In our first season of the podcast, we interviewed author Michael Zigarelli, who wrote  a book called The Messiah Method: The 7 Disciplines of the Winningest College Soccer Program in America. The book outlined the tremendous success of Messiah College soccer, where between 2000 and 2010 the mens and women's teams had won 11 national titles and been to 17 Final Fours between them. Ever since then, we have wanted to bring onto the podcast the architect of that dynasty Dave Brandt. Today we get to do that. In 24 seasons as a college head coach, including stints at Messiah, the US Naval Academy, Hope College and Bucknell, Dave Brandt has won over 360 games. In 12 years at Messiah, his teams compiled a 246-25-14 (.888) record, won six Division III national championships and made eight Final Four appearances. Brandt was a four-time National Coach of the Year honoree at Messiah, and five of his student-athletes earned National Player of the Year honors. He then moved on to the Naval Academy where he turned around a program and won the Patriot League as the first undefeated, untied conference champion in league history. After a short stint in professional soccer with the Pittsburg Riverhounds, he returned to college coaching at Hope College in MI where he again turned around a losing program and led them to an NCAA appearance and conference championship. This past Fall he led Bucknell to the Patriot League title and an NCAA tournament bid. In our chat today, Dave unpacks the core principles of all the winning programs he has built, how passion and intentionality drive his programs, the secrets to having standards not rules, the value of love in your coaching, and so much more. You will want a notebook for this one! PUT 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? 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. NEW WOC MASTERMIND AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAM IS SOLD OUT! 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. 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 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

This week's episode is a replay from 2022 with Captain Ryan Bernacchi, USN (Ret.) a retired naval officer who possesses a unique background in aviation, leadership, high performance teamwork, and organizational culture. During his distinguished 25-year career in the Navy his notable positions include the Commanding Officer and Flight Leader of the Blue Angels, command of a fleet Super Hornet squadron, and TOPGUN Instructor, with worldwide deployments aboard aircraft carriers, including major combat operations. In academia, Ryan has complemented his operational expertise with the study of strategy, cyber, culture, leadership and ethics. Ryan served as the Director of Leadership and Character Development and an ethics professor at the United States Naval Academy. He was twice selected to serve in strategic roles as a Director Fellow for the Chief of Naval Operations Strategic Studies Group, and as the Navy’s Federal Executive Fellow at MIT. Ryan received a B.A. Degree from the University of California in Cultural Anthropology and is a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Naval War College with a M.A. in National Security and Strategic Studies. Ryan is a recognized expert with compelling vision in high performance leadership, character, teamwork, and organizational culture.  During his time at the Naval Academy, Ryan served as the Officer Representative to the Women’s lacrosse team and Head Coach Cindy Timchal. In our podcast tfrom October of 2022, we discuss Cindy and her amazing team, as well as vulnerability, team culture, confidence vs. ego, how people learn difficult tasks, and more. We also have a fascinating talk about visualization, and how the world’s best pilots fly every flight in their head before they fly it in real life. This one will require many pages to take notes. PUT 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? 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. NEW WOC MASTERMIND AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAM IS SOLD OUT! 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. 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 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

Angelo Gingerelli (@mr5thround) is the Strength Coach at Seton Hall University and NJ State Director of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). He recently published his second book The Next Four Years: Compete, Win & Thrive in College Sports. Gingerelli has been a collegiate strength coach for over 20 years and the book focuses on all aspects of the student-athlete experience from physically preparing for freshman year (weight room proficiency, conditioning tests, work capacity, etc.) to new issues in athletics like NIL and The Transfer Portal. The book is a great resource for aspiring college athletes and covers everything necessary to “compete, win & thrive” from the day they sign their National Letter of Intent until their first training session on campus. So many athletes sign that letter and then show up unprepared for life as a collegiate athlete; Gingerelli will show you how NOT to let that happen.  Connect with him at Angelo.Gingerelli@gmail.com. PUT 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? 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. NEW WOC MASTERMIND AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAM IS SOLD OUT! 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. 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.  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 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

Mehdi Kordi, an Olympic and World Champion cycling coach with a PhD in training optimization, shares insights from his unique journey into coaching elite athletes. He argues that marginal gains are often overrated and emphasizes the importance of focusing on significant factors that drive performance. The conversation delves into building trust in coaching, the emotional dynamics of athlete relationships, and the critical role of recovery in sports. Kordi also discusses transforming training for female cyclists and fostering positive team dynamics, all while encouraging joy in sports.

Anson Dorrance, a 22-time NCAA champion coach from the University of North Carolina Women's Soccer, shares insights post another national victory. He discusses the transition to a new coaching staff and the emotional dynamics of leadership. The importance of love in coaching is a focal point, highlighting how emotional connections enhance team performance. Dorrance reflects on vulnerability in leadership and its role in building a cohesive team culture, making the case that affection is key to achieving unexpected successes.

Eamon Devlin, the founder of Minute9 and a consultant in elite sports communication, shares his insights on effective halftime talks. He reveals how coaches often miss players' needs for rest and emotional reset during breaks. Eamon discusses strategies for concise communication, player autonomy, and fostering a calming atmosphere to minimize stress. He emphasizes character development over immediate results, suggesting that supportive team dynamics and structured halftime protocols can significantly enhance performance and resilience.

Terry Steiner, Head Coach of the USA Women's Wrestling Team and 2024 National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee, shares incredible insights from his coaching journey. He discusses the differences between coaching men and women and emphasizes the importance of culture and communication. Steiner compares coaching to artistry, stressing that a coach can't simply discard their athletes' growth. He dives into empowering young wrestlers, the significance of personal accountability, and the nuances of team dynamics in wrestling.

This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we dive into the archives with author Doug Lemov. Doug is the author of the international bestseller Teach Like a Champion, Teach Like a Champion 2..0 and Practice Perfect. He is one of the foremost teacher educators in the world, and recently he has branched into the world of coach education. He now consults with Major League Baseball teams and is an instructor for the US Soccer professional licenses. His most recent book The Coach’s Guide to Teaching is a “must read” for any serious coach. In our conversation, John and Doug break down this incredible book, touch on topics such as decision making vs. problem solving, how forgetting is key to learning, performance vs learning, how to give feedback and check for understanding, and so much more.  Take out your notebooks and pens and get ready to write, as this one is a doozy. This first aired as episode 206 in 2022 and click here to check out The Coach’s Guide to Teaching.  You can follow @DougLemov or visit his website  https://teachlikeachampion.com/ to learn more. Highlights and great quotes from the this episode: Learning how to give feedback Teaching kids how to be decision makers Do players see because they scan, or scan because they see? How does looking at the phone on game day hurt athlete performance? Does your club have a curriculum and a plan to deliver it? “Starting an activity the phase before the one you are working on” Simplifying how we teach young athletes Reducing the cognitive load on working memory “You can get a lot wrong if you get culture right.” How to move kids up and down without kids thinking they are being punished for going down PUT 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? 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. NEW WOC MASTERMIND AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAM IS SOLD OUT! 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. 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.  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 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

Anson Dorrance, the legendary former head coach of UNC Women’s Soccer, shares his insights after a remarkable 47-year career with over 1100 wins. He reflects on his decision to retire and the importance of self-awareness in coaching. Dorrance emphasizes understanding personal and team narratives, moving away from excuses. He also discusses the implications of participation trophies on accountability and the need for honest communication in fostering growth. Get ready for invaluable takeaways from a true champion of the game!

This week on the podcast, we dive into the qualities of an exceptional youth sports experience with Mike Kelleher and Derek Broadley of Charleston SC in South Carolina. We discuss the importance of vision and core principles, the need for a curriculum that coaches of all abilities can implement, how to get buy in from coaches who do not want to follow the club plan, engaging parents, and the importance of high quality player evaluations and effective feedback.  Mike Keller is the CEO of Charleston SC, and previous president of the Charleston Battery of the USL. He spent years working in the English Premier League helping to revamp the Academy system for elite youth players, and spent years as the CEO of Global Image Sports where he oversaw the West Ham United International Academy in addition to working with thirteen professional football clubs including Glasgow Rangers, Chievo Verona, Wolverhampton Wanderers and FC Utrecht. Derek Broadley is the Technical Director for Charleston SC, and former Technical Director fo the Bermuda FA, where he introduced a National Academy program and restructured the country's leagues at all levels from youth through senior. While under Broadley's leadership, Bermuda rose 36 places in the FIFA World Rankings. Prior to that he was the Academy Director of Crystal Palace in London, England from 1999 to 2003. As Academy Director, Broadley developed and implemented coaching programs for youth players ages 9 through 21. He was instrumental in determining the Club's policy on tactics and implementing those tactics throughout all age levels.  Learn more at https://chssoccerclub.com/ THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT IS AVAILABLE ON AMAZON!! WE ARE LIVE! This book is a great compliment to The Champion Teammate, as your parents are a huge part of your culture. Click here to order now or email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to inquire about bulk book pricing! Use this Amazon link to order the book PUT 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. 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. NEW WOC MASTERMIND AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAM IS SOLD OUT! 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. 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.  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 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