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.

#493 "Leadership is a skill, not a character trait" John, Jerry and Thom McDonald Discuss our new book Captain: The Athletes Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader 08/05/2026

#493 "Leadership is a skill, not a character trait" John, Jerry and Thom McDonald Discuss our new book Captain: The Athletes Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader As we close in on episode 500, John and Jerry recently participated in a webinar for hundreds of athletic directors and coaches through our great friends at Championship Productions. It was supposed to be a one-hour webinar, but we had so many questions and such rich discussion that it lasted 90 minutes. We thought it would be great to share this with all of our podcast listeners. Hosted by Coach Thom McDonald, our discussion delves into the origins of this book and some deeper questions around each section of the book. We talk about our favorite chapters from the qualities of leaders, the responsibilities of leaders, and some of the main challenges they face. We also took questions from the audience on selecting team captains, whether that belongs to the athletes or the coaches, or some combination of both. We talk about different ways to lead even without an armband and so much more. If you want to get a deeper understanding of the new book and what went into deciding upon the content and the layout, as well as our favorite parts, then be sure to check out this week's episode. If you prefer to view the webinar, you can watch it at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EpbAe-uyYzc The #1 Bestseller CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE’S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is now available! We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book. FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 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 software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/42327755

#492 Mental Mastery for Young Athletes with Phil Phillipou 07/29/2026

#492 Mental Mastery for Young Athletes with Phil Phillipou With over 20 years of coaching experience across the UK, USA, and Spain, Phil Phillipou (@mindsightsport) has developed a unique approach to youth football mindset training that combines practical coaching expertise with proven sports psychology principles. Phil's background includes working with grassroots academies, professional youth systems, and individual players at all levels. His methods focus on building confidence, developing mental resilience, and creating sustainable performance improvements. As a certified mindset coach and author, Phil has helped hundreds of young footballers and coaches unlock their potential through his evidence-based LTAD training programs and pressure training techniques. In our conversation today, we discuss the foundations of building a strong mindset in sports, the importance of mistake rituals, and how to build confidence in young athletes, as well as his new book Inspiring Young Minds: Mental Mastery for Youth Footballers Connect: www.mindsightsport.com Linkedin: The #1 Bestseller CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE’S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is now available! We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book. FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 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 software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/42255590

#492 Mental Mastery for Young Athletes with Phil Phillipou 07/29/2026

#491 How to Lead By Example, Be a Leader Even When on the Bench, and Navigate Difficult Leadership Conversations: 3 Audio Chapters from CAPTAIN 07/20/2026

#491 How to Lead By Example, Be a Leader Even When on the Bench, and Navigate Difficult Leadership Conversations: 3 Audio Chapters from CAPTAIN This week we are taking a deep dive into leadership on the podcast. We're currently in negotiations to record an audio book version of Captain: The Athlete's Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader. We thought it might be cool to listen to a few of the chapters from the book. In this week's podcast, we have one chapter from each section of the book. In the Qualities of Leadership section, we share a chapter on how to lead by example with an amazing story from NBA champion Shane Battier. On the Responsibilities of Leadership, we share a story from World Cup and Olympic champion soccer player Abby Wombach. In the Challenges of Leadership section, we share the challenge of holding friends accountable when you are a leader. Our hope is that you get a quick peek of what the book offers, as each section also includes the post-chapter questions that your athletes will use as the basis of a discussion of leadership. Enjoy, and if you want to get the book you can order below. The #1 Bestseller CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE’S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is now available! We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book. FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 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 software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/42157720

#490 Jessica Renney and Paula McQuaid of Hone Athletics on Understanding and protecting Athlete Mental Wellness 07/15/2026

#490 Jessica Renney and Paula McQuaid of Hone Athletics on Understanding and protecting Athlete Mental Wellness Paula McQuaid, co-founder and in-house research lead, fuels HONE’s innovation with her passion for uncovering what truly shapes human wellness. For the past fifteen years, she’s dedicated herself to understanding how people thrive, then translating that insight into tools that help athletes, coaches, and organizations perform at their best through HONE’s platform. With a Master of Counselling and a member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association, Paula brings both academic depth and human connection to her work. Alongside her role with HONE, she has served as a Mental Performance Consultant for Hockey Canada’s Women’s U-18 National Team, quietly keeping two Gold (2019, 2022), one Silver (2020), and one Bronze. Co-founder Jessica Renney leads growth at HONE with her sharp insight, energy, and passion for connecting people to purpose. Born in Trail, British Columbia, and raised across Western Canada by two coaches, Jess has always been surrounded by sport and the pursuit of excellence. Seeing firsthand the pressure and barriers that exist in high-performance environments, both through her work and through her upbringing as the daughter of a 13 year NHL coach, she brings an incredible perspective to the mental health and well being needed for athletes to thrive. A graduate of the University of Lethbridge with a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, she later completed her Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology at the University of Victoria. She is also a member of the Canadian Counseling and Psychotherapy Association. Connect: https://www.honeathletics.com/ The #1 Bestseller CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE’S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is now available! We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book. FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 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 software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/42106920

#489 Christian "Boo" Boucousis on How the Fighter Pilot Mindset Helped Win Two Superbowls 07/09/2026

#489 Christian "Boo" Boucousis on How the Fighter Pilot Mindset Helped Win Two Superbowls Christian Boucousis (@christianbooboucousis) was the youngest ever Royal Australian Air Force Pilot, earning the call sign "Boo" which has become his personal brand. His business Afterburner brings together a high-performing team of fighter pilots to teach businesses how they can leverage the power of the fighter pilot mindset. They’ve transformed performance at 3,500+ companies like Google, Pfizer, Microsoft, Apple, Nike, American Express, IBM, & Marriott, just to name a few. They've worked with 17 NFL teams, helping two win Super Bowls, including the record-breaking Super Bowl XLVI, when the New York Giants became the first team in history to reach the Super Bowl with a negative point differential (394 scored vs. 400 against). Boo has been featured on national outlets like The Today Show, New York Times, & Fox Business, and is the author of The Afterburner Advantage and upcoming Flawless Leadership. In our conversation today, we discuss how the fighter pilot mindset allows you to communicate better and how the key to leadership is doing what's right, not worrying about who is right. Connect: https://callmeboo.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-boo-boucousis/ CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE’S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is now live on Amazon! We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book. FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 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 software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/42019520

#488 "Fitness with the ball can give you almost everything" with Garga Caserta, Former Strength and Conditioning Coach for the US Women's National Team and Head of Performance for KC Current and Portland Thorns Garga Caserta (@GargaCaserta) is the former Head of Performance for the KC Current and the founder of TALO. With over a decade of experience training world-class athletes, Garga has coached at the highest levels of sport, including stints with the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team, the Portland Timbers, and the Portland Thorns. His teams have won an NWSL championship and were 2x Supporters Shield Champions. Known for his transparent, accountability-driven approach, he bridges the gap between elite sports performance, strength and conditioning, and injury rehabilitation. Whether managing fitness departments or shaping collegiate programs, Garga's mission is simple: elevating human potential and building durable, high-performing athletes. In our discussion today, we discuss the role of performance training in both injury prevention and the psychological boost it gives athletes. We talk about the importance of sleep and recovery, and how soccer coaches can accomplish most fitness goals with a ball instead of straight running. Finally, the importance of making your conditioning training game like in order to achieve match performance and not simply improved fitness. CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE’S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is now live on Amazon! We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book. FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/41909435

#487 Antonina Samoilova, Record Breaking Ukrainian Mountaineer on Fear, Mentality, and Her Journey to Scale the World's 14 Highest Peaks 06/24/2026

#487 Antonina Samoilova, Record Breaking Ukrainian Mountaineer on Fear, Mentality, and Her Journey to Scale the World's 14 Highest Peaks Antonina "Tonya" Samoilova (@tonya.samoilova) ) is a record-setting Ukrainian mountaineer and alpinist known for scaling the world's most formidable peaks while raising global awareness for her homeland. She began her high-altitude mountaineering journey relatively recently in 2018, starting with Mount Kilimanjaro, and quickly transformed into one of Ukraine's most prominent endurance athletes. She is the first Ukrainian mountaineer in history to conquer the five highest mountain peaks in the world—Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, and Makalu, and the first Ukrainian woman to summit Mount Everest three times (2022, 2023, and 2024). In May 2024, she completed a rare double-header by summiting Everest and Lhotse within 24 hours, setting a national speed record for a female climber. During her 2025 ascent of Kangchenjunga—the world's third-highest peak—she survived running out of supplemental air 200 meters from the summit, pushing through 20 harrowing minutes without oxygen at 8,400 meters. Samoilova uses her global platforms and extreme ascents to act as a prominent voice for Ukraine. In 2022, she was the only climber from Ukraine to unfurl her country's flag at the summit of Everest, broadcasting a message to "Stand with Ukraine". In 2023, she made international headlines by capturing the world's first drone footage from the summit of Everest alongside the Ukrainian flag. She frequently uses her expeditions to raise funds for Ukraine's Armed Forces and volunteer medical battalions, often dedicating her dangerous ascents to fallen Ukrainian defenders and her own family serving on the front lines. Connect with Tonya: https://www.antoninasamoilova.com/ CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE’S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is now live on Amazon! We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book. FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/41798600

#486 "Give the stage to the players and you will be surprised how they can shine" with Anne Walker, 4x NCAA Champion Coach of Stanford Women's Golf 06/17/2026

#486 "Give the stage to the players and you will be surprised how they can shine" with Anne Walker, 4x NCAA Champion Coach of Stanford Women's Golf Anne Walker is the Head Coach for Women's Golf at Stanford University, and has established herself as one of the premier college coaches in the country. In addition to leading the Cardinal to its first four NCAA titles in school history (2015, 2022, 2024, 2026), Walker has mentored some of the most recognizable names in the sport. Stanford has enjoyed unprecedented team and individual success under Walker. The Cardinal has qualified for the NCAA Championships in all 14 possible seasons during Walker’s tenure, including nine appearances in the national semifinals, and has earned the distinction of being the only program in the country to reach the NCAA match play quarterfinal stage in all 11 seasons of the current format. Under Walker’s guidance, Stanford has captured 59 full-field victories and has produced 42 All-Americans. Stanford has had at least one first-team All-American in all 14 seasons with Walker at the helm, including three consecutive seasons of five All-Americans A three-time WGCA National Coach of the Year (2015, 2022, 2024) and five-time conference Coach of the Year (2015, 2021-22, 2024, 2026), Walker has mentored the likes of Rachel Heck, Andrea Lee, Paula Martín Sampedro, Mariah Stackhouse, Albane Valenzuela and Rose Zhang, a heralded group that has combined to win three NCAA individual titles, three ANNIKA Award honors, three WCGA Golfer of the Year Award nods and six conference Golfer of the Year Award accolades. In our conversation today, we speak about the importance of giving players autonomy and ownership of the experience, how to lead with love, the importance of optimism, and being a lifelong learner. Walker shares stories around incredible team meetings and coaching moments throughout her 24-year career. You will want to take notes for this one. CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE’S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is now live on Amazon! We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book. FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/41680560

#485 Two Approaches to Teaching Leadership with JP Nerbun, Author of THE CULTURE CAPTAIN, and John O'Sullivan, co-author of CAPTAIN 06/09/2026

#485 Two Approaches to Teaching Leadership with JP Nerbun, Author of THE CULTURE CAPTAIN, and John O'Sullivan, co-author of CAPTAIN This week on the podcast, we are doing a little something different. It's a conversation between JP Nerbun and John regarding the nearly simultaneous release of their new books on being a team captain and leader. Some people might think it interesting that authors with similar subjects would be collaborating on a book launch, but both of us do not believe in the scarcity mindset. The leadership space needs more books that are approachable for young athletes, high school athletes, and collegiate athletes, and we approach the topic differently. JP comes from a fable/fictional approach, while John and Jerry are straight up non fiction. The two books together speak to many aspects of leadership, albeit in differnt ways. J.P. Nerbun (@TOCCulture) is a bestselling author, leadership coach, and the founder of TOC Culture Consulting, a leading global sports consulting and leadership coaching business. His mission is to support leaders and their teams in achieving their full potential through 1:1 coaching, consulting, and community engagement. Nerbun's impressive expertise extends across various fields, including sports, education, healthcare, and business. He has a proven track record of guiding leaders at prestigious institutions such as Stanford University, Harvard University, the University of Texas, the USGA, PwC, and Chick-fil-A. In 2019, he published his first book, "Calling Up: Discovering Your Journey to Transformational Leadership," which received critical acclaim. In 2022, he released "The Culture System," a groundbreaking book that offers a framework for developing team culture. In 2023, he launched The Culture System Online Training Platform, which has received praise for being the most comprehensive online coach education platform available. His podcast, "Coaching Culture," is among the top sports leadership podcasts globally. Connect with JP: https://tocculture.com/ CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE’S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is now live on Amazon! We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book. FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/41592020

#484 Ray Power, UEFA A Licensed Coach and Confidant to Elite Coaches: "We give up our well being just to win a title!" 06/05/2026

#484 Ray Power, UEFA A Licensed Coach and Confidant to Elite Coaches: "We give up our well being just to win a title!" Ray Power (@power_ray) is a highly regarded international football/soccer coach, author, and coach educator. Holding a UEFA A License from the English FA, he is well-known globally for his youth development expertise, his best-selling coaching books, and his player-centered coaching philosophy. His books include Making the Ball Roll and Coaching Youth Football, and he has managed academies in multiple countries, including serving as Head of Youth Development for Waterford FC in Ireland, and developing an academy for Sunderland AFC in Africa. These days, he also spends much of his time as a "coaching confidant," working with elite coaches around the globe as a trusted voice and supporter. The best business people in the world? They have coaches working with them, and Power is fulfilling that role in the soccer world. Today on the podcast, we discuss many of his experiences, why this is needed, and what the world's most successful coaches do in order to maintain their health in an incredibly stressful job. CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE'S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER is now live on Amazon! We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan, Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book. FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to place your order. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2026 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MORE! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/41545215

#483 Ryan Warsofsky, San Jose Sharks Head Coach, on Joy, Patience, Embracing the Process and Changing the Culture of a Locker Room 05/27/2026

#483 Ryan Warsofsky, San Jose Sharks Head Coach, on Joy, Patience, Embracing the Process and Changing the Culture of a Locker Room Ryan Warsofsky just completed his second season as the head coach of the NHL's San Jose Sharks, this past season leading them to 39 wins, an 18 win improvement over 2025. He also served as the head coach for the U.S. Men's National Team for the first time at the 2025 IIHF Men's World Championship, winning a gold medal. Prior to joining the Sharks, Warsofsky was the head coach of the Chicago Wolves of the AHL for two seasons (2020-22), where, in 2022, at age 34, he became the youngest coach since Peter Laviolette in 1999 to guide a team to the Calder Cup. He also spent two seasons with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers, one as an assistant (2018-19) and one as head coach (2019-20). In 2019, he helped guide the Checkers to a Calder Cup. Warsofsky’s coaching career began in 2012-13 with his alma mater NCAA Division III Curry College as an assistant after two seasons with the team as a player. He then joined the ECHL’s South Carolina Stingrays in 2013, serving as an assistant for three seasons before being promoted to head coach and director of hockey operations for his final two seasons (2016-18). In our conversation today, we discuss what it is like to be the youngest head coach in the NHL and the leadership dynamic that he brings to the locker room. We discuss the importance of joy, patience, Ryan's non-negotiables, and what makes a great leader. We also discuss coaching Gen Z athletes, the importance of fundamentals, and how to negotiate the world of social media to continue to build trust and great team culture. You will want to take notes on this one! PRE-ORDERS NOW AVAILABLE FOR OUR NEW BOOK CAPTAIN: THE ATHLETE'S GUIDE TO BEING AN EXCEPTIONAL TEAM LEADER! FOR ORDERS OF 10 OR MORE, WE OFFER A $5 PER BOOK DISCOUNT. EMAIL John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to place your order. We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. Your athletes will learn from leaders such as Carles Puyol Abby Wambach, Tim Duncan Shane Battier, Richie McCaw, Carla Overbeck and Simone Biles. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. The book also comes with a FREE downloadable 10-session curriculum so you can guide your team or the leaders in your school or club through the entire book. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/41446380

#482 Phill Drobnick, Olympic and World Champion Team USA Curling Coach and National Team Director 05/21/2026

#482 Phill Drobnick, Olympic and World Champion Team USA Curling Coach and National Team Director Phill Drobnick (@CoachPhill) recently retired as the National Team Director at USA Curling after the 2026 Milan Olympics, bringing an end to nearly two decades of coaching experience at the international level. Since 2005, Phill has been instrumental in guiding Team USA to international success, including notable achievements at the Olympics and World Championships. Phill's coaching highlights include guiding Team USA to the Junior Men's World Championship in 2008, and more recently, orchestrating the unforgettable gold medal win for Team Shuster at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang. That victory was the U.S.'s first-ever Olympic gold in curling. He was back in Pyeongchang in 2023, where Korey Dropkin and Cory Christensen clinched the first-ever Mixed Doubles World Championship for the U.S. Phill also had his share of learning experiences, including serving as Head Coach at the 2010 Winter Olympics, where he gained valuable insights through the team’s challenges. This experience informed his subsequent role as Project 2018 National Coach, where he worked with athletes identified as potential Olympians. His promotion to Men's National Coach in 2014 saw him leading Team Shuster into the 2018 Olympic Games. From 2018 to 2022, Phill served as the Men's and Mixed Doubles National Coach, and at the 2022 Olympics, he was the National Coach for the Men’s, Women’s, and Mixed Doubles teams. In our discussion today we take a deep dive into the intricacies of curling, the intense training the athletes do, and even cover some of the highlights and lowlights of the 2026 Winter Olympics. BE THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT THE RELEASE OF OUR NEW BOOK Captain: The Athlete’s Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader, due out in May 2026. We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/41370035

#481 How the Greatest Performers Reach Their Highest Potential with Ric Bucher, NBA Analyst and Author of Coachable 05/13/2026

#481 How the Greatest Performers Reach Their Highest Potential with Ric Bucher, NBA Analyst and Author of Coachable Ric Bucher is an American NBA analyst for Fox Sports and an occasional host of FS1's "Speak" (formerly known as "Speak For Yourself") afternoon talk show. He also hosts a daily podcast, "On The Ball with Ric Bucher." Before joining Fox he was a SiriusXM radio host and senior writer with Bleacher Report. He has appeared on NBA TV as an analyst and on TNT as a sideline reporter for NBA telecasts. Prior to joining SXM, TNT and BR, Bucher worked as an NBA Insider for Comcast SportsNet Bay Area. Bucher graduated from Dartmouth College, where he played four years of varsity soccer. He has covered the NBA since 1992–93, and has been a professional writer for 26 years. . Which traits separate the best from the rest? He began asking that question, and the same answer kept coming back again and again from greats like Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Diana Taurasi, Brandi Chastain, and Stephen Curry: I was coachable. Connect at www.RicBucher.com BE THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT THE RELEASE OF OUR NEW BOOK Captain: The Athlete’s Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader, due out in May 2026. We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/41287135

#480 Dan Abrahams, EPL Sport Psychologist, on Developing a Mental Playbook for Performing Under Pressure 05/06/2026

#480 Dan Abrahams, EPL Sport Psychologist, on Developing a Mental Playbook for Performing Under Pressure Dan Abrahams (@DanAbrahams77) is a sport and performance psychologist. A former professional golfer, Dan has spent the last 20 years working with some of the best sports competitors in the world. He has been consultant psychologist for Aston Martin F1, and has been Lead Psychologist for England Golf and for England Rugby. He has held contracts with six Premier League football teams. In the U.S. he has worked with professional teams across all sports and is currently consultant psychologist to Angel City of the NWSL. He is author of four previous best-selling books (including Soccer Tough, a book that Gareth Bale said changed his life). His podcast (The Sport Psych Show) is one of the leading sport psychology podcasts globally. Connect with Dan: www.DanAbrahams.com BE THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT THE RELEASE OF OUR NEW BOOK Captain: The Athlete’s Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader, due out in May 2026. We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/41196620

#479 Dusty May, 2026 NCAA Champion Coach of Michigan Men's Basketball, on Creating a Culture of Error in and a Player Centered Environment in Practice, His Non Negotiables, and the Importance of Love in Coaching This week we welcome Dusty May, Head Coach of the 2026 NCAA Champion Michigan Wolverines Men's Basketball team. He was hired in 2024 by Michigan and immediately turned the program around winning 18 more games than 2023 and leading the Wolverines back to the top of the Big 10 and to the NCAA Sweet 16. In 2026 they went 37-3 and defeated UConn in the NCAA final to take their second ever national title. In this incredible conversation, May shares what his non negotiables are, how he creates a player centered environment centered around decision making and a willingness to make the right kind of mistakes. He also speakes to why he has such a calm sideline demeanor, the role of love in coaching, and so much more. Prior to Michigan, may led Florida Atlantic for six straight winning seasons in Boca Raton, Fla. (2018-24), May captured Florida Atlantic's first regular-season and tournament championships while playing in Conference USA in 2023. He compiled a program record of 126 wins and helped the Owls make a run to the 2023 NCAA Final Four. Before earning his first head coaching job at Florida Atlantic, May was an assistant under Mike White for seven years with stints at Florida (2015-18) and Louisiana Tech (2011-15). Before working under White, May was an assistant under Kerry Rupp at Louisiana Tech for two seasons (2009-11). May started his coaching career at Eastern Michigan (2005-06) with Charlies Ramsey, before heading to Murray State (2006-07) to work under Billy Kennedy. Before joining Louisiana Tech, May spent two seasons with Mike Davis at UAB (2007-09). BE THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT THE RELEASE OF OUR NEW BOOK Captain: The Athlete’s Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader, due out in May 2026. We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/41049450

#478 When Hard Things Happen, Culture Matters the Most with Erin Quinn, Middlebury College Athletic Director 04/22/2026

#478 When Hard Things Happen, Culture Matters the Most with Erin Quinn, Middlebury College Athletic Director This week we welcome back Erin Quinn to the podcast. Quinn has spent the last twenty years as the athletic director at Middlebury College in Vermont, being recognized as the National AD of the Year in 2021. Under his tenure, his teams have won 19 NCAA championships, 69 NESCAC conference championships, and 29 Middlebury athletes have won individual NCAA championships. Prior to becoming athletic director, Quinn served as the head men's lacrosse coach at Middlebury, winning three NCAA national titles and six NESCAC championships. What we love most about him, though, is that he is known as "A.D. for the Coaches." Quinn knows how important it is to pour into your people and get away from the transactional nature of sports and turn it into a transformational one. He is a huge fan of inside-out leadership with self-awareness and self-regulation at the core of being a successful coach. As you will see in our conversation today, Quinn is the type of leader that everyone would love to work for and the type of coach that we all wish our children would have the opportunity to play under. BE THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT THE RELEASE OF OUR NEW BOOK Captain: The Athlete's Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader, due out in May 2026. We are constantly asked “where have all the leaders gone?” Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team present to your school, club or coaching event, either in person or virtually? Looking for leadership training for your student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/40984030

#477 Daniel Coyle, NYT Bestselling Author, on How to Flourish, Find Meaning, Joy and Fulfillment in Sports and Life 04/15/2026

#477 Daniel Coyle, NYT Bestselling Author, on How to Flourish, Find Meaning, Joy and Fulfillment in Sports and Life Daniel Coyle (@danielcoyle) is the New York Times bestselling author of The Culture Code, which was named best business book of the year by Bloomberg BookPal and Business Insider. Coyle has served as an adviser to many high-performing organizations, including the Navy SEALs, Microsoft, Google, and the Cleveland Guardians. His other books include, The Talent Code, The Secret Race, The Little Book of Talent, Hardball: A Season in the Projects. His newest book is called Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment. This book is about building the environments that make us feel more connected, energized, and alive, drawing from his usual rigorous reporting and his own personal search for meaning. The book is a guide to creating spaces where individuals and communities can thrive. This is exactly what we are looking for in the sports world. The communities that Coyle discusses embody deep connectivity and resilience, from stories of Chilean miners buried underground to a Dutch soccer team and the Cleveland Guardians of Major League Baseball. You will learn how flourishing groups make meaning through deep connection and build community through shared purpose. Connect at www.DanielCoyle.com BE THE FIRST TO KNOW ABOUT THE RELEASE OF OUR NEW BOOK Captain: The Athletes Guide to Being an Exceptional Team Leader, due out in May 2026. We are constantly asked "where have all the leaders gone?" Now more than ever, it is up to schools, clubs and coaches to develop our leaders, and this new book is a perfect guide to train and develop them. It is filled with stories of champion team captains on the professional and college level, Hall of Fame coaches, and more, and is a masterclass on leadership. It will help your athletes understand the qualities needed to lead, the responsibilities they must accept, and the most common challenges they will face. The chapters are short and sweet and have discussion questions so that your leaders can work through them together and set your team up for great success. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? Looking for leadership training for yoru student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Summer and Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/40890630

#476 Mentlaity Wins with former Harvard Womens Basketball Coach Kathy Delaney-Smith,, NFL and MLB Sport Psychologist Dr Jonathan Jenkins, and Sport Psychologist and NCAA Champion Dr. Kimberly O'Brien This week on the podcast, we are joined by three incredible guests: Kathy Delaney-Smith, Dr. Jonathan Jenkins, and Dr. Kimberly O'Brien. Kathy Delaney-Smith is the winningest head coach in Ivy League women's basketball history. She spent 40 seasons at Harvard University, winning 11 Ivy League titles and taking her teams to six NCAA tournaments and eight women's NIT tournaments. Her teams won over 600 games, including 12 seasons with more than 20 wins and finishing above .500 in 31 of her final 33 seasons. She has been inducted into numerous Hall of Fames and received numerous accolades across the country for her work as one of the leading voices in women's sport. Dr. Jonathan Jenkins is the founder of Mental Fitness and Psychotherapy, LLC, and has spent more than a decade at Massachusetts General Brigham Hospital supporting athletes' mental health and performance. He serves as the team clinical and performance psychologist for the New England Patriots, the behavioral sports psychologist for the Boston Red Sox, and is a sports psychology consultant for the Para Rowing Foundation. Dr. Jenkins was a collegiate athlete, spending four years on the lacrosse team at Guilford College. Dr. Kimberly O'Brien is the founder and director of Unlimited Resilience LLC, a therapy and sports psychology practice for athletes. She is also the the co-founder and co-director of Athletes Better Together, LLC, an athlete peer mentoring program. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard University, where she was a four-year team member and co-captain of the Harvard women's ice hockey team, winning a national championship in 1999. Dr Jenkins and Dr O'Brien have recently released a new book . In our podcast today, we discuss the main lessons from the book and how Delaney-Smith sees her coaching journey as intrinsically tied to the main principles discussed in the book. We take a deep dive on the concept of "feeling equals function" and the principles of focus, flow, finish, and flourish that are pillars of Dr. O'Brien's and Dr. Jenkins' work. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? Looking for leadership training for yoru student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Summer and Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/40778075

#475 The 20 Year Journey to Three Olympic Hockey Gold Medals with Ken Martel, USA Hockey Senior Director of Player and Coach Development 04/01/2026

#475 The 20 Year Journey to Three Olympic Hockey Gold Medals with Ken Martel, USA Hockey Senior Director of Player and Coach Development In 2026, USA Hockey accomplished something no other nation has ever done, winning Olympic gold medals for Mens, Women's and Paralympic Ice Hockey. Yet this was not something that happened overnight, and in fact was the culmination of nearly two decades of growing the game and modifying rules and game formats in order to develop more skillful players and a much larger player base to choose from. And who better to discuss this journey than one of its architects, Ken Martel. Ken Martel was named senior director of player and coach development in November 2022. He is charged with helping provide a framework for associations nationwide to follow for optimal athlete development. From 2009-22 Martel served as the technical director of USA Hockey’s American Development Model after spending two years (2006-08) at USA Hockey’s national office in Colorado Springs, Colo., working on coaching education and player development initiatives. For his efforts using science to advance sport, Martel received the USOC "Doc" Councilman Award for Ice Hockey in 2004. Prior to arriving in Colorado Springs, Martel was a part of USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program staff as an assistant coach for eight years (1998-2006), including a dual role with responsibilities for player personnel his final five seasons. Martel has made appearances behind the bench of nine U.S. teams that have competed in International Ice Hockey Federation World Championships, including four times with the U.S. National Under-18 Team (2000-04), four times with the U.S. National Junior Team (2004, 2006, 2008-09) and once with the U.S. Women’s National Team (2007). He has been part of two gold medal-winning teams, including the first-ever U.S. gold medals in the IIHF Men’s World Under-18 Championship (2002) and the IIHF World Junior Championship (2004). Among his additional coaching stops, Martel served one season (1997-98) as an assistant coach for the men’s ice hockey program at the U.S. Air Force Academy and seven seasons (1990-97) as an assistant men’s ice hockey coach at Michigan Tech University. He also spent one year (1990-91) as a graduate assistant for the men’s ice hockey program at St. Cloud State University. A four-year (1985-89) letter-winner as a defenseman at Lake Superior State University, Martel helped the Lakers to the school’s first-ever NCAA national title in 1988. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? Looking for leadership training for yoru student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Summer and Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/40700790

#474 Joe De Sena, Founder of Spartan Obstacle Course Racing, on Why We Need to Teach Our Kids to Do Hard Things 03/26/2026

#474 Joe De Sena, Founder of Spartan Obstacle Course Racing, on Why We Need to Teach Our Kids to Do Hard Things After building a multimillion-dollar pool and construction business in college, and creating a Wall Street trading firm, Joe De Sena set his sights on ripping 100 million people off their couches by creating the Spartan lifestyle. He moved his family to Pittsfield, Vermont to operate an organic farm, a bed and breakfast, and a general store for hikers. It was here his passion grew for ultramarathons, adventure races, and endurance events, and thus the idea for Spartan was born. With more than one million annual global participants at more than 270 events across more than 40 countries, Spartan offers heats for all fitness levels and ages, from beginner to elite and Kids as young as four-years-old. The brand has transformed more than seven million lives since it was founded in 2010. Joe turned an interest in endurance racing into a passion. His racing resume is the stuff of legend – over 50 ultra-events overall and 14 Ironman events in one year alone. De Sena is also the New York Times Best Selling Author of “” and “,” and recently released his third book, “.” Connect with Joe: www.joedesena.com or www.spartan.com BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? Looking for leadership training for yoru student athletes, a coach development workshop or parent education? We are still booking Summer and Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/40626740

#474 Joe De Sena, Founder of Spartan Obstacle Course Racing, on Why We Need to Teach Our Kids to Do Hard Things 03/26/2026

#473 Jason Sacks, CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, on Educating One Million Coaches and Making Systemic Change in Youth Sports 03/19/2026

#473 Jason Sacks, CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, on Educating One Million Coaches and Making Systemic Change in Youth Sports Jason Sacks is the CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance (@positivecoachus). He joined the organization in April 2006 and has since served in a variety of capacities, including President, Chief Development Officer, EVP for Business Development & Philanthropy, Director of Partnership Development, and as Executive Director of PCA’s Chicago, IL chapter. Jason began his career at PCA as the Partner Development Associate for the New Jersey/Philadelphia region. Most recently as PCA’s President, Jason led the organization’s growth of impact to millions of youth participating in youth sports and created innovative partnerships across all of youth sports, media outlets, leading brands, including Curry Brand/Under Armour, ESPN, National Women’s Soccer League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, Little League International, U.S. Soccer Federation, and many more. Under his leadership, PCA has successfully expanded its reach and impact through partnerships and attracting leading philanthropic organizations to support PCA’s commitment to ensuring youth sports are done right in all communities across the country. A recognized national leader in the youth sports space, in November 2022, Jason was appointed to the , which was formed following the release of Sally Q. Yates’ independent investigation. The taskforce is charged with coordinating and collaborating on conduct-related policies and procedures from the youth level to professional leagues and senior national teams and driving change across the entire soccer ecosystem. Connect at www.PositiveCoach.org BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are still booking Summer and Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/40538545

#473 Jason Sacks, CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, on Educating One Million Coaches and Making Systemic Change in Youth Sports 03/19/2026

#473 Jason Sacks, CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, on Educating One Million Coaches and Making Systemic Change in Youth Sports Jason Sacks is the CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance. He joined the organization in April 2006 and has since served in a variety of capacities, including President, Chief Development Officer, EVP for Business Development & Philanthropy, Director of Partnership Development, and as Executive Director of PCA’s Chicago, IL chapter. Jason began his career at PCA as the Partner Development Associate for the New Jersey/Philadelphia region. Most recently as PCA’s President, Jason led the organization’s growth of impact to millions of youth participating in youth sports and created innovative partnerships across all of youth sports, media outlets, leading brands, including Curry Brand/Under Armour, ESPN, National Women’s Soccer League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, Little League International, U.S. Soccer Federation, and many more. Under his leadership, PCA has successfully expanded its reach and impact through partnerships and attracting leading philanthropic organizations to support PCA’s commitment to ensuring youth sports are done right in all communities across the country. A recognized national leader in the youth sports space, in November 2022, Jason was appointed to the , which was formed following the release of Sally Q. Yates’ independent investigation. The taskforce is charged with coordinating and collaborating on conduct-related policies and procedures from the youth level to professional leagues and senior national teams and driving change across the entire soccer ecosystem. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are still booking Summer and Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/40538540

#473 Jason Sacks, CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, on Educating One Million Coaches and Making Systemic Change in Youth Sports 03/19/2026

#473 Jason Sacks, CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance, on Educating One Million Coaches and Making Systemic Change in Youth Sports Jason Sacks is the CEO of Positive Coaching Alliance. He joined the organization in April 2006 and has since served in a variety of capacities, including President, Chief Development Officer, EVP for Business Development & Philanthropy, Director of Partnership Development, and as Executive Director of PCA’s Chicago, IL chapter. Jason began his career at PCA as the Partner Development Associate for the New Jersey/Philadelphia region. Most recently as PCA’s President, Jason led the organization’s growth of impact to millions of youth participating in youth sports and created innovative partnerships across all of youth sports, media outlets, leading brands, including Curry Brand/Under Armour, ESPN, National Women’s Soccer League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, Little League International, U.S. Soccer Federation, and many more. Under his leadership, PCA has successfully expanded its reach and impact through partnerships and attracting leading philanthropic organizations to support PCA’s commitment to ensuring youth sports are done right in all communities across the country. A recognized national leader in the youth sports space, in November 2022, Jason was appointed to the , which was formed following the release of Sally Q. Yates’ independent investigation. The taskforce is charged with coordinating and collaborating on conduct-related policies and procedures from the youth level to professional leagues and senior national teams and driving change across the entire soccer ecosystem. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are still booking Summer and Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This weeks podcast is brought to you by our newest sponsor, Zone 14 Coaching. Zone 14 Coaching is a company built by coaches for coaches. If you have ever ended a session thinking, “Did that practice really hit the mark?” you will love what they have created. Zone 14’s next-gen journals for coaches and players help you plan every practice, reflect on what worked and track progress all season long. Built on intentional coaching and backed by neuroscience, they bring structure and purpose to your training. Visit zone14coaching.com and use code Champions20 for 20% off. Or if you want to outfit your whole team or club and improve consistency across coaches, you can get in touch with Zone 14 via their website to discuss bulk discounts. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports. Sprocket Sports is a software platform for youth sports clubs. Yeah, 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, communication tools 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/40538535

#472 Dr. Jean Cote on Transformational Coaching, Enjoyment, and his new Research on the Factors that Promote Continued Interest in Youth Sports, 03/11/2026

#472 Dr. Jean Cote on Transformational Coaching, Enjoyment, and his new Research on the Factors that Promote Continued Interest in Youth Sports, Dr Jean Côté is a Professor in the School of Kinesiology and Health Studies at Queen’s University, Canada. His research interests include children in sport, coaching, youth development, and sport expertise. He is a Fellow of the Canadian Society for Psychomotor Learning and Sport Psychology (SCAPPS) and the International Society of Sport Psychology (ISSP), and has published over 200 peer-reviewed papers and 70 book chapters. He frequently presents his research for sporting governing bodies and at academic conferences, delivering 66 keynote addresses at major national and international events. This is his third time as a guest on this podcast, as his research into youth sports, "deliberate play," transformational coaching and more is foundational to the work we do with Changing the Game Project. Today, Jean and John discuss their recent trip together to the International Ice Hockey Federation Conference in Nice, France, and Jean's new research into what promotes continuing interest in sport. Connect with Dr. Cote: jc46@queensu.ca BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are still booking Summer and Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 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. Yeah, 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/40405195

#471 Champ Bailey, NFL Hall of Famer, on Being a Role Model for Teammates, and a Leader on and Off the Field 03/04/2026

#471 Champ Bailey, NFL Hall of Famer, on Being a Role Model for Teammates, and a Leader on and Off the Field Roland “Champ” Bailey, Jr. is t a Pro Football Hall of Famer and one of the greatest cornerbacks to ever play in the NFL. During his playing days for the University of Georgia, Washington Redskins, and Denver Broncos, Champ built a stellar reputation as a diligent and detailed leader who modeled high-performance. He still holds two NFL records with 203 career pass deflections and being selected to 12 Pro Bowls as a cornerback. He was tabbed for the NFL All-Decade Team of the 2000s and chosen to the Broncos 50th Anniversary Team. Champ was rewarded for his excellence by being elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2019. In all, Bailey played in 215 career games with the Redskins (1999-2003) and the Broncos (2004-2013). These days, on top of his business ventures, he is an ambassador for Positive Athlete (www.positiveathlete.org), an organization that is dedicated to recognizing the 97% of high school athletes who do not go on to play at the next level by rewarding them for their character, contribution, and community service. Be prepared to take some notes for this incredible conversation with Champ. He speaks extensively about what it takes to make it to the next level, the importance of being a role model for teammates, and all the different ways athletes can lead from on the field to off the field. Even while you are injured, it is a master class in leadership, dedication, and being a champion teammate. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are still booking Spring and Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 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. Yeah, 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/40318165

#470 Chris Malleo, former Pro Football Player and Author of The Chairleader, on the Extraordinary of Coach Frankie Kineavy, and Leading Without Limits 02/25/2026

#470 Chris Malleo, former Pro Football Player and Author of The Chairleader, on the Extraordinary of Coach Frankie Kineavy, and Leading Without Limits Chris Malleo is a former Northwestern University and professional football player. After retiring from paying, he became head coach at The Peddie School in New Jersey, and led a perennial underachieving team to a #1 national ranking through a system of culture, belief, and standards. While at Peddie, Chris hired an incredible coach named Frankie Kineavy. Frankie was non verbal, and had suffered from cerebral palsy since birth, yet soon Chris, his staff and his players realized that while Frankie was not your typical football coach, he was one of the best leaders any of them had ever met. Chris tells that story in his new book The ChairLeader, a best selling book on leadership, connection, and courage, featuring a foreword by Hall of Fame coach Jay Wright and endorsements from bestselling author Jon Gordon, Clemson Head Coach Dabo Swinney, and Jersey Mike’s Founder and CEO Peter Cancro. In our discussion, John and Chris discuss his journey to becoming a coach, the incredible impact Frankie had on the Peddie program, and the leadership lessons that he retells in his book. Connect with Chris at www.ChrisMalleo.com BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are still booking Spring and Fall 2026 events, please email us to set up an introductory call PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS, AND JOIN 2025 CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS FROM SYRACUSE MENS LAX, UNC AND NAVY WOMENS LAX, AND MCLAREN F1! These are just the most recent championship teams using book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using 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 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. Yeah, 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 . BECOME A PREMIUM MEMBER OF CHANGING THE GAME PROJECT TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST If you or your club/school is looking for all of our best content, from online courses to blog posts to interviews organized for coaches, parents and athletes, then . For over a decade we have been creating materials to help change the game. and it has become a bit overwhelming to find old podcasts, blog posts and more. Now, we have organized it all for you, with areas for coaches, parents and even athletes to find materials to help compete better, and put some more play back in playing ball. Clubs please email 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 Premium Membership, with well over $1000 of courses and materials. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, () 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 be granted a Premium Changing the Game Project Membership, where you will have access to every course, interview and blog post we have created organized by topic from coaches to parents to athletes. Thank you for all your support these past eight years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. /episode/index/show/wayofchampions/id/40233235

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