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Apr
12

By

Great Team Captains – The Seven Traits They Share

Category: Uncategorized

  1. Extreme doggedness and focus in competition
  2. Aggressive play that tests the limits of the rules
  3. A willingness to do thankless jobs in the shadows.
  4. A low-key, practical, and democratic communication style
  5. Motivates others with passionate nonverbal displays
  6. Strong convictions and the courage to stand apart
  7. Ironclad emotional control

From: The Captain Class, by Sam Walker https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kov_SAU3Uks

If Roman Emperor and Stoic Philosopher Marcus Aurelius were coaching a football team, he’d be teaching his players to be:
• Focused
• Always Competing
• Selfless
• Clear
• Inspiring
• Courageous
• Controlled

From: https://dailystoic.com/12-lessons-on-leadership-from-the-last-great-emperor/

Apr
1

By

The Most Excellent You: How to Get the Advice You Really Need

Category: Uncategorized

Feedback is:

  • Evaluative
  • Focused on past performance
  • Often linked with compensation/grading
  • Historical
  • Influenced by in-the-moment impressions and feelings

Feed-forward is:

  • Coaching-oriented
  • Aimed at helping, supporting
  • Future-focused
  • Focuses on improving results/performance
  • Provides guidance, pointers, tips

Most of us want to become more effective, more successful as professionals.
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Feb
10

By

Continuous Compassionate Criticism: The Essence of the Art of Coaching

Category: Motivation, Values & Principles

When you make a mistake in typing or in spelling, it’s good that an icon doesn’t flash all over your screen with a green monster sticking its tongue out and screaming at you that you’re a total idiot. Those kinds of frequent attacks on your self-esteem are unlikely to motivate you to produce more and increase the quality of your work. It’s an overwhelming, debilitating form of feedback.

coach-petra-kvitova-smile

However, the opposite of this is also a problem. Most people can merrily type away while their word processing program automatically fixes mistakes that the person never realizes he made. This is not blissful ignorance. This is the kind of cluelessness that leads to arrogance and complacency.
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Feb
1

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Sprint Legend Michael Johnson on Strength and Conditioning and Mental Focus

Category: Olympics, Strength & Conditioning, Track & Field

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Speed endurance, high intensity training, NFL Combine preparation (Rebroadcast)

michael_johnson_runningFor track and field aficionados and followers of Olympic sports in general, the legendary sprinter Michael Johnson needs little introduction. But I’ll say a few words anyway as reminders: Michael is still holder of the 400 meter world record and a former holder of the 200 meter record.

He is the only athlete in history to hold world records and win Olympic gold medals in both those events at the same time. Michael’s breakthrough performances were in Atlanta in 1996 but he also struck gold in Barcelona and Sydney in a career at the very top than spanned over a decade.

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Jan
31

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How Far Along the Autism Spectrum Are You As a Leader?

Category: Empathy, Mental toughness

A provocative discussion on one of my favorite blogs has got me thinking again about Autism and Asperger’s Syndrome.

First of all – in its moderate manifestation Asperger’s Syndrome need not strike fear in the heart of parents, teachers, nor in the heart of the individual directly concerned. There are many relatively happy, ultra high functioning people who fit that description, including the world’s youngest (newly-minted) multi-billionaire

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Jan
22

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Swimming: U.S. Men’s, Florida & Ryan Lochte Coach Gregg Troy

Category: Olympics, Swimming

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Gregg Troy is one the leading swimming coaches in the world, heading up the U.S. Men’s Team that was so dominant in the London Olympics, as well as the boss of the perennial national-leading University of Florida Gators.
Ryan_Lochte_Gregg_Troy
Oh yeah, before we forget, Gregg is the guiding light for the world’s hottest property in the pool right now, Ryan Lochte.
Sports Coach Radio is a weekly audio show providing in-depth insight to the people and passion behind winning performances. It’s hosted by sports and performance psychologist Glenn Whitney, and you can listen to it on this site or on Apple iTunes. You can follow us  on Twitter via @sportscoachtalk.

Jan
12

By

Making Mistakes Can Become Your Competitive Advantage

Category: Uncategorized

It’s a nearly unanimous truth in leadership – mistakes are often the most powerful way to learn. This includes you as a leader and you helping those who report to you learn from their mistakes as well.

But pointing out the mistakes of others is a tricky business, usually requiring some advanced planning and scripting, a calm, quiet environment and a bit of compassionate courageousness.

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Jan
5

By

Effective Motivation During Your Team Talk Requires Special Words

Category: Motivation

The best sports coaches (and managers) understand that words can mean a lot. But words only take on powerful meanings when they are mutually understood and emotive for the people who are communicating with each other. That’s a very subjective and subtle thing. It is unique from group to group and situation to situation.


Gregg Popovich: Wants some “nasty”

For example, to some people, hearing “I need you to give 110%” on this project can be crystal-clear and motivating. To others, they think it means their manager doesn’t have a grasp of basic mathematics.

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Jan
2

By

Dr. Sweat Science Explodes Strength & Conditioning Myths

Category: Motivation, Sports nutrition, Strength & Conditioning Tags:

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Alex Hutchinson – Distance Runner – Sports Scientist – Blogger

Alex_Hutchinson_Sweat_Science_Runners_World

We talk to Alex about a wide range of myths and misconceptions that many coaches have about strength and conditioning, nutrition, stretching, hydration, and altitude training.

We start by talking about the latest research on the effect coaches have when they praise and criticize their athletes – a hugely important issue, of course.

Alex writes the deservedly popular blog Sweat Science on the Runner’s World website and he’s the author of the wide-ranging fitness book Which Comes First, Cardio or Weights?

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Jan
1

By

CrossFit Football’s John Welbourn: High-Intensity Power Training, Paleo Diet

Category: Football, Mental toughness, Strength & Conditioning

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

NFL, weightlifting, explosive strength
john_welbourn_chiefsJohn Welbourn is the big man behind CrossFit Football. A nine-year veteran of the NFL, he brings a multi-disciplinary approach to elite strength and conditioning.

If you’re unfamiliar with the phenomenon that is CrossFit, you’ll learn all about it in this in-depth interview.

Sports Coach Radio is hosted by Glenn Whitney, a sports and leadership psychologist. You can subscribe to us on Apple iTunes and follow us on Twitter with the handle: @sportscoachtalk. And if you have a moment, we’d very much appreciate it if you could leave a short review on the Apple iTunes site. Your review will help other people find out about the show.

John played football for U.C. Berkeley and earned a bachelor’s degree in rhetoric before being picked by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 1999 draft. He played for five seasons with Philadelphia and then a further four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs.

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Jul
2

By

NCAA Basketball Coach of the Year Muffet McGraw

Category: Basketball, Values & Principles

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Notre Dame: Women’s 2018 Champion
mcgraw_diggins1This week we welcome one of the most experienced and successful college basketball coaches of all-time. Muffet McGraw has been coaching women’s basketball for 31 years, the last 26 at powerhouse Notre Dame. She’s compiled a hugely impressive 73% win record and notched up her 700th victory this past season, only the 13th coach in the NCAA women’s game to do so.That’s not all, this year Coach McGraw was awarded all four major coach of the year titles, for the second time in her career, becoming just the second coach to sweep the awards twice. But as you’ll hear in the interview she’s still learning and still hungry to win, including a burning desire for the NCAA Tournament Championship Title.

Sports Coach Radio is hosted by Glenn Whitney, a coaching and leadership psychologist. You can follow us on Twitter, where we post useful articles and coaching tips just about every day of the week. The handle is @sportscoachtalk. And we’d be grateful if you’d leave a short review of the show on the Apple iTunes page.
mcgraw_headshot

Jun
8

By

Top 10 Signs You’re a Great Teammate

Category: Team dynamics

great_team_soccer_celebration10- You’re willing to play any role that helps the team

9- You would rather score less & win than score a lot & lose

8- When the team scores, the first people you congratulate are teammates

7- You love practice as much as you love games

6- You respect your opponents but don’t fear them

5- You listen, are coachable & respects your coaches & officials

4- You are quick to pick up a teammate who is having a bad day

3- You help younger teammates who have less experience

2- You learn & grow from your mistakes as well as others’

1- You’re confident but not arrogant

(Attribution unknown)

Jun
1

By

A Glorious Injection of Testosterone

Category: Uncategorized

The video linked at the bottom is a bit on the macho side, I know. Or as a good female friend responded when I sent the link to her: “What a glorious injection of testosterone!” I think she meant it (mostly) in a good way.

We at Sports Coach Radio generally believe in a non-judgmental,  going with the flow approach to coaching. In letting things happen at their own pace. Yes, sometimes the best approach to a difficult day, month or year is simply to “chop wood, carry water.”

And sometimes action is needed. Right Action. The Right Way. And the Right Way is often the most difficult way, the way the requires the most discipline, the most focus, the most delaying of gratification and with no guarantee of reward. Read More

May
30

By

Butterfly Gold Medallist Misty Hyman Transitions to Elite Coaching

Category: Mental toughness, Olympics, Swimming

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Swimming, Pursuit of Perfection, Mental toughness (Re-broadcast)

Misty_Hyman_pool_embrace

Misty Hyman is a young swimming coach with a bright future and a glorious past. Her gold-medal winning 200 meter butterfly at the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000 was an iconic tour de force, combining superb technique, optimal conditioning and a giant dose of mental toughness, not the least because she blew away her heavily favored Australian rival.

Sports Coach Radio is hosted by Glenn Whitney, a coaching and leadership psychologist. You can follow us on Twitter, where we post useful articles and coaching tips just about every day of the week. The handle is @sportscoachtalk. And we’d be grateful if you’d leave a short review of the show on the Apple iTunes page.
misty_hyman_h&sMisty has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to overcome setbacks and limitations, including asthma as a very young child and measuring 5 foot 7, meaning she was rarely one of the taller competitors in the pool.

After post graduate studies in Switzerland, she’s again based in her home state of Arizona, coaching a wide range of swimmers as well as triathletes.

http://mistyhyman.com/ @mistyhyman

Jun
6

By

If You’re Not Making Mistakes, You’re Not Taking Enough Risks

Category: Mental toughness

That’s a great quote from writer-designer Debbie Millman cited by Daniel Dennett’s in his book: Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking.

The chief trick to making good mistakes is not to hide them — especially not from yourself. Instead of turning away in denial when you make a mistake, you should become a connoisseur of your own mistakes, turning them over in your mind as if they were works of art, which in a way they are. … The trick is to take advantage of the particular details of the mess you’ve made, so that your next attempt will be informed by it and not just another blind stab in the dark, Dennett writes.

He continues: “We have all heard the forlorn refrain ‘Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!’ This phrase has come to stand for the rueful reflection of an idiot, a sign of stupidity, but in fact we should appreciate it as a pillar of wisdom. Anyone who says, ‘Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time!’ is standing on the threshold of brilliance.
Read More

May
2

By

Triathlon and Cycling Coach Joe Friel On Being Fast After 50 (Rebroadcast)

Category: Cycling, Sports nutrition, Triathlon

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Cycling, Triathlon, Fat-Adapted Nutrition, Paleo Diet (Rebroadcast)
Cycling-coach-Joe-Friel
Master endurance coach Joe Friel is back, this time to talk about a subject near and dear to many coaches I know – being Fast After 50. So whether you’re coaching older athletes or you are an older coach-athlete yourself, this interview is for you. We cover a wide range of topics – cardio vascular performance, strength training, mobility and agility and, of course, nutrition.

Coach Friel is the cofounder of software company Training Peaks and the author of numerous books including The Cyclist’s Training Bible, The Triathlete’s Training Bible and co-author of the ground-breaking Paleo Diet for Athletes. He’s been a coach for nearly 35 years and is past chairman of the USA Triathlon National Coaching Commission.
Fast50_frontcover
Sports Coach Radio is a series of weekly in-depth interview with world-class sports coaches, leaders and scientists, hosted by Glenn Whitney, a coaching adviser and leadership consultant. Follow us on Twitter, where we post coaching tips and links to interesting articles just about every day of the week. The handle is @sportscoachtalk. And we’d be grateful if you’d leave a short review of the show on the Apple iTunes page.

Topics: Endurance expert, triathlon, cycling coach Joe Friel on cardio vascular performance, strength training, mobility and agility, and nutrition, Paleo Diet.

Feb
17

By

Talent Code Skill Specialist & Cycling Author Daniel Coyle (Rebroadcast)

Category: Motivation, Talent ID & Development

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Lance Armstrong ex-teammate Tyler Hamilton (Rebroadcast)
daniel_coyle_portraitThis week we welcome one of the world’s leading experts on skill acquisition, perfecting technique and performing under pressure: Daniel Coyle.

Daniel is the author of The Talent Code, an absolutely indispensable book for coaches. He also knows quite a bit about the controversial world professional cycling, having written Lance Armstrong’s War, released in 2006 and The Secret Race, a brilliant expose about doping, co-written with Armstrong’s former teammate Tyler Hamilton, which was released last year. He also published the extremely practical Little Book of Talent, in 2012.
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