Way Of Champions Podcast

This is a special episode of the podcast as Stuart and John got to record in person in Bend, Oregon after a 2 day work visit with a little ski adventure on the thrown in. He has been traveling the US speaking at the United Soccer Coaches Convention and working with the coaching staff of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL, and had a few days to spend in Bend before keynoting the Oregon Youth Soccer AGM. For those who do not know, Stuart has worked in sports development for the past 20 years. He has held positions in coach development, performance and talent development at England Golf, UK Coaching and the Rugby Football Union. Stuart is currently the Strategic Lead for Workforce Transformation at Sport England. He has been responsible for writing and publishing two national strategy documents, ‘Coaching in an Active Nation: The Coaching Plan for England’ and ‘Working in an Active Nation: The Professional Workforce Strategy for England’. Stuart is a highly regarded public speaker, having delivered keynote pre

This week we are doing something a little different on the podcast. We had a last minute guest cancellation, so this week we decided to discuss one of our recent blog posts that just went a but viral, "How Adults Take the Joy Out of Sports , and How We Can Fix It." The release of this blog coincided with the drama around the US Men's National Soccer team that gained international headlines when parents of a US Player (Gio Renya) made a complaint against the coach Gregg Berhalter after their son's behavior during the recent World Cup was called into question. This podcast is not a rehash of that situation, which is just incredibly sad on many levels. It is a discussion of the blog post and the ways in which parents can suck the joy out of sports, and a breakdown of the six things often loving parents and coaches do that lead kids to quit, burnout and dropout. They are: Parent Sideline Coaching Joystick coaching/yelling instructions from the sidelines Disrespecting officials Questioning the coach Commenting on

Vince Ganzberg is the Director of Coach Education for United Soccer Coaches, the largest soccer coaches association in the world. Ganzberg has earned his US Soccer A-License, United Soccer Coaches Premier Diploma, and National Youth License along with a Master’s Degree in recreation and sports science from Ohio University. He has honed his craft through his tenure as a United Soccer Coaches Education Instructor, US Soccer Coaching Instructor, and Coaching Education Consultant, including creating the first US Soccer “F” License. In 2018, Ganzberg received the US Youth Soccer Dr. Thomas Fleck Excellence in Youth Coaching Education Award. Ganzberg served many roles with US Youth Soccer, including being the former Indiana State Director of Coaching, which he was inducted into the Indiana Soccer Hall of Fame in 2015, and has served as a USYS Regional and National Coach. Prior to this he spent 14 years as a teacher, so he brings together not only a wealth of knowledge about the game, but about teaching and impartin

This week we dig into the archives from April 2017, when John sat down with world record holder and 2x Olympic Gold Medalist Ashton Eaton for some timeless advice for athletes of all sports and ages. Ashton Eaton is a retired American decathlete and two-time Olympic champion, who holds the world record in both the decathlon and indoor heptathlon events. Ashton competed for the University of Oregon, where he was a five-time NCAA champion, and won The Bowerman award in 2010. In 2011, he won the first international medal of his career, a silver, in the decathlon at the 2011 World Championships. The following year, Eaton broke his own world record in the heptathlon at the 2012 World Indoor Championships, and then broke the world record in the decathlon at the Olympic Trials. After setting the world record, Eaton won the gold medal at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London. He successfully defended his Olympic title in Rio 2016 by winning the decathlon gold medal and tying the Olympic record. Eaton is only the third O

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome Leadership Expert Tim Kight (@Focus3team). 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 answer for Tim was curated through observing and documenting the mindset and behavior patterns of elite performers. What was discovered was that elite performers think and behave differently because they’ve adopted a system.   In our interview, which first aired in September 2020, we cover a lot of Tim’s incredible material, including how leaders create culture, how to recognize a leader, his famous

Kim Barnes Arico finished her 10th season as the head coach of the University of Michigan Women's basketball team in 2021-22, leading the Maize and Blue to 25 wins and the first NCAA Elite Eight appearance in program history. Throughout her 10-year tenure, she has guided the Wolverines to at least 20 wins in nine seasons, five NCAA Tournament appearances, an NCAA Elite Eight appearance (2022), an NCAA Sweet 16 appearance (2021) and the 2017 WNIT Championship. Barnes Arico is the winningest coach in program history with 218 wins, the only coach to ever eclipse 200 victories.  Prior to joining the Maize and Blue, she spent 10 seasons at the helm of the St. John's women's hoops program, building the Red Storm into a national power. She guided St. John's to four NCAA Tournament appearances, with the Red Storm advancing to the Sweet 16 in 2012.   Barnes Arico compiled a 176-133 overall record and five 20-win campaigns at St. John's. She was a two-time Big East Coach of the Year (2006, 2012) and had 11 players earn

Dr. Joe Baker (@bakerjyorku) is Professor and head of the Lifespan Health and Performance Laboratory in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science at York University, Canada. He is a world-leader in research on talent identification, developing sport expertise, relative age effect, and high performance athlete development and has held visiting researcher/professor positions in the United Kingdom, Australia and Germany. His research considers the varying influences on optimal human development, ranging from issues affecting athlete development and skill acquisition to barriers and facilitators of optimal aging. Joe is author/editor of 9 books and hundreds of peer reviewed articles and book chapters. He works with several Canadian high performance sports teams (e.g., Golf Canada, Wheelchair Basketball Canada) and organizations (e.g., Own the Podium, the Canadian Sport Institutes/Centres, the Canadian Paralympic Committee) in their quests for international success. More info on his research can be found at yor

It is with a heavy heart that we replay this podcast this week, as we lost a truly great family man, leader, and mentor in the space of coaching, leadership and human development, Dr. Greg Dale. He was only 60 years old and left us far too soon, with so much more to give. He was a massive supporter of this podcast, Way of Champions, Changing the Game Project, and many others in the field of sport psychology and leadership. Who was Greg? In July of 2018, Dale was named to the newly-created Integrative Performance Excellence Group at Duke University, a unit comprised of directors in the areas of Sports Performance, Athletic Medicine, Sports Nutrition and Behavioral Health, as well as individuals representing psychological services, team physicians and primary care physicians.  He was the Director of Sports Psychology and Leadership. The goal of this working group is to enhance the experience of Duke student-athletes by providing an integrative approach to the care of each individual athlete throughout his or he

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 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 Sydney, which brought home one gold medal, and for the 2004 USA Paralympic Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team in Athens, which came home with the bronze medal. In 1995, Volleyball Magazine’s special Centennial issue named him one of the 50 most impor

Bill Eckstrom (@ecsellsports) is the CEO and founder of Ecsell Institute, the parent company of Ecsell Sports, Ecsell Business and Ecsell Education. Bill’s robust professional career path has encompassed sales, sales leadership, executive leadership with private and publicly traded companies, and as a founder of start-ups. In 2008, he established EcSell Institute to fill a void he witnessed and personally experienced in the coaching and leadership profession within businesses. Since then, Ecsell’s research and improvement programming expanded into the athletic and academic worlds. In 2017 and again in 2022, Bill took to the TEDx stage, where he shared his research and experiences in renowned talks that have five million views. Most recently, Bill co-authored The Coaching Effect: What great leaders do to increase sales, enhance performance, and sustain growth, which became an Amazon best-selling book in its first week of launching in 2019.In our interview today he takes his research and data from the busin

This week on the podcast we take a deep dive into what exactly is abusive coaching and how parents and coaches can take steps to stop it. To do so we gathered three experts in the field of bullying and coaching abuse to join John and Jerry for a fascinating discussion.  Dr. Amy Saltzman a holistic physician, mindfulness coach, long-time athlete, and a member of the US Soccer Participant Safety Taskforce. She’s had the privilege of being recognized by her peers as a visionary and pioneer in the fields of holistic medicine and mindfulness for athletes, coaches, and other high performers, kids, teens, parents, teachers, therapists, and allied professionals. We had her on episode 77 talking about her book A Still Quiet Place for Athletes and now her new organization is Spot a Spider, which teaches children, teens, and young adults how to protect themselves and others from all types of abuse: sneaky (covert) emotional abuse (also known as grooming), and obvious (overt) emotional, physical and sexual abuse. Check i

Grete Eliassen (@grete.ski) is a Red Bull sponsored professional skier, 6x Winter X Games Medalist, and world record holding half pipe and free skier. She started out as a national team ski racer from Norway, winning the GS in the World Junior Championships, before pursuing her free skiing passion. She won multiple US Opens, Dew Tour events, and has appeared in numerous Warren Miller ski films. In 2006 and 2007 she won X Games gold medals in the half pipe. She also served as the President of the Women's Sports Foundation for two years before resuming her professional skiing career. Check out her podcast "What's Your Line with Grete" for some amazing interviews. In our discussion today we discuss how Grete balances courage and fear when attempting difficult tricks, jumps and dangerous ski descents, where confidence comes from, how to find your passion, and so much more. Get inside he mind of a world class athlete. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a ne

This 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 a great time answering these questions and plan to do another one in the near future, so please become a podcast champion and send them our way for our next go.  One special note: this week we surpassed 2 MILLION DOWNLOADS of this podcast which is amazing, and that is thanks to all of you incredible listeners who take the time each week to listen and share our work. We are even more fired up than ever to keep bringing you amazing guests and topics in the future, but

Captain Ryan Bernacchi, USN (Ret.) is a retired naval officer who possesses a unique background in aviation, leadership, high performance teamwork, and organizational culture. During his distinguished 25-year career in the Navy his notable positions include the Commanding Officer and Flight Leader of the Blue Angels, command of a fleet Super Hornet squadron, and TOPGUN Instructor, with worldwide deployments aboard aircraft carriers, including major combat operations. In academia, Ryan has complemented his operational expertise with the study of strategy, cyber, culture, leadership and ethics. Ryan served as the Director of Leadership and Character Development and an ethics professor at the United States Naval Academy. He was twice selected to serve in strategic roles as a Director Fellow for the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group, and as the Navy’s Federal Executive Fellow at MIT. Ryan received a B.A. Degree from the University of California in Cultural Anthropology and is a Distinguished Gradu

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 Physiology and Sport Psychology at the Free University Amsterdam and completed his Masters Degrees in 1995. In 1995, Verheijen developed his Masters thesis into the book ‘Conditioning for Soccer’ which became the coach education book of the Dutch FA (KNVB) in 1997. Verheijen became a pro-license instructor at the Dutch FA in 1998.  In 2014, Verheijen published the best-selling book ‘Football Periodisation’. Mor

Linda Flanagan is a freelance journalist, researcher, and former cross-country and track coach. A founding board member of the NYC chapter of the Positive Coaching Alliance and 2020-21 Advisory Group member for the Aspen Institute’s Reimagining Sports initiative, her writing on sports has appeared in The Atlantic, Runner's World, and NPR's education site Mind/Shift, where she is a regular contributor. Previously Flanagan was a national security analyst at the National Security Program, Harvard University. She is also a mother of three and lifelong athlete. Linda and John discuss her new book Take Back the Game: How Money and Mania Are Ruining Kids' Sports, and Why it Matters. We cover how sport has become a business, how much pressure is on parents to do more and more at younger ages, how the fact that sports help kids get into and pay for college is driving much of the mania, and so much more. She has compiled the latest research on the economic and social impacts of sport, as well as research post-COVID. It

Christopher Kolenda is a West Point Grad and a retired US Army Colonel, as well as the founder of the Strategic Leaders Academy, Kolenda helps leaders and their teams soar to new heights. During his military career, Kolenda, a combat leader and trusted adviser to three four-star generals and two undersecretaries of defense, was the first American to have both fought the Taliban as a commander in combat and negotiated with them in peace talks. He and his unit defied conventional wisdom in Afghanistan by motivating a large insurgent group to switch sides, the only example of such success in the 20-year history of the war. His unique warrior-diplomacy has been featured in New York Times bestselling books and media outlets including CNN, MSNBC, BBC, NPR, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, The New York Times, and The Washington Post. He has written two books on the topic, Zero Sum Victory and Leadership: The Warrior's Art.  Kolenda is currently on the Fallen Hero Honor Ride, on which he is paying tribute to

Steve Magness (@stevemagness) is a world-renowned expert on performance, well-being, and sustainable success. His most recent work is Do Hard Things: Why We Get Resilience Wrong and the Surprising Science of Real Toughness. He is coauthor of the best selling Peak Performance and The Passion Paradox. In his coaching practice, Steve works with executives, entrepreneurs, and athletes on their performance and mental skills. He's served as a consultant on mental skills development for professional sports teams, including some of the top teams and athletes in professional sports. His writing has appeared in Outside, Runner's World, Forbes, Sports Illustrated, Men's Health, and a variety of other outlets. In addition, Steve's expertise on elite sport and performance has been featured in The New Yorker, Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, The Guardian, Business Insider, and ESPN The Magazine. Steve received his undergraduate degree from the University of Houston and a graduate degree from George Mason University

On October 23, 2011, Tim Hightower (@Tim_Hightower) was the starting running back for the Washington Commanders (then known as the Redskins) of the National Football League, when he suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during a game. Over the next four years he faced a lengthy recovery in body and soul. His is a story of strength, resilience, faith, courage, and determination – surviving five surgeries, financial challenges, and periods of homelessness to return to play in the NFL. Today he is the Director of Alumni Relations for the Washington Commanders and a speaker who shares his story of resilience and inspiration. Get ready to be inspired this week. Hightower’s story of his recovery from injury, as told in A DREAM WORTH FIGHTING FOR: Never Let Obstacles Stop You From Being Your Best Self with co-author William Sachs, will resonate with everybody who has been injured, suffered, or had their lifelong dream derailed. He is the only NFL running back to return to play four years after an injury. But more, he

According to research, the #1 characteristic of high performing teams is a high degree of psychological safety, but what exactly is that, and how can we build it? That is why we brought on this week's guest Stephan Wiedner. He is a psychological safety expert whose career has focused on developing sustainable high performance leaders, teams, and organizations. His passion for unleashing the collective potential of people has led him to cofound Noomii.com, the web’s largest network of independent life coaches, Skillsetter.com, the deliberate practice platform for interpersonal skills, and Zarango.com, the psychological safety training experts. Stephan has worked with legendary Harvard professor Amy Edmondson on a psychological safety study, and his writing has been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and other popular publications. If you would like to take a free psychological safety evaluation with your team, go to www.zarango.com/freepsi  This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports