Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Jimmy Traina. Jimmy has been with Sports Illustrated since 2000, covering the world of sports and sports media in various capacities. He has been writing daily sports columns since 2007 and has been the host of the Sports Illustrated Media Podcast since 2017 interviewing athletes and media personalities like Tom Brady, Derek Jeter, Charles Barkley, Bill Simmons, Ryen Russilo, Pat McAfee, and more.In this interview, Jimmy explains why New Haven Pizza is overrated, how he landed a job at Sports Illustrated, what separates great broadcasters like Kevin Harlan and Mike Breen from everyone else, the future of sports media, the grind of writing a daily sports column, what he’s learned from interviewing Ryen Russillo, Bill Simmons, Charles Barkley, Scott Hansen, Pat McAfee, and much more…As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. With that, let’s get to the episode…TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Intro(03:22) Worst Tuesday of the Year?(04:08) Working From Home(06:00) New Haven Pizza(10:30) How Jimmy Got Into Sports(14:54) Sports as a Career(16:09) Sports Broadcasting(19:54) How to Deal With Criticism(22:17) How Twitter Changed Sports(24:21) Athlete Podcasts & Future of Sports Media(28:37) The Optimal TV Setup(32:28) Streaming Platforms(33:29) How Fantasy & Gambling Have Changed the NFL(36:00) The Grind of Writing a Daily Sports Column(40:04) Getting Into Sports Media(44:17) Starting a Podcast in 2017(49:08) Jimmy's Interview Style(55:38) Ryen Russillo(56:57) Bill Simmons(58:16) Charles Barkley(61:10) Scott Hansen(01:02:21) Pat McAfee(01:07:55) Downsides of Working in Sports(01:11:24) Jimmy's Favorite Character from The Office(01:14:19) The Legacy of Bill Walton(01:17:00) Life AdviceConnect with Jimmy: Twitter: https://x.com/JimmyTrainaInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jimmytraina/SI Media Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/si-media-with-jimmy-traina/id997819235Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Allistair McCaw. Allistair is a sports performance and mindset coach who has worked with extraordinary athletes and olympians like Kevin Anderson, Xavier Malisse, and many others. Allistair’s journey has been nothing short of remarkable as he grew up working various jobs like: delivering newspapers, mascotting for a sports drink company, and cleaning gyms. In his spare time, Allistair has competed in 29 marathons and in 5 duathlon world championships. Currently, Allistair travels the world sharing his knowledge on leadership, motivation, and team culture. In this interview, Allistair outlines the importance of preparation, how to seek out success, his experience working with top athletes and how they differ from everyone else, how to build lasting habits, and much more…As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. With that, let’s get to the episode…TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Intro(01:45) What Allistair Does and Why?(03:52) Working Various Odd Jobs(07:07) The Impact of Our Circumstances(09:19) Why Many Are Difficult to Coach(13:20) No Money in Sports(16:52) How to Become a Sports Performance & Mindset Coach(20:15) Knowing When to Quit (22:34) Allistair's First Big Break(24:61) Kevin Anderson(27:03) Working w/Grand Slam Champions(37:05) The Origins of Obsession(43:30) Nick Bollettieri(48:48) Marriage Advice (51:20) The Importance of Mindset(54:52) "Luck Is What Happens When Preparation Meets Opportunity"(59:41) Self-Talk(01:06:31) Coach K(01:10:23) Building Habits That Last(01:16:57) Life AdviceConnect with Allistair: Twitter: https://x.com/AllistairMcCawInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/bechampionminded/Mindset Is Your Superpower Book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CNM1VCV8?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_XEM43ZBS55BYBP1QHQVH&language=en-USConnect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Coach Bob Starkey. Coach Starkey has more than 30 years of SEC coaching experience including stints with both LSU Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams from 1989-2011. During this time, he coached LSU greats like Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, Seimone Augustus, Sylvia Fowles, Temeka Jonson, and Shaq. All in all, Coach Starkey has had a decorated career, having been a part of 790 collegiate victories, 24 NCAA Tournaments, eight trips to the Elite Eight and five straight trips to the Women’s Final Four (2004-08). He is currently the associate head coach on the LSU Women’s Basketball team, under head coach Kim Mulkey and was largely responsible for implementing defensive principles that ultimately helped LSU win the national title in 2023. In this interview, Coach Starkey reveals his journey to coaching, how to push through adversity, what he’s learned from studying coaches like Bill Belichick and Nick Saban, the growth of women’s basketball, experience coaching Angel Reese and Shaq, how athletes should approach social media, and much more. As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. With that, let’s get to the episode…TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Intro(02:19) Coach Starkey's Journey to Coaching(05:54) Differences Between Men's and Women's Basketball(09:12) How To Fight Through Adversity & Focus on the Process(17:40) Staying in the Moment & Kobe(21:31) What Makes for Good Team Culture?(25:39) The Downstream Effects of Poor Leadership(26:48) Learning From Bill Belichick & Nick Saban(29:39) Failure(32:53) Angel Reese(37:38) Social Media(40:46) Growth of Women's Basketball(45:52) Shaq(53:05) Coach Starkey: Hall of Fame Coach(55:08) Work Ethic(59:40) Finding Your Passion(01:08:28) What Coach Starkey is Most Proud Of(01:09:59) Online Blog(01:21:50) How Basketball Has Changed?(01:29:29) Phil Jackson(01:35:36) Life AdviceConnect with Coach Starkey: Twitter: https://x.com/CoachBobStarkeyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hoopcoachbobstarkey/Hoop Thoughts Blog: https://hoopthoughts.blogspot.com/Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Welcome back to The Victory Degree Podcast! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Sylvia Hoffman aka SupaDupaChick. Sylvia is a 7 time World Cup Medalist and former Olympic Bronze medal winning bobsledder. In her own words, Sylvia is “a multi-sport athlete that has had three main sports throughout her athletic career. And she have gone Pro in two of them all while working full time in corporate. She is very passionate about reaching for goals that others deem impossible. She is an engineer, a national, international and Olympic record holder, an undefeated national champion, and an aspiring keynote speaker.” Not to mention, Sylvia is also a huge Eagles fan. In this interview, Sylvia reveals her extraordinary journey to bobsledding which involves an appearance on The Next Olympic Hopeful, the ins and outs of bobsledding, the difficult of juggling a full time job while training for the Olympics, how everyone can improve their self-confidence, and how to never give up…As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode. And if you do, please consider leaving a review on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you find this episode. It helps the show more than you know. Alright, now on to the episode…TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Philadelphia Eagles(02:06) How to Become a Bobsledder(10:50) What is Bobsledding?(13:12) The Military or The Olympics(17:20) Astronauts & Space(20:30) The Randomness of Life(28:36) Working a 9-5(33:50) How to Break Out of the Rat Race(39:26) Making Team USA(46:07) Olympic Training(56:05) Financial Hardships(01:05:32) Medaling in the Summer AND Winter Olympic Games(01:13:59) Life AdviceConnect with Sylvia: Twitter: https://x.com/MsSylviaHoffmanInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/ms_sylviahoffman/?hl=enConnect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Guest George Mumford, sports psychology pioneer, discusses working with NBA legends like Jordan & Kobe. He explores the power of adversity, Kobe's jump shot metaphor, and parallels between coaching prison inmates and championship teams. Insights on self-improvement, embracing challenges, and evolving athlete mentality over decades.

Hello party people, welcome back to the show! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Josh Dobbs - current NFL player and aspiring Aerospace Engineer. Josh’s NFL career started in 2017 when he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 4th round after playing 4 seasons for the Tennessee Volunteers. Since then, Josh has played for the Jaguars, Steelers, Browns, Lions, Titans, Cardinals, Vikings, and is currently with the 49ers. Besides football, Josh is passionate about the field of Aerospace Engineering - even interning at the Kennedy Space Center in both 2020 and 2021. In this interview, Josh reveals details about his childhood including his first passion - Aerospace Engineering, his hectic lifestyle in college, life as an NFL quarterback, why he’s excited to play for the 49ers, and much more. As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode and please remember: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take….TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Joshs' Favorite Plane(01:32) Childhood(05:49) Kennedy Space Center(08:33) Role Models(12:04) Advanced Math(14:15) Josh Dobbs the Superhuman(16:53) Maturity(20:54) Josh's Insane College Schedule(30:12) Engineering: The Good Ol' Days(39:08) Engineer or Football Player?(41:49) Drafted by the Steelers(46:27) What Separates the Best Quarterbacks(49:22) 7 Different Teams by 28(53:27) Relationship Between Starting QB and Backup(57:05) QB Confidence(01:00:09) Dealing With Failure(01:02:20) Learning From the 2023 Season(01:04:58) Team Culture(01:07:19) Meeting the 49ers(01:09:49) The Player-Agent Relationship(01:15:39) Bay Area Housing Costs(01:16:09) Inside the Helmet(01:19:58) Crowd Noise(01:22:38) Toughest NFL Stadium To Play In(01:23:59) Life AdviceConnect with Josh: Twitter: https://x.com/josh_dobbs1Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshdobbs/Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Hello party people, welcome back to the show! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Daniel Carcillo - former NHL player and current concussion survivor and mental health advocate. Daniel spent 10 years in the NHL, winning 2 Stanley Cups with the Chicago Blackhawks and excelling in his role as an enforcer. Daniel was known for his aggressive play style on the ice and willingness to drop the gloves - so much so it earned him the nickname “car bomb.” After retiring from the NHL, Daniel experienced severe mental health conditions - the aftermath of countless concussions while playing. Daniel’s work and commitment to brain health initiatives have been featured in The Players’ Tribune, The New York Times, USA Today, The Athletic, and more. In this interview, Daniel opens up on his journey to hockey which started in King City, Ontario, his experience playing in the NHL, his work surrounding brain health, and the power of discipline, self-care, and a positive mindset.As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode and please remember: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take….TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Who Is Daniel Carcillo?(02:17) King City, Ontario(04:57) Pursuing Hockey(07:22) Moving Away from Home at 16(10:12) Managing Pressure(13:43) Visualizing Success(20:11) Day in the Life of a NHL Player(26:23) How to Keep Going(29:44) Daniel's Willingness to Drop the Gloves(37:01) The Link Between Hockey and CTE(41:34) The Power of Discipline, a Positive Mindset & Self-Care(47:07) Life AdviceConnect with Daniel: Twitter: https://x.com/CarBombBoom13Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danielcarcillo13/Website: https://danielcarcillo.com/Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

Hello party people, welcome back to the show! There are plenty of podcasts out there and so I thank you for choosing The Victory Degree today - the podcast where my mission is to interview the most influential people in sports both on and off the field. Today’s guest is Andy Holloway- host of The Fantasy Footballers, a podcast which has been nominated for or won more than 40 industry and podcasting awards and is one of the largest sports podcasts in the world. Andy, alongside his co-hosts Jason Moore and Mike “The Fantasy Hitman” Wright break down the world of Fantasy Football with astute analysis, strong opinions, and matchup-winning advice you can’t find anywhere else. It is truly fantasy football at its finest. In this interview, Andy and I cover how The Fantasy Footballers started, the exact methods and tactics Andy and his co-hosts used to grow the podcast, Andy’s advice for all entrepreneurs including: the importance of focus, looking for signals, the role luck plays in success, and how to deal with your harshest critics. Andy also breaks down podcasting as a business and if you should start one today. As always, I sincerely hope you enjoy this episode and please remember: you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take….TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Introduction(03:53) Early Days of Fantasy Sports(6:07) Leaving Tech for Podcasting(09:51) Viewing the Podcast as a Business(11:54) Monetization(16:49) Starting Broad vs. Niche(20:23) Future of Podcasting(26:31) Looking for Early Signals(31:55) Knowing When to Quit(34:55) The Importance of Staying Focused(41:03) Disagreements With Jason & Mike(43:49) What is Andy's Why?(46:00) Is a Podcast a Sellable Asset?(48:17) Enjoying the Day-to-Day(50:20) Andy's Daily Routine(54:47) Downsides to Andy's Job(57:43) Dealing with Criticism as a Public Figure(01:05:21) What Fatherhood Has Taught Andy(01:09:40) Learning From Athletes(01:12:20) The Role of Luck and Timing in Success(01:17:39) Life Advice & What's Next for The Fantasy FootballersConnect with Andy: Twitter: https://x.com/andyhollowayInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/andyholloway/The Fantasy Footballers: https://www.thefantasyfootballers.com/Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

In this episode of The Victory Degree Podcast, Nik sits down with Mike Sielski - the author of "The Rise, Kobe Bryant and the Pursuit of Immortality." Mike has been a sports columnist for The Philadelphia Inquirer since 2013 and was formerly a reporter at The Wall Street Journal. Mike was voted the top sports columnist in 2015 by the Associated Press Sports Editors. The book explores Kobe's origins, his upbringing in Italy, his time at Lower Merion High School, the influence of Kobe's parents, particularly his father Joe Bryant, and the impact of his experiences on his mindset and self-confidence. The conversation highlights Kobe's dedication to basketball and his relentless pursuit of greatness. Nik and Mike also explore Kobe Bryant's on-court and off-court persona, his search for identity, the impact of skipping steps in his development, his decision to bypass college, the importance of winning the state championship, his desire for a big market team, the draft fiasco and his journey to the Lakers, his dedication to improvement, and the lessons from his life and legacy. Please Enjoy! TIMESTAMPS (00:00) Mike's Relationship With Jake Voracek (01:20) Inspiration to Write the Book (03:28) Research For the Book (05:49) Where is Kobe From?(08:07) How Kobe Got His Name(08:41) Joe Bryant: Kobe's Father (15:03) Kobe's Maturity and Mindset (17:24) Kobe's Time in Italy (19:00) Kobe & American Culture (20:19) Kobe's Love for Storytelling (21:57) Kobe's Lower Merion High School Career (28:05) Kobe's Self-Confidence (30:33) Kobe's On-Court and Off-Court Persona (33:00) Kobe The Intimidator (35:13) The Importance of Winning the State Championship(38:12) Bypassing College (40:44) The Draft Fiasco and Kobe's Journey to the Lakers (44:25) Do Big Market NBA Teams Have an Advantage? (45:21) After the Loss to Utah (46:51) Lessons from Kobe's Life and Legacy (47:55) Kobe's Regrets (49:49) Life Advice (53:09) Mike's Favorite Lesson from Kobe Connect with Mike: Twitter: https://twitter.com/MikeSielski Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mike.sielski/ Buy "The Rise": https://shorturl.at/adkry Connect with Nik: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic

In this episode of The Victory Degree Podcast, Nik sits down with Raymont Harris - a former NFL running back for the Chicago Bears. Raymont shares the challenges he faced growing up in the small town of Lorain, Ohio without a mother and the pivotal role football played in keeping him on the right path. Raymont shares his journey from starting only 7 games his entire high school career, to having an outstanding run at Ohio State, and eventually landing in the NFL with the Chicago Bears. Life after the NFL saw Raymont start a career in the mortgage business but quickly realized it wasn't for him. This lead him to starting Elite Mindset and Performance (EMP), a program designed to help you level up in life and achieve your dreams. Raymont's passion for helping others is evident and his journey is nothing short of spectacular.Please Enjoy!TIMESTAMPS(00:00) Introduction(02:41) How Raymont Deals With a Birthday Close to Christmas(03:54) Growing Up Without A Mother(05:48) Football as an Escape(08:23) Dreams of Going into the NFL(10:54) Importance of Support(13:05) Early Injuries & Motivation (17:22) Ohio State vs. Michigan (19:05) Getting Drafted Into the NFL(20:49) Slim Odds(25:26) Balancing Confidence and Cockiness(28:37) Healing From Past Traumas(31:59) Regrets From the NFL(34:29) Comparison to Current NFL Running Backs(36:41) Post NFL Career(39:43) Starting Elite Mindset and Performance (EMP)(42:41) Control the Controllables(48:09) Self-Belief(51:23) Visualizing Success(54:39) Favorite Part of Running EMP(55:54) Future Goals for EMP(59:01) Comparison of NFL and Entrepreneurship(01:01:10) Life Advice(01:03:57) Advice To Younger SelfConnect with Raymont:Twitter: https://twitter.com/raymontharrisInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/raymont_harris/?hl=enElite Mindset & Performance: https://raymontharris.com/Connect with Nik:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikatanackovic/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/Nik_Atanackovic