
Way of Champions Podcast
The Way of Champions Podcast is hosted by Dr. Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan, team culture and performance specialists. Each week we connect you with the top minds in sports, coaching, leadership, and building championship programs so you can take your athletes and teams to the next level.
Latest episodes

Apr 12, 2024 • 1h 8min
#372 Chad Metcalf, Former Navy SEAL and Professional Golfer, on the Key Components of Mental Toughness
Former Navy SEAL, professional athlete, and entrepreneur Chad Metcalf (@chadmetcalf) is the author of Young Athletes’ Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness. Chad’s journey began when he was a child. A self-described ‘late bloomer,’ he had the importance of faith, self-belief and focus instilled in him at a young age, equipping him with a strong mental toughness that he would carry forward and apply to every challenge he faced. Following a 12-year career in the SEAL Teams, he chased his PGA Tour dream. After running out of money for a third time he knew it was time to strike the balance between pursuing his passions and knowing when a new strategy was necessary, pulling himself out of negative mindsets, and using his setbacks to help him grow and move on to complete great things. He is firm in his belief that without his faith, growth mindset, and mental resilience, he could not have discovered what he was capable of. Now, with an MBA and a new career under his belt, Chad remains committed to developing new skills and working hard to achieve his dreams. He is a firm believer that faith, determination, dedication, perseverance, and support are all that is needed to bring a dream to life, and he’s passionate about helping others to build the mental resilience required to make that happen. CONNECT with Chad: Young Athletes’ Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1961994011 https://www.audible.com/pd/B0CFNDGM1K/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-363118&ref=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_363118_rh_us Signed Books (plus bonuses not included on Amazon) https://www.mentaltoughnessandconfidence.com/yaugtmt-ebook--6572c Summer Challenge for Parents to Offer Their Teens https://www.mentaltoughnessandconfidence.com/summerchallenge REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of soon to be named all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer! Click here to register and learn more. 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? Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today. 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. 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

Apr 5, 2024 • 1h 15min
#371 Colleen Munson, Western Michigan Volleyball Head Coach, on Authenticity, Accountability, and Developing Your Own Players Instead of Looking Outside Your Program for Solutions
Colleen Munson concluded her 19th season at the helm of Western Michigan volleyball in 2023. During her tenure at WMU, Munson has posted 10 20-win seasons, including a program-record eight in a row from 2005-12. She has taken the Broncos to the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2023, including a berth in the Sweet 16 in 2008. Taking over a program in 2005 that had finished better than third in the MAC West just three times since 1990, Munson has led Western Michigan to six MAC West championships, including outright MAC regular season titles in 2008 and 2023, MAC Tournament titles and trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and 2023, and NCAA Tournament at-large bids in 2008 and 2011. Western Michigan had one of its best seasons in program history in 2023, as it won both the MAC Regular Season and Tournament titles on the way to a 31-3 record, its first 30-win season since 1983. The Broncos went a perfect 18-0 in the conference to become the first team to go undefeated in MAC play since 2014. Munson's squad also went unbeaten at home (14-0) and boasted its longest winning streak (21) since 1983. WMU hosted and won the Mid-American Conference Championship to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament, its fourth berth under Munson. In the first round, the Brown and Gold ousted No. 7 seed Auburn in straight sets for its third NCAA Tournament win in Munson's tenure. In our conversation today, we discuss with Colleen her approach to coaching and recruiting, the importance of developing your own players and knowing authentically who you are as both a coach and a program. We also discuss some of her accountability and personal development tools she used this past year to have one of the most successful seasons in program history without bringing in any new players. Connect with Colleen at Colleen.Munson@wmich.edu REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of soon to be named all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer! Click here to register and learn more. 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? Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today. 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. 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

Mar 29, 2024 • 1h 13min
#370 Steve Tashjian, Performance Specialist for US Mens Soccer, Everton, and AC Milan, on Trust, Collaboration, Leadership and Culture in High Performance Environments
Steve Tashjian is the Founder of Elevation Project, which collaborates with elite organizations, communities, and institutions to build high-performance teams and systems. Steve is an expert physical therapist, sports scientist, movement specialist, and director of high performance. He was the High Performance Director of the Columbus Crew of MLS before becoming the first full-time American performance specialist in the English Premier League, leading the Sport Science efforts for Everton Football Club. He led the high performance department for U.S. Men’s Soccer Team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and has prepared triathletes for the Kona Ironman, boxers for world title fights, supported Matt Fitzpatrick for the 2023 PGA Championship and US Open, and just announced a consultancy with AC Milan of the Italian Serie A. Beyond sport, he has coached executive VPs at Stanley 1913, performance directors at the Phoenix Suns, helped the Colorado Rapids (MLS) develop organizational identity. Today we discuss his sporting journey, his work under high level coaches such as David Moyes and Greg Berhalter, as well as the importance of trust, collaboration, and much more. Connect with Steve on LinkedIn here REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of soon to be named all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer! Click here to register and learn more. 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? Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today. 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. 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

Mar 22, 2024 • 1h 11min
#369 Becky Carlson, 3x National Champion Coach of Quinnipiac Women's Rugby, on Becoming an Advocate for Coaches and Creating a Culture with High Standards in a Challenging Sporting Environment
Becky Carlson (@tfcoachcarlson) is in her 13th year at the helm of the Quinnipiac Women's Rugby team, where she led the transition from a new varsity program into a three-time national champion. As the original head coach of the Quinnipiac women's rugby team added in 2011, Carlson boasts an all-time record of 81–33-1 including back-to-back-to-back Division I NIRA national championship titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Under Carlson’s tutelage the program has been to nationals 6 out of 7 seasons and named 13 All-Americans. Carlson is a graduate of the NCAA Coaches Academy’s Class #36 and the recipient of the 2015 Judy Sweet Award from the Academy. An author on issues in coaching and team culture development, Carlson’s most notable piece, “An Open Letter to the Athlete We Must Stop Recruiting" is currently one of the highest viewed articles on the business and networking platform, LinkedIn. Carlson has been a key advocate for women’s NCAA rugby and equality in athletics for over a decade. A fearless advocate for coaches at all levels Carlson’s mission outside of her coaching role at Quinnipiac continues to be education and advocacy in the area of supporting coaches and returning accountability and high standards to the responsibility of the student-athlete. To further this endeavor, Carlson is also a current student of the Tulane University law school. She is seeking a degree in Law specializing in Labor and Employment. Today we also speak about another article of hers on how college support staff are not properly trained to understand their roles in supporting coaches, and instead often undermine them. Click here for her open letter to the athlete we must stop recruiting. Connect with Becky at www.TheFearlessCoach.org Connect on LinkedIn REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of soon to be named all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer! Click here to register and learn more. 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? Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today. 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. 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

Mar 15, 2024 • 1h 13min
#368 Eric Potterat, PhD, Mental Performance Coach for the US Navy SEALs, LA Dodgers, and US Women's National Soccer Team
Eric Potterat, PhD, is a clinical and performance psychologist and a leading expert in individual and organizational performance optimization. Eric retired as a commander from the US Navy after twenty years of service, during which he helped create the mental toughness curriculum used during Navy SEALs BUD/S training. Eric spent several years as the director of specialized performance for the Los Angeles Dodgers and has also worked with Red Bull athletes, the US Women’s national soccer team, the Miami Heat, and numerous Olympic athletes, first responders, business leaders, and NASA astronauts. He is the co-author of the new book Learned Excellence: Mental Disciplines for Leading and Winning from the World's Top Performers, which we unpack today. on the podcast. You will hear stories about the US Navy SEALs, the USWNT at the 2019 World Cup, Olympic Gold Medalist Nathan Chen, and more. REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of soon to be named all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer! Click here to register and learn more. 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? Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today. 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. 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

Mar 7, 2024 • 1h 6min
#367 Mark Johnson, Author of Spitting in the Soup, on the History of Doping in Sports
Mark Johnson (www.ironstring.com) is a sportswriter and sports photographer. He has covered cycling and endurance sports since the 1980s. His work often focuses on the business of pro cycling—a topic that frequently intersects with the sport’s long history of doping. Along with U.S. publications like VeloNews, his work is published in Cycling Weekly in the UK, Velo in France, Ride Cycling Review in Australia as well as general-interest publications including the Washington Post and Wall Street Journal. Mark has bicycled across the United States twice and completed an Ironman triathlon. A graduate of the University of California, San Diego, the author also has an MA and PhD in English Literature from Boston University. VeloPress published Johnson’s first book, Argyle Armada: Behind the Scenes of the Pro Cycling Life, a documentary in words and photos of a year with the Garmin-Cervélo professional cycling team. Today we discuss his amazing book Spitting in the Soup: Inside the Dirty Game of Doping in Sports. As the book description reads, "The history of doping in sports is one of good versus bad. Or so the story goes. Truth is, athletes have doped to do their jobs since the dawn of organized sports. But cleaning up drug-soaked sports has been a mission at odds with the spectacle-hungry interests of advertisers, Olympic organizers, governments, reporters, and fans, none of whom want to spit into sports' nourishing broth of money, power, and national pride. In Spitting in the Soup, Mark Johnson traces the shocking trail of hypocrisy that belies the tidy myth of clean athletes fighting corrupt deviants. Journalists spin false claims about amphetamines and EPO. Cold War governments treat anti-doping as an inconvenience. Olympic organizers dismiss the pursuit of clean sports as a budget breaking nuisance. And U.S. lawmakers tie themselves in knots to enrich snake-oil supplement makers while railing against performance-enhancing drugs as a stain on the American Way." 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? Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today. 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. 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

Mar 1, 2024 • 53min
#366 Ian Goldberg and Amy Masters of iSport360 on Sports Parenting, Winning vs Enjoyment, and Managing Expectations in Youth Sports
Ian Goldberg is the Founder and CEO of iSport360, a youth sports technology company that is changing the culture in youth sports for over 4M people. Ian’s career started at the White House where he worked for the economic advisors to two US Presidents and then spent more than half of his career in digital product management and sales for early-stage technology companies. Outside of his role leading iSport360, Ian is an Advisory Board member for the National Alliance for Youth Sports and is the Editor of the largest sports parenting newsletter in youth sports reaching 4 million people each month. But most of all Ian loves his role as a #girldad and as a volunteer sports coach for his two daughters. Amy Masters is a sports mom, coach, and club administrator. She has been coaching youth sports for more than 10 years. She started Jr Lions Field Hockey, the youth recreation program for the Hunterdon County community growing it from 40 players in year 1 to 150 players by year 3. A few years later, she saw the love and competitiveness grow then started Omega Field Hockey Club serving NJ and PA players. Before coaching, she was a collegiate field hockey player for Lock Haven University. In her spare time (lol), she is head of marketing for iSport360, where she brings her love of sports to a bigger audience. Connect with them at @iSport360 on all major social channels or www.isport360.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. 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? Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today. 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. 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

Feb 22, 2024 • 1h
#365 Dr Mitch Greene on Quieting Your Mind Chatter and Why Having Courage is More Important Than Confidence
Dr. Mitchell Greene (@greenepsych) is a nationally recognized licensed clinical and sport psychologist, whose success over the past 15-plus years is his ability to tailor personalized solutions to his client’s problems. Dr. Greene works primarily with athletes pursuing high performance goals, or coaches and athletic departments looking to educate their student-athletes on mental health and performance enhancement strategies. Typical clients are either college (or college-bound) student-athletes or elite or pro level competitors. In 2023, Dr. Greene published Courage over Confidence: Managing Mind Chatter and Winning the Mental Game, a book based on his years of working with high-performing athletes who struggle with managing doubts and negative thinking. His book has spent time as a top 5 “Youth Sport” and “Sport Psychology” Book on Amazon. Athletes and teams have purchased Dr. Greene’s book as an off-season guide to help them train their mind for competition, as well as an in-season resource to improve their mental game. Connect with Dr Greene at www.GreenePsych.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. 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? Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today. 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. 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.

Feb 16, 2024 • 1h 1min
#364 Wells Thompson, Former MLS Player and Founder of Soccer Resilience, on How to Think Better so you can Perform Better
Wells Thompson is a former Major League Soccer Player and the Founder of Soccer Resilience, an mazing resource for players and teams to build inner strength and help athletes think better so they can perform better. Wells was an all ACC player at Wake Forest and the 5th pick in the 2007 MLS Super Draft. he played for the New England Revolution, Colorado Rapids and Chicago Fire, winning the 2007 US Open Cup, 2008 Superliga, and 2010 MLS Cup. He was also the 2011 Colorado Rapids Humanitarian of the Year. In our chat you will hear such amazing self-awareness, vulnerability and authenticity from Wells as he details his journey of struggles, substance abuse, self-doubt and more as a professional athlete. It is an amazing conversation with an amazing human being. You can connect with Wells at www.soccerresilience.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. 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? Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today. 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. 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.

Feb 12, 2024 • 1h 17min
#363 The Performance Doctors on Overcoming Fear and Creating the Optimal Environment for Your Athletes to Perform Their Best
This week we are joined by The Performance Doctors, three leaders dedicated to creating the optimal environment for your athletes to thrive. They are Dr Michael Mantell, Dr, Darin Davidson, and Dr. Brendan Meany. For nearly 50 years Dr. Michael Mantell has focused on how improving mindset climate positively influences optimal performance, helps people disturb themselves less, and creates lasting positive behavior change. Since earning his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania in 1976, he’s been riveted on alleviating suffering and accelerating peak efficiency, from serving as Chief Psychologist for San Diego’s Children’s Hospital and the San Diego Police Department, to supporting elite amateur and professional athletes, to giving psychology away and making it public throughout national and international media. He is best known for his international best seller Don't Sweat the Small Stuff. Dr. Darin Davidson is an Orthopaedic surgeon and polyvagal informed coach focusing on promoting health, wellbeing, and sustainable high performance amongst professionals in high demand, high pressure environments. Dr. Brendan Meany is a coach, educator, researcher, writer, and yoga instructor. As a doctor of sport and performance psychology, his work focuses on optimizing individual and group performance through research-based psychological frameworks, interventions, and skills. Dr. Meany is a former collegiate athlete and rugby player with experience coaching college football and rugby in Argentina, Belize, Japan, and South Africa. Michael Mantell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drmichaelmantell Darin Davidson: www.darindavidson.com BrendanMeany: UpDocYoga.com or https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendan-meany-edd-54a99393/ 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? Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today. 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. 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.