Way of Champions Podcast

#452 Betsy Butterick, Author of Kids These Days: "You need to reach them before you teach them!"

4 snips
Oct 23, 2025
Betsy Butterick, known as 'The Coaches’ Coach,' blends her experience as a former collegiate basketball coach and communication specialist to connect with Gen Z athletes. She explores how their screen-based childhood impacts attention and social skills. Betsy emphasizes the power of genuine human connection as a coach's competitive edge and offers practical strategies for addressing expectations. Additionally, she promotes deep listening, redefining roles as contributions, and fostering a caring environment to enhance athlete-coach relationships.
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ADVICE

Surface Unspoken Expectations

  • Ask athletes two questions before presenting expectations: what do you expect of us and what can we expect of you.
  • Have them write answers privately then cross off coach-listed items to surface unspoken expectations.
INSIGHT

Screens Changed Developmental Reps

  • Gen Z never knew life without the internet, so their attention habits differ fundamentally from older coaches'.
  • Coaches' past tech experiences don't equal identical developmental reps for today's athletes.
ADVICE

Challenge Narratives And Teach Choices

  • Ask athletes 'what are you making it mean?' to surface story-making and SFDs (shitty first drafts).
  • Teach choices by mapping choices → decisions → outcomes and role-play hard conversations.
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