shares. This week is no exception. Jenny is a 4x NCAA champion coach for the University of North Carolina Women's lacrosse program, including winning the 2025 championship. She is a 3x NCAA coach of the year, 8

#452 Betsy Butterick, Author of Kids These Days: "You need to reach them before you teach them!" Oct 23, 2025 01:15:38 Betsy Butterick (@betsy_thecoachescoach) is affectionately known as "The Coaches' Coach"and uses the transformative power of communication to help build high-performing teams. As a former collegiate basketball coach, Betsy understands that "chemistry" is more than a buzzword – it is the result of genuine connection, and at its core lies effective communication. In her role as "The Coaches' Coach,"

#351 Dr Neeru Jayanthi on Early Sport Specialization, the Importance of Multi-movement Experiences for Kids, and How Parents Can Navigate the Complex Youth Sports World (replay) Oct 16, 2025 57:54 Dr Neeru Jayanthi is one of the leading experts on youth sports health, injuries, and sports training patterns, as well as an international leader in tennis medicine. He is currently leads the Emory University Tennis Medicine Program and is the President of the International Society for Tennis Medicine and Science (STMS) and a certified USPTA teaching professional. He has also been a volunteer ATP

#450 Becky Burleigh, NCAA Champion Soccer Coach and Co-Founder of What Drives Winning (replay) Oct 10, 2025 01:22:43 Becky Burleigh began her college soccer coaching career at the ripe old age of 21, coaching Berry College to two NAIA National Championships before moving onto the University of Florida. In her nearly three decades at Florida, she won the 1998 NCAA Championship, a combined 26 SEC regular season and tournament championships, and over 500 games. Upon retiring, she was named interim coach of the NWSL

#449 Emma Doyle, Host of The Coaching Podcast, on the Qualities of Great Coaches and Empowering Female Athletes Oct 2, 2025 01:04:39 Emma Doyle is a dynamic Energy Coach, speaker, and author who helps leaders and athletes unleash their potential through the power of coaching. With a background as a former D1 US college tennis player and world team coach for Australia on 20 occasions, Emma brings a champion mindset and real-world insights to both sports and business. She's a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the ICF, certi

# 448 Alex Compton and Kevin Dalafu from Wisest Learners: Don't Let Your Passion Become your Child's Burden Sep 25, 2025 01:18:48 Alex Compton and Kevin Dalafu are the authors of Wisest Learners: Guiding Your Child's Athletic Journey, and are longtime basketball athletes and coaches. Alex Compton is a businessman, coach, speaker, husband, and father. He has a BS in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University.Alex coached professional basketball for 12 years in the Philippines, 5 as the Head Coach of the Alas

# 448 Alex Compton and Kevin Dalafu from Wisest Learners: Don't Let Your Passion Become your Child's Burden Sep 25, 2025 01:18:48 Alex Compton and Kevin Dalafu are the authors of Guiding Your Child's Athletic Journey, and are longtime basketball athletes and coaches. Alex Compton is a businessman, coach, speaker, husband, and father. He has a BS in Human Development and Family Studies from Cornell University.Alex coached professional basketball for 12 years in the Philippines, 5 as the Head Coach of the Alaska Aces, and 2 as

#447 Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach on the Difference Between Coaching Boys and Girls Sep 18, 2025 01:20:10 Dr. Kristen Dieffenbach (@DrDCoachScience) is an associate professor of Athletic Coaching Education, director of the Center for Applied Coaching and Sport Science at West Virginia University and president of the United States Center for Coaching Excellence. She is an Association of Applied Sport Psychology certified consultant, public relations and outreach head on the AASP e-board and president o

#446 Geoff Carlston, former Ohio State and Ohio U Volleyball Coach, on Fear vs Love Based High Performance Environments Sep 11, 2025 01:14:13 Over the course of his collegiate coaching career, Geoff Carlston served as head coach at Ohio University, Ohio State University, and Concordia University, amassing more than 400 career wins. His teams consistently competed at the highest level, earning multiple NCAA Tournament appearances, including several Sweet Sixteen runs, and he has been honored with numerous Coach of the Year awards. In 23

#445 Tom Renney, Former NHL Head Coach and Hockey Canada CEO Sep 4, 2025 01:14:51 Tom Renney is a Canadian former ice hockey coach and executive. Renney began his coaching career in the Western Hockey League (WHL), capturing a Memorial Cup in his two-year stint with the Kamloops Blazers. He served as an NHL head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and Edmonton Oilers and associate coach with the Detroit Red Wings. He also participated in the coaching staff for Can

#444 What Does it Take to be an Elite Youth Athlete? Baltimore Orioles Draft Pick Slater de Brun and 2x USA Swimming National Champion Campbell McKean Share Their Stories Aug 25, 2025 01:10:43 Living in Bend, Oregon, our host John O'Sullivan has gotten to know some extraordinary young athletes, none more so than our two guests today, Slater de Brun and Campbell McKean. He has know both boys since elementary school, and had the privilege of coaching Slater for 5 years in soccer before he went full time into baseball. Slater was recently the 37th overall pick in the Major League Baseball

Dr. Nick Holton and Dr. Adam Wright of The Antifragile Academy Aug 21, 2025 01:11:38 Dr. Nick Holton's work focuses on helping individuals, teams, businesses and organizations become better versions of themselves through the application of the cutting-edge science of human flourishing – a synergistic development of both peak performance and overall well-being and fulfillment. Nick currently serves as a private coach and consultant, working with individuals and groups ranging from

Tools for Implementing the Way of Champions Culture with Matt Booth, Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan Aug 15, 2025 01:10:23 In June of 2025, John and Jerry gathered in Lake George, Colorado with 30 coaches, athletic directors, and sport performance coaches for our first ever Way of Champions Retreat and Certification program. Over the course of four days and three nights of intense inner work, group discussions, hikes and delicious meals, we gave these coaches not only tools, but a deep understanding of what it means t

#441 How to Be a Better Parent Coach: A Discussion with Skye Eddy, Jerry Lynch, and John O'Sullivan Aug 7, 2025 01:11:18 One of the most common questions we get here is could we cover the challenges of being a parent coach. Statistics tell us that on the grassroots and recreational level, somewhere around 80% of coaches are also parents of one of the athletes on the team. As we move into the travel and more competitive older ages, that number shrinks, but as those of us who have coached their kids in a high performa

#440 Scott Allen, Washington Capitals Asst. Coach on Being a Great Assistant, the Importance of Loyalty, and How to Make Every Individual Better in a Team Environment Aug 1, 2025 01:13:05 Scott Allen is the assistant coach of the Washington Capitals of the NHL. Prior to joining Washington, Allen spent three seasons with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). With Hershey, Allen served as an assistant coach for two seasons before being named the Bears' head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season. Under Allen, Hershey finished with a record of 34-32-6-4, clinching a Calde

#439 Mark Gottfried, former NCAA Basketball Coach at Alabama and NC State: "The Softest Pillow in the World is a Clear Conscience" Jul 24, 2025 01:10:49 Mark Gottfried is an American men's college basketball coach, basketball podcaster, and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Cal State Northridge Matadors. Gottfried played one season at Oral Roberts and three seasons at Alabama, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in each of his seasons with the Crimson Tide. He was an NBA draft pick but never played professionally, soon going

#438 Mike Potenza, San Jose Sharks Head of Performance: "The Most Important Coaching Tool is a Couch" Jul 18, 2025 01:13:49 Mike Potenza is the Head of Performance for the San Jose Sharks of the NHL, where he oversees the strength & conditioning and nutrition staffs and serves as a liaison to the Sharks medical training staff to ensure a streamlined collaboration between the two departments, focusing on the Sharks player's health, training, fitness, and rehabilitation programs. Potenza began his career as the strength

#437 Sam Parfitt, Founder and CEO of the True Athlete Project, on Combating the Mental Health Crisis in Sports Jul 10, 2025 56:04 Sam Parfitt is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of The True Athlete Project. He holds an MSc in Sport Policy, Management and International Development from the University of Edinburgh, where he then became an associate tutor. His dissertation focused on the role of sport coaches as social change-makers, basing his research at The Crags Centre - a community sports center in an area of high d

#436 Ron Adams, Golden St. Warriors Asst. Coach : "Great Assistants Cement the Cracks" Jul 4, 2025 01:04:05 Ron Adams has been the assistant coach of the Golden St. Warriors since 2014, in that time winning 4x NBA Champions and being recognized in 2022 at the Tex Winter Award winner for lifetime achievement as an assistant coach. He owns previous coaching experience with Boston Celtics (2013-14), Chicago Bulls (2003-08, 2010-13), Oklahoma City Thunder (2008-2010), Milwaukee Bucks (1998-2003), Philadelph

#435 Jennifer Paulett, ESPN Director of Corporate Citizenship, on Taking Back Youth Sports for Our Kids Jun 28, 2025 52:43 Jennifer Paulett, director of ESPN Corporate Citizenship, is responsible for developing and implementing the company's strategy on youth sports participation. Since joining ESPN in 2015, she has led efforts to expand access to sports for millions of kids through philanthropic investments and powerful storytelling. Paulett oversees ESPN's youth sports initiative Take Back Sports, which aims to make

#434 Professional Surfer Lakey Peterson on Perspective, Embracing the Journey, and Overcoming Disappointment to Become a Champion Again Jun 17, 2025 01:10:03 Lakey Peterson (@LakeyPeterson) is an American professional surfer and star of the new film Making Waves: The Lakey Peterson Story by 805 Beer. She has been ranked as high as No. 1 by the World Surf League, the highest professional level of women's surfing, and is a 5x winner on tour. In 2009, Peterson landed the first-ever aerial in NSSA women's competition history and won the title. In 2023, aft

#433 Dr. Jerry Lynch on How to Lead with Love, the #1 Coaching Success Strategy to Build Strong Relationships and Winning Teams Jun 13, 2025 54:39 This week on the podcast, John and Jerry discuss Jerry's brand new book Lead with Love. This book is the culmination of Jerry's multiple decades working with National, Olympic and World Champion athletes and coaches, synthesizing his ideas about leadership, culture building, and building championship programs by winning the relationship game. As 9x NBA Champion player and coach Steve Kerr of the G

#432 Simon Hartley, Founder of Be World Class, on Owning Your Development, Parental Pressure, and How the Elite Performance Mindset Can Drive You or Make You Miserable Jun 6, 2025 01:12:12 Simon Hartley (@simonhartley) is a world-renowned expert in high-performance psychology and the founder of Be World Class. For nearly 30 years, Simon has worked with Olympic athletes, world champions, and top executives, helping them develop the mindset needed to excel in sports, business, and life. He's the best-selling author of How to Shine and Peak Performance Every Time, and 10 total books, a

#431 Dionne Koller, Professor of Sport Law, on How Law, Policy, and Politics Shape the American Youth Sports System, and How we Can Fix it May 30, 2025 01:06:53 Dionne Koller is Professor of Law and the Director of the Center for Sport and the Law at the University of Baltimore. Professor Koller's scholarly focus is sports law, particularly in the areas of youth, Olympic and Paralympic, and education-based sports, and she is a frequent media commentator and consultant to state and federal legislatures on issues related to sports and the law. In 2021, Prof

#430 England, Arsenal and Chelsea Great Katie Chapman and Dr. Simon Moore on Supporting Grassroots Players and Parents May 22, 2025 01:05:02 Katie Chapman is a distinguished former player for Arsenal, Chelsea, and the England national team with 94 appearances, has had a career spanning 26 years. She played in 3 EUROs ad two FIFA World Cup Finals, finishing 3rd in 2015. During here career she won the Champions League with Arsenal, and multiple WSL titles and FA Cups, and was twice names England FAs player of the year. She is also a mom

#429 Greg Olsen, 3x NFL Pro Bowl Player and FOX Sports Broadcaster, on Coaching, High Performance, and Creating a Top Level Youth Sports Experience May 15, 2025 01:27:53 Greg Olsen (@GregOlsen88) is a 3x NFL Pro Bowl player and 2x Emmy Award winning broadcaster. He was selected by the Chicago Bears with the 31st overall pick in the 2007 NFL Draft out of the University of Miami. He spent four seasons with the Bears before being traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2011. Olsen remained with the Panthers through the conclusion of the 2019 season, played a key role in

Episodes

Recommended