Way Of Champions Podcast

Dr. Williams is Professor and Chair, Department of Health, Kinesiology, and Recreation at University of Utah. Dr. Williams has previously held senior leadership positions in the UK (Head of Life Sciences, Brunel University London) and Australia (Associate Dean for Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney).    His research interests focus on the neural and psychological mechanisms underpinning the acquisition and development of perceptual-cognitive and perceptual-motor skills. He has published almost 180 journal articles in peer-reviewed outlets in numerous fields including exercise and sports science (e.g., Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise, Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, Sports Medicine), experimental psychology (e.g., Acta Psychologica, British Journal of Psychology, Experimental Psychology, Visual Cognition, Journal of Experimental Psychology), neuroscience (Neuroscience Letters, Human Brain Mapping, Neuroimage) and medicine (The Lancet, British Medical Journal, Medica

 Does culture matter in individual sports? According to 7x NCAA Tennis Champion Coach, Bob Hansen, it matters most. Bio Hansen is now in his seventh season as the head coach of the Middlebury men's tennis team. He came to Middlebury from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he has served as the head men’s coach for 30 years. In his first six seasons, he has continued the post-season tradition with the team advancing into the NCAA Tournament each year. In the spring of 2013, his team finished 20-5 with a trip to the NCAA quarterfinals, while in 2014, Hansen’s squad finished with a 21-5 mark, advancing to the NCAA final four. A year later, the Panthers advanced all the way to the national title match with a 22-5 record, tied for the second-most wins in the program's history. In 2016, Middlebury once again advanced to the national championship match and finished the season with 20 victories. During the 2017 season, the Panthers posted a 21-4 record and advanced to the NCAA Semifinals. The creator of t

#46 How to Run Better practices with Best Selling Author Doug Lemov Bio Doug Lemov is the author of the international bestseller Teach Like a Champion, and Teach Like a Champion 2..0. He is the coauthor with TLAC team colleagues of Practice Perfect, Reading Reconsidered: A Practical Guide to Rigorous Literacy Instruction, and Teach Like a Champion Field Guide 2.0. In addition to his work studying teachers he is the front man in the nation’s foremost Kenny G cover band. His favorite words are "Huzzah" and "Yam."   Subscribe to the Way of Champions Podcast on iTunes   Show Notes 8:00 The genesis of Teach Like a Champion 12:30 How do you teach ‘check for understanding’ 19:30 What we assume is resistance to change is actually lack of clarity about what to do next 23:50 Blocked vs. random practices and the value of each in sport 29:00 Checking for understanding is so much harder if players are afraid to make mistakes 44:30 Means of participation and creating a culture of intellectual engagement at all times 55:00

A small town in Vermont, with only 3,000 full-time inhabitants has put at least one athlete in the every Olympic games since 1984, including the highest ever finisher in the ski jump from the US. What are they doing to create such elite athletes? The answer has nothing to with facilities or coaches…   Bio Karen Crouse is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she earned a varsity letter in swimming. She started her newspaper career at the Savannah News-Press, where she was the first woman to grace the sports department, and worked at seven other dailies before being hired by the New York Times in 2005. Her first book, on a small Vermont town's secret to raising Olympians who are happy, healthy and productive people and performers, will be published by Simon & Schuster in January of 2018. Subscribe to the Way of Champions Podcast on iTunes   Show Notes 10:45 From the streets of Socchi to the fields of Norwich 21:00 Karen’s book becomes one about parenting and not sports 27:00 A caution

Want to be a fly on the wall for a conversation between a 36-time NCAA Champion Sport Psychology Consultant and one of the greatest coaches of all time? This is a show you cannot miss! Dr. Jerry Lynch and Anson Dorrance join John this week to talk Dean Smith, John Wooden, Alonzo Stagg, and what it is like to build an unrivaled dynasty through love, connection, and strong character,   Bio Anson Dorrance enters his 41st year of service to the University of North Carolina soccer programs in the fall of 2017.  Dorrance, a 1974 Tar Heel alumnus, debuted as the Carolina men’s soccer coach in September of 1977 and then added duties as head coach and founder of the UNC women’s program in September of 1979. A former U.S. Women’s National Team head coach and current University of North Carolina head women’s soccer coach, Anson Dorrance was named the 2016 winner of the prestigious Werner Fricker Builder Award from United States Soccer on January 29, 2016. As U.S. Soccer’s highest honor, the Werner Fricker Builder Awar

Your child gets that all important phone call offering a spot on the good select sports team in town. You want your child to sample multiple sports, so you ask about managing a two-sport schedule. The coach says, “we are no longer interested”. What would you do? Listen in to find out what Steve Boyle did… Bio Steve Boyle is the Chair of The National Association of Physical Literacy (NAPL) Advisory Board and Principal/Founder of 2-4-1 Sports, a national organization that brings physical literacy using sports sampling to children through camps, clinics. Recently recognized by the Aspen Institute’s Sport and Society Program as one of eight model programs in the United States in the original Project Play report, 2-4-1 Sports embodies their motto Life’s 2 Short 4 Just 1 Sport™.   Steve is widely recognized as the national leader in sport sampling and physical literacy. Steve’s philosophy focuses on lifelong wellness by recognizing the mind/body connection and the value of nutrition and mindfulness as it relates to

  We asked you all to share with us your favorite podcasts from 2017, and we had so many responses that we have decided to divide it up into multiple episodes. In this episode, we share your favorite podcasts from select coaches: UNC National Champion Lacrosse Coach Jenny Levy, USA Volleyball's John Kessel, World Cup and Olympic Champion Tony DiCicco, Unleash the Athlete's James Leath, and our interview with Dr. Wade Gilbert and Dr. Jerry Lynch. This is a bit longer than most of our podcasts, but it is full of pure gold. In future episodes, we will have advice from athletes, researchers, and some other coaching gems. Thanks all for your feedback and supporting our podcast this past year!   Subscribe to the Way of Champions Podcast on iTunes   Show Notes   John Kessel 5:30    John Kessel on the Need for Peer Mentoring in Sports 8:20    John Kessel on Training Ugly and Learning to Ride a Bike 10:50  John Kessel on Training to Perform in Games NOT Training to Perform in Practice 13:00  John Kessel on Why Some C

    What would it be like to spend 14 years working alongside and learning from one of the greatest coaches of all time – Johan Cruyff? We asked Todd Beane that question and more in our most recent podcast. Download it now.   Bio Todd graduated from Dartmouth College in 1986 with a B.A. in English Literature. Upon graduation, he was awarded a Rotary Scholarship to attend the University of Sussex in England. Todd concluded his formal studies at Stanford University where he earned a M.A. in Education and a Secondary Teaching Credential. As an athlete, Todd played NCAA Division I soccer at Dartmouth College before playing professional soccer in the USISL. As a coach, he was awarded a US Soccer Federation “A” License, coaching both collegiately and professionally. He has served on the faculty of Johns Hopkins University as Director of the Native Vision Program and later as Director of the Cloud Forest School in Costa Rica.   Subscribe to the Way of Champions Podcast on iTunes   Show Notes 6:15 An American in Spa

Chamique Holdsclaw was called the Michael Jordan of Women’s Basketball. She dominated the courts winning 3 National Championships and being named the Naismith Player of the Century. She was 4-time All-American, World Champion, Olympic Champion and enjoyed an 11-year professional career, but no one knew the real battle she was waging… Bio Chamique Shaunta Holdsclaw is a former professional basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) most recently under a contract with the San Antonio Silver Stars. She announced her retirement from the Los Angeles Sparks on June 11, 2007, though she eventually came out of retirement to play with the Atlanta Dream for the 2009 WNBA Season. Holdsclaw went to the University of Tennessee from 1995 to 1999, where she played under coach Pat Summit and helped to lead the Lady Vols to the women's NCAA's first ever three consecutive Women's Basketball Championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998. The 1998 championship was Tennessee's first ever undefeated season at 3

What do you think the path to professional sports looks like? 22 year veteran coach at Manchester United, Tom Statham, shares what he has seen and experienced as the path over the last few decades. Spoiler alert…there is no defined path. Listen in for Tom’s explanation. Bio This is what Manchester United Academy has to say about Tom. “Tom has been coaching at Manchester United since 1994. He has coached boys from 7-18 years old and has worked with and learnt from great coaches such as Sir Alex Ferguson, Brian Kidd, Eric Harrison, Paul McGuiness, Tony Whelan and René Meulensteen. After achieving a degree in PE and Sports Science at Loughborough University, Tom began a professional career in football playing for Middlesbrough, Doncaster Rovers and Lincoln City. At the end of his professional playing career, Tom was approached by Manchester United and offered a position coaching the young players at the club. In over 23 years at Manchester United, Tom has seen the likes of Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Jonny E

 We must SHOW athletes how to be leaders, and not just tell them. Bio James founded UTA in 2017 when an unexpected family emergency took him away from his post at IMG Academy as the Head of Leadership Development and landed him in Dallas, TX. Since then, James has continued to work with teams throughout the nation on character development through leadership and mental conditioning curriculum.   Leadership lessons consist of communication skills, personal and group leadership, developing an identity, and building team culture. James attended Fresno State University where he received his B.A. in Communication. During college, when he wasn't playing football, he was best known for being the beloved mascot of Fresno State, Time Out. After graduation, James went on to play quarterback for a semi-pro team in Fresno, CA. With over 15 years of coaching experience and an M.A. in Performance Psychology, James is passionate about teaching athletes the tools they need in order to be successful in life and in sport.  Sub

  How powerful is sport for creating an excellent life beyond the game? For Sally Roberts wrestling transported her from the detention cell of juvenile hall to the floor of the United Nations. Now she is on a mission to give the same opportunities to young girls the world over. Join us as we hear Sally’s amazing life story and learn about her foundation that is changing the sport of wrestling and the world with it.   Donate to Wrestle Like a Girl on Tuesday November 28th and the Gates Foundation will match it: http://www.wrestlelikeagirl.org/donate/   Bio Sally Roberts, a 2x World Bronze Medalist and 3x U.S. National Champion founded Wrestle Like A Girl in 2016. She aspires to empower girls through the sport of wrestling and to provide opportunities to maximize their potential. Sally earned her B.A. in psychology from University of Colorado, Colorado Springs, an M.A. in Sport and Performance Psychology from University of the Rockies, and Certification in Nutrition from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. 

A mere 1 percent of all youth athletes end up playing pro. What is the goal of youth sports for those other 99 percent? In this episode, John Haime discusses the real skills that kids can learn in the locker room and transfer to the board room. Bio John is a world-class Coach in the area of performance and one of the world’s leading authorities in Emotional Intelligence as it relates to performance in sport. He personally coaches leading professional and elite amateur athletes, corporate athletes and artists in a variety of performance areas. He is a sought after speaker by sports and corporate groups around the globe.  John has competed at the highest levels in sports performance. From 1985 to 1991, John successfully competed on international golf tours in Canada, Australia, Asia, South Africa and the United States. Along with several professional victories, career highlights include a career low 62 in a professional event in Melbourne, Australia. Before turning professional he was one of Canada’s top amateu

Do the principles and beliefs we discuss regarding youth athletes apply to “elite” athletes? How do you approach the process of parenting elite athletes? Dr. Peter Vint, one of the world’s top experts on high-performance athletes shares his views on elite athletes, quality coaching, and parenting.     Bio Dr. Peter Vint is a former Football Academy Director in the UK. He is considered one of the top experts in the world on high-performance athletes. He spent 10 successful years with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC). In his most recent role as Senior Director of Competitive Analysis, Research & Innovation, his work focused on defining and monitoring international competitiveness for Team USA athletes and teams and identifying performance factors contributing to podium success. He also led major, company-wide initiatives to enhance the business intelligence and data analytics capabilities of the USOC and to measure and maximize return on investment of USOC allocated resources as it pertained to me

  Everyone has these defining moments in their lives that they vividly recall. Some are extraordinary and some are terrible. As coaches, we do not get to choose which moments our athletes recall, but we do get to choose the moments we create in order to ensure what we leave our athletes with are exceptionally positive moments. Dan Heath discusses how these moments arise and how we can help create them.   Bio Dan Heath is a Senior Fellow at Duke University’s CASE center, which supports social entrepreneurs. At CASE, he founded the Change Academy, a program designed to boost the impact of social sector leaders. Dan is the co-author, along with his brother Chip, of three New York Times bestsellers: Decisive, Switch, and Made to Stick. Amazon.com’s editors named Switch one of the Best Nonfiction Books of the Year, and it spent 47 weeks on the New York Times Bestseller list. Made to Stick was named the Best Business Book of the Year and spent 24 months on the BusinessWeek bestseller list. Their books have been tra

How do you define a quality coach? Is it number of wins? Are we expert coaches because of the amount of time we have coached the game? Wade Gilbert and Jerry Lynch have a candid conversation with John about what it really means to be a quality coach and the definition is not what we have used all these years. Time spent coaching and number of wins have nothing to do with being a quality coach. Bio Wade Gilbert, PhD, is an award-winning professor in the department of kinesiology at California State University at Fresno. Dr. Gilbert holds degrees in physical education, human kinetics, and education and has taught and studied coaching at the University of Ottawa (Canada), UCLA, and Fresno State. He has more than 20 years of experience in conducting applied research with coaches around the world spanning all competitive levels, from youth leagues to the FIFA World Cup and the Olympic Games. He is widely published and is frequently invited to speak at national and international events. Gilbert is a coach education

Did you know only 1 in 5 youth coaches are properly trained in motivational techniques and only 1 and 3 are properly trained in skills and tactics? The big reason for this fact is the myth that volunteers can’t or don’t want to be trained. In this episode, Tom Farrey, of The Aspen Institute’s Project Play, discusses how untrained coaches lead to the decline in youth sport participation, how vital this participation is to the viability of our communities, and some simple opportunities to get more trained coaches. Listen in to hear more from Tom. Bio Tom Farrey leads the Sports & Society Program, whose mission is to convene leaders, facilitate dialogue and inspire solutions that help sport serve the public interest. With the support of the Aspen Institute, he founded the program in 2011 and in April 2013 launched Project Play, a multi-year, multi-stage effort that provides the thought leadership for sport to build healthy communities, starting with universal access to an early positive experience in sports.

What can sport coaches learn from a former British Commando? A better way to deliver content, ensure learning has occurred, and empower players to own their learning process. In this episode, Mark explains how coaches can more effectively shape behaviors, which will lead to better learning outcomes. Bio Mark has been training, coaching & mentoring individuals and teams since the early 90s. He joined the British Army in 1983. Mark passed the world famous Commando course in 1990 and while posted with the British Commandos experienced the stresses of operations during the first Iraq Conflict. While serving with 29 Commando Regiment as the senior instructor, running the Commando Training Wing, Mark was the first person to initiate structural change to the way soldiers were trained for the commando course. His work in this field culminated in the design of the Performance Development Systems; a holistic and robust approach to maximize real world performance for organizations, coaches and athletes. Following se

Fun. It is the biggest reason kids play sports and it is also the reason why they quit. That is widely known. What is not widely known is the fact kids define fun differently than us adults. In fact, they define fun 81 different ways. You'd be surprised at what they consider fun... In this episode, John talks with Amanda Visek, PhD, the world's leading expert on Fun Integration Theory, about the research she has done in discovering what it takes to make sports fun for athletes of all ages. Bio Amanda J. Visek, PhD, CC-AASP is an Associate Professor at The George Washington University, Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, Milken Institute School of Public Health, Washington, D.C. Her federally funded applied research includes the FUN MAPS – the latest sport science advancement capturing attention from local grassroots communities to national sport organizations. The FUN MAPS are the scientific blueprints for the fun integration theory, the first-ever fully conceptual framework for optimizing youth’

"When I was a child, the vast majority of my sporting activities were in playgrounds and sandlots. Now, the majority of youth sports activities are organized and administered by adults …. The biggest problem in organized youth sports is very simple to explain — too many adults who want to compete through children." — Bob Bigelow, CNN Sunday Morning   Bio A standout at University of Pennsylvania under Hall of Fame Coach Chuck Daly, Bob's talent brought him to play for the NBA's Kansas City Kings, Boston Celtics and San Diego Clippers. Since that time, he has conducted hundreds of talks and hosted thousands of clinics around the country to improve how coaches coach kids, and to develop greater skills in young athletes. Bob co-authored the watershed book, Just Let the Kids Play. Bob's key approaches for a better sports experience for children: Design sports programs that meet children's needs, not adults'. Ensure that every child gets meaningful playing time, up until varsity sports. Make sure that coaches and