#408 Marginal Gains are Dead with Mehdi Kordi, Olympic and World Champion Cycling Coach
Way of Champions Podcast
The Emotional Landscape of Coaching
This chapter explores the intricate emotional dynamics inherent in coaching and the transitional nature of sports. It emphasizes the importance of vulnerability, care, and humility in leadership, illustrating the dual relationship coaches have with their athletes. Personal anecdotes highlight the need for self-awareness and understanding when navigating the complexities of team dynamics and transitions.
Mehdi Kordi has led the Dutch track riders to nine different Olympic medals including six Gold and 16 World Championships titles over 8 different athletes all on a fraction of the budget of their rivals. Interestingly Mehdi has never ridden a competitive bicycle race at any level or discipline. Prior to coaching the Dutch, Mehdi had a convoluted career where he only got into sporting world in his mid-twenties by doing a PhD which examined the training sciences to help optimise the performance of track riders in the Great Britain cycling team. Subsequently, he went on to become their sport scientist and coach of the Para-cycling team which lead him going on to the Dutch. On the podcast today John and Mehdi discuss how the concept of marginal gains is not applicable in the vast majority of sporting environments, how to focus on the big things that matter most, and more.
Connect with Mehdi:
www.mehdikordi.com Insta: @mehdikordi11 X: @MehdiKordi LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/mehdi-kordi-79114155PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS! Programs such as UNC soccer and lacrosse, Syracuse lacrosse, Stanford Lacrosse, Middlebury College, Colby College, Rutgers University, and many other champions are using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you? We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next?
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Our 2025 Mastermind and Certification Program is sold out, but we do have a waitlist as well as a collection of coaches who are interested in being part of our next cohort. If you want to take a deeper dive then ever offered before into your coaching and personal development, or work within your school or club improving coaching or transforming the culture, or you want to hit the road as a speaker and presenter working with teams and youth sports organizations, we will give you the tools and support to do so. We are collecting names who are interested at this moment in joining the waitlist or being the first to know when we offer another program, you can do so by clicking here and adding your name and email to the list.
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Remember Everything You Learn from Podcasts
