Way Of Champions Podcast

Trevor Ragan is one of my favorite people to speak with. He is the Founder of The Learner Lab (formerly Train Ugly) and host of the Learner Lab Podcast, two of the best resources for all things mindset, performance, and of course, learning and how to get better at getting better. I am most excited about his new book Learner, which he is currently releasing FOR FREE in audiobook form, four chapters at a time, on the Learner Lab Podcast. The book talks explores so many topics that will make you a better coach, a better parent, a better leader, and a better athlete.  Trevor is one of the most sought after corporate and sports team trainers in the US, and has presented these topics for companies such as Pepsi, Microsoft, The Cleveland Indians, and Chipotle. But as you will hear today, he is just an all around great guy, humble, and full of incredible ideas. So buckle in, get ready to take some notes, and when we are done you can check him out at these links: Our first interview with Trevor episode 118: https://ch

Great cultures abound as examples of sporting success. The key is to build your own, using the success clues left by others as your guide. One such culture is the great FC Barcelona teams under Pep Guardiola. In this episode, originally aired in October 2018, author and professor Damien Hughes discusses his book The Barcelona Way and outlines the clues left by Barcelona and other great sports cultures in terms of identifying behavioral values, finding your cultural architects and eliminating your cultural assassins, and so much more. Professor Damian Hughes (@liquidthinker) is an international speaker and best-selling author who combines his practical and academic background within sport, organizational development and change psychology, to help organizations and teams to create a high performing culture. He is the author of eight best-selling business books which have been translated into ten languages. His innovative and exciting approach has been praised by Sir Richard Branson, Muhammad Ali, Sir Terry Leah

Coach Jerome Gumbs is a former collegiate and professional basketball player and the founder of Empower Me Academy (www.empowermeacademy.net). Founded in 2013, Empower ME Academy provides a holistic training experience. Student-Athletes develop better basketball skills — and in addition, improve their attitude, commitment, and discipline. The goal is for their Student-Athletes to become well-rounded leaders and adults, successful on the court and in life. As Coach Gumbs like to say, 'Everything we do, we do with excellence." Many organizations pay lip service to providing a truly transformational sports experience, but as you listen to this you will see that Coach Gumbs and his staff deliver to the kids of San Francisco, and hope to spread this type of programming far and wide. They are truly about mentorship, coaching with heart, and developing not only better basketball players, but better people. In our episode this week Jerry and John discuss with Coach Gumbs his life journey, the coaches and experiences

Ben Sherwood, founder and CEO of MOJO, and has coached his sons for the last 12 years in four sports. During that time, he also served as president of the Disney ABC Television Group and president of ABC News. Like many recreational coaches, he noticed that there were few if any resources to help the busy parent coach as he or she travelled from work to the practice field. So, he founded MOJO (@yougotmojo). Today we speak about the founding of the company, the need to help our recreational coaches more so than our top level coaches, and how we can make sports for children age 4-14 better.  MOJO is on a mission to make youth sports more fun and magical for everyone – one kid, one coach, one family at a time. Launched in February 2021, MOJO is a robust digital platform that empowers parents who coach youth sports to bring world-class training to the largest pool of players in the world – kids aged 13 and under. Winner of the Webby Award for Best Sports App of 2021, MOJO believes that youth sports has the power

Anson Dorrance loves competition, and has spent decades understanding and creating relentless competitors in his teams. As the University of North Carolina Women's Soccer Coach, he has won over 1000 games, 21 NCAA Championships, and also led the US Women's National Team to the 1991 World Cup Championship. He has published 3 books (Vision of a Champion, The Man Watching, and Training Soccer Champions) and has a wonderful podcast where he interviews the best of the best: Vision of a Champion Podcast: https://ansondorrancesoccer.com/podcast/ He joined us as a presenter at the 2021 Way of Champions Conference, and we wanted to share this extraordinary session with all of our podcast listeners. In it he discusses the elements of the "UNC Competitive Cauldron," how to make your player selections more objective and less subjective, and so much more. You will want to listen to this once through, and then come back again for some notes.  If you enjoyed this interview and want to access all of our videos from the 2021

Oliver Gage is the Director of Football at the Canadian Premier League and has a growing reputation for basing his footballing philosophy on a successful evidence-based approach to the sport and player development. Previously Head of Performance at the University of Virginia and Head of Performance Analysis and Technical Recruitment at Houston Dynamo, Oliver joined the Canadian Premier League as Head of On-Field Performance and Recruitment in 2019 before becoming Director of Football a year later. Oliver is also the son of former Aston Villa, Wimbledon and Sheffield United defender Kevin Gage. Kevin is regarded as a legend at the latter two clubs. Oliver is among the most dynamic and forward-thinking sporting figureheads in North America and has been credited with the inception of an innovative transfer policy, overhauling player recruitment and enhancing the quality of football within the division. The transfer policy implemented mandated teams sign four of their seven allowed foreign footballers through a

James Clear (@JamesClear) is the international #1 bestselling author of Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones. Since its release in 2018, the book has sold over 5 million copies worldwide, and become mandatory reading for athletes, business leaders, and everyday people trying to change their life for the better. I first met James at a speaking engagement in 2015, immediately subscribed to his blog, and was so thrilled to receive an advanced copy of the book when it was first released. This book is a life changer. James and I recorded this interview upon the book's release in 2018, and the topics we discussed that day are even more relevant in 2021. Topics include: How James Clear became Interested in habits Why the title “Atomic Habits” We do not rise to the level of our goals, we fall to the level of our systems The Four Stages of Habits and the Four Laws of building good habits and breaking bad ones Behaviors that get rewarded get repeated You can learn mo

Matthias Lochmann is a sport scientist in the field of training and coaching, a sports physician and a UEFA A licensed coach.  Since 2008, he has been working as a professor at the Department of Sports Science and Sport at the Friedrich-Alexander-University of Nuremberg. There, he is the head of the Division of Sport and Exercise Medicine. His current project is the reinvention of German youth soccer through introducing Funino as the games model for 9 and under kids. Funino is the brainchild of the late Horst Wein, an dis played 3v3 with 4 goals to encourage creativity, attacking play, and spacing by changing the structure of the game. Lochmann played football at SV Darmstadt 98. As a coach, he worked in various positions at the professional youth academy of FSV Mainz 05 under Jurgen Klopp. His 2018 speech to German pro license coaches on game intelligence led to his current project and has led to his worldwide travels to speak upon making youth soccer more child-centric. In our conversation today we discuss

Dr. Cassidy Preston (@CassidyPreston) is a mental performance coach and the founder of Consistent Elite Performance. He was a high level hockey player as a youth, played 5 years of university hockey, and five years of OHL major junior level before transitioning into coaching AAA Hockey. His own struggles as a player, especially when it came to the inner game, led him to get his PhD in Sports and Performance Psychology at York University, working under Dr. Joe Baker. Today he consults with elite youth, collegiate and professional athletes, and teaches coaches about leadership and teaching successful inner game techniques to their athletes.  In our conversation today, Cassidy discusses his career as a player and coach, and his work helping athletes, parents and coaches develop mental toughness. We discuss "the results trap," the "confidence conundrum," and the "overthinking paradox" as we dive deep into mental health, self worth as a basis for confidence, and so much more.  You can connect with Cassidy at any o

What do the Collingwood Magpies, the New Zealand All Blacks, Barcelona Football Club and the New York Yankees have in common? They’re all members of author Sam Walker’s list of the 16 greatest sports teams ever. It’s not the talent, the coach, or the strategy that made these teams great – it was the Captain. Syd Coventry, Richie McCaw, Yogi Berra, and Carlos Puyol led these teams to eternal greatness, and what made them great captains is not what you think… Sam Walker is The Wall Street Journal’s deputy editor for enterprise, the unit that directs the paper’s in-depth page-one features and investigative reporting projects. A former reporter, sports columnist, and sports editor, Walker founded the Journal’s prizewinning daily sports coverage in 2009. In addition to The Captain Class, he is the author of Fantasyland, a bestselling account of his attempt to win America’s top fantasy baseball expert competition (of which he is a two-time champion). Show Notes 9:00 How Sam came up with his list of the World’s Grea

Is the way we coach based upon the latest science, research, and best practices of how children learn? Or is it based upon how we were coached growing up? In this fantastic interview, Dr. Richard Bailey (@DrDickB), Head of Research at ICSSPE, separates fact from fiction and discusses some of the common mistakes that he sees coaches of all levels making around the world. He sheds light on what is missing in the coaching profession and the prevailing myths that cause us to approach athletic coaching in the wrong way. He talks about the need for coaching to rely on real science more than it currently does, the fallacy of coach training at the macro level, and what it would take to become a more professional field. He also digs into his research about the dangers of overpraised athletes and the big difference between leaning and training. Hint: it is not about drilling skills, it is about presenting problems. Tune in to hear this smart, humorous, and hard hitting conversation with one of sport’s foremost experts.

Dr. Jean Côté (@JeanCote46) is professor and Director in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s University at Kingston (Canada).  His research interests are in the areas of children in sport, coaching, positive youth development, and sport expertise.  Dr. Côté has published more than 130 papers on a variety of sport psychology and coaching topics and 50 book chapters. His work is among the most widely cited in academic papers in this area. He has delivered over 50 keynote addresses at major national and international conferences, well over 100 invited presentations, and nearly 300 conference presentations.  Dr. Côté, in collaboration with Dr. Ronnie Lidor, has completed the first comprehensive book on talent development in children’s sport which was published in 2013 by Fitness Information Technology. In our discussion this week, we talk about the critical importance of creating positive youth sport experiences before we worry about long term athlete development. We also discuss our distaste

When we talk about being a champion, not too many people in professional sport can claim to understand what it takes to get to the top of the game like Wes Brown. Brown loved taekwondo and playing pickup games in the park as a kid, and didn't join his first soccer team until the age of 10. But from there he blossomed, joining Manchester United at age 12, turning pro at age 16, and eventually winning 2 Champions League titles (1999, 2008) 5 English Premier League titles, 2 FA Cups, 2 League Cups and making the PFA team of the year in 2000-2001. He eventually played over 300 EPL games for Manchester United and Sunderland before finishing his career with a stint with Blackburn and in India.  In our discussion today, Wes talks about the influence of role models in close proximity (we spoke about this with Rasmus Ankersen a few weeks back), as players such as Eric Cantona, Ryan Giggs, Davis Beckham, Roy Keane, Rio Ferdinand and Cristiano Ronaldo all influenced his journey as a player. We speak about playing with R

This week I have the pleasure of interviewing my podcast co-host Dr. Jerry Lynch as he releases his 14th book The Competitive Buddha: How to Up Your Game in Sports, Leadership and Life. When Jerry first told me about this book about a year ago I was so curious about the title and how he would weave the principles of Buddhism with leadership, culture building and competitive sport. He did it ever so well, so good in fact that Steve Kerr signed on to write the forward.  In our chat today, we discuss the origin of the title, the Mamba Mentality and Buddhism, selflessness, servant leadership, mastery, and so much more. You all know Jerry always brings the high energy and amazing insight, and our chat this week does not disappoint. You can learn more about Jerry's work and all his other books at www.WayofChampions.com. Way of Champions Conference 2021 This weeks podcast is brought to you by the 2021 Way of Champions Leadership Conference, August 21-22, being held virtually this year. Registration is closing August

We are so excited to welcome back Martin Rooney (@MartinRooney1) to the show to talk about his brand new book High Ten: An Inspiring Story About Building a Great Team Culture. Martin is a good friend of the show, last joining us on episode 157. He is one of the most highly respected coaches out there working today. He has been a speed coach for the NY Giants and Jets of the NFL, and trained UFC fighters, Olympians, Navy Seals and Army Rangers. He has also built an amazing business Training for Warriors, and speaks all over the world through www.CoachingGreatness.com.  His new book is the follow up to the hugely successful Coach to Coach, except this time we fast forward a few decades and catch the two main character in vastly different phases of life, but still coaching and learning from each other. In our talk today we discuss the 3 B's of a great culture (Beings, Beliefs and Behaviors), we talk about the five culture killers, and one of my personal favorites, how to avoid the "culture vultures." Get ready t

Rasmus Ankersen (@RasmusAnkersen) is an internationally known author, speaker, and film producer and one of the worlds leading experts on talent identification and development. He is also the co-director of football for Brentford FC of the English Premier League and Chairman of Champions League club FC Midtjylland of the Danish Super League. His 2012 book The Goldmine Effect is an incredible read and was one of the books that inspired me at the beginning of my Changing the Game Project journey, so to say that I am thrilled to have Rasmus on is an understatement.  His new project is a film called "The Hockey Miracle in the Middle of Nowhere," the true story of how the small town of Herning, Denmark (pop. 50,000) sent five players to the NHL in a ten year period. No Danish player had ever made the NHL before! In that same period, the US cities of Chicago and Detroit, hockey hotbeds, each sent less than 5 players to the top of the ice hockey world. How did they do it? In our talk today, Rasmus and I break down t

Daniel Coyle is the New York Times bestselling author of The Talent Code, The Culture Code, The Little Book of Talent, The Secret Race (co-authored with Tyler Hamilton), Hardball: A Season in Projects, and other books.  Winner (with Hamilton) of the 2012 William Hill Sports Book of the Year Prize, he is a contributing editor for Outside Magazine, and works as a special advisor to the Cleveland Indians. Coyle lives in Cleveland, Ohio during the school year and in Homer, Alaska, during the summer with his wife Jen, and their four children. In today's episode, a replay from 2018, Coyle discusses the three principles of the world's best team cultures: safety, vulnerability, and shared purpose. He shares stories ranging from the NBA to the Navy Seals, including these highlights: Show Notes How a little girl and a tennis ball sparked The Culture Code NBA Coach Greg Popovich does two things: he tells you the truth and he loves you to death How one great team "Pounds the Rock" What is safety and why do great culture

Shay Haddow (@shayhaddow) is an expert coach and speaker on confidence and mindset for female athletes. Having worked with hundreds of youth female athletes and college teams from across the country, she’s empowered girl athletes to build unshakable confidence so they can live and play to their fullest potential.  As the host of the Alpha Girl Confidence Podcast, and Author of She the Confident, Shay is widely regarded for her insights on confidence and mindset by parents and coaches around the country.  After overcoming her own struggles with confidence throughout her club and collegiate soccer career, Shay knew that it was her life's purpose to provide female athletes with the mentorship that she wished she had when she was younger. Shay has dedicated her life to empowering female athletes of all ages to uncover their greatest superpower of all, allowing them to break free from their limitations and achieve their biggest dreams, on and off the field or court. Way of Champions Conference 2021 This weeks podc

Owen Eastwood (@oweneastwood) is one of the world's most sought after high performance coaches. He is currently working with the England Men's Football (soccer) team during the 2021 Euros, and has worked with organizations such at NATO Command, South Africa Cricket, Scotland Rugby, the Royal Ballet, and Team GB. Today we discuss his fantastic new book Belonging: The Ancient Code of Togetherness, in which he sets out the thinking behind his methods of unlocking success, and how they can be adapted to different groups and teams. In the process, he discusses evolutionary science, personal development and philosophy, as he draws on notions of belonging, of shared vision and the spiritual wisdom of his ancestors. We discuss both the biology and psychology of togetherness, fear vs challenge mentality, and how high performing groups follow a path whereby they: Find their identity story Define a shared purpose Vision their future success Share ownership Turn diversity int a competitive advantage. Owen shares numero

Christian Lavers is a former attorney turned soccer coach, and today is the president of the Elite Clubs National League, a nationwide, highly competitive league where over 90% of the girls involved move on to college soccer, and the fledgling boys league is already attracting some of the top teams in the country. Christian is a top coach and a leader through the ECNL in building a player first environment and always asking "how can we make the experience to the top players in the country even better." In our discussion today, we cover many topics from creating that player first environment to practice design, effective coaching, and his hopes for the future of soccer in the US. You can learn more at www.theecnl.com or follow Christian on Twitter @CLavers1. Welcome to our New Sponsor GoodSport! GoodSport™ is a natural sports drink that delivers superior hydration backed by science with a delicious thirst-quenching taste. And what’s really cool about it, is that it’s made from milk. It turns out, milk is packe