#266 Chris Armas, Manchester United Asst Coach, Former Toronto FC and NY Red Bulls Head Coach, and US National Team Player on Connecting With Players, Building Culture and Style of Play, and Stoking the Fire of Your Athletes (Replay)

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast, we dive into the archives from episode 162 and welcome Chris Armas, currently the assistant coach at Manchester United in the English Premier league. Previously Chris has been the Head coach of Major League Soccer clubs Toronto FC and New York Red Bulls, winning the MLS Supporters Shield with the Red Bulls in 2018. As a player, Armas made 66 appearances with the US National Team, and was US Soccer's Player of the Year in 2000. He was named to 6 MLS All Star games and five times was named MLS Best XI. He won the 1998 MLS Championship and 4 US Open Cups with the Chicago Fire. He played 14 professional seasons. John and Chris have known each other nearly 40 years, so this conversation is an invitation to sit in on a dinner between two long-time friends as they talk about dealing with major disappointment, developing athletes that can solve problems, and building a strong culture. Chris shares some incredible stories of coming back from injury and what he admires about coaches from his playing days. You will want to make sure you have a notepad and something to write with because this episode is packed with a lot of great stuff, and we look forward to getting Chris back on the podcast to discuss his newest coaching experiences soon! Highlights from the Podcast:

• How is Chris keeping his team prepared and motivated?
• Can you be your best when things get hard?
• What was it like to miss two world cups and the Olympic Games due to injury?
• Chris discusses why it is so important to be an authentic coach
• Former teammates and how they shaped Chris's playing and coaching philosophy
• What is our job as a coach?
• Chris shares a story of when three 9-year-olds quit the team
• What is the first thing Chris will do with practice after COVID-19?
• How do you get a team to buy-in to the coach's vision?
• Chris shares the best qualities of previous coaches he has had

ANNOUNCING THE 2022 WAY OF CHAMPIONS VIRTUAL CONFERENCE, JUNE 25-26: Yes, we are going virtual again in 2022, and we have already amassed an incredible lineup of guests that we are ready to announce, with more to come. Joining us this year are:

• Steve Kerr: Golden State Warriors and Team USA Head Coach
• Acacia Walker: Head Coach of Boston College Women's Lacrosse, 2021 NCAA Champions
• Dave Aranda, Head Coach, Baylor University Football, 2021 Big 12 Champions and Sugar Bowl Champions
• Sandy Barbour: Athletic Director and VP of Intercollegiate Athletics, Penn State University
• Ron Adams: Golden State Warriors Asst. Coach
• Trevor Ragan: Podcast Host and Founder of The Learner Lab
• Betsy Butterick, "The Coaches' Coach" and Communication Specialist
• Dave Dickerson, Head Coach, University of South Carolina Upstate Men's Basketball

If you register soon, we will throw in the videos from the 2021 Way of Champions Virtual Conference as well, a $349 value! Learn more and register at www.ChangingTheGameProject.com and click Way of Champions Conference on main menu!

This week's podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a new software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, there are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams.

Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs. So if you've been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at sprocketsports.com.

Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our most popular online courses, a $300 value. 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 our best podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes!
• A code to get free access to our online course called "Coaching Mastery," usually a $97 course, plus four other courses worth over $100, all yours for free for becoming a patron.
• Other special bonus opportunities that come up time to time
• 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 four 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