Shows
The Coaching Life Podcast192: LOVE The Game, LOVE Your TeamIn this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat dive into a conversation about loving the sport you play. We chat about the deeper connection athletes can have with their game, their team, and the entire experience of being part of something bigger than themselves.We discuss:✅ Why passion for the game matters sometimes as much as talent for the game✅ The impact of loving your team—through wins, losses, and everything in between✅ How youth coaches and parents can help young athletes develop a lifelong love for...2025-04-011h 08The Coaching Life Podcast191: Game Week! Marauders vs. EaglesThe anticipation is mounting as Opening Day for High School baseball is just days away. The first game Pat and Chris's teams will play this season will be against each other! This is the topic of today's episode, because we can't think of much else right now! LOL 2025-03-261h 03The Coaching Life Podcast190: Behind the Scenes – First Week of BaseballIn this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat dive into the unique challenges and strategies that come with being a head baseball coach during the crucial first week of the new season. They discuss how to set the tone for the year, establish team expectations, and build momentum both on and off the field.Key topics covered include:⚾ Evaluating Your Roster — Balancing early-season player assessments with giving athletes time to settle in.⚾ Practice Planning — Structuring practices to sharpen fundamentals while integrating game-specific situations.⚾ Team Chemistry — Building relationships among players and...2025-03-0747 minThe Coaching Life Podcast188: Lifelong Learners and Used To Be NFL FansThe title sums up the conversation in #188. We talk a little bit about trending issues in the NFL, but that's not the important part.
In this episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, Chris and Pat gear up for the Ohio High School Baseball Coaches Association (OHSBCA) Clinic happening this week in Columbus, Ohio! We dive into the details of this must-attend event for high school baseball coaches, sharing why it’s more than just another conference—it’s an opportunity to grow, connect, and be inspired.
Whether you’ve been coaching for decades or are just get...2025-01-281h 10The Coaching Life Podcast187: Fire Ryan Day!!! (Okay, um... maybe not.)In this episode of The Coaching Life, Chris and Pat talk about the Ohio State Buckeyes’ National Championship and uncover a critical aspect of sports that often goes unnoticed: the disconnect between fans’ perceptions of the player-coach relationship and the reality behind the scenes.
From social media memes, viral locker room moments, to sideline interactions, they discuss why fans may romanticize or misinterpret these relationships and how the media and "FANaticism" shapes our understanding of why a coach is or isn't successful.
Whether you’re a Buckeyes fan or just someone fascinated by the nuance of spo...2025-01-211h 01The Coaching Life Podcast186: New Year. New Season. New Growth.Welcome to Season 11 of The Coaching Life Podcast! Chris and Pat kick off the new year with energy, excitement, and a renewed commitment to exploring the fun and sometimes crazy world of youth and high school sports.
Join us as we set the tone for an all new season filled with impactful conversations, fresh perspectives, and actionable advice to help you navigate the challenges and joys of coaching and parenting in sports.2025-01-151h 04The Coaching Life Podcast180: Let's Talk About Pete Rose (1941-2024)"My all-time favorite baseball player was Pete Rose. It's not because he was the greatest player in the game, although he holds some of the game's greatest records that will likely never be broken. It's not because he was the most upstanding citizen; he had a hard, stubborn, ego and everyone knew it. What I loved about Pete Rose was the way he played the game of baseball when he was between the baselines. He was the essence of "blue collar" baseball. What I loved about Pete Rose was the fact that he made every little boy believe that...2024-10-091h 13The Coaching Life Podcast173: The "Perfect" Sport, and the Winner Is...What is the perfect sport? What criteria would you consider to determine what makes the perfect sport?
Pat and Chris share their (admittedly not unbiased) opinions on what makes the perfect sport, giving credence to several different sports in this episode. 2024-08-211h 03The Coaching Life Podcast164: Yes, Do Play Multiple Sports!Today we revisit a question that comes up a lot. It's a topic that is always relevant because of the tension that is always felt by players, parents, and coaches. Should you play multiple sports or should you specialize? Should we always answer it the same way for every athlete? Is age a factor in the answer?
Pat and Chris definitely have strong opinions on the matter, but they also will provide data and real examples for why they hold the opinions they do, both as coaches and as fathers. 2024-02-141h 07The Coaching Life Podcast159: New Year, New Season!The Coaching Life Podcast has gone through several changes and updates over our 9 seasons of recording, but the core of what we are about remains. We desire to be a useful resource for coaches, parents, and athletes. To have conversations about the values, challenges, and lessons we are provided by the world of youth, high school, college, and professional sports.
Season 9 begins in the newly renovated podcast studio in Schoonover Center at Scripps College of Communication on the campus of Ohio University. Whether you watch and listen or just listen, we hope you are blessed by another...2024-01-121h 05
The Coaching Life Podcast153: Winning a Mental Game with Guest Morgan Rodgers, Ohio University GolfWe chat with Morgan Rodgers, freshman on the Ohio University Bobcats Women's Golf Team.
This fall, Morgan has made an immediate impact preparing for her first regular season of golf this spring. Her success begins with understanding the mental game, and incorporating strategies to stay focused on what is most important – what is within her control.
This is a useful conversation and Morgan gives some really great golf tips to help improve Chris and Pat's golf game to score below 100! 2023-10-261h 00The Coaching Life Podcast144: Youth Sports vs ChurchHere's a topic we have never before discussed on The Coaching Life Podcast, but it's an extremely relevant conversation for just about every youth sports team. On most teams, there will be at least one family, and perhaps many, who struggle whenever there conflict between the ball schedule and their church attendance.
As always, Chris and Pat take on the conversation head-on, discussing many of the variables associated with this and the people it impacts. We hope to provide insight and understanding to help us all navigate this issue with grace. 2023-08-1737 minThe Coaching Life Podcast142: There IS a Way When It Seems There Is No WayChris and Pat discuss the recent news of the closing of Alderson Broaddus University. What can we learn from this event? 2023-08-0444 minThe Coaching Life Podcast141: Do's and Don'ts For Sports Parents (Part 1)We're beginning a new series of podcast episodes in which we talk about some things we SHOULD do with ourselves, with our children, with coaches, and with the other parents... as well as some things we should NOT do with each of those persons. If you are the parent of an athlete, you know how tempting it can be to lose our perspective when it comes to our child's participation in sports. Chris and Pat have decided to tackle some of those things in the next two or three episodes, and frame them as "Do's and Don'ts" for sports parents.
...2023-07-251h 02The Coaching Life Podcast140: Stories From The DiamondChris and Pat are back together for a new episode, playing catch-up from taking some time off to coach their baseball teams this spring. They have lots of stories from the diamond to share. 2023-06-131h 14
The Coaching Life Podcast138: The Welcome Back Show – Season 8 Begins!Chris and Pat are back in the studio together and have a lot of catching up to do. Lots of good conversations to come! 2023-03-0735 minThe Coaching Life Podcast137: An Update From Chris and PatChris provides a brief update on where we have been during the past couple of months.2023-02-1607 minThe Coaching Life Podcast125: Hug It Out... Or NotA Little League Baseball pitcher had one get away from him and the pitch struck the batter in the head. A scary moment. The pitcher was visibly upset. The batter was not hurt. He ran to first base. No big deal. Play ball. But then.......
In this episode, Chris and Pat make reference to a book that was discussed in a previous episode. The author is Jonathan Haidt and the title of the book is "The Coddling of the American Mind: How Good Intentions and Bad Ideas Are Setting Up a Generation for Failure"2022-08-2459 minThe Coaching Life Podcast124: Season 7 - We Want To Be UsefulWe are back for a new season of Coaching Life conversations. As long as we can be useful to someone and serve a purpose with this podcast, we will keep recording episodes. Thanks to all of our listeners. Let us know who you are! Email Chris at cstewart1993@gmail.com and Pat at patrick_martin@yahoo.com.
Voice-over introduction provided by www.yourvodude.com 2022-08-171h 00
The Coaching Life Podcast121: Game Week!We talk about a variety of topics on today's episode. This is the week that Pat and Chris's high school baseball teams meet up with each other on the diamond, and this episode was recorded the day before GAME DAY. 2022-03-3052 minThe Coaching Life Podcast118: Setting Expectations and StandardsChris and Pat reflect after the first day of high school practice, and talk about the importance of expectations for everyone. 2022-02-2354 min
The Coaching Life Podcast108: Another Special Coaching Life AnnouncementBy the time this episode airs it might not be "breaking" news, but it is BIG news nonetheless. Chris Stewart conducts an interview with a very special "guest." 2021-12-011h 07The Coaching Life Podcast107: How To Get Ready, Stay Ready, BE READY!When you are always ready, then you will have a great advantage to seize opportunities when they come to you.
Chris and Pat would like to wish all of our listeners a Happy Thanksgiving. We are grateful for you and the fact that you take time to listen to our podcast. We hope that The Coaching Life has been a blessing. 2021-11-241h 05The Coaching Life Podcast106: Finding JoyThere is an underlying state of being that both Chris and Pat have. We would like to share it with you and tell you how you can find it. 2021-11-1753 minThe Coaching Life Podcast96: Get Stronger To Get BetterNOTE TO LISTENERS: This episode ends a little abruptly due to some technical issues that was causing hiccups in the recording and making it un-listenable. We apologize, because during that last 10 minutes, Pat dropped some pure audio gold. However, we will make sure that you get that rich content in next week's episode, plus much more!
As always, THANK YOU for listening! 2021-09-0841 minThe Coaching Life Podcast93: A Community ChampionThis is a special episode dedicated to one of our podcast hosts. Pat Martin embodies what The Coaching Life is about, and there is much we can all gain by following his example of loving and serving your community. 2021-06-1725 minThe Coaching Life Podcast92: Don't Worship the HeartachePat and Chris connect for an episode about bad breaks, disappointing moments, and how we handle those. 2021-05-2757 minThe Coaching Life Podcast91: The Final InningChris and Pat connect for an important, touching conversation. You'll just have to listen. 2021-05-0746 minThe Coaching Life Podcast89: Opening DayChris and Pat recorded this episode on the eve of the first high school baseball game of 2021. There was a lot to talk about, so we just titled this episode, "Opening Day." We hope you enjoy! 2021-03-2954 minThe Coaching Life Podcast88: Cancelled No More and Mentally StrongerOne year ago this week is when Chris and Pat recorded the last podcast in studio together. All throughout the week of March 13-19 of 2020, things were being cancelled one by one. It was a surreal experience, but how have we used it to become better people, better athletes, better coaches? We reflect a little bit on the pandemic, while looking also at some of the ways we can make sure we are mentally prepared for everything we face. 2021-03-1554 minThe Coaching Life Podcast86: Steve Miller – A Culture of WinningChris and Pat invite a very special guest onto the podcast to talk about his soon to be released book, "Awakening Courage: Stories of Grit, Resilience, and Toughness." Steve Miller tells stories of how a small, rural southeastern Ohio community in the Appalachian foothills has been able to develop and sustain a culture of winning and excellence. This is one conversation our listeners are going to want to make time for and take to heart. We would encourage you to pull out a pen and notebook, and sit back and enjoy this really interesting conversation. 2021-02-081h 13The Coaching Life Podcast85: A Special Coaching Life AnnouncementPat Martin breaks some big news in this episode and conducts an interview with a special "guest." 2021-01-261h 08The Coaching Life Podcast84: Throw It As Hard As You CanIn this episode, Chris and Pat break down one of the most important fundamentals and something we all teach our children to do when they are very young. Perhaps we should be more conscious of what and how we are teaching it/modeling it. 2021-01-1849 min
The Coaching Life Podcast83: Brody Rodgers – Earn It! From Walk On To ScholarshipPat and Chris interview special guest, Brody Rodgers, offensive lineman for the Ohio University Bobcats football team, entering his redshirt senior year in 2021. Brody has a really great story that we would encourage all high school athletes and parents of high school athletes to listen closely to. It is a story of persistence, pivoting, dedication, patience, and work ethic. We believe you are going to not only enjoy this conversation, but also gain a wealth of helpful information. 2021-01-1156 minThe Coaching Life Podcast81: Be a Coach or Have Friends?If you have ambitions of being a coach, then you should probably first play the old game of "Would you rather?"
Would you rather...
A) Be a coach
B) Have friends
It's often difficult for coaches to cultivate good friendships, and in this episode, Pat and Chris will talk about that and more!2020-12-2957 minThe Coaching Life Podcast80: What We CAN DoFor the past 9 months, we have been told over and over again what we CAN'T do. In this episode, Chris and Pat speak candidly and passionately about things we CAN and should do to help bring HOPE to today's student-athletes and their families. 2020-12-2156 minThe Coaching Life Podcast78: How To Be A Great TeammateChris and Pat begin a conversation that we believe will be extremely practical and useful, as we explore 21 ways to be a great teammate. 2020-11-3048 minThe Coaching Life Podcast77: Oh Crap! What Next?Unexpected events, failures, injuries, devastating losses... can all have a way of putting us into a holding pattern of shock and disorientation. What do we do next? How do we respond to these unwanted events? This is a tough subject to discuss, but it's helpful to be proactive and intentional about how we respond to these situations.
Chris and Pat have a passion and desire to help others be prepared to respond in the best ways possible. We all have it within us to do so. We hope you will find encouragement from this episode and subsequent e...2020-11-2348 minThe Coaching Life Podcast76: Getting the Most Out of the Tryout ExperienceChris and Pat cover a lot of ground regarding the total tryout experience and offer tips and recommendations for everyone involved –– players, coaches, and parents. 2020-11-171h 07The Coaching Life Podcast74: Tough Times Tougher PeopleChris and Pat share an inspirational story that we hope will be a blessing to our listeners. 2020-11-0351 minThe Coaching Life Podcast73: The StruggleFinding the struggle is linked to finding success. Areas that require us to fight... to increase our effort... are the very areas through which achievement comes. Today Pat and Chris discuss how to lead people through struggle, and perhaps sometimes, how to lead them into it (for their betterment)! 2020-10-2754 minThe Coaching Life Podcast71: FYI... Random ThoughtsIn this episode, Chris and Pat bring up a variety of topics and discuss them separately, in multiple short-but-sweet segments. The conversation consists of things like:
the kind of company we keep
failure during the process of making positive changes
whose opinion matters most
development vs. results
the purpose of travel ball
...and more that you will just have to hear for yourself! 2020-10-1353 minThe Coaching Life Podcast70: The Most Overlooked Factor In DevelopmentWhat would you say is the most overlooked aspect of youth and high school athletes' development? To be honest, it's probably the same thing that gets overlooked in all of us. In this episode, Chris and Pat talk about perhaps the most important thing to consider, not just for young athletes, but for all of us. They even call up a special guest to ask him to weigh in on the topic and how he has changed his mindset. 2020-10-0551 minThe Coaching Life Podcast67: Simplify Your FocusChris and Pat have a conversation about a very important practice among those who are great at something. It doesn't matter if you are a coach, a player, a parent, a student, a teacher, or whatever... if you are a human being, this conversation is relevant for you. We hope that you are encouraged and challenged. 2020-09-1557 minThe Coaching Life Podcast66: SEASON 3 – It's All About The KidsChris and Pat open up a new season of The Coaching Life Podcast by taking time to talk with those who matter most when it comes to the topics this podcast is all about... the kids! In this episode, we hear from a number of different kids between the ages of 10 and 14. The interviews are raw, unscripted, and a lot of fun. We hope you will plan to join us weekly for another season of The Coaching Life Podcast. You can do so by subscribing, and please be sure to share it with others. Spread the love of the...2020-09-0758 minThe Coaching Life Podcast63: Being Elite, For RealThe word "Elite" is used to describe a lot of youth sports teams, but do we really ever pause to consider what it means to be elite? That is the topic of conversation in this episode of The Coaching Life with Chris Stewart and Pat Martin. 2020-08-1743 minThe Coaching Life Podcast62: Helping Players Take OwnershipHave you ever considered the many ways we could be helping our kids to learn the valuable life lesson of taking ownership when they are playing a game such as baseball? That's what Chris and Pat talk about in this episode, with several practical in-game examples included in the dialogue. 2020-08-1052 minThe Coaching Life Podcast61: Self-Evaluation Process for PlayersIn Episode 61, Chris and Pat discuss an important role of coaching... helping our players to evaluate themselves.
It is important to consider what each player's goals are for themselves and then help them to see whether their current course is helping them to arrive at those goals. Sometimes all they need is an honest conversation and encouragement to create the map for themselves that leads to their future goals and vision for the kind of athlete and person they want to be.
2020-08-0348 minThe Coaching Life Podcast60: You Create Your OpportunityAfter four weeks of silence, Chris and Pat are back to share some insight about how kids in all areas of the country, large cities AND small towns, can create their own opportunities to play college ball. 2020-07-2935 minThe Coaching Life Podcast59: The Importance of Wearing OneIn today's episode, Chris and Pat talk about something we may not always think about much or pause to consider as we are coaching today's youth athletes. How to instill a competitive fire in them; a wave of righteous anger, if you will, that makes them want to fight back and compete during a game. How to respond whenever it seems like you are getting "bullied" on the field. It's not an easy thing to discuss or to try to come up with the proper words to describe it. But it is certainly an important aspect of competition that...2020-06-2332 minThe Coaching Life Podcast58: The Car Ride HomeChris and Pat *revisit a conversation about what really matters when it comes to evaluating our kids' sports performances. Too often, the car ride home includes words and emotions that could be avoided if we truly learned to focus on what really matters.
In this episode, we discuss Chris's book, Building Champions: Coaching, Parenting, and Playing To Win in What Really Matters. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the book, you may order from Amazon, or you can contact Chris directly and he will send you a signed copy.
* This episode was or...2020-06-1557 minThe Coaching Life Podcast57: Return To Play PerspectiveIn today's episode, Chris and Pat talk about their own experiences with returning to play baseball after a long break caused by COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns. This experience has given us a renewed perspective on the game, how we coach it, and how we play it.
______________
We'd love for you to reach out to us directly and tell us what you thought about this episode! You can find us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife and you can also email us at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com.
Thanks for sharing this podcast with your family members, friends, and fellow c...2020-06-0851 minThe Coaching Life Podcast55: Revisiting MistakesChris and Pat *revisit a conversation about how teams, families, businesses, etc. can tend to create a culture of mistake avoidance. The idea for this episode came after watching an interview on WOUB Bobcat Sports Showcase. To see the full interview and a lot of other great coverage of the Ohio University Bobcats athletic teams, visit @BobcatShowcase on Twitter.
Also, in this episode we discuss Chris's book, Building Champions: Coaching, Parenting and Playing To Win in What Really Matters. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the book, you may order from Amazon, or you...2020-05-2626 min
The Coaching Life Podcast53: Fred Gibson (Gibby) - A Lifetime of Coaching, Part 1It was just like going back into the dugout again with the old ball coach and mentor! Chris and Pat talk with Little League Sr. Division World Series Champion and legendary high school baseball coach, Fred Gibson. As we expected, the conversation with Gibby went on and on and on, and so this will be Part 1 of a two-part episode series. Sit back and enjoy some wonderful stories about baseball and life!
______________
We'd love for you to reach out to us directly and tell us what you thought about this episode! You can find us o...2020-05-1157 minThe Coaching Life Podcast51: What We Are Missing Most With No SportsPat and Chris have a candid and reflective conversation about things they are missing the most in a world with no sports.
______________
We'd love for you to reach out to us directly and tell us what you thought about this episode! You can find us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife and you can also email us at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com.
Thanks for sharing this podcast with your family members, friends, and fellow coaches. Be sure to remind them to SUBSCRIBE so that no one misses a single episode!2020-04-2747 minThe Coaching Life Podcast46: Your Response Is The Difference-MakerWhile doing our part to practice social distancing during the COVID-19 spread throughout the state of Ohio and USA, Chris and Pat keep The Coaching Life conversation going from remote locations.
In this episode, we discuss the Ohio High School Athletic Association's deliberations about spring sports seasons and we take some time to look at a vitally important principle to embrace during a time like we are currently living in... E+R=O (Event + Response = Outcome.
______________
Please reach out to us and let us know what kinds of topics you'd like for us to...2020-03-2343 minThe Coaching Life Podcast45: Word of 2020 - CANCELEDCOVID-19 (Coronavirus) has shocked our world. Pat and Chris sat down and discussed in real-time how it was impacting the world of sports, locally and nationally. Even as they were speaking, new developments were happening. In fact, from the time this episode was recorded to the date it has posted, it will be interesting to hear how much has changed.
New CANCELED announcements of events, schools, sports... were all being posted as fast as we could refresh our Twitter feeds. The Coaching Life Podcast exists to try to help us navigate through difficult circumstances related to amateur s...2020-03-1650 minThe Coaching Life Podcast44: The Adultification of Youth SportsChris is in Myrtle Beach watching his daughter's college softball team and Pat is at home in Ohio, but the guys connect remotely and have a conversation about one of the biggest issues that seems to be plaguing youth sports today..... the game no longer belongs to the kids.
______________
Please reach out to us and let us know what kinds of topics you'd like for us to discuss on the show. Let's all work together! You can find us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife and you can also email us at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com.
Thanks f...2020-03-0939 minThe Coaching Life Podcast43: How To Be A Great Assistant CoachToday Chris and Pat speak to one of the most important groups of people in the sports world... the assistant coach! There are many ways to be a great assistant coach, and there are things that can cause you to be a bad assistant coach. Whether you are involved with a college team or a 10U youth team, we hope this episode helps to strengthen your program as you seek to be a great assistant coach!
______________
Please reach out to us and let us know what kinds of topics you'd like for us to discuss o...2020-03-0255 minThe Coaching Life Podcast42: Parents Are CrazyDon't get too angry with us just yet! We are including ourselves in the craziness! Using a chapter from Coach Mike Deegan's new book, Let It Rip, Chris and Pat open up about some of the ways we sports parents tend to go a little crazy. If we are willing to consider these things, we believe that this kind of conversation has the potential to create a very positive change in youth sports.
Parents, we are such a HUGE aspect of the total experience. Let us never take this for granted. Challenge yourself to listen to this e...2020-02-241h 06The Coaching Life Podcast41: Habits That Kill TeamsIn today's episode, Chris and Pat open a few pages from Coaching Life, a book written by Chris Stewart and discuss Three Habits That Kill Teams as well as Three Habits That Build Teams.
______________
Please reach out to us and let us know what kinds of topics you'd like for us to discuss on the show. Let's all work together! You can find us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife and you can also email us at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com.
Thanks for sharing our podcast with your family members, friends, and fellow coaches. Be sure to r...2020-02-171h 18The Coaching Life Podcast40: Embracing DiscomfortDon't miss this episode! So many have the desire to be great. To be the best. To play, work, live at your highest potential. Yet, only a few actually seem to be able to figure out the secret to living at that level, playing the game at that level, working every single day at that level. Perhaps the biggest thing holding all of us back is... COMFORT.
Chris and Pat dive into a book by Tim S. Grover titled, Relentless: From Good To Great To Unstoppable. Grover was a personal trainer for Kobe Bryant, and in this e...2020-02-1050 minThe Coaching Life Podcast39: Brendan Leister - Pro Football FocusPat and Chris talk with Brendan Leister, analyst for Pro Football Focus and Quarterbacks Coach at Avon High School in Avon, Ohio. Brendan has coached football at the college, high school, and youth levels. He has a Master's degree in Sports Science from The University of Akron. Brendan has a passion for discussing the philosophy and theory behind all aspects of the game of football. In this episode, we ask Brendan his thoughts and evaluation of Joe Burrow, Baker Mayfield, and others. We also discuss high school football and what it takes for teams and athletes to perform at...2020-02-0351 minThe Coaching Life Podcast38: What Can We DO?If all we were to accomplish on this podcast is talking about doing things a better way, then it would be a complete waste of time. We aren't interested in just telling people our opinions on how to make the landscape of youth athletics better for everyone involved. We want to DO something as well.
Every great and significant change must begin somewhere, and it usually begins in small ways. In this episode, Pat and Chris talk about a few of the small ways they are planning to contribute to "a better way." They will also challenge y...2020-01-271h 00The Coaching Life Podcast37: Just A Kid From Athens – What We've Always Known About Joe BurrowChris and Pat bring back a previous guest to talk about the things that make Joe Burrow great. Those of us who watched him grow up have known for a long time what the rest of the world is finally saying about him. What happened? How did he rise to the level at which he finds himself today? And what does it take for others to get there if they have the same dream? Is it possible? We share our thoughts on all of these things in Episode 37.
Follow us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife and by all means, p...2020-01-2057 minThe Coaching Life Podcast36: Discipline and SignificanceIn today's episode, we present a challenge to all Coaching Life listeners in the form of two words.
Follow us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife and by all means, please shoot us a message! You can also email us at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com.
Thanks for sharing our podcast with your family members, friends, and fellow coaches. Be sure to remind them to SUBSCRIBE so that no one misses a single episode!
-Chris and Pat 2020-01-1355 minThe Coaching Life Podcast35: Coach Brett Shimek - Waynesburg University SoftballChris and Pat talk NCAA DIII softball with Head Coach of the Waynesburg University Jellow Jackets, Brett Shimek. 2020-01-061h 13The Coaching Life Podcast34: One Word for 2020Chris and Pat reflect on the past year, which concludes the first season of The Coaching Life Podcast. The guys look toward the new year and discuss an idea for making real improvement in the new year.
Please reach out to us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife and you can also email us your thoughts at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com.
Also, be sure to click the SUBSCRIBE button so you don't miss any new episodes. Thanks for joining the conversation in 2019, and thanks for sharing it with others! We look forward to bringing more great content in 2020!!! 2019-12-3054 minThe Coaching Life Podcast33: Day 12 – CommunicationWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season!2019-12-2411 minThe Coaching Life Podcast32: Day 11 – AdaptabilityWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season!2019-12-2311 minThe Coaching Life Podcast31: Day 10 – Running As PunishmentWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season!2019-12-2019 minThe Coaching Life Podcast30: Day 9 – Butt ChewingsWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season!2019-12-1910 minThe Coaching Life Podcast29: Day 8 - Know Your Role, EveryoneWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season!2019-12-1810 minThe Coaching Life Podcast28: Day 7 - Running Up The ScoreWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season! 2019-12-1709 minThe Coaching Life Podcast27: Day 6 - Technology, Data and AnalyticsWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season!2019-12-1610 minThe Coaching Life Podcast26: Day 5 - Sport SpecializationWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season!2019-12-1307 minThe Coaching Life Podcast25: Day 4 - Stealing SignsWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season! 2019-12-1208 minThe Coaching Life Podcast24: Day 3 - FailureWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season!2019-12-1107 minThe Coaching Life Podcast23: Day 2 - Social Media UseWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season!2019-12-1009 minThe Coaching Life Podcast22: Day 1 - Know Your WhyWelcome to the 12 Days of Coaching, a series of mini-episodes that Chris and Pat are releasing Mon–Friday, twelve days before Christmas Day. We hope these short episodes will keep you encouraged and challenged and we hope they enhance your holiday season! 2019-12-0907 minThe Coaching Life Podcast21: Making CutsWithout a doubt, one of the hardest things to experience for any Coach, Player, or Parent is the experience of making cuts or being cut from a team. Pat and Chris take a full hour and 20 minutes to break down all of the variables related to making cuts. We are hopeful that this episode can provide some insight and perhaps even some comfort as well as ideas for moving forward.
Please feel free to reach out to us via email at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com. You can also comment or direct message to us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife. Also, b...2019-12-051h 21The Coaching Life PodcastBONUS Episode - Gratitude and Thanksgiving!Happy Thanksgiving to all of our listeners! Pat and Chris take some time to share some of the things they are thankful for. We hope this episode encourages you as we approach this very special holiday. 2019-11-2740 min
The Coaching Life Podcast17: Kaylee Stewart – Being a Multi-Sport AthleteChris's daughter, Kaylee Stewart, joins us in today's episode. Kaylee is a freshman at Waynesburg University in Pennsylvania where she is playing softball and studying Marine Biology. In high school, Kaylee not only played but excelled in three sports – volleyball, basketball, and softball – and she was selected as Athlete of the Year for the Athens High School 2019 class of student-athletes.
Kaylee offers some great advice related to being a 3-sport athlete and explains how it can be both fulfilling and beneficial.
Please feel free to reach out to us via email at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com. You ca...2019-11-111h 01The Coaching Life Podcast16: Getting In The ZoneCoaches, what does it take to GET BETTER?
Players, what does it take to GET BETTER?
Parents, what does it take to GET BETTER?
The answer to the question is the same for everyone. It's not a secret. It's not complex. It's not difficult to comprehend. Deep down we all truly know what the answer is to getting better and being the best we can be. Chris and Pat discuss these things extensively in today's episode.
Please feel free to reach out to us via email at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com. You c...2019-11-041h 09The Coaching Life Podcast15: What Really MattersWhen it comes to talking to our kids about their performance and play, do we focus on what really matters? What kinds of things drive your conversation after their games? This and more is what Pat and Chris discuss on today's episode.
Please feel free to reach out to us via email at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com. You can also comment or direct message to us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife.
Also, be sure to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you don't miss any new episodes. Thanks for joining the conversation, and thanks for sharing it with others!2019-10-2855 min
The Coaching Life Podcast13: Rick Dobnak – Living The Dream!Rick Dobnak is the father of Minnesota Twins pitcher, Randy Dobnak. The Dobnak family has had a whirlwind of a summer in 2019, as Randy made the improbable journey from Class-A ball to pitching for the Minnesota Twins in the American League Division Series. What an incredible ride! Rick has some really fun stories to tell about what it has been like to live every baseball dad's dream!
Be sure to SUBSCRIBE and SHARE The Coaching Life Podcast with others! Help us spread the word through social media, word of mouth, or whatever means possible. As always, thanks f...2019-10-1449 minThe Coaching Life Podcast12: Myth-Busting at the Youth BallparkYou hear them at every game, it seems. Someone yells a coaching cue from the bleachers. A coach or parent gets on an umpire about a rule violation they think the official missed. But do we all really know the truth about what we are arguing regarding the rules? Are we really sure that the coaching cues we are shouting are actually the best advice for the players?
In this episode, Pat and Chris have some fun discussing a few of the rules myths and odd coaching advice that many people who attend youth ballgames just assume a...2019-10-071h 06
The Coaching Life Podcast11: Coach Kenzie Roark - Ohio University SoftballIn the studio for Episode 11 is Kenzie Roark, head softball coach for the Ohio University Bobcats. At the time of this recording, Coach Roark is in her second season as Head Softball Coach for the Ohio University Bobcats. In her first season, she put up a very impressive record of 34-21 (12-8 in the Mid American Conference), and entered the MAC post-season tournament as the 3 seed and went on to win their first three games, putting them in winner’s bracket for the Championship game, but Toledo was able to win two in a row and end the Cats se...2019-09-3058 minThe Coaching Life Podcast10: Helicopter ParentsFor our 10th episode of The Coaching Life Podcast, the guys respond to some questions and comments they have received from listeners. If you have any questions or topics that you would like to hear Chris and Pat address on the show, please reach out to us at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com. You can also comment or direct message us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife.
Also, be sure to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you don't miss any new episodes. Thanks for joining the conversation, and thanks for sharing it with others! 2019-09-2349 min
The Coaching Life Podcast9: Coach Austin Dunfee - Getting Recruited to Play In CollegeJoining us for Episode 9 is Austin Dunfee. Austin comes on the show to speak as one who fully understands the value of "development." Austin attended Shawnee State University. As a pitcher for the Bears, he still holds the University’s records for career wins (27), strikeouts in a season (82), and complete games in a season (13). During his time playing at Shawnee, his teams brought home one conference title and one championship title. Austin also played summer ball in the Great Lakes Summer Collegiate League for the Southern Ohio Copperheads, and in 2011 finished that summer season with a 0.48 ERA. After playing fo...2019-09-161h 02The Coaching Life PodcastBONUS Episode - Strength Training Young AthletesOur second BONUS episode comes from receiving several requests to go into more detail about strength and conditioning. So, Chris and Pat sat down and discussed their thoughts on strength training young male and female athletes. The guys talk about everything from training 7 and 8 year olds to outlining a sample high school softball and baseball strength program.
Please reach out to us at TheCoachingLifePodcast@gmail.com. You can also comment or direct message us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife. Also, be sure to hit the SUBSCRIBE button so you don't miss any new episodes. Thanks for joining the conversation, a...2019-09-121h 04
The Coaching Life Podcast8: Brock Stewart - From Youth to CollegeOur first guest on The Coaching Life Podcast is Brock Stewart, the son of co-host Chris Stewart. Brock is a college baseball player at Alderson Broaddus University, an NCAA DII school in Philippi, WV. Some of the conversation topics Pat and Chris discuss with Brock are:
Recruiting and what are the most important things a high school athlete can do to get recruited to play college ball
Some of the biggest differences between high school ball and college ball
A day in the life of a college athlete
The role travel ball plays in recruitment
Playing with friends vs...2019-09-0949 minThe Coaching Life Podcast7: PDP - Calendar Year In Player Development (November-July)BONUS EPISODE: This is Part Two of mapping out a sample year in the life of a Player Development Program. In this episode Chris and Pat continue walking through the calendar months of November through July, discussing the various things that might be occurring organizationally in a Player Development Program.
Please SUBSCRIBE and please SHARE the show with others. You can do so through social media, word of mouth, or whatever means possible. And, if you would be so kind as to leave a review in whatever podcast app you use, that would be wonderful, and it w...2019-09-0548 minThe Coaching Life Podcast6: PDP - Calendar Year In Player Development (August-October)This is Part One of a two-part episode in which Chris and Pat map out a sample year in the life of a Player Development Program. In this episode the guys begin in the month of August and walk us through various activities that would be offered through October. Be sure to look for Part 2 (Episode 7) for discussion on what would happen in the months of November through July.
Please SUBSCRIBE and please SHARE the show with others. You can do so through social media, word of mouth, or whatever means possible. And, if you would be s...2019-09-0236 minThe Coaching Life PodcastBONUS Episode - Mistake AvoidanceChris and Pat join in a remote conversation about how teams, families, businesses, etc. can tend to create a culture of mistake avoidance. This idea for a quick, raw BONUS episode came after watching an interview on WOUB Bobcat Sports Showcase. To see the full interview and a lot of other great coverage of the Ohio University Bobcats athletic teams, visit @BobcatShowcase on Twitter.
Also, in this episode we discuss Chris's book, Building Champions: Coaching, Parenting and Playing To Win in What Really Matters. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the book, you may o...2019-08-2924 minThe Coaching Life Podcast5: PDP - Unstructured Free Play and Other Practice IdeasPat shares a theory that may help explain part of the problem with today's youth ball structures. Something is missing, an important piece of the natural maturation process as kids are learning to play sports. The guys discuss some ideas for how to help bring some of those missing dynamics back into today's practices and team activities.
If you are enjoying listening to the show, please be sure to SUBSCRIBE and please be sure to SHARE it with others, through social media, word of mouth, or whatever means you can. Also, if you have anything you would l...2019-08-2632 minThe Coaching Life Podcast4: PDP - Coach Collaboration, Working Together for the KidsChris and Pat discuss the value of coaches working together in a Player Development Program in order to train themselves to be the best they can be... for the kids' sake. Whenever we keep in the forefront of our minds that everything we do is to help the kids have the most meaningful and memorable experience playing youth sports that they can possibly have, then we are living out the mission of PDP. 2019-08-1937 minThe Coaching Life Podcast3: PDP - Practice Coaching vs Game CoachingChris and Pat continue the conversation about the Player Development Program by emphasizing a major component of the motivation behind PDP: LOVING PRACTICE. Being energized by practice. Coaching practice well. But this one is not just conceptual. In this episode Chris and Pat describe a very specific way to make a common part of practice more effective and engaging. 2019-08-1236 minThe Coaching Life Podcast2: PDP - Training the CoachPDP = Player Development Program. Chris and Pat begin laying the foundation for a Player Development Program model for youth baseball and softball. 2019-08-0532 minThe Coaching Life Podcast1: Introduction to The Coaching LifePilot episode for The Coaching Life Podcast. Chris Stewart and Pat Martin discuss a plan for helping to improve the landscape of youth sports, especially youth baseball and softball. It starts with providing support and training for coaches as well as parents, and it continues with generating an energy and love for the development of young players. This is just the beginning. Come join the conversation with us. 2019-07-2931 min