Pat Williams, senior vice president of the Orlando Magic, shares personal stories from his time as a parent with youth sports as well as what he teaches regarding developing leaders through sports.

Pat's new book, CHARACTER CARVED IN STONE is about his discovery of the leadership virtues taught at the United States Military Academy at West Point. Duke University’s Coach K (a West Point grad) wrote the foreword.

Book: Character Carved in Stone







 












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Dr. Jay Martin is the Ohio Wesleyan University Soccer coach and one of the nation’s winningest soccer coaches ever. He has written one of the books in the series for United Soccer Coaches titled, The Best of Soccer Journal: The Art of Coaching. It is seen as one of the best soccer books in their book store. Jay is an author of several books approved by the United Soccer Coaches national office and advises them on their Coaches education curriculum.

Book: The Art of Coaching







 












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Chris Mance is a family coach who helps sports families pursue difficult goals while maximizing their happiness on their journey. Chris has a unique story from playing at football at West Point to becoming an entrepreneur, husband, and eventually a father of two young wrestlers. Through his experiences in leadership, Chris has been able to work with families to plan and execute their strategic plans.

Chris’s Website: chrismance.com

Chris' Twitter: @chrismance

Chris’s Instagram: @chairmance2







 












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Coaching Your Own Kids

Chris was really hard on his first son from an early age. He has gone 180, with him now and with his younger son, he stays focused on being proud of them and just giving them a hug afterwards and de-emphasizing the winning/losing.

Cringe moment

At youth dual meets, early on in Chris' coaching, he was too focused on the scoreboard with the newer athletes instead of just working on technique and focusing on improvement.

Teaching skills & Keeping it fun

Reward kids for working hard with a fun game - sumo wrestling is fun.
King of the hill - start with smallest kid, whoever takes down other wins, and keep going working way up

Culture

Parents are a big part of it - keep them tied in and on board
Doing something like fantasy sports with the kids is a really fun way to build some comraderie within the players of the team

Travel sports

The biggest problem is the season never ends. In a perfect world, kids would only play a sport during its primary season, and then be able to enjoy other sports in the offseasons.

The one that got away

Chris' final wrestling match - he got beat someone who probably wasn't as good as him - but he had taken it for granted and not trained well that week.

Best stolen idea

Sports is a chess match. You always need to be 2 steps ahead, especially mentally.

Favorite books/quote:

Quote: 'Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard'
Book: Wooden (by John Wooden)

Parting Advice

Have a system, plan and prepare



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Gad Espinosa is a Certified High-Performance Mental Game Coach, and speaker who has been interviewed in numerous newspapers and radio shows.

He has been privileged to train and mentor athletes at all levels, from those just starting their athletic careers to others who have gone on to represent their country and succeed at World Championships and Olympic games.

As a former professional athlete, who has represented his country internationally, he knows first hand the psychological and emotional challenges a young athlete faces.

As a parent of two former competitive athletes he knows the difficulty of raising athletes and as a varsity head coach, he sympathizes with coaches and their responsibilities.

Gad is passionate about helping young athletes discover mental strength breakthroughs that allow them to maximize their development so they can take their game to another level and fulfill their athletic potential.







Website: coachgad.com

Instagram: @coach_gad

Twitter: @coachgad

Facebook: /Coach-Gad

 












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Coaching Your Own Kids

It's a balance between smothering them and still coaching them and enjoying being a parent with them

Coaching a sport you didn't play

2 requirements: Enthusiasm and a passion to learn more

A-ha moment

Gad, as a player, rarely had coaches discuss the mental side of the game - so he has emphasized this as a coach

Concussion recovery

Time is the biggest key. Take the time to let your mind recover and don't rush it.

Mental toughness

It starts with letting your athletes know it's ok to fail. It's a very important part of the learning process.
Having a clear goal in mind helps build grit to keep working even if things don't do the way you want.

Teaching skills

Tag - they put a pinnie on each hip, and they run around and try to grab as many pinnies as possible from their teammates
Keep away - in a circle, 2 kids in the middle, try to keep ball away from the kids in the middle

Culture and captains

Leaders emerge amongst teams

'How do I Improve my Kid's Athletic Potential?'

Book on website: coachgad.com
WYC guest enter promo code 'WYC' and get 50% off book!
A mental program for coaches and athletes

The one that got away

Gad had specifically reminded the team about a specific thing to look for in the game, and 1 minute into the game this situation happened, and a player didn't do what they just had talked about. Gad regrets that he immediately took the player out of the game and didn't play him much more that game.

Best stolen idea

Preparedness

Favorite books/quote:

Quote: 'If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.' - John Wooden

Parting Advice

Take a step back and remember how you wish you were coached when you were younger



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Susan Stout educates coaches specifically about working with kids who have ADHD, learning differences and/or anxiety.

As a former swim coach and now a mom to an avid young athlete with ADHD and dyslexia, Susan wishes she had known when she was coaching what she knows now about how to recognize the differently wired kids, manage the challenges and bring out the best in these athletes.







Website: ownbeatathlete.com

Twitter: @SusanStoutOBA

 












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Finding invisible differences

It all starts with just getting to know each kid
Some symptoms to look for:

Can't sit still
Talk back
Interrupt
Can't remember what you just said, especially with multi-step directions
Inconsistent in their performance
Poor sense of time (can be late)
Poor emotional control



Practical tips to coach kids with invisible differences

Don't talk for long periods of time(no diatribes!)
Routines help
Give them a responsibility to keep them engaged
Let them fidget and move
Try to be patient - give them a minute to cool off

Own Beat Athlete

Website: ownbeatathlete.com
Blogs, profiles of successful players and coaches with ADHD, letters from players
Tools for coaches and facts to know about kids with invisible differences

Cringe moment

When Susan was first coaching, they lost a meet because the backstroke flags were the wrong distance. Susan was worried about over-coaching girls who had previously been her teammates. She learned she needed to be the coach first and not worry about trying to impress them or be their buddy.

Keeping training fun

Relay races are always a great way to compete and have fun while conditioning

Achieving peak performance under pressure

They start meets with cheering and getting energy up. Then she would have the athletes come and check in with her before their events to chat one-on-one. The coaching is finished at this point - instead reinforce them and tell them - 'you've done it, the work is done, now go have fun and show what you can do'

The one that got away

As a swimmer, for 3 years Susan was trying to break 36 seconds. 3 times she got 36.00. She still had a great time, just wishes she could have got a 35.99. :)

Best stolen idea

Building a culture of being a family.

Favorite books/quote:

Quote: 'A common mistake amongst those working in sports is to spend a disproportionate amount of time on X's and O's as compared to time spent learning about people.' - Coach K
Quote: 'When I was a young coach, I used to say treat everybody alike. Instead- treat everybody fairly.' - Bear Bryant
Book: Getting to Us by Seth Davis

Parting Advice

Build relationships. Get to know the kids, what do they dream about, what excites them, what do they like doing outside of sports.



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Sean Conlon is the founder of We Make Footballers, a football(soccer in the U.S.) prep school to prepare athletes for playing at academies. With a background with the Chelsea club, Sean has the passion and vision to help young athletes improve their game on and off the field to reach their dreams.







Website: wemakefootballers.com

Twitter: @wmfootballers

Instagram: @wemakefootballers

 












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Learning on the playground

Sean didn't play for a formal team until he was 13 years old. This has pros and cons - a lot of creativity can be developed, but mixing in a bit of coaching can help the guided discovery process.
Emphasizing fun at young ages and training parents to recognize development vs. just wins and losses is key.

We Make Footballers

14 franchises across England, have prepared 170+ players who have gone on to join academy teams
Focus is preparing players for academies

Website: wemakefootballers.com
Great fun skill building games

Stuck in the mud - Get in a square, everyone has their own ball, dribbling. Make one player the sticker - he runs and tries to tag the other players. When tagged, they hold their ball over their head, and if other players kick their own ball between a frozen players' head, that player is freed.
Snake - In a square. 2 players have to hold hands, they are the snakes. The rest are the mice. Players don't have a ball, they just run around. As players are caught, they join the snake.

The one that got away

In the cup final, Sean looks back on a couple of changes he could have made earlier. Thinking clearly in high energy moments is critical. Be decisive and take action.

Best stolen idea

Make every practice fun, regardless of the age group.

Favorite books/quote:

Book: Alex Ferguson's Leading
Quote: 'In football, the worst things are excuses, excuses mean you cannot grow or move forward.' - Pep Guardiola

Parting Advice

Utilize the internet and forums to continuously learn



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Freddy Hilliard is the head coach at Malvern Prep in Pennsylvania. In 8 seasons as coach, he has surpassed the 260 win mark, collected 5 PA state titles as well as 5 national top 25 rankings and has sent 75 players on to play college ball. His former players view him as a coach, mentor, teacher and role model. Although he develops baseball skills, he is even more talented in developing better people first and foremost. Baseball as we know is a small part of life, how we conduct ourselves as humans, as husbands, as brothers, as fathers…that is what is important in life and that is how we will be remembered.







Twitter: @coachhilliard16

 












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Cringe Moment

After a loss, on the bus ride on the way home, the kids were laughing and having a good time. Freddy couldn't understand why they were having fun and weren't mad. It was a good eye-opener, that most of these kids enjoy being on the team, but they have a lot going on beyond this team. The biggest lesson he learned was investing more in them as people and getting to know what makes them tick.
Choosing to be excellent at everything means work, but don't be satisfied with being OK or mediocre.

Teaching skills

It all starts with the why. Teaching is much more effective if they understand what they are trying to accomplish and why it's important.
Players should be free to ask questions and suggest improvements
Competing is key to getting kids to focus and give their all. They have 4 yellow jerseys - they give them to the best 4 defensive players at their 4 stations. They also have a batting championship belt they award (similar to a WWE or boxing belt) each practice.

Achieving Peak Performance

Work with your team on breathing to calm their heart rate down
Visualize success. Think about success and don't be afraid to fail.

Core Values

They have 3 of them: Selflessness, Excellence, Energy

Connecting with and impacting kids

Freddy had a player who didn't get much playing time, but had a great attitude, and stayed in touch for years to come. This speaks to Freddy and his staff valuing him as a person, not based on his talent level.

The one that haunts me

Freddy's team was in the state championship game, they had beaten the other team twice that season rather easily. They lost in extra innings. Freddy thinks he could have done a better job getting his team focused and not being complacent.

Favorite books/quote:

Quote: 'Discipline yourself and others won't have to' - John Wooden
Book: John Wooden's Pyramid of Success
Book: Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World by Admiral William McRaven
Book: The Captain Class: The Hidden Force That Creates the World's Greatest Teams by Sam Walker
Book: Start with Why: How Great Leaders Inspire Everyone to Take Action by Simon Sinek

Parting Advice

Don't overthink or over-coach. Let the kids figure it out.
Make it fun, you want the kids to love the game.
Be authentic.



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Dr. Rob Bell is a mental toughness coach. He is a husband and father of two wonderful kids. An Ironman and endurance athlete, and loves to PLAY: golf, swimming, skiing, running, ping-pong and chess. He speaks & trains with teams, organizations, and coaches on mental toughness.







Website: drrobbell.com

Twitter: @drrobbell

Facebook: /TheImportanceofmentaltoughness

Instagram: /drrobbell












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Hinge moments

A person, a decision, or a moment that changes the direction of your life
1 of Dr. Bell's hinge moments was when he was in college and living a party life- he walked off an 80 foot cliff. But it woke him up and changed him: "Our worst moments in life often end up becoming our best moments"

Mental toughness training

Mental toughness - 'It's caught more than it's taught'
The most important time is when adversity hits - How, as coaches, do we respond? When they fail - teach them that 'this is an event, not a person.' "It's a bruise not a tattoo."

Visualization

'To visualize success you have to have had success' - So you have to lots of competitions - then the debrief is key: What were you thinking about when taking that key shot? Were you thinking about letting down the team, or what was going through your mind?
And don't just compete physically - they can compete on who gives the most high-fives or something mentally so different kids win and lose

Making the kids hungry

How can I find the motivations for everybody? Motivating is the hardest mental skill. It's hard. You have to train your coaches and captains to help. Then it's a unified effort to pick everyone up and keep them on board.

Timing for feedback

Parents - during the game is not the time to give feedback. You want them listening to the coach. The 2nd worst time to talk to your kids is on the car ride home. The best time is in non-pressure environments.

Best borrowed/stolen idea

Jack Nicklaus: 'People don't understand how many times you have to finish 2nd before you finish 1st'

Favorite books/quote:

Quote: 'Some battles aren't worth fighting even if you win. Some battles are worth fighting even if you lose.' - Gil Reyes, Andre Aggassi's coach
Books by coaches who have won and lost - Dean Smith, Pat Summit, Bear Bryant, Bill Walsh

Parting Advice

Better people make better athletes. Focus on developing the person.



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With over 30 years of experience as an educator, coach and administrator, Greg Winkler is currently in his first year as head coach of the boys soccer team at Ida Baker High School in Cape Coral, Fla., and physical education teacher at the Charlotte Campus of Florida SouthWestern State College in Punta Gorda, Fla.

A decorated soccer coach in the state of Wisconsin, Winkler was named to the Wisconsin Soccer Association Hall of Fame’s Class of 2015, recognizing a coaching career that saw him amass over 400 wins at both the youth and high school levels and earn State Youth Coach of the Year honors in 2006 and Wisconsin Large School Coach of the Year in 2004.

In 2009, Winkler published “Coaching a Season of Significance,” a coaching resource that draws upon his vast experiences to map out a plan for fellow coaches to find success and overcome obstacles at every step along the way to a significant season. He has presented at coaching and athletic director conferences on topics ranging from building relationships through athletics to engaging in effective communication with parents and administrators.







Website: gregwinkler.net

Twitter: @gregwinkler10












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Coaching your own kids

Focus on treating every kid like they are your own kid
Unless the kid brings it up, don't talk very much sports at home

My Cringe moment from early coaching years

Calling out a specific kid at halftime in front of the team

Teaching skills while keeping it fun

Sharks and minnows with a soccer ball or any tag/relay race game with a ball
Losers of games do something embarassing - Ima Stars or donkey kicks
Competition in practice is key

Practicing pressure situations

Knockout games are great

Mistake recovery

Work with players who beat themselves up, have conversations with them, guide them on how to deal with how to react to mistakes

Having a value-based program

They have 5 core values, they discuss 1 per week to start season, then they discuss other important topics in subsequent weeks

Parents

They are a huge resource! Be proactive to involve them so they are helping instead of complaining.

Dealing with crazy coaches

It's hard to deal with other crazy coaches, it's important to not let them get under your skin because your team can sense it.

Favorite books/quote:

Inside out Coaching by Joe Ehrmann
Catch them being Good by Tony Dicicco

Parting Advice

Focus on relationships and individuals vs. wins and losses



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Travis Daugherty has been a coach for over 20 years and worked with thousands of athletes of all backgrounds, ages, and ability levels - plus the parents that came with them. Throughout that time, he also served as a speaker and development leader for Higher Level Sports, a father-son basketball camp my dad founded and directed throughout the Midwest.

He recently authored a book- The LENS. Travis' explanation of the book:

"Studying, writing, and developing this game plan have given me a chance to clarify for myself the sports parent I want to be. I hope it will help you clarify who you want to be, too. And even though nobody's perfect in this area, I do hope each of us can see clearly that there’s no greater opportunity to prepare our kids for success than the one we have through sports. I want each of us to recognize that opportunity, and use it to build strong, committed, confident leaders in this world."








Website: thelensbook.com


Twitter: @The_LENS_Book


Instagram: /the_lens_book










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New Sponsor!


Want to save time running your sports team without paying a penny? Overwhelmed by constant texts, calls and emails?  Check out the Heja app, which helps coaches all over the world more easily manage youth sports teams - 100% free of charge!



Click the link to download the app and get your team better organized for free now! app.goheja.com/pod


Show Notes - WYC 161 – Travis Daugherty
Coaching your own kids

The positive desire to see your own kids succeed can lead to negative reactions
Myopic - being short-sighted. The key is to focus on the big picture and not short-term wins
Developing a plan and clarifying your priorities to the kids and parents is a critical first step
Remember that challenge and adversity is a key component of a child's development, learning to overcome those challenges is critical to healthy development
Constantly sharing your coaching purpose statement build accountability into your coaching.
Value the pursuit of excellence vs. the pursuit of success. Quit comparing yourself to others and rather spend time pursuing being the best you possibly can be.

Hidden Talents

Loving the game
Giving your best
Overcoming adversity
Seeking improvement
Getting coached
Being a teammate
Taking risks
Having a positive attitude

Best Stolen idea

James Clear - Automic Habits - Resetting the Room - Whenever you leave a room, take 2 minutes to put things back in order.

Favorite books/quote:

Inside out Coaching by Joe Ehrmann
Lead for God's Sake by Todd Gongwer
Mindset by Carol Dweck
Anything by Jon Gordon
Ego is the Enemy and The Obstacle is the Way by Ryan Holiday

Parting Advice

See the big picture. Focus on the process of development and the pursuit of excellence.
Trust the process. Building skills takes time. Stop comparing. Focus on development.
Enjoy the journey.



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Sean Afkhaminia is the CEO and technical director at Footy Factory. The mission of Footy Factory: To cultivate players'​ athletic performance by promoting physical, technical, and personal growth. Not only will we aim to sharpen their natural abilities, but we will also teach them the values of integrity, conviction, and self-belief. We aspire to form an institution that consistently takes in raw, unpolished talent and systematically develops and generates elite, well-rounded players.








Website: footyfactory.us


Twitter: @footyfactorydal


Facebook: /footyfactorydallas
Instagram: /footyfactory










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Click the link to download the app and get your team better organized for free now! app.goheja.com/pod


Show Notes - WYC 160 – Sean Afkhaminia
Long term development vs Immediate Results

Technical - It's all about getting comfortable with the ball
Tactical - Small-sided games
Physical - As they get older and their bodies develop this becomes more important

How do you enjoy technical training?

Have them problem solve in competitive situations
Start with small-sided games. Futsol in soccer. Very fast-paced, very small areas, tons of quality touches on the ball.
Use standard P.E. drills and modify them to your sport. Example: ball tag - one player has a ball in his hand and the rest are dribbling balls at their feet, the player tries to tag the other players' ball

Mental toughness

Training needs to be hard and they need to learn to overcome adversity
Encourage a culture where failure is part of the process to help remove fear of failure

Connecting with and impacting kids

Sean has a passion for kids who don't have the economic means to afford high-priced training. So he helps kids get the training even if they cannot pay for it.

Best Stolen/Borrowed Idea

Coaching is all about relationships and earning the kids' trust

Favorite books/quote:

Pep Confidential by Pep Guardiola

Parting Advice

Good is never good enough
Be organized - have a structured practice design for the entire season



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Adam Walker is the coach of a U14 boys fastball(baseball) team in Ontario Canada. His note to WYC:

'I have been coaching for years in hockey and fastball, I have had good results but not great. I also had decent relationships with my athletes but again not great. Last winter I found your podcast and after listening to a lot of episodes especially those around creating a winning culture I made some changes to the way I coach. In the past I was never overly negative but I didn’t focus on being positive. I spent time talking to my athletes but I didn’t make it a point to really know them.

After making these changes last season not only did I see a huge change in the passion these young athletes have for the game, we were also closer as a team, I developed great relationships with my athletes, and in the end we won our provincial championship and then went on to win a National Championship.

These young athletes had such a passion for the game and it resulted in them working harder every time we were at the diamonds. In the end their skills and self confidence grew and the result was a National Championship and memories these kids will never forget.'









Website: simcoebraves.teampages.com


Link












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Click the link to download the app and get your team better organized for free now! app.goheja.com/pod


Show Notes - WYC 159 – Adam Walker
Cringe Moments

Putting way too much emphasis on winning championships at the youth level. 'It was more what I wanted not what the kids wanted.'

Long Term Athlete Development

How do you prepare athletes long-term to succeed? Failure is part of the process - have them fail early, but make sure it is in a safe environment.

Changing culture

Post-game talks - Coach doesn't need to rehash all the things they did wrong. Have the players share with each other what they did well.
'Your athletes can either show up to every game afraid to make a mistake or excited to play the game. Both options are up to the coaches." Put pressure on the other team by making them make a perfect play, then live with the results.
You have to be both: Positive & Demanding.
They had a plan:

Year 1 - Develop _____ skills
Year 2 - Enhance _____ skills
Year 3 - Put these together and compete to win championships



Game goals

Process based. Not 'go 3 for 3', but rather 'hit 2 balls hard'

Best Stolen/Borrowed Idea

3 team game - 1 in infield, 1 in outfield, 1 hitting. They do it every practice.

Favorite books/quote:

Video - Jim Valvano's Cutting Down the Nets
'How do you motivate 23 year-olds? - I can't. I can motivate 1 person- myself'

Parting Advice

Focus on the long-term. Not the individual game wins.



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Shannon Evans is the Founder of The Scholar Coach Academy. Shannon was an active lacrosse coach and is now incredibly passionate about spreading the word about the Truth of getting athletic scholarships, importance of teaching Leadership prior to college and HS and celebrating failure!









Website: thescholarcoach.com


Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/pshannonevans/  












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Click the link to download the app and get your team better organized for free now! app.goheja.com/pod


Show Notes - WYC 158 – Shannon Evans
Each One Teach One

The experienced players get to teach the less experienced. So the coach shows the experienced player what they want to teach, then the experienced player teaches that skill to the less experienced. Great way to teach your leaders how to lead.

Great small area game

Chumash - 3 on 3 - can score on either side of the goal. Similar to 3 on 3 basketball, you have to take it 'back' when possession switches.

Pop goes the weasel/Fox in the box

5 defenders in front of goal, 5 offensive players. Defenders have to stay in the box, offensive players cannot go in box. Then a defender 'pops' out of box and covers the ball, then when that players passes it the defender goes back into box and the next defender pops out. Teaches offense to not run into traffic and move the ball.

Nonverbal communication

Creating some really simple hand signals is much more effective than trying to yell across a field

College recruiting - Showcases

Elite camps - the key is the student needs to have a relationship with the coaches before the camp.

College recruiting - Know what D1 demands are

D1 - Train and practice year-round - Full time job year-round and you go to school
D2 - Full time job in-season, mostly a full-time job out of season
D3 - Full time job in-season, off-season the expectations are much lower

Best way for a high school coach to prepare an athlete for college

Freshmen/sophomore year - Look for camps where coaches from a school you want to go to will be. Make sure the school you are interested in has the major you want to study.
The athlete should email coaches (make sure you understand the specific NCAA guidelines for your sport). Never should come from the parent. Coaches don't want to hear from parents.
Remember MOST college athletic scholarships are not for full rides. Many only cover 1/4 to 1/3 of cost.
Grades/test score/rigor of your schedule - are the most important things a high school athlete should focus on.

The one that got away

Being a female coach in a boys' sport - Shannon got called horrible names. She taught her players the best way to beat a bully is to outscore and outplay them.

Favorite books/quote:

'You can march to the beat of a different drum but you have to stay in the parade'

Parting Advice

For each practice - have a clear measurable obective. Tell the players what it is at the beginning of practice, then review it at the end and ask for input on how w...

Pete Caliendo has lead clinics for Major League Baseball International, USA Baseball and many other baseball organizations in various Latin American and European countries, and throughout the United States.

Pete has lectured on baseball all over the United States, Canada, Europe and Latin America, has written articles for various publications and an international coaches book. Has a set of 5 baseball instructional DVD’s developed specifically for the volunteer coach to help them organize, teach and have fun throughout their practice and games.









Websites: caliendosportsinternational.com; baseballmadeeasy.net, baseballoutsidethebox.com, isgbaseball.com


Twitter: @BetterBaseball

Facebook: /peter.caliendo.779











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New Sponsor!


Want to save time running your sports team without paying a penny? Overwhelmed by constant texts, calls and emails?  Check out the Heja app, which helps coaches all over the world more easily manage youth sports teams - 100% free of charge!



Click the link to download the app and get your team better organized for free now! app.goheja.com/pod


Show Notes - WYC 157 – Peter Caliendo
Cringe Moments

Trying to repeat a process over and over again - each individual is unique and sometimes you're best to just work with what works for each individual. Keep an open mind when working with athletes.

Teaching skills

Don't just practice 'normal' situations - practice reacting after a mistake is made (a groundball is dropped, then react to how recover)

Achieving Peak performance mentally

Kids need to fail, earlier better than later. Ask them 'what did you learn?'
Let the kids make decisions, let them learn, don't use them as robots.

Team Culture

It starts with respect for the game. Respect your equipment, your opponents, the umpires. Clean your dugouts.
Character - are you happy when your teammates do well? How do you treat your teammates, the coaches, ets.

Captains/Leaders

They are servants and need to model behaviors

Discipline

It's all about communication - if a player isn't hustling, ask them 'are you tired?' If they say no, tell them it looks like they're tired because they're not running hard. Maybe tell them you're going to sit them out of the next few plays because they look tired, and they need to come tell you when they are ready to run hard again.
Practice hustle. It's a habit, not inborn. For warm-ups in practice, have them run to their position on the field. Then blow a whistle and have them run back to you. (hidden conditioning)

Connecting with and impacting kids

It's cool when players you coach start implementing things you taught them

The one that got away

Tell kids what to do, not what not to do.

Best borrowed/stolen idea

Don't just copycat other coaches' ideas. Learn, but make it your own.

Favorite books:

Ken Ravizza - Heads-Up Baseball 2.0: 5 Skills for Competing One Pitch at a Time
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
Podcast - Krush Performance by Jeff Krushell
Podcast - ABCA

Parting Advice

Create the most fun you can in practice. Make it unique and not too repetitive/boring.

Dave's bio:

My direct sports coaching experience range from 2-10th grade for the past 10-yrs, but I also intersect with the varsity players while I’m working w JV (girls lacrosse). But my day job (consulting Engineer) is what led me to learning to coach adults on the job, and see how similar the process is between 8-18 yr olds and 22-62 yr olds...different nuances, but it all comes from the same place: connections, compassion and creating community. And it doesn’t have to be all rainbows and unicorns; but it certainly takes a lot more than “managing” and “instructing” with a firm attitude.

My big interest is seeing how critical youth/HS sports are in helping the next generation grow into the best people they can be. And I tell stories about my time as an athlete, mentors I’ve found after college, my family history (Dad created a company/vocation with a HS diploma and a work ethic futures through sports), and the young people I “serve” as their “Chief” Engineer.

And I now use these stories to help PARENTS see how to have less worry and find more joy in their kids’ sports/school.







website: www.complete3.net
Podcast: Making the Play
Twitter: @complete3org1

Facebook: /complete3











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New Sponsor!


Want to save time running your sports team without paying a penny? Overwhelmed by constant texts, calls and emails?  Check out the Heja app, which helps coaches all over the world more easily manage youth sports teams - 100% free of charge!



Click the link to download the app and get your team better organized for free now! app.goheja.com/pod


Show Notes - WYC 156 – Dave Briglio
Coaching your own kids

In an ideal world you can have non-parent coaches, but often there aren't enough coaches so you have to step up to help the program
The key is to be open and honest and communicate with your own kid and the other kids about being a parent coach

Teaching skills

Guided Discovery - It is more effective to let the kids figure it out on their own vs you just telling the kids how to do it
Start with a basic drill, and as they develop expertise in that skill, you add a twist to the drill to add complexity

Letting the players own the game

The players can't hear you - so barking orders during the game is very inneffective and frustrating
Send in instructions with the next group/line. Coach them vs. yelling at the players on the field.

Achieving Peak performance mentally

Praise the effort over achievement
Fear is a very short-term motivation. A feeling of security and that someone believes in you is best way to increase kids' confidence.
Figure out what you want to celebrate - and do it a bunch, in practice and in games. Real-time (otherwise it feels like false praise if you do it later.)
Some of the best praise is when you are doing it 'behind their back' - when you are praising someone who is not there at the time.

Self Esteem vs Self Confidence

Confidence is what you visibly display. But esteem is what you truly believe about yourself.

Favorite books:

The Leadership Servitude
The Way of the Champion by Dr. Jerry Lynch
The Coaching Habit by Michael Bungay Stangier

Parting Advice

Play with them - Jump in and practice with them



--

Brad Butterworth is the Director of Education and programs for Shoot360.

Brad has been in basketball development for 18 years as a head high school and collegiate coach. As a high school coach, he was able to help guide Dana Hills to its best records in school history. He's worked with Florida State University, Western Washington University, Air Force Academy and Colorado College. Coach Butterworth's success at the high school level was due to the work he put into the youth of his program in order to create a more competitive community and repeat success. He took that philosophy and helped create scale-able basketball development programs using sports technology.






Website: shoot360.com
Facebook: /Shoot360
Instagram: @shoot360
Twitter: @shoot3sixty











Listen Now:

Listen on iTunes: iTunes link
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New Sponsor!


Want to save time running your sports team without paying a penny? Overwhelmed by constant texts, calls and emails?  Check out the Heja app, which helps coaches all over the world more easily manage youth sports teams - 100% free of charge!



Click the link to download the app and get your team better organized for free now! app.goheja.com/pod


Show Notes - WYC 155 – The War for Four – Brad Butterworth talks Intentionality in Everything You Do
Cringe Moments (Brad calls 'Turnovers')

Brad went into his early coaching experiences without understanding how he needs to sell his program to the players and parents and community. Selling their vision.

Communication

Always taken place, whether you say it or not
Find shared values with parents

Four Keys

1 - Spacing
2 - Timing
3 - Communication
4 - Dramatics (or engagement) - Am I sold out to this?

Mastery

4 stages:

1 - Don't know what they don't know
2 - Know what they don't know
3 - Know what they know
4 - Doesn't even know that he knows (unconsciously competent.) Only way to get here is practice.


The War for Four (rule of the doubles)

Out-offensive rebound your opponent by factor of 2
Shot attempts in the paint 2x amount of opponent
Deflections 2x amount of opponent
Free-throw attempts 2x amount of opponent



Shoot 360

Advanced basketball facility
Teach individuals, teams with advanced skill development
Get 350+ shots in 1/2 hour. Exact statistics are kept for every shot, allowing for instant corrections
Facilities on west coast, Indianapolis, and growing all the time
Website: shoot360.com

Parting Advice

Don't worry about winning. Kids need to enjoy the game.

Legends on the Lake Coaching Academy

September 22, 2018 in Georgia
Registration Link: Legends Basketball Clinic



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Riley's bio: I am a former All-American pitcher at UW-Whitewater. I am now a Mental Conditioning Coach (Master’s Degree in Sport Psychology), Author, and Speaker. I own a mentorship program called Coachability, where I have had the great fortune of coaching and mentoring athletes at every level. My book, "Pitching Against Myself," is about my baseball career and all of the life lessons I learned throughout it, and how they apply to life after sports. It also shares an important message that I wish I would have been able to hear back when I was playing before the identity crisis, depression, and suicide; a message that says “you are more than an athlete.”


Pitching Against Myself book: Use discount code 'WYC20' at rileytincher.com to save 20% off book




Website: RileyTincher.com
Facebook: /RileyBTincher
Instagram: @RileyTincher
Twitter: @RileyTincher











Listen Now:

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New Sponsor!


Want to save time running your sports team without paying a penny? Overwhelmed by constant texts, calls and emails?  Check out the Heja app, which helps coaches all over the world more easily manage youth sports teams - 100% free of charge!



Click the link to download the app and get your team better organized for free now! app.goheja.com/pod


Show Notes - WYC 154 – The Struggle of Self-Confidence – Riley Tincher
Lessons from being told "You Should Quit"

Riley's first baseball coach at age 14, after the season told Riley 'You Should Quit'. This created a huge chip on his shoulder to prove him wrong. But it created an unhealthy need in Riley to prove himself to others.
'There is purpose in your pain' - Riley's struggle with depression and suicide was turned around when a mentor taught him that the purpose in his pain was to help others.
I AM MORE THAN AN ATHLETE - The drop caps that start each chapter of Riley's book spell this phrase, without him planning this.

Performing in pressure situations

A big key is understanding we are not alone
Practicing pressure situations is also key
Confidence comes from:

Affirmation - Your words (as a coach) are critical. Remind athletes that they are great where they are. And they can get better. And most importantly, they are worthy enough to get better. A great activity is for athletes to write down affirmation statements about themselves, and then have them share them with their teammates - challenge them if they don't see to believe them: 'Speak up, say it like you mean it'

You're the kind of person who _________ (is willing to take the big shot; will learn from any failures or mistakes you've had/made)


Achievement. Struggle is part of it. The greater the struggle, the greater the reward.



Culture

The worst: the coach said 'I am your master and you have to listen to me'. They had 'rules' - but the best athletes didn't have to keep them.
The best - Didn't have rules, had standards. The players created them.

Best advice from a mentor

If you don't change what you believe about yourself, nothing will change

Parting Advice

Stop focusing on the scoreboard and start focusing on your legacy



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...

Leonard Zaichkowsky, PhD, a professor, researcher and consultant for almost four decades at Boston University, pioneered sport psychology by bringing cognitive neuroscience and sport performance together as an interdisciplinary science. His academic textbooks and research publications demonstrated the importance of an athlete’s remarkable brain in anticipating and acting on opportunities during competition.
He has consulted with teams in the NBA, NHL, NFL, MLB, Australian Rules Football, the Spanish men’s national soccer team, and Olympic sport organizations around the world. Len is a former president and a fellow of the Association for Applied Sport Psychology, a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, and currently section editor on psychology for the International Journal of Health & Sport Science. Recently, the American Psychological Association honored Len with the “Distinguished Service to the Profession” award.
Today, Len is a co-founder and senior consultant at 80 Percent Mental Consulting, advising coaches, teams and sports organizations on developing athlete cognition. After too many Boston winters, he and his wife now live in Fort Myers, Florida.


Buy The Playmakers Advantage on Amazon: Link





 












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Teaching Skills

Ask questions - get the kids to think instead of giving them all the answers
Good book for this: How to Help Children Find the Champion within themselves
Keep instructions to a minimum and brief. Let them figure it out.

Performing in pressure situations

Simulate pressure situations often in practice
Small area games where all the kids get more touches in tight areas under pressure
Encourage the better players to be your leaders and encourage the lesser talented players

Developing athletes

Kids need to be active physically (around the neighborhood, in the backyard) before diving into high-level competitive athletics
The best athletes are typically self-developed, not grown by private lessons at an early age

What makes a Playmaker?

Deliberate practice - It takes a motivated athlete who constantly is thinking about, playing the sport
Overspeed training - Go so fast that you fall down physically. For mental overspeed training - there is a neurotracker. Good website: gamesensesports.com

The one that got away

Len kicked a bag of oranges after a bad call and they went all over the court

Best stolen/borrowed idea

Tight area games
Overspeed training

The Playmakers Advantage

The brain and understanding the thinking process is so important to all areas of life
Buy The Playmakers Advantage on Amazon: Link



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Scott Hearon is a native Nashvillian and a 2006  graduate of Montgomery Bell Academy where he played football and basketball for the Big Red. A remarkably average athlete, Scott did not make a big impact in the high school stat columns, but he found his niche as a gifted leader and communicator among his teammates and coaches. Scott continued on to Baylor University and earned a degree in Communications and a minor in Business. While at Baylor, he met new football coach, Art Briles, during football tryouts when Coach Briles informed him that his 5.0 second 40 yard dash time was not quite good enough to be a slot receiver for the Bears.

After returning from Texas, Scott took a ministry job working with high school students and their families and coaching in his spare time. He found a lot of success in his day job, but found his coaching to be a disaster. Reminded of the incredible potential athletics has to prepare players for life, Scott set out on a mission to be be a more full hearted leader himself and to develop opportunities to help other coaches do the same. This journey led Scott to co-found the Nashville Coaching Coalition in 2015 and begin as the Executive Director full-time in 2016 with the goal of fully leveraging the human growth potential of sport in Nashville.


Website: nashvillecoachingcoalition.com thecoachforum.com
twitter: @thecoachforum @NashCoach_Coal






Previous episode with Scott:

WYC Episode 106

 












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The good and bad of sports coaches

Many kids validate themselves based on what coaches say to them and how they treat them

The lost dream of being an all-state player

When Scott realized he wasn't going to be an all-state player, he could feel the disappointment from his father. He and his father realized this wasn't healthy, so they ended up reaching out to Joe Erhmann to learn what being a man is really all about.

The 8 Feelings

Dr. Chip Dodd has researched emotional intelligence - and come up with 8 core emotions that every human has. We have the ability to choose a positive or a negative response to each emotion. The 8 core emotions are:
1 - Hurt
2 - Lonely
3 - Sad
4 - Anger
5 - Fear
6 - Shame
7 - Guilt
8 - Glad

Why do you coach?

To win a championship?

or

To build strong children?
Difference in goal vs purpose:

Purpose is about the big picture (to love kids)
Goal is the short-term focus of the team (to win a championship)



Meetings with parents

Always have the players present
Always start every conversation with your purpose statement
Over-communicate your vision

The Coach Forum

Awesome coaching speakers in a Ted-x style format
Website: nashvillecoachingcoalition.com or thecoachforum.com
Use Promo code 'WYC' to save $20 - So you get everything for $79!



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James is the Founder of Unleash the Athlete and former Head of Leadership and Character Development at IMG Academy. He helps college, professional athletes, and business professionals develop the mental and relational side of their craft through interactive lectures and teambuilding activities. James is also the director of performance for Complexity, the esports organization owned by the Dallas Cowboys.

Website: utathlete.com or jamesleath.com
Instagram: jamesleath
twitter: @jamesleath






Previous episodes with James:

WYC Episode 31

WYC Episode 50

WYC Episode 61

WYC Episode 100

 












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Don't sell yourself short

James was going to apply for an internship at IMG, his mentor told him to go for the full-time job
Do you ever sell yourself short, thinking you're unqualified?

I've arrived - the destination of a championship

'I wished I would've enjoyed the journey more'
'Who am I now? I've always been the person going after this'

The Circle of Intentional Influence

Influence -> Relationship
Relationship -> Trust
Trust -> Authenticity
Authenticity -> Ownership
Ownership -> Credibility
Credibility -> Influence

How to Communicate Effectively

Take your sunglasses off
Take a knee
Take note of what's behind you (the sun, the cheerleaders)
Take 2 minutes or less

Unleash the Athlete

Online curriculums for coaches
Mental toughness, teambuilding activities, and much more
Website: utathlete.com or jamesleath.com



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