Coaching Athletes to Win On & Off the Field—with James Laurence - EP009
Holistic High Performance Podcast
Release Date: 12/11/2020
Holistic High Performance Podcast
Few people are as aware of their bodies as professional dancers are. Their bodies are not only their source of vitality and expression, but their livelihoods, and therefore need to be respected, maintained, and healed. BetsyAnn Baron has a unique view of body awareness, as a former professional dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal. Her own experiences with injury and healing led her to the next phase of her life, that of a massage therapist and Structural Integrator.
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For some athletes, their path is clear and straightforward, often laid-out for them from a young age. For the rest of us, athletics, as in life, is full of twists and turns, and forks in the road. Our next guest perfectly illustrates this non-linear road. Jennifer Wheeler was a collegiate runner, who transitioned into Roller Derby, and then into professional road cycling. Even then, she left to take a job, have a child, and returned to cycling while trying to balance it all.
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During the past year we’ve all been spending considerably more time at home, and have had more time to rediscover some more simple pleasures and joys.
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Author, coach and instructor, Mary Marshall, is a strong proponent of upgrading the concept of mere goals to that of Smart Goals – the idea that goals should be realistically achievable, incremental, and in the case of 2020, adaptable. As in life, and as they are part of life, goals need to adjust to our changing realities and life circumstances.
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Coach James Laurence is the Founder and CEO of Legerity Sports Performance, a coaching program for high-performing athletes of all ages based in Covington, Washington. James played football and ran track and field for the Antelope Valley College Marauders before earning a football scholarship to Western Washington University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in exercise science. James has 17 years of experience training a wide variety of elite youth, high school, collegiate and professional athlete
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Our host, Daniel Christofferson, is the Founder and CEO of Holistic High Performance, a state-of-the-art performance and recovery center based in Seattle, Washington. He has been working in structural integration since 1996, helping thousands of clients transform their lives through the alignment of body, mind and soul. Best known for working with athletes, Daniel and his team support clients in realizing relief from pain, recovering from injury, and fulfilling their optimal athletic potential.
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Wendy joins Daniel to explain how she discovered yoga as a girl growing up in the backwoods of Louisiana. She discusses how she was introduced weightlifting later in life, describing how she came to compete and win on the world stage and what self-care practices she uses to increase her training capacity. Listen in for Wendy’s insight around the parallels between yoga and weightlifting and find out how she is navigating the pandemic—on rollerblades!
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Chloe joins Daniel to explain how she discovered her love for pole vaulting and why she chose a professional career over college. She shares what it’s like to be a pro athlete in training for the Olympic Trials, describing the drills she is doing to improve her technique and walking us through the training progression for her sport. Listen in for Chloe’s insight on recovering quickly from injury and find out why she is considering massage school as a complement to her career as an athlete.
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Whitney joins Daniel to discuss what inspired her transition from dance to track at the age of 16 and share the highlights of her career as a college sprinter at Colorado Mesa. She describes the challenge of balancing a full-time job with training for the Olympics, explaining who she goes to for support and how she is staying motivated through the pandemic. Listen in for Whitney’s insight on viewing body work and other self-care strategies as a necessary investment in yourself and your career as an athlet
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Neil joins Daniel to discuss what happened the day of his traumatic climbing accident and describe the serious injuries he sustained as a result. He explains the elaborate healing routine he adopted post-surgery (while he was immobile) and explains why the early days of physical therapy were such an emotional experience.
info_outlineWinning on the field is nice. But it’s even more important to translate the lessons we learn there to life beyond sports. To apply the discipline, work ethic and growth mindset of an elite athlete to everything we do.
Coach James Laurence is the Founder and CEO of Legerity Sports Performance, a coaching program for high-performing athletes of all ages based in Covington, Washington. James played football and ran track and field for the Antelope Valley College Marauders before earning a football scholarship to Western Washington University, where he received his bachelor’s degree in exercise science. James has 17 years of experience training a wide variety of elite youth, high school, collegiate and professional athletes.
On this episode of Holistic High Performance, James joins Daniel to explain why he didn’t play organized sports until seventh grade and how that informs his perspective as a coach now. He walks us through his journey from college football player to founder of his own coaching program, sharing the evaluation process he uses to determine if an athlete is a good fit and describing the growth mindset that helps him adapt as the industry changes. Listen in for insight on the foundation of faith in James’ family and learn how pursuing his own goal to compete on the world stage has shifted the way he thinks about coaching.
What You Will Learn
Why James didn’t play organized sports until seventh grade and how that informs his perspective as a coach now
The challenges James faced in being a husband, father and college athlete
Why James wasn’t the DII football superstar he anticipated at Western Washington
The series of jobs James took on when his pro football career ended
Who mentored James in building Legerity Sports Performance
The evaluation process James uses to decide if an athlete is a good fit for his coaching style
Why James is focused on helping athletes channel the lessons they learn on the field into life after sports
Who inspired James’ growth mindset and how it helps him adapt as the industry changes
James’ commitment to helping his athletes learn to ‘drive in traffic’
James’ personal goal to reach the podium in high hurdles at the World Championships by 2025 and how training has given him empathy for his athletes’ mental struggle
The foundation of faith in James’ family and how his wife and kids inspire him to be better