Way of Champions Podcast

John Lind, the Director of Education and Research at the Swedish Ice Hockey Association, shares his insights from years of experience as a player and coach. He emphasizes creating enjoyable environments for youth hockey while retaining players longer. Lind discusses the advantages of small-sided games for skill development and decision-making, along with the importance of biobanding to counteract selection biases in age-group hockey. He champions volunteer coaching and urges parents to value slow, patient development over rushing ahead, all anchored in fun and engagement.

Sean Mullin is an award-winning filmmaker. He has been a writer, director and/or producer on seven films that have received theatrical releases. His critically-acclaimed feature film debut as a writer/director – Amira & Sam – won the top prize at numerous festivals and was distributed theatrically by Drafthouse Films in 2015. His documentary about baseball legend, Yogi Berra – It Ain't Over – received a theatrical release by Sony Pictures Classics in 2023. It is one of the best reviewed sports documentaries of all time – and it was nominated for two Critics Choice Awards and a Writers Guild Award. Prior to his filmmaking career, Sean graduated from West Point where he played rugby. He served an army officer, stationed in Germany and he finished his time as a Captain in the New York Army National Guard – where he was a first responder after the attacks of September 11th, 2001. For several months, he spent his days working as the Officer in Charge of the soldiers stationed at Ground Zero – and his nights performing stand-up comedy. Sean's most recent documentary – Brothers on Three – is an unprecedented look inside the most unique culture of any Division I Athletic program in the country – the West Point Army Rugby Team – as they fight to defend their National Championship. The film hits theaters in November of 2025, and streaming in spring 2026. Jerry and John got an early screening and were blown away. In this weeks podcast, we discuss the film with Sean, and the incredible emotion it invokes as it follows the West Point rugby team. It is a film about positive masculinity, overcoming hardship, and the love among not only teammates, but the men and women who serve our country. As Team Captain Larry Williams says, "Being a good leader isn't about how much you win – it's how you handle loss." To these guys, their team motto of "Trust, Commitment and Love" is much more than just three words: They're a way of life. Watch the Trailer: www.BrothersOnThreeFilm.com Follow on Instagram: @brothersonthree BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking November and December 2025 and Winter/Spring 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call John@ChangingTheGameProject.com PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. 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? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight 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

Chris Armas is a 2025 inductee into the US Soccer Hall of Fame. During his playing career, he played 12 seasons in Major League Soccer for the LA Galaxy and Chicago Fire, and was a 5x MLS Best XI selection, an MLS and US Open Cup Champion, and played 66 games for the US National Team. The 2000 US Soccer Player of the Year and 2005 MLS Comeback Player of the Year, untimely injuries derailed his inclusion in the 2002 and 2006 US World Cup teams. After retireing from playing, Chris began a coaching career that has taken him to assistant coach roles at Manchester United and Leeds United, as well as MLS Head Coaching stops with the NY Red Bulls (2018 Supporters Shield winners), Toronto FC, and in 2024-2025 the Colorado Rapids. In 2024, he led the Rapids to a remarkable improvement of 23 points, finishing 7th after finishing dead last in 2023. For this he was named an MLSCoach of the Year finalist. In 2025, the Rapids missed out on the playoffs on the final day, and Armas and the Rapids agreed to part ways. In our conversation today, Chris and John discuss the importance of building strong relationships with athletes, establishing trust, and helping each player get better. We discuss his time in England, meeting Sir Alex Ferguson, the British press, and his time in Colorado including the the joys of 2024 and the heartbreak of missing out on the 2025 players due to a stoppage time goal. You will see that Chris is humble, authentic, and driven to keep coaching and learning, and its a wonderful conversation to understand the humanity needed to coach at the top level. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking November and December 2025 and Winter/Spring 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call John@ChangingTheGameProject.com PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. 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? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight 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

Dr. Sue Schimmel, a clinical psychologist with a rich background in sports psychology, and Maureen Breeze, a leadership development specialist, dive into the parenting of elite athletes. They discuss the importance of asking, 'How can I help?' and setting healthy boundaries. Research shows that positive involvement boosts athlete well-being, but over-reassurance can lead to anxiety. The duo emphasizes fostering long-term relationships and normalizing failure as crucial to building resilience in young athletes.

"Mediocrity works fine until it meets passion" says a favorite sign on the wall of this week's guest, on for the third time, Jenny Levy. Everytime she joins us we are blown away by what she shares. This week is no exception. Jenny is a 4x NCAA champion coach for the University of North Carolina Women's lacrosse program, including winning the 2025 championship. She is a 3x NCAA coach of the year, 8x ACC coach of the year, former Team USA head coach, and both the National and International Lacrosse Hall of Fame inductee. Heading into 2026 she has 443 wins (2nd all time) and has led the Tar Heels to 14 Final Fours. What makes Jenny most special, however, is her curiosity and authentic, relationship based leadership model. This week she shares with us the importance of failing forward as part of the Tar Heel culture, how she recruits players who are a good fit for the program, and how the selfish players get spit out if they do not become players who learn to give to the team. We discuss the importance of building relationships through casual conversations rather than long meetings, how winning is a by product of the journey, and so much more. Buckle up and get your notebook out! BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking November and December 2025 and Winter/Spring 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call John@ChangingTheGameProject.com PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. 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? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight 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

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.

Dr. Neeru Jayanthi, a leading expert in youth sports and former medical director at Loyola, discusses the dangers of early sport specialization and its link to injuries. He emphasizes the importance of multi-movement experiences for young athletes and how diverse training can prevent overuse injuries. Jayanthi also highlights the need for supportive environments for kids, where emphasis is on fun rather than winning. He shares insights on growth spurts in youth, the role of physical literacy, and the potential shift towards community-based, multi-sport clubs in youth sports.

Dr Neeru Jayanthi is one of the leading experts on youth sports health, injuries, and sports training patterns, as well as an international leader in tennis medicine. He is currently leads the Emory University Tennis Medicine Program and is the President of the International Society for Tennis Medicine and Science (STMS) and a certified USPTA teaching professional. He has also been a volunteer ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) physician for 15 years, serves as a medical advisor for the WTA (Woman's Tennis Association) Player Development Panel, and is on the commission for the International Tennis Performance Association (ITPA). He has been selected to the board of directors for the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) twice, and serves as a Consultant for the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness, Aspen Institute Sport and Society Program, and Mom's Team. Dr. Jayanthi has won multiple AMSSM Foundation Research Grants for his collaborative research on early sports specialized training and overuse injury in young athletes. He previously was the medical director of primary care sports medicine at Loyola University Chicago for 12 years. In our conversation this week, which was originally aired back in 2020, we discuss overuse injuries, the importance of multi movement experiences for children, and how parents can best support their kids in today's youth sports world. Dr Jayanthi addresses some of the most common questions we get from parents, so get ready to take some notes. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking November and December 2025 and Winter/Spring 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call John@ChangingTheGameProject.com PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. 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? Click here to visit John's author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry's author page on Amazon Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight 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

Becky Burleigh, a former NCAA champion soccer coach and co-founder of What Drives Winning, shares her coaching journey starting at just 21. She discusses the importance of building trust through innovative team exercises and how vulnerability can enhance leadership. Becky also highlights her unique question-based approach to coaching, fostering player autonomy. With insights on supporting women coaches and the future of U.S. women's soccer, she inspires listeners to find their inner confidence and trust in their coaching journey.

Emma Doyle, a Professional Certified Coach and former D1 tennis player, shares her insights on coaching and empowering female athletes. She highlights the significance of curiosity as a leadership tool and discusses pivotal coaching moments that shape careers. Emma emphasizes the importance of tailored communication and how player-voted values can enhance team culture. She also delves into coaching strategies that promote decision-making and individual growth, all while reflecting on her passion for fostering female potential and listening-first leadership.