Way of Champions Podcast

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome Betsy Butterick. As "The Coaches' Coach" Betsy helps coaches do what they've yet to do, so they can be who they've yet to be. As a communication specialist, Betsy assists individuals in all facets of communication while developing the connective skills to build relationship and sustain success. Connect with Betsy on Twitter and be sure to check out Betsy's website https://www.betsybutterick.com/ and use the offer code "WOCPOD" to save $200 off on her online course, Winning with Words: Championship Communication for Coaches. In our discussion, we dive into Betsy's journey from a student athlete to a coach, how to level up your communication skills, and redefining what the whistle means. Highlights from the Podcast: Betsy shares her journey about how she came to coaching coaches How can we intentionally improve our level of communication? When listening, ask yourself, "What can I learn?" Kids these days...who have changed, adults or kids? "Connecting with Gen Z is Not Impossible, it is just unpracticed." What does your whistle mean when you blow it? What is it like to work with Betsy? "If we want the best out of people, we have to give them our best!" Dealing with criticism and resistance to change More About Betsy Betsy Butterick is a former college basketball coach at the University of Washington, Occidental College, and UC San Diego in addition to having worked as the Logistics manager for the Seattle Storm. Today, Betsy is known as "The Coaches' Coach" & Communication Specialist As a former coach with experience in DI, DII, DIII and the WNBA Betsy utilizes her unique background with individuals ready to improve and teams of all kinds — from the locker room to the boardroom. The Way of Champions Podcast is brought to you by Sports Refund. When kids sign up to play youth sports there are always fees involved. And parents pay those fees so their child can be on the team, not the injury report. That's why I love Sports Refund, and parents will too. Sports Refund is low-cost sports fee insurance – NOT health insurance, sports fee insurance. So if your child becomes injured or sick and can't play, you get your fees reimbursed for that lost time, from one game to an entire season. It's that simple. This product not only saves families wasted fees, it saves injured athletes the stress of feeling like they're wasting their parents' money. The fees come back until the player comes back. So they can focus on fully recovering and making a healthy return to the game. Sports Refund has options for individuals and organizations. Ask your club if they offer it, or visit SportsRefund.com/Game to learn more and sign up today. That's SportsRefund.com/Game. Can't Play? Don't Pay. With Sports Refund. Help Support the Podcast! Become a Podcast Champion! …and get FREE access to ALL of our online courses. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including: Downloadable transcripts of the podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! A monthly discussion with John, James, Jerry, and other special guests talking about the previous month's episodes and answering some of the FAQs we received that month A code to get free access to our online course called "Coaching Mastery," usually a $97 course, but yours for free for becoming a patron. Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences. Thank you for all your support these past two years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome Vern Gambetta. Vern is currently is the Director of Gambetta Sports Training Systems. He has been the a conditioning coach for several teams in Major League Soccer as well as the conditioning consultant to the US Men's World Cup Soccer team. Vern is the former Director of Conditioning for the Chicago White Sox and Director of Athletic Development for the New York Mets. In our discussion, we dive into the importance of being a systems coach, why athletes need to be given tools instead of drills, and why you won't see any of Vern's programming online. Vern is recognized internationally as an expert in training and conditioning for sport having worked with world class athletes and teams in a wide variety of sports. He is a popular speaker and writer on conditioning topics having lectured and conducted clinics in Canada, Japan, Australia and Europe. Vern's coaching experience spans 50 years at all levels of competition. He received his BA from Fresno State University and his teaching credential with a coaching minor from University of California Santa Barbara. Vern obtained his MA in Education with an emphasis in physical education from Stanford University. Vern has authored six books and over a hundred articles related to coaching and sport performance in a variety of sports. His most popular book, Athletic Development: The Art & Science of Functional Sports Conditioning is widely regarded as a must read on the training process for coaches of all levels. Highlights from the Podcast: Vern shares the inspiration for becoming a "systems coach" Why is it important to develop your own system as a coach? How did Vern create his systems mindset? Why don't many organizations employ a sport psychologist and why they should. Why you won't see videos online of Vern's programming Vern shares stories about his early coaching career The Way of Champions Podcast is brought to you by Sports Refund. When kids sign up to play youth sports there are always fees involved. And parents pay those fees so their child can be on the team, not the injury report. That's why I love Sports Refund, and parents will too. Sports Refund is low-cost sports fee insurance – NOT health insurance, sports fee insurance. So if your child becomes injured or sick and can't play, you get your fees reimbursed for that lost time, from one game to an entire season. It's that simple. This product not only saves families wasted fees, it saves injured athletes the stress of feeling like they're wasting their parents' money. The fees come back until the player comes back. So they can focus on fully recovering and making a healthy return to the game. Sports Refund has options for individuals and organizations. Ask your club if they offer it, or visit SportsRefund.com/Game to learn more and sign up today. That's SportsRefund.com/Game. Can't Play? Don't Pay. With Sports Refund. Help Support the Podcast!Become a Podcast Champion! …and get FREE access to ALL of our online courses. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including: Downloadable transcripts of the podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! A monthly discussion with John, James, Jerry, and other special guests talking about the previous month's episodes and answering some of the FAQs we received that month A code to get free access to our online course called "Coaching Mastery," usually a $97 course, but yours for free for becoming a patron. Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences. Thank you for all your support these past two years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

This 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 our Podcast Champions, visit https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions and join the community today! Questions from the Podcast: Mark Hesse: How can we support coaches who are managing pandemic restrictions? (11:20) Thomas Cooke: As a sports parent, I struggle to find her resources to grow into her potential. What are some resources I can share with her in a way that she will receive it? (18:15) Jeremy Hobbs: What are some ideas on having a group of adults join an "advisory" type group to help guide decisions within an organization? (34:30) Ted Panczyszyn: How do I manage my teams with all the different changes in mandates coming from the league and the government? (43:30) Sean Large: What are some specific ways we, as coaches, as volunteers, as parents, can help change the system from the inside? (49:15) Ted Panczyszyn: How can we build a stronger community within my organization? (1:06:10) Norm Jones: What is the most effective way to strengthen the Athlete - Coach - Parent triad so that everyone is on the same page in regards to educating the athlete about important lessons of life? (1:15:00) The Way of Champions Podcast is brought to you by Sports Refund. When kids sign up to play youth sports there are always fees involved. And parents pay those fees so their child can be on the team, not the injury report. That's why I love Sports Refund, and parents will too. Sports Refund is low-cost sports fee insurance – NOT health insurance, sports fee insurance. So if your child becomes injured or sick and can't play, you get your fees reimbursed for that lost time, from one game to an entire season. It's that simple. This product not only saves families wasted fees, it saves injured athletes the stress of feeling like they're wasting their parents' money. The fees come back until the player comes back. So they can focus on fully recovering and making a healthy return to the game. Sports Refund has options for individuals and organizations. Ask your club if they offer it, or visit SportsRefund.com/Game to learn more and sign up today. That's SportsRefund.com/Game. Can't Play? Don't Pay. With Sports Refund. Help Support the Podcast! Become a Podcast Champion! …and get FREE access to ALL of our online courses. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including: Downloadable transcripts of the podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! A monthly discussion with John, James, Jerry, and other special guests talking about the previous month's episodes and answering some of the FAQs we received that month A code to get free access to our online course called "Coaching Mastery," usually a $97 course, but yours for free for becoming a patron. Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences. Thank you for all your support these past two years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome Dr. Greg Dale. Dr. Dale is the Director of Sport Psychology and Leadership Program for Duke Athletics and author of The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaches. In his sport psychology role, Dale provides consultations for individual athletes, coaches and staff members. In addition, Dale provides team building services for athletic teams and other units within the athletic department. We dive into the need to stop catastrophizing failure, how to build culture, how do approach change, and how do we recruit people to fit into our culture. Check out his website http://www.excellenceinperformance.com/. Highlights from the Podcast: Teaching "sports athletics" at the university level Are sports fundamentally good? Coaches responding to sports during a pandemic Servant Leadership What is the essence of coaching? Learning to coach by spending time with coaches from other sports How do "one-and-done" athletes effect the culture of a university-level team? C.U.L.T. Athletics (Connection, Ultimate caring, Love, Trust), a Jerry-ism made up on the spot How can we build stronger connections with our athletes? Growing from an assistant coach to a head coach More about Greg Dale: In his leadership role, Dale provides leadership training for athletes, coaches and administrators within the department through various educational programs. He is also a professor of sport psychology and sport ethics in the Department of Health, Wellness and Physical Education. In July of 2018, Dale was named to the newly-created Integrative Performance Excellence Group, 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. 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 her collegiate career while continuing to cultivate partnerships with the Duke University Hospital, Duke Sports Science Institute, Duke Student Health and Duke Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) as part of its holistic approach to student-athlete health. Dale received his bachelor's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in 1985. He went on to ear a master's from Columbia University in 1987 and his doctorate from The University of Tennessee in 1993. Dale, a native of Troy, Texas, has written four books on leadership, coaching, parenting and performance and serves as a consultant to numerous athletic and corporate organizations around the world. Resources Mentioned in the Podcast: Freakonomics Podcast: The Hidden Side of Sports (https://freakonomics.com/hidden-sports/ Amazon Book Link for The Seven Secrets of Successful Coaches. The Way of Champions Podcast is brought to you by Sports Refund. When kids sign up to play youth sports there are always fees involved. And parents pay those fees so their child can be on the team, not the injury report. That's why I love Sports Refund, and parents will too. Sports Refund is low-cost sports fee insurance – NOT health insurance, sports fee insurance. So if your child becomes injured or sick and can't play, you get your fees reimbursed for that lost time, from one game to an entire season. It's that simple. This product not only saves families wasted fees, it saves injured athletes the stress of feeling like they're wasting their parents' money. The fees come back until the player comes back. So they can focus on fully recovering and making a healthy return to the game. Sports Refund has options for individuals and organizations. Ask your club if they offer it, or visit SportsRefund.com/Game to learn more and sign up today. That's SportsRefund.com/Game. Can't Play? Don't Pay. With Sports Refund. Help Support the Podcast! Become a Podcast Champion! …and get FREE access to ALL of our online courses. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including: Downloadable transcripts of the podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! A monthly discussion with John, James, Jerry, and other special guests talking about the previous month's episodes and answering some of the FAQs we received that month A code to get free access to our online course called "Coaching Mastery," usually a $97 course, but yours for free for becoming a patron. Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences. Thank you for all your support these past two years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome Stephen Rollnick, Honorary Distinguished Professor in the School of Medicine in Cardiff University, Wales, UK with a research record focused on good practice in efforts to promote change and behaviour change among patients, clients and the practitioners who serve them. We dive into the difference between a guide and an instructor, how we can be deficit detectives, and some practical ways of receiving feedback as coaches. Check out his book, Coaching Athletes to Be Their Best: Motivational Interviewing in Sports (Applications of Motivational Interviewing) https://amzn.to/3gCzolA. Also, you can visit his website at https://www.stephenrollnick.com/ More about Stephen Rollnick: Stephen Rollnick provides consultancy, mentorship and training on the subjects of motivation, change, teamwork and Motivational Interviewing. Stephen is also a clinical psychologist with many years of experience in service provision and in the training of practitioners. This work, much of it on motivational interviewing (MI), has taken him into diverse cultures and settings. He has now retired to focus on training, writing and consultancy, in the fields of healthcare and sport. Stephen is a co-founder of Motivational Interviewing. His work has included support to programmes for pregnant teens, children with HIV-AIDS in Africa and medication adherence in different areas. He is a co-founder of PATA (Paediatric Aids Treatment for Africa) and the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT), an international network for trainers. He is the co-author of Motivational Interviewing: Helping People Change (Miller and Rollnick, 1991; 2001 & 2012), Health Behaviour Change: A Guide for Practitioners (Rollnick, Mason & Butler, 1999) and Motivational Interviewing in Health Care (Rollnick, Miller & Butler, 2008), Motivational Interviewing in Schools (2016) and is completing a book on motivational interviewing for sports coaches. Highlights from the Podcast: – What is the difference between a guide and an instructor? – Going from directing to empathizing for motivating athletes – The processes of motivational interviewing. – What is the "ask-offer-ask" strategy? – Dr. Rollnick explains the "righting reflex" – What is an empathic listening statement? – Responding in an intentional way to establish trust between a coach and an athlete The Way of Champions Podcast is brought to you by Sports Refund. When kids sign up to play youth sports there are always fees involved. And parents pay those fees so their child can be on the team, not the injury report. That's why I love Sports Refund, and parents will too. Sports Refund is low-cost sports fee insurance – NOT health insurance, sports fee insurance. So if your child becomes injured or sick and can't play, you get your fees reimbursed for that lost time, from one game to an entire season. It's that simple. This product not only saves families wasted fees, it saves injured athletes the stress of feeling like they're wasting their parents' money. The fees come back until the player comes back. So they can focus on fully recovering and making a healthy return to the game. Sports Refund has options for individuals and organizations. Ask your club if they offer it, or visit SportsRefund.com/Game to learn more and sign up today. That's SportsRefund.com/Game. Can't Play? Don't Pay. With Sports Refund. Listen on the web: https://directory.libsyn.com/shows/view/id/wayofchampions iTunes: https://open.spotify.com/show/3UKLS2keBtPOH55SXNyTaP Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3UKLS2keBtPOH55SXNyTaP Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/36e1aeb9-a160-48c2-b019-f8ec6faad7b3/Way-of-Champions-Podcast? Stitcher: https://www.stitcher.com/show/way-of-champions-podcast Help Support the Podcast! Become a Podcast Champion! …and get FREE access to ALL of our online courses. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including: – Downloadable transcripts of the podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! – A monthly discussion with John, James, Jerry, and other special guests talking about the previous month's episodes and answering some of the FAQs we received that month – A code to get free access to our online course called "Coaching Mastery," usually a $97 course, but yours for free for becoming a patron. – Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences. Thank you for all your support these past two years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we are sharing a replay of EPL and US National Team Player Jay DeMerit. Jay has one of the most unique stories to success the sport of soccer has ever seen. An MLS reject that backpacked to Europe and climbed the English soccer pyramid from the 12th tier to become the captain of Watford FC in the English Premier League. He also represented the US Mens National Team for five years, playing every minute of his teams games in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. In 2011 he became the first ever signing & captain for the Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS. He finished his career in 2014, after captaining the Vancouver Whitecaps for four seasons. Visit his website at https://jaydemeritstory.com/. Using his vast experience in professional soccer, Jay will share the highs and the lows he's endured along his journey through his 10-year professional career. Highlights are the season of 2006-07, where Jay and his underdog Watford FC team were promoted to the English Premier League, the biggest soccer league in the world, as well as his experiences in playing a major role in the World Cup in 2010. Defining leadership traits, dealing with adversities, identifying commonality between diverse personalities, creating culture, and role management are just a few things Jay will touch on, as well as how he learned to lead from others through mentorship, and then grow into captain himself. Jay has taken the stage at Tedx Vancouver (https://youtu.be/zKwZutf5GGU), spoken at a wide variety of national conferences, and has even been the keynote speaker on "Grit" at the US Soccer Federation's annual symposium. His story was the subject of "Rise & Shine: The Jay DeMerit Story" a documentary released in 2011 after a successful kickstarter campaign, where the passionate soccer community raised $223,000 to turn this important story into a feature film. Highlights from the Podcast: When Jay became a soccer player On Learning to adapt to the opportunities Why choosing life experiences made the difference On being a pub league sub Be ready when the big break knocks on the door What it means to be a team player The world's most expensive game Coming home was the toughest thing One of Jay's greatest accomplishments Jay's advice to young players The Way of Champions Podcast is brought to you by Sports Refund. When kids sign up to play youth sports there are always fees involved. And parents pay those fees so their child can be on the team, not the injury report. That's why I love Sports Refund, and parents will too. Sports Refund is low-cost sports fee insurance – NOT health insurance, sports fee insurance. So if your child becomes injured or sick and can't play, you get your fees reimbursed for that lost time, from one game to an entire season. It's that simple. This product not only saves families wasted fees, it saves injured athletes the stress of feeling like they're wasting their parents' money. The fees come back until the player comes back. So they can focus on fully recovering and making a healthy return to the game. Sports Refund has options for individuals and organizations. Ask your club if they offer it, or visit SportsRefund.com/Game to learn more and sign up today. That's SportsRefund.com/Game. Can't Play? Don't Pay. With Sports Refund. Help Support the Podcast! Become a Podcast Champion! …and get FREE access to ALL of our online courses. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including: Downloadable transcripts of the podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! A monthly discussion with John, James, Jerry, and other special guests talking about the previous month's episodes and answering some of the FAQs we received that month A code to get free access to our online course called "Coaching Mastery," usually a $97 course, but yours for free for becoming a patron. Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences. Thank you for all your support these past two years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

In this engaging discussion, Dr. Mark Williams, a leading expert on expertise acquisition in sports, delves into how elite athletes are developed. He contrasts performance vs. learning and emphasizes the importance of decision-making and feedback in training. Dr. Williams sheds light on the 'challenge point' concept and the push for realistic practice scenarios. He also navigates the debate on early specialization vs. early engagement, revealing how cultural differences influence athlete development. His insights challenge common myths about deliberate practice.

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome Paul Goodman, 3x Stanley Cup Champ Strength Coach. Paul has worked with a wide range of professional athletes, is a well known speaker on functional movement and sport performance, and is currently working on his PhD in Performance Psychology. Paul and I have been friends for many years and our conversation dives deep into not just the body and the mind, but how those two things work together. This is a great episodes full of practical information that you will be able to use right away! Visit https://goodmanelite.com/ and on Instagram at @goodmanelite. The Way of Champions Podcast is brought to you by Sports Refund. When kids sign up to play youth sports there are always fees involved. And parents pay those fees so their child can be on the team, not the injury report. That's why I love Sports Refund, and parents will too. Sports Refund is low-cost sports fee insurance – NOT health insurance, sports fee insurance. So if your child becomes injured or sick and can't play, you get your fees reimbursed for that lost time, from one game to an entire season. It's that simple. This product not only saves families wasted fees, it saves injured athletes the stress of feeling like they're wasting their parents' money. The fees come back until the player comes back. So they can focus on fully recovering and making a healthy return to the game. Sports Refund has options for individuals and organizations. Ask your club if they offer it, or visit SportsRefund.com/Game to learn more and sign up today. That's SportsRefund.com/Game. Can't Play? Don't Pay. With Sports Refund. More about Paul Goodman Paul was born and raised in New Jersey and got his first exposure to strength and conditioning as an Assistant Strength & Conditioning Coach for the University of Wisconsin-Madison Football Team while earning his Bachelor of Science - winning two Rose Bowl Championships during his tenure. Paul then went on to earn his first master's degree at UW while Head Strength & Conditioning Coach for multiple sports: Men's Hockey, Women's Hockey, Volleyball, Wrestling & Women's Tennis. Served as Director and Head Strength & Conditioning Coach and Adjunct professor for University of Vermont 2002-08. Paul has recently co-authored the Human Kinetics book "Hockey Anatomy" and was published in "The Physician and Sports Medicine" (November 2018). The use of an intensive physical exertion test as a final return to play measure in concussed athletes: A prospective cohort. Goodman has trained an extensive list of high profile clients and teams including the Chicago Blackhawks, New York Rangers, USA Women's Hockey, Columbus Chill ECHL, Canadian National Lacrosse - U-19, and NHL, IHL, AHL, European players, NFL, MLB, and Olympic Athletes and has extensive experience as a national speaker on topics of Strength & Conditioning Highlights from the Podcast: Paul discusses his journey to becoming a3x Stanley Cup Champ Strength Coach What does a good strength and conditioning program look like? How does focusing on recovery help an athlete excel? The importance of meeting an athlete where they are at in the gym First, you have to get the athletes to trust you... How do you get buy-in from the athletes? Getting a PhD in Performance Psychology Strength and Conditioning in Youth Sports Help Support the Podcast! Become a Podcast Champion! …and get FREE access to ALL of our online courses. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including: Downloadable transcripts of the podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! A monthly discussion with John, James, Jerry, and other special guests talking about the previous month's episodes and answering some of the FAQs we received that month A code to get free access to our online course called "Coaching Mastery," usually a $97 course, but yours for free for becoming a patron. Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences. Thank you for all your support these past two years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

This 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% were experiencing depression. Physical activity levels have dropped 50% at the same time. The mental health and well being of our athletes has never been more at risk, and coaches and parents can make a difference. We give you specific things to look for, and specific tools to have the conversations with our kids and their parents that can make a difference. If you are a coach or parent, keep checking in with your athletes and make sure they are doing OK. Coaches, take some time to have a Zoom call or a one on one meeting with them. Keep connecting, and be aware of any alarming signs. Our children really need us now, and I am concerned about what the next few months have in store in terms of a return to lockdowns due to the spread of COVID (already happening in some countries and states). You are doing your most important work EVER right now, and likely it has very little to do with sports! The Way of Champions Podcast is brought to you by Sports Refund. When kids sign up to play youth sports there are always fees involved. And parents pay those fees so their child can be on the team, not the injury report. That's why I love Sports Refund, and parents will too. Sports Refund is low-cost sports fee insurance – NOT health insurance, sports fee insurance. So if your child becomes injured or sick and can't play, you get your fees reimbursed for that lost time, from one game to an entire season. It's that simple. This product not only saves families wasted fees, it saves injured athletes the stress of feeling like they're wasting their parents' money. The fees come back until the player comes back. So they can focus on fully recovering and making a healthy return to the game. Sports Refund has options for individuals and organizations. Ask your club if they offer it, or visit SportsRefund.com/Game to learn more and sign up today. That's SportsRefund.com/Game. Can't Play? Don't Pay. With Sports Refund. Highlights from the Podcast: Jerry shares about his time serving in the military "The Power of Love" vs the "Love of Power" How to help kids during the pandemic Preparing for the "Invisible Competitor" "Earn the respect of those you resect and forget about everyone else." Clearing up the point of sport psychology professionals The value of listening to our athletes "Feeling is function." - Jerry Lynch Looking for changes in your athletes to help save them from quitting How sports helped Jerry as a child Help Support the Podcast! Become a Podcast Champion! …and get FREE access to ALL of our online courses. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including: Downloadable transcripts of the podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! A monthly discussion with John, James, Jerry, and other special guests talking about the previous month's episodes and answering some of the FAQs we received that month A code to get free access to our online course called "Coaching Mastery," usually a $97 course, but yours for free for becoming a patron. Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences. Thank you for all your support these past two years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we welcome Travis Thomas. Travis Thomas is a best-selling author, well-known speaker, and the creator of LiveYesAnd.com. He currently works with US Soccer teaching leadership and culture to some of the best soccer player sin the world. During our time together, we dive into Travis' journey to creating LiveYesAnd.com, using improv to help athletes perform better, and what it is like working with US Soccer. Thomas started "Live Yes, And!" to help individuals, teams, and companies discover their inner brilliance through a commitment to purpose, authenticity and collaboration. For more than two years, Thomas served as a leadership coach at IMG Academy where he worked with youth, collegiate and professional athletes from all over the world and all different sports. He used the games and exercises of improvisation, combined with personal development ideas, to teach mindset, teamwork, character and collaboration. For the last four years, Thomas has been traveling around the world to work with companies, schools and sports teams, and has presented to companies like AIG, Johnson & Johnson, and Citigroup and for sports teams including the Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins, New York Yankees and Georgia Football. The Way of Champions Podcast is brought to you by Sports Refund. When kids sign up to play youth sports there are always fees involved. And parents pay those fees so their child can be on the team, not the injury report. That's why I love Sports Refund, and parents will too. Sports Refund is low-cost sports fee insurance – NOT health insurance, sports fee insurance. So if your child becomes injured or sick and can't play, you get your fees reimbursed for that lost time, from one game to an entire season. It's that simple. This product not only saves families wasted fees, it saves injured athletes the stress of feeling like they're wasting their parents' money. The fees come back until the player comes back. So they can focus on fully recovering and making a healthy return to the game. Sports Refund has options for individuals and organizations. Ask your club if they offer it, or visit SportsRefund.com/Game to learn more and sign up today. That's SportsRefund.com/Game. Can't Play? Don't Pay. With Sports Refund. Highlights from the Podcast: Travis talks about his journey to creating LiveYesAnd.com What is "Yes, And"? How using improv comedy can make athletes better teammates What was the best part about working at IMG in leadership development? Travis shares a story of an NFL quarterback using memories to change emotional state What it's like working with US Soccer How does the character of a coach effect their ability to effectively coach? Check out Travis's book "3 Words for Getting Unstuck" Connect with Travis: On LinkedIn On Instagram On Twitter Help Support the Podcast! Become a Podcast Champion! …and get FREE access to ALL of our online courses. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including: Downloadable transcripts of the podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! A monthly discussion with John, James, Jerry, and other special guests talking about the previous month's episodes and answering some of the FAQs we received that month A code to get free access to our online course called "Coaching Mastery," usually a $97 course, but yours for free for becoming a patron. Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences. Thank you for all your support these past two years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions