Shows
Way of Champions Podcast# 427 Dr. Haley Perlus, Performance Psychologist: Competitiveness is a Skill, and Thoughts Don't Have to Become ThingsDr. Haley Perlus (@drhaleyperlus) is a Performance Psychology expert, speaker, and author specializing in helping business leaders, entrepreneurs, and high achievers apply the mental strategies of elite athletes to reach peak performance. With a Ph.D. in Sport Psychology and certifications in coaching, fitness, and nutrition, she transforms high-stress environments into arenas for success. A former high level ski racer, her expertise has been sought after by top athletes, Fortune 500 companies, and top executives looking to master mental resilience, sustain focus under pressure, and turn obstacles into opportunities. She is the author of Personal Podium: How to Use Your M...2025-05-0155 minWay of Champions Podcast#426 Sam Morse, US World Cup Downhill Skier, on the Mindset of "Skiing Wicked Fast" and Finding an Identity Outside of SportSam Morse (@sammorseski) began skiing at age 23 months on the slopes of Sugarloaf. Nicknamed “Moose” for his solidness and Maine woods roots, he followed in his brother Ben’s foot steps to Carrabassett Valley Academy and then onto the US Ski Team. The 10 year veteran speed specialist on the US Ski Team, first broke onto the world stage when he became the Jr. World’s Downhill Champion in 2017, and he has continued his progress with top 10 finishes and a continual rise in the FIS points ranking. Also an avid climber, kayaker, and all around sports person, Morse is also involved a...2025-04-241h 05Way of Champions Podcast#425 How to Win the Inside Game Through Clarity, Purpose and Belonging with Author and Coach Steve MagnessSteve Magness (@stevemagness) is a world-renowned expert on performance. He is the author of the new book Win the Inside Game: How to Move from Surviving to Thriving, and Free Yourself Up to Perform. He is the author of the bestselling Do Hard Things, coauthor of Peak Performance. The Passion Paradox, and the author of The Science of Running. Collectively his books have sold more than three quarters of a million copies. Magness has served as a performance coach to numerous professional sporting teams, executives, entrepreneurs, artists, and more. He's worked with Olympians, athletes from every professional sports...2025-04-171h 19Way of Champions Podcast#424 Raymond Verheijen, 4x World Cup and EURO's Coach, on the Importance of Fitness Training Within Sport Context, Overuse Injuries, Periodization of Training, and Managing Load When Athletes Play up an Age (replay)Raymond Verheijen (@raymondverheije) is a world renowned fitness coach and has been involved as an assistant in 4 World Cups and 4 EURO’s working under Legendary Dutch coach Gus Hiddink, as well as working with several European top clubs like FC Barcelona, Chelsea and Manchester City. As a youth player Verheijen was part of the famous Dutch Youth Academy structure. Unfortunately, his dream of a professional career ended as a chronic injury forced him to retire at the young age of 18. This disadvantage became an advantage as Verheijen started his coaching career at the age of 19. He studied Exercise...2025-04-111h 30Way of Champions Podcast#423 Mark Bennett MBE, Former British Commando and Founder of PDS Coaching on The Rule of Three, and How Coaching Behaviors is the Key to ExcellenceMark Bennett (@pdscoach) is one of our most popular all-time guests, and for good reason. His coaching methodology through PDS Coaching has influenced countless teams and coaches throughout the NBA, MLB, professional rugby, soccer and Olympic and World Championships. John has had the pleasure of working with Mark, and it changed him forever as a coach. Mark has extensive experience working with the elite British military as a training designer, manager, coach, & senior instructor. He has also worked with both individual & team elite professional & amateur sports globally, including full seasons, & world, Paralympic, & Olympic preparation. Additionally, he has p...2025-04-041h 19Way of Champions Podcast#420 Breanne Smedley, 4x State Champion Volleyball Coach on Incorporating Mental Training Into Every PracticesCoach Breanne Smedley is a 14-year head coach, 4x state champion, certified mental performance coach, and co-founder of The Elite Competitor. She helps coaches build mentally tough, connected, and resilient teams so they can consistently compete at a championship level. After stepping into her first head coaching role fresh out of college, she quickly realized that while she knew the game, there was no playbook for the challenges that truly make or break a program—team culture, leadership development, and mental toughness. Determined to bridge that gap, she became a certified mental performance coach and co-founded The Eli...2025-03-141h 01Way of Champions Podcast#419 Dr. Jamie Taylor on Sport Skill Acquisition, Coach Development, and the Keys to Designing Effective, Engaging and Challenges PracticesJamie Taylor, PhD (@Jattaylor) earned a doctorate in psychology from the University of Edinburgh in 2020. He is currently an assistant professor and lecturer in coaching and elite performance at Dublin City University. As a senior coach developer at Grey Matters UK, Taylor offers ongoing contributions to the development of coaches and coach supporters in athletics, netball, rugby union, football, adventure sports, and the Special Olympics. He has worked with over 150 coaches in a developmental capacity and consulted across a wide range of sports and contexts, including Olympic and Paralympic programs. While working with the English Institute of Sport, Taylor...2025-03-1358 minWay of Champions Podcast#418 Rob Ramseyer, Founder of the Impactful Coaching Project, on Leading and Coaching the 21st Century AthleteDr. Rob Ramseyer is the Vice President of Athletics and Strategic Expansion at Friends University, where he oversees 24 teams and also serves as a member of the President’s Cabinet. Under his leadership the athletic department has reached many milestones both on-and-off the field including two Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference Commissioners Cups (KCAC), many teams qualifying for post-season play yearly, record fundraising, and helping lead the first capital campaign in nearly 30 years for Friends University. During his tenure the athletes have exceed a cumulative 3.0 GPA each year. Dr. Ramseyer has been named the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athle...2025-02-271h 10Way of Champions Podcast#416 Jonah Oliver, World Renowned Performance Psychologist, on Taking Positive Action Instead of Waiting for Positive ThoughtsIn this replay from May of 2022, John interviews Jonah Oliver (@jonah_oliver1) one of Australia’s leading performance psychologists. Combining his training in sport psychology and neuroscience, Jonah brings a unique, simple and effective approach to facilitating peak performance. Over the past two decades he has worked with a wide variety of clients: ranging from professional golfers (caddying on the PGA tour), Olympic athletes, professional soccer teams, AFL clubs (Gold Coast Suns Football Club, Essendon Football Club), car racing teams (Porsche – Le Mans World Champion) elite tennis players and coaches, indigenous performing artists, and endurance triathletes to name just a fe...2025-02-151h 09Way of Champions Podcast#415 Damian DiGiulian, St Michaels College Ice Hockey Head Coach, on the Current State of Youth Sports and Being a Great Assistant CoachDamian DiGiulian is in his his 13th season as the men's ice hockey head coach at St Michaels College in Vermont. DiGiulian has also coached in the USA Hockey development system and at NCAA Division I and III as assistant coach at University of Vermont and Middlebury. John and Damian worked together at UVM from 1999-2003. DiGiulian has led the Purple Knights to a pair of Northeast-10 Conference regular-season co-championships and five league tournament title games during his tenure. Two of DiGiulian's student-athletes were honored as winners of the 2017 Hockey Humanitarian Award, with Danny Divis '17 and Ju...2025-02-081h 05Way of Champions Podcast#414 Meredith Civico, Rutgers Field Hockey Head Coach, on Taking Your Core Values from the Wall to the Ball This week we welcome Meredith Civico to the podcast, a coach who worked with Jerry as a 2005 national champion player at Maryland and whose program currently works with John. She enters her 14th season at the helm of the Rutgers field hockey program in the fall of 2025. She has won 135 games in that time, reaching at least nine wins in 10 different seasons and leading the team to three NCAA Tournament appearances and the 2021 Big Ten Tournament Title. Since Meredith and John began working together in 2018, the Knights have 43 wins over Top 20 teams, including 3 top 10 wins in 2024. The Knights finished t...2025-01-311h 15Way of Champions Podcast#413 2024 NCAA Champion Vermont Men's Soccer Coaches Rob Dow and Brad ColeAs John has spoken of many times on this podcast, he spent 1999-2002 coaching soccer at University of Vermont. So needless to say when the Catamounts won the 2024 NCAA Championship, he was over the moon. And he was even more excited when Head Coach Rob Dow and Associate Head Coach Brad Cole agreed to join him on the podcast. 2024 was Head Coach Rob Dow’s 8th as Head Coach and 13th overall at Vermont, and it was a doozy, winning his second America East Championship and oh yeah, the 2024 NCAA Championship in thrilling fashion. In eight seasons at t...2025-01-231h 08
Treasures of our TownThe SHORTEST Travel Tours on the internet! - w/ John from OneminutetoursSend us a textOur listeners are in for a treat as we welcome John O’Sullivan, the mastermind behind One Minute Tours. John shares his journey as a tour guide and how he transitioned this experience into compelling short-form content that highlights the hidden gems of Minnesota and beyond. We discuss his approach to storytelling, the significance of connecting with local history, and the exciting launch of his new TV show, "Hidden Middle." • Exploring the essence of quick storytelling in travel content • The importance of humor and connection in tours • John’s journey to...2025-01-061h 02Way of Champions Podcast#408 Marginal Gains are Dead with Mehdi Kordi, Olympic and World Champion Cycling CoachMehdi Kordi has led the Dutch track riders to nine different Olympic medals including six Gold and 16 World Championships titles over 8 different athletes all on a fraction of the budget of their rivals. Interestingly Mehdi has never ridden a competitive bicycle race at any level or discipline. Prior to coaching the Dutch, Mehdi had a convoluted career where he only got into sporting world in his mid-twenties by doing a PhD which examined the training sciences to help optimise the performance of track riders in the Great Britain cycling team. Subsequently, he went on to become their sport scientist...2024-12-201h 10Way of Champions Podcast#404 Doug Lemov, Author of The Coach's Guide to Teaching and Practice Perfect (Replay)This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we dive into the archives with author Doug Lemov. Doug is the author of the international bestseller Teach Like a Champion, Teach Like a Champion 2..0 and Practice Perfect. He is one of the foremost teacher educators in the world, and recently he has branched into the world of coach education. He now consults with Major League Baseball teams and is an instructor for the US Soccer professional licenses. His most recent book The Coach’s Guide to Teaching is a “must read” for any serious coach. In our conversation, John and Doug break...2024-11-191h 31Way of Champions Podcast#403 Anson Dorrance on his Retirement as Head Coach of 21x NCAA Champs UNC Women's Soccer, Self Awareness, and Being a Truth Teller to Your Athletes (Part 1)Anson Dorrance recently stepped down as Head Coach the University of North Carolina Women’s Soccer program. In his career spanning 1979-2024, he won over 1100 games, 21 NCAA Championships, 7x NCAA Coach of the Year awards, 12 ACC Coach of the Year Awards, and even one NCAA Men's Coach of the Year award. He also led the US Women’s National Team to the 1991 World Cup Championship. He has published 3 books (Vision of a Champion, The Man Watching, and Training Soccer Champions) and has a wonderful podcast where he interviews the best of the best, the Vision of a Champion Podcast: h...2024-11-141h 04Way of Champions Podcast#402 How to Build and Exceptional Youth Sports Club with Mike Kelleher and Derek Broadley of Charleston SCThis week on the podcast, we dive into the qualities of an exceptional youth sports experience with Mike Kelleher and Derek Broadley of Charleston SC in South Carolina. We discuss the importance of vision and core principles, the need for a curriculum that coaches of all abilities can implement, how to get buy in from coaches who do not want to follow the club plan, engaging parents, and the importance of high quality player evaluations and effective feedback. Mike Keller is the CEO of Charleston SC, and previous president of the Charleston Battery of the USL. He s...2024-11-071h 28Way of Champions Podcast#401 2x Olympic Champion Ashton Eaton and 2x Olympian Gabriel Costano on the Importance of Their Multi-Sport Childhoods, the Character Lessons Learned from Sports, and Transitioning to the Workforce After Professional AthleticsAshton Eaton is a 2x Olympic Gold Medalist (2012 and 2016) and a 5x World indoor and outdoor champion in the decathlon. He was the former world record holder in the decathlon and still holds the world record for the heptathlon. At the University of Oregon, he was a 5x NCAA champion and all American. Yet he grew up in Central Oregon a multi-sport athlete who only learned about the decathlon as a senior in high school when he was considering going to play Division III college football. Gabriel Castaño is a graduate of Penn State University and a...2024-10-311h 19Way of Champions Podcast#400 Phil Jackson, 13x NBA Champion Coach and Player on Coaching Jordan, Kobe and Shaq, Lessons from Vince Lombardi, and MoreIt is hard to believe but we have reached episode 400 of the Way of Champions Podcast, and we wanted an incredible guest to celebrate this momentous occasion. Enter Phil Jackson, a 2x NBA Champion as a player with the NY Knicks and an 11x NBA Champion coach with the Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers. He coached all time greats such as Michal Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Kobe Bryant and Shaq, was one of the first coaches to bring meditation and mindfulness practices into professional sports, and so much more. In our conversation today, recorded for the 2023 Way of Champions Conference...2024-10-241h 18Way of Champions Podcast#399 Acacia Walker-Weinstein, 2x NCAA Champion Coach of Boston College Women's LacrosseAcacia Walker-Weinstein joins us this week on the Way of Champions, continuing our October run of champion coaches. Walker is the Head Women's Lacrosse coach at Boston College, the 2024 NCAA Champions. As either a player or coach, Walker has participated in 20 of the last 21 NCAA Tournaments and was a part of Northwestern’s three consecutive NCAA titles from 2006-08 as an assistant coach. Since becoming head coach in 2012, she has led BC to 7 final fours, national titles in '24 and '21, three ACC regular-season titles and two ACC championships. She has coached three Terwaaraton Award winners, 35 All Americans and is...2024-10-171h 20Way of Champions Podcast#398 Frank Busch, Hall of Fame University of Arizona and Team USA Olympic Swimming CoachIn the world of swimming, you would be hard pressed to find a coach whose resume matches that of American Swim Coaches Association Hall of Famer Frank Busch. As a collegiate coach at The University of Arizona, his teams won 2 NCAA Championships and his swimmers won a combined 80 individual and relay national championships. He was a 6x NCAA coach of the year and 11x Pac 12 coach of the year. He retired from Arizona in 2011 and became an assistant coach for Team USA for the 2004 and 2008 Olympics, and then National Team Director for the 2012 and 2016 games. During those two games...2024-10-101h 07Way of Champions Podcast#396 The Champion Sports Parent: Practical Wisdom for Raising Confident, Competitive, Mentally Tough AthletesIn this weeks episode, John and Jerry discuss their brand new book The Champion Sports Parent: Practical Wisdom for Raising Confident, Competitive, Mentally Tough Athletes. They wrote this book as a companion to last year's The Champion Teammate, so that parents can best support their children along their athletic journey. Many parents have grown frustrated by the youth sports industrial complex and want to know how to create an exceptional sporting journey for your athletes. They have you heard about concepts such as confidence, mental toughness, and competitiveness, but are not quite sure how to help their athletic child d...2024-09-271h 13Way of Champions Podcast#394 Ted Kroeten, Founder of Joy of the People, on the Massive Importance of Free Play in Athletic DevelopmentIn this replay from 2019, John talks with Ted Kroeten (@Joyofthepeople), founder of Joy of the People, a free play soccer program in Minnesota. Kroeten leads the way in rethinking and delivering player development always championing kids and possibilities based on his experienced, dedicated, and innovative soccer career. Joy of the People’s mission statement provides a clear idea of what they’re attempting to provide: To support the idea of play as an important part of a child’s development, to build small soccer spaces for kids to play, to serve disadvantaged youth, and to build community spirit. Here are some hig...2024-09-201h 07Way of Champions Podcast#394 Juwan Brescacin, Professional Football Player and 2x CFL Grey Cup ChampionJuwan Brescacin (@jbrescacinjones82) is a former collegiate football player at Northern Illinois University and the 15th overall Canadian Football League draft pick in 2016. He played 8 years professionally in Canada, winning two Grey Cups (2018 and 2022) before retiring and founding the High Point Athletes Foundation. Today he is pursuing a masters in psychology while mentoring young athletes and teaching them the mental and physical skills needed to exceed on and off the field. In our chat today, we discuss Juwan's athletic journey, overcoming devastating injuries, being mentored as a young athlete, and winning his final Grey Cup as a senior player...2024-09-121h 08Way of Champions Podcast#378 John and Jerry Discuss our New Book The Champion Sports Parent, Managing Loss and Disappointment, and MoreWelcome to a new edition of one of our famous fireside chats, where John and Jerry discuss some of the common questions we receive. This week we are discussing our new book The Champion Sports Parent, which will be released in late summer. The book is a companion to our 2023 bestseller The Champion Teammate, and is a guide to help parents be the best they can be for their kids. We break down some of the chapters and themes and ways parents can help their athletes perform their best and become a champion teammate while using sports to fulfill a...2024-05-2358 minWay of Champions Podcast#332 Dr Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan On Being a Mindful Coach and Leading with Intention, Influence, Inspiration, Instinct and InsightThis week on the podcast, John and Jerry break down Jerry's newest book, The Mindful Coach: Leading with Intention, Instinct, Influence, Inspiration and Insight. The book is a wonderful read with short lessons around incredibly critical components of mindful leadership, We pay special attention to egolessness and detachment, two qualities that are not discussed enough in the realm of leadership. The book also contains 99 questions for the reader to answer that are at times challenging, yet very insightful and will help you discover your why, what and how of exceptional coaching. REGISTRATION FOR 2023 WOC CLOSES JULY 14! The 2023 Way...2023-07-071h 07Way of Champions Podcast#326 The Champion Teammate: John and Jerry Discuss the Launch of their New Book, Why They Wrote it, and Their Favorite ChaptersThis is a very special episode of the podcast this week as John and Jerry celebrate the release of their brand new book The Champion Teammate: Timeless Lessons to Connect, Compete and Lead in Sports and Life. We are so excited for this collaboration, as it is the book all of our teams have been asking for the last few years; a book they can read together, study together, and have great group discussions about to help shape their culture, develop leaders, and build a stronger team bond. In this episode we break down the reasons why we...2023-05-261h 16Way of Champions Podcast#319 A Mediterranean Tapas Chat with Todd Beane of TOVO Academy, Skye Eddy of Soccer Parenting, and John O'Sullivan of Changing the Game ProjectThis week we bring you a special episode recorded in Sitges, Spain with TOVO Academy Founder Todd Beane (@_ToddBeane), Soccer Parenting founder Skye Eddy (@SoccerParenting), and John. We all happened to cross paths in Spain when John's team was participating in a training week at TOVO, and we took the opportunity to have a few tapas and record our conversation. It's a wonderful conversation about coaching, challenging your athletes, accountability, parent engagement, and so much more. This is an unstructured, unplanned conversation, so its like you are a fly on the wall (just waiting to see if there is...2023-04-071h 19Way of Champions Podcast#313 Some Thoughts on Parent Engagement, Building Trusted Relationships, and Coach/Parent/Athlete Accountability with John O'SullivanThis week John shares his thoughts after two weeks on the road visiting college teams and conducting some parent and coach workshops on some topics that have come up a lot recently. Quite a few coaches have asked about parent engagement and how to work with those parents who just don't get it, and John shares his ideas around building trust, and making deposits in the trust bank so you can make withdrawals at a later date when you do screw up, or have to be a bit more demanding. He discusses his thoughts on communication, some tools to...2023-02-2820 minWay of Champions Podcast#300 John Kessel Returns: "If You Coach the Person, the Skill Will Develop; if you Coach the Skill the Person May Not."Thank you for helping us reach 300 episodes of the podcast! To celebrate we will go to one of our earliest guests, and great friend of our work John Kessel. John recently retired from USA Volleyball (USAV), where he had worked since 1985, most recently as the Director of Sport Development. He is one of the most sought after coach educators and speakers in the coach development space. John served as the staff liaison for Disabled Programs, USA Deaf Olympic Teams, Starlings USA, National Parks and Recreation Assoc., the YMCA and over 30 other Affiliated Organizations working with USAV. He was Secretary...2022-11-251h 07Way of Champions Podcast#296 John and Jerry Ask Us Anything Episode: Using Exercise as Punishment, Do We Need a National Sports Ministry, When is is the Right Time to Quit My Coaching Job, and MoreThis week on the podcast, Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan answer some questions sent to us by our Patreon Podcast Champions. These are our biggest supporters, and we gave them the chance to ask us anything. The most popular type of questions revolved around some recent topics, including: using physical exercise as punishment do we need a national sports governing body in the US? If my club or school does not align with my values when I am coaching, should I leave? How do we improve grassroots coaching, and what should we teach them first? We had...2022-10-281h 03Way of Champions Podcast#286 John Kessel, Former USA Volleyball Director of Sport Development: "Lines Teach You How but the Game Teaches You Why!"John Kessel (@JohnKesselUSAV) is the recently retired Director of Sport Development for USA Volleyball and one of the most sought after coach educators and sport developers in the world. John has been coaching since 1971 at the collegiate level or above, including Women’s U.S. Open titles in 1986 & 1987, Disabled Programs, USA Deaf Olympic Teams, Starlings USA, National Parks and Recreation Assoc., the YMCA and over 30 other Affiliated Organizations working with USAV. He was Secretary of the NORCECA Technical and Coaches Commission, and Director of Development for World ParaVolley. He was Team Leader for the 2000 USA Olympic Beach Volleyball Teams in...2022-08-191h 10Way of Champions Podcast#273 Dan Abrahams, Sport Psychologist, on Creating a Mental Framework, Stomping the ANTS, and Improving Your Inner Dialogue (replay)Dan Abrahams is a sport psychologist who works alongside individuals, teams, coaches and organizations globally. He is known for his passion to de-mystify sport psychology and for creating simple to use performance techniques. A former professional golfer and PGA qualified, Dan has a First Class Honors degree in Psychology and a Masters degree in Sport Psychology. Dan is the author of several sport psychology books as well as the host of The Sports Psych Podcast, one of our personal favorites .Dan is a returning guest to the show (see episode #003) and it was again an incredible conversation. We discuss ways...2022-05-201h 22Way of Champions Podcast#272 Jonah Oliver, Performance Psychologist, on Taking Positive Action, Building Capacity to Embrace Pressure, and Finding Your Why in Order to Perform Your BestJonah Oliver (@jonah_oliver1) is one of Australia’s leading performance psychologists. Combining his training in sport psychology and neuroscience, Jonah brings a unique, simple and effective approach to facilitating peak performance. Over the past two decades he has worked with a wide variety of clients: ranging from professional golfers (caddying on the PGA tour), Olympic athletes, professional soccer teams, AFL clubs (Gold Coast Suns Football Club, Essendon Football Club), car racing teams (Porsche – Le Mans World Champion) elite tennis players and coaches, indigenous performing artists, and endurance tri-athletes to name just a few. He specializes in the...2022-05-131h 09Way of Champions Podcast#271: Dan Coyle, NYT Bestselling Author on Culture, Zero Tolerance for Brilliant Jerks, and Establishing a Playbook for Building Safety, Vulnerability, and Shared PurposeDaniel Coyle (@DanileCoyle) is the New York Times bestselling author of The Culture Code, The Talent Code, The Little Book of Talent, The Secret Race, Lance Armstrong’s War, and Hardball: A Season in the Projects. Coyle works as an advisor to the Cleveland Guardians of MLB, as well as numerous teams in sports, business and the military throughout the globe. We had Dan on the podcast back in May 2018 when he released his book The Culture Code, and we are excited to have him back on this week to discuss his newest book The Culture Playbook, a practical guide...2022-05-061h 02Way of Champions Podcast#254 How to Avoid Burnout, Find Balance, and Refire in 2022: A Fireside Chat with John O'Sullivan and Dr. Jerry Lynch2021 was a tough year for all of us. 2022 is not starting out any easier. So many coaches have told us that they feel exhausted, at wits end, burned out, frustrated, and more. That's why Jerry Lynch and I decided to kick off 2022 with one of our Fireside Chats and to discuss avoiding burnout, finding balance, and not just resetting but re-firing in 2022. If you are new to our podcast, Dr. Jerry Lynch is our sometime co-host and Founder of Way of Champions. He is the author of 14 books and one of the leading sports and performance psychologists i...2022-01-071h 00Way of Champions Podcast#220 Surviving and Thriving During Tryout Season with John O'Sullivan and Jerry LynchThis past week, John has been assisting his local competitive soccer club with their annual tryouts, and like most years, tryouts are a trying time! How do you balance the "as many as possible, as long as possible" philosophy with facility shortages, lack of trained coaches, and the fact that competitive teams and leagues require different levels of commitments than some are willing to make? How do athletes prepare mentally to perform their best? How can parents support their kids during this time? How do you support the child who gets cut or moved to a new team? And...2021-05-161h 13Way of Champions Podcast#215 "The Children are Listening!" How to Build Psychological Capital with Your Athletes with John YeagerThe children are listening, they are paying attention, and they need us more than ever. That is what our guest this week John Yeager is telling us. John Yeager is a positive psychology consultant and performance coach who works with coaches and athletes at the youth, high school, college, Olympic, and professional levels. As a former elite athlete, John was both collegiate and professional Lacrosse Player and is a member of the New England Lacrosse Hall of Fame. He has also been a coach and currently is the chief education officer at Yeager Leadership, his presentations and training programs...2021-04-101h 06Way of Champions PodcastFireside Chat w/ John, Jerry, James, and some Podcast ChampionsThis week on the 200th episode of the Way of Champions Podcast we invite a few of our Podcast Champions to ask questions to John, Jerry, and James. It has been a wonderful journey the last few years to spend time with some of the best minds in the sports community. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for your support and for allowing us to be a part of your own athletic journey. The questions below were what was asked but so much more was discussed! For an invitation to be on the next time we bring on o...2020-12-271h 28Way of Champions PodcastHow to Support Your Athlete's Mental Health: A Fireside Chat with John and JerryThis week John and Jerry host a fireside chat to discuss the mental health and well being of our athletes. For many kids, this month brings a close to their Fall sports season, and with many winter sports shut down (wrestling, basketball) many of our athletes may be experiencing more social isolation than ever before. We have been told by many parents that if it were not for sports this summer and fall, their son or daughter would have really been struggling. A University of Wisconsin study in May found that 65% of young athletes were experiencing anxiety symptoms, and 68% w...2020-11-151h 11
Eyes Up Mindset23. Changing the Game: Rediscover your Joy with John O'SullivanCheck out EYES UP MINDSET: https://linktr.ee/eyesupmindset
Internationally renowned author and speaker John O'Sullivan joins the Eyes Up Mindset Podcast to discuss concepts from his books, TEDx talk, and personal experiences. We explore what it means to give the ownership of youth sports back to the athletes, finding joy, and building community.
John started the Changing the Game Project in 2012 after two decades as a soccer player and coach on the youth, high school, college and professional level. He is the author of two #1 bestselling books, Changing the Game: The Parents Guide to Ra...2020-10-0533 minWay of Champions PodcastLeaders Create Culture. Culture Drives Behavior. Behavior Produces Results" with Tim Kight of Focus 3This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome Leadership Expert Tim Kight. Tim founded Focus 3 in the mid-80’s in Southern California, a life-long student of elite performance with the passion and drive to help organizations achieve their goals. In his college days, Tim transferred from Ohio State to UCLA while running Track. It was at UCLA that he witnessed John Wooden win his 9th and 10th national championship. An experience that instilled a great curiosity in Tim as to what distinguishes elite performers from average performers. A question he’s pursued answering ever since that moment. The answ...2020-09-271h 00
For The Good Of The GameS1, E24 | John O'Sullivan - Every Moment MattersThe fourth and final "Special Feature" episode (E24) of Season 1 is my interview with John O'Sullivan, founder of Changing The Game Project! This episode is unique, because it is "all about coaching" as captured in John's book Every Moment Matters!John's book and our discussion both go way beyond the boundaries of any specific sport and get to the heart of how great coaches connect with athletes and build great teams! This book is a "must read" for any coach at any level, but most certainly anyone just getting started. John's experience as...2020-04-2044 minWay of Champions PodcastHow to Support Your Athletes During COVID-19John O’Sullivan and James Leath get together and do a free webinar about how to support your kids and your athletes during these uncertain times. First, John shares practical advice about what you should do to help kids cope with what is going on, including defining success, being careful not to rupture any relationships, and do whatever you can to build a sense of purpose and responsibility. Then, James shares from a previous webinar about how to create a virtual practice session with your athletes, from creating a group chat, to choosing a video platform, to organizing the session. To watch the rep...2020-03-221h 08Way of Champions PodcastHow to Coach Your Own Child: An Excerpt from Every Moment MattersThis week, John will be reading a chapter from his new book Every Moment Matters on "How to Coach Your Own Child." It is estimated that over 80% of coaches at one time or another coach their own child, yet this unique dynamic is never discussed in coaching education classes, and rarely mentioned by Park and Recreation and Coachign Directors when they send their army of volunteer parents out to coach every season. Yet understanding the dynamic, and some essential do's and don't, can be critical to making sure that you have a successful season when coaching your own kids. After th...2020-02-2354 minWay of Champions PodcastRaising Strong, Resilient Girls through Positive Psychology with author and coach Lani Silversides This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome, Lani Silversides. Lani is a former Division I athlete, current high school mathematics teacher, high school varsity and youth coach, sport psychology enthusiast, avid photographer and mother of two. We dive into transitioning from high school to college sports, the importance of understanding sport psychology as a coach, tips on coaching female athletes, and we also spend some time talking about her book, A Strong Girls' Guide to Being: Exercises and Inspiration for Becoming a Braver, Kinder, Healthier You Highlights from the Podcast: Lani talks about playing multiple sports growing up...2020-02-161h 09Way of Champions PodcastHow to Help Athletes Transition Out of Sports with former NFL player Phil CostaThis week we welcome Phil Costa, former NFL Player for the Dallas Cowboys. We dive into a question every athlete must eventually face when they come to the end of their plying career: "What now?” Phil shares his experience trying to remake himself after football is over, we discuss how sports prepares athletes for life, when the best time for an athlete to network is, and w also spend some time talking about his great book, The Transition Playbook for ATHLETES: How Elite Athletes WIN After Sports Highlights from the Podcast: Paul talks about how he came up with h...2020-02-0948 minWay of Champions PodcastThe Future Coach: Incorporating psychology into every session with EPL and Olympic Sport Psychologist Tom BatesThis week we welcome back to the podcast Sport Psychologist Tom Bates. Tom has over 15 years working with youth and senior domestic international athletes, coaches, managers and teams helping them to perform under pressure and be at their best when it matters the most. We discuss implementing sport psychology into daily practice, how to bring values to life on your team, and three questions every team needs to address when trying to improve the culture. We also spend some time talking about his great book, The Future Coach - Creating Tomorrow's Soccer Players Today: 9 Key Principles for Coaches from S...2020-02-021h 12Way of Champions Podcast"In Search of Greatness" with Film Director Gabe PolskyIf you have not yet watched In Search of Greatness, you will want to after this incredible discussion with the movie’s director Gabe Polsky. We dive deep into his time with some of the greatest athletes of our time, including Wayne Gretzky, Pelé, & Jerry Rice. The film also features Muhammad Ali, Einstein, David Bowie, Serena Williams, Michael Jordan among others. During our conversation, Gabe shares his insights about the film and his own observations about the status of youth sports and the journey some people go on to to becoming the greatest of all time. Highlight...2020-01-2858 minWay of Champions PodcastHow to Develop Thinking Players with 10x NCAA Champ and Lacrosse Legend Gary GaitHow do you get buy-in from athletes? Why is it important to not try and fit players into a system? How can being a creative thinker make you a better coach? Join us as we answer these questions and much more of Gary Gait, considered by many as the greatest lacrosse player of all-time. Gary is currently the head coach of the women's lacrosse team at Syracuse University. Gary has won championships as a collegiate and professional coach. When Gary was playing, he was a 4-time All-American at Syracuse and has been inducted into the United States Lacrosse Nat...2020-01-191h 13Way of Champions PodcastLandon Donovan and Carrie TaylorWe are super excited to have USMNT Legend and current SD Loyal Head Coach Landon Donovan on the podcast, joined by his assistant coach Carrie Taylor. Many of you know Donovan, the all time leading scorer for US Soccer, 6x MLS Champion, and the namesake of the Major League Soccer MVP award. Taylor is the only woman currently coaching professional soccer in the US, and is highly experienced on all levels of the game. In this great podcast, we cover a variety of topics. Highlights from the Podcast: How to create a positive environment for a pr...2020-01-121h 03Way of Champions PodcastBo Eason, NFL All Pro, Broadway star, and author of There is No Plan B for Your A GameFrom the football field, to the stage, to becoming a best-selling, author Bo Eason joins us on the Way of Champions Podcast to discuss peaking in youth sports, competing against difficult opponents, and the mentality it takes to be the best in the world. Highlights from the Podcast: Bo shares a defining moment in his life when he was told he was too small to play football Why most people are lousy at selecting future talent in young athletes Why don’t most high school stars go on to be professionals? What happens when NBA players reach their peak at 15-yea...2020-01-051h 10Way of Champions PodcastDr. Bob Weil, Sports Podiatrist, on Building a Foundation of Athletic ExcellenceIf the shoe fits, performance improves! That is the message our guest this week is so passionate about sharing. Dr. Bob Weil is a sports Podiatrist & host of “The Sports Doctor”, bbsradio.com/thesportsdoctor, a live weekly hour show featuring guests from all aspects of sports medicine, fitness & Wellness. We discuss Highlights from the Podcast: How does the way a shoe fits improve performance? What three things does Dr. Bob recommend when it comes to shoes? Chose the shoe that is designed for the sport. Be fitted properly. If there are constant concerns, consult a podiatrist. What role does genetics play in...2019-12-2948 minWay of Champions PodcastDr. Jay Martin, All-Time Winningest Men's Collegiate Soccer Coach Dr. Jay Martin, Head Men’s Soccer Coach for Ohio Wesleyan for the past 42 years is the winningest coach in college men’s soccer history. We talk with Coach Martin about the importance of making practice fun, how kids have changed in the past 43 years of coaching, and how to use player ideas to improv practice. Highlights from the Podcast: What brings Coach Martin back coaching after 4-+ years and two national championships? How have things changed in collegiate sports over the past 40+ years? The importance of creating an enticing practice. How does Coach Martin handle sport/academic conflicts? How have kids...2019-12-2249 minWay of Champions Podcast135 Chris Ritter of Ritter Sports Performance talks athlete development, strength training, building culture, and the multi-sport athleteThis week on the Way of Champions Podcast, John talks with Chris Ritter of Ritter Sports Performance. The conversation is full of great topics, including how to effectively motivate young athletes, bully coaching, and how a coach evolves over time. Chris Ritter has been coaching and inspiring others for over a decade. RITTER Sports Performance was created out of his desire to empower others to realize their true potential. With his experience as both a strength coach and swim coach, Chris has helped clients of all abilities and backgrounds achieve success, including Olympic Gold Medalists to grandmothers. His energy is fo...2019-10-061h 10Way of Champions Podcast#133 Highlight Episode: John and James break down the most interesting topics raised in recent interviews In this week’s episode we are changing it up a little bit. John and James go back a few episodes and discuss some of the major points from each interview. Some of the topics they dive into include what drives kids out of sports, if shaming bd sideline behavior is appropriate, and how to be a great parent/coach. Highlights from the Discussion: How making mistakes and showing vulnerability are valuable to coaches John shares a story about driving a child out of sport James shares a story about teaching a skill before demanding to see it during a ga...2019-09-221h 16Way of Champions Podcast#129 Win the Day with sport psychologist and Way of Champions founder Dr. Jerry LynchHow does picking values make us better coaches? What are ways coaches can increase influence? How do we find life balance as a coach? All this and so much more as we welcome back sports psychologist Dr. Jerry Lynch fresh from the 4th annual Way of Champions conference. Jerry has a new book out, culminating five decades of work into one of the bet best on coaching you will ever read. Highlights from the Discussion: Wrap up of the Way of Champions Conference in Denver, CO Why Jerry wrote “Win the Day" What Pete Carrol taught Steve Kerr about values Je...2019-08-251h 03Way of Champions Podcast#128 Can We Stop the Officials Shortage by Shaming Parents and Coaches? A Conversation with Referee Brian Barlow This week’s podcast guest is Brian Barlow, Oklahoma father and soccer referee Brian Barlow. On his facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/youreoffside/, Barlow calls out parents who are caught on tape displaying poor sportsmanship and offers $100 to people who submit the videos to bring attention to the pervasive problem of parents acting badly at youth sport games. Whether you agree with the shaming of this behavior or not, we can all agree that sideline behavior of fans is a big problem and is the leading cause to the shortage of refs in all sports. Other Highlights from the Discus...2019-08-1758 minWay of Champions PodcastBonus Episode: John and Jerry do a deep dive into the 2019 Way of Champions ConferenceIn this bonus episode, John and Jerry discuss the Way of Champions Conference in Denver, CO on August 2-4. Visit https://changingthegameproject.com/wocconference for more information! WOCERALYBIRD for $100 off (good until June 15, 2019) Discounts for students from 1/2 off Group discount, 1/2 off with 5 or more coaches Highlights from the Podcast: Why Jerry is learning Spanish Wining an “empty” championship How to get your best athletes to buy into a culture change New stuff for this year’s conference Building a great culture: connection, caring and core values Jerry shares a story about working with Steve Kerr and Pete Carrol Learn more about the 4t...2019-06-0755 minWay of Champions Podcast#103 How to Build a Model Youth Sports Organization with John Leutkemeyer, Kirkwood (MO) Youth HockeyJoin us as we talk toJohn 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 been coaching since 2005 and have four of his own sons go through the program he shares with us. Quick Announcements: Way of Champions Conference will be in Denver, CO on August 2-4. Visit https://changingthegameproject.com/wocconference for more information! Visit us on: Web: https://changingthegameproject.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ctgprojecthq Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChangingTheGameProject/ Instagram: https://www.in...2019-02-251h 23Way of Champions Podcast#99 How to Help your Teams Overcome Fear in “Must Win” Games: A Fireside Chat with John and Jerry Do your athletes struggle with the right frame of mind for the “big game”? Does the pressure of a “must win” have an effect on their pre-game mindset? Tune in to hear about some strategies for keeping a cool head win it is all “on the line”. Getting in Touch: Jerry: wayofchampions@gmail.com John: john@changingthegameproject.com Show Notes 3:00 Show up to win the day instead of win the game 17:30 What is spiritual talent? 27:30 When the massive underdog wins because t...2019-01-281h 07