Episodes

  • #445 Tom Renney, Former NHL Head Coach and Hockey Canada CEO

    #445 Tom Renney, Former NHL Head Coach and Hockey Canada CEO
    Sep 4 2025
    Tom Renney is a Canadian former ice hockey coach and executive. Renney began his coaching career in the Western Hockey League (WHL), capturing a Memorial Cup in his two-year stint with the Kamloops Blazers. He served as an NHL head coach of the Vancouver Canucks, New York Rangers, and Edmonton Oilers and associate coach with the Detroit Red Wings. He also participated in the coaching staff for Canada's national teams on numerous occasions, capturing a silver medal as the head coach at the 1994 Winter Olympics. After retiring from coaching, Renney served as the chief executive officer of Hockey Canada from 2014 to 2022, and currently is dedicated to helping youth hockey programs at the grassroots level develop more resilient, confident athletes who thrive both on and off the ice. He’s using his experience to work directly with minor hockey organizations to create more values-driven coaching environments and improve long-term athlete development. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking November and December 2025 and Winter/Spring 2026 events, please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com 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 THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS 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? Click here to visit John’s author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry’s author page on Amazon 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. 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 become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. 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 John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) 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. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 15 mins
  • #444 What Does it Take to be an Elite Youth Athlete? Baltimore Orioles Draft Pick Slater de Brun and 2x USA Swimming National Champion Campbell McKean Share Their Stories

    #444 What Does it Take to be an Elite Youth Athlete? Baltimore Orioles Draft Pick Slater de Brun and 2x USA Swimming National Champion Campbell McKean Share Their Stories
    Aug 25 2025
    Living in Bend, Oregon, our host John O'Sullivan has gotten to know some extraordinary young athletes, none more so than our two guests today, Slater de Brun and Campbell McKean. He has know both boys since elementary school, and had the privilege of coaching Slater for 5 years in soccer before he went full time into baseball. Slater was recently the 37th overall pick in the Major League Baseball draft, and signed a multi-million dollar contract with the Baltimore Orioles. Campbell is the US National Champion in the 50 and 100 meter butterfly, and recently won a bronze medal in the World Championships in Singapore. He will be swimming for the University of Texas in Fall 2025. Both boys, only age 18, have already achieved so much for their age, and it is worth exploring as there is so much misinformation out there regarding what it takes to be a truly elite youth athlete, not just a kid with the word "elite" on their uniform. How was their childhood different from peers? How did their parents support their dreams and their journey? What did they give up to get to the top? How do they approach practice and competition? How do they tune out the outside noise? How it's not all glitz and glamor on the path of excellence. What is their best piece of advice for young athletes who are driven to reach the top of their sport? And so much more. Parents always talk about how their kid has all this ability, and so many love to throw around the word elite, but as you will learn from two truly high achieving 18 year olds, ability might get you in the door, but it takes so much more to be a truly elite youth athlete. Connect with Campbell: https://www.instagram.com/campbell.mckean Connect wth Slater: https://www.instagram.com/slaterdebrun/ BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking November and December 2025 and Winter/Spring 2026 events, please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com 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 THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS 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? Click here to visit John’s author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry’s author page on Amazon 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. 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 become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. 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 John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) 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 ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Dr. Nick Holton and Dr. Adam Wright of The Antifragile Academy

    Dr. Nick Holton and Dr. Adam Wright of The Antifragile Academy
    Aug 21 2025
    Dr. Nick Holton’s work focuses on helping individuals, teams, businesses and organizations become better versions of themselves through the application of the cutting-edge science of human flourishing – a synergistic development of both peak performance and overall well-being and fulfillment. Nick currently serves as a private coach and consultant, working with individuals and groups ranging from professional athletes, NCAA programs, educational institutions, and Fortune 500 businesses. He also runs a podcast alongside the Human Flourishing Program at Harvard. The show – FlourishFM – focuses on research to help individuals better understand how to live well. Nick has also directed multiple large scale implementation projects oriented toward human flourishing for schools and organizations around the globe, and has delivered talks and trainings across the US, Europe, India, Hong Kong, Australia, Uganda, Singapore, Mexico, and South America. Dr Adam Wright is a high-performance and executive coach, consultant, and educator who supports a broad range of elite performers whose craft demands their absolute best in volatile, high-stakes environments. Adam’s clients range from elite high school, collegiate, and professional athletes to Fortune 100 corporate leaders, professionals in military and law enforcement, and creatives from the entertainment world. He consults with clients in such disparate performance arenas as the front office of the NFL, MLB, the European PGA, MLS, Hollywood, and Wall Street. As a practitioner-scientist, Adam draws from decades of practical experience as a coach and athlete, as well as lessons learned as a researcher and professor. Adam currently serves as Major League Mental Performance Consultant for the Washington Nationals and as an advisor and educational board member for several institutions. Connect with Nick and Adam at www.TheAntifragileAcademy.com BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking November and December 2025 and Winter/Spring 2026 events, please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com 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 THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS 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? Click here to visit John’s author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry’s author page on Amazon 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. 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 become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. 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 John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Tools for Implementing the Way of Champions Culture with Matt Booth, Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan

    Tools for Implementing the Way of Champions Culture with Matt Booth, Jerry Lynch and John O'Sullivan
    Aug 15 2025
    In June of 2025, John and Jerry gathered in Lake George, Colorado with 30 coaches, athletic directors, and sport performance coaches for our first ever Way of Champions Retreat and Certification program. Over the course of four days and three nights of intense inner work, group discussions, hikes and delicious meals, we gave these coaches not only tools, but a deep understanding of what it means to bring this type of work to your team, school and community. It was an incredible event, life changing for some, and according to our participants more impactful than any coach development event they have ever attended. As such, we are running it again in 2026! Our dates will be June 11-14 2026 at Bison Peak Resort at Puma Hills in Lake George, CO. We are not opening registration yet, and will be holding a Zoom meeting with details later this Fall. If you want to be the first to know about this zoom and have an opportunity to register first, please click here and add your email to our pre-event list. THERE ARE ONLY 30 SPOTS AVAILABLE! Last year the event sold out in 2 days, so you want to be ahead of the masses on this one. To give you a deeper understanding of what we do at Way of Champions, and how to implement this type of material in your program or school, this week on the podcast we welcome Matt Booth, Dean of Athletics and Director of Strength and Conditioning at Canterbury School in Ft. Myers, Florida. Matt is a highly experienced coach and administrator, and shares how he attended one of our virtual events in 2021, started working directly with Jerry and John, and began drip feeding this new culture at his school. it began with three teams, spread to the entire athletic department, and now is part of all programs in and out of the classroom. Not only have their results on the field improved and led to numerous state and district championships, but the school culture has changed significantly, especially during the tragic event oof Hurricane Ian in 2022. Buckle up for a great deep dive into the Way of Champions. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking November and December 2025 and Winter/Spring 2026 events, please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com 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 THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS 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? Click here to visit John’s author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry’s author page on Amazon 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. 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 become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. 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 John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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, (https://...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 10 mins
  • #441 How to Be a Better Parent Coach: A Discussion with Skye Eddy, Jerry Lynch, and John O'Sullivan

    #441 How to Be a Better Parent Coach: A Discussion with Skye Eddy, Jerry Lynch, and John O'Sullivan
    Aug 7 2025
    One of the most common questions we get here is could we cover the challenges of being a parent coach. Statistics tell us that on the grassroots and recreational level, somewhere around 80% of coaches are also parents of one of the athletes on the team. As we move into the travel and more competitive older ages, that number shrinks, but as those of us who have coached their kids in a high performance environment know, the scrutiny increases exponentially. A few weeks back, John received an email from a listener who was struggling with coaching her child in a high performance environment, not sure whether she should drop out or continue, hyper aware of the talk behind the scenes and how it was affecting her daughter, and concerned about her own coaching development. We thought it would be a great podcast discussion topic, and invited on Skye Eddy of www.SoccerParenting.com to join us. Skye has become the go to resource for parents and parent coaches in the soccer world, as a former All American athlete, mom and coach to two soccer players, board member, and Founder of Soccer Parenting. She has partnered with clubs and state associations throughout the US, Canada and Europe to provide resources, and we are so excited for this discussion today. If you are a parent coach, or know one to share this with, you will definitely want to tune in for some good tips, guidelines and thoughts from the three of us. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking late Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 events, please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com 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 THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS 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? Click here to visit John’s author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry’s author page on Amazon 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. 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 become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. 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 John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) 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 ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 11 mins
  • #440 Scott Allen, Washington Capitals Asst. Coach on Being a Great Assistant, the Importance of Loyalty, and How to Make Every Individual Better in a Team Environment

    #440 Scott Allen, Washington Capitals Asst. Coach on Being a Great Assistant, the Importance of Loyalty, and How to Make Every Individual Better in a Team Environment
    Aug 1 2025
    Scott Allen is the assistant coach of the Washington Capitals of the NHL. Prior to joining Washington, Allen spent three seasons with the Hershey Bears of the American Hockey League (AHL). With Hershey, Allen served as an assistant coach for two seasons before being named the Bears’ head coach ahead of the 2021-22 season. Under Allen, Hershey finished with a record of 34-32-6-4, clinching a Calder Cup Playoff berth, and ranked tied for 11th in the AHL in goals against (209). The New Bedford, Massachusetts native has coached professionally for more than 25 seasons, including assistant positions with the New York Islanders (2009-12), the Florida Panthers (2016-17) and the Arizona Coyotes (2017-19). With Arizona, Allen worked with the Coyotes' defensemen and penalty kill. During the 2018-19 season, Arizona ranked tied for first in the NHL in penalty kill percentage (85.0) and tied for fifth in goals against per game (2.68). In Allen's one season with Florida, the Panthers finished with the second-best penalty kill percentage in the NHL (85.3). Additionally, Allen has coached in the AHL for 14 seasons. Allen played professionally for 10 seasons in the All-American Hockey League, Atlantic Coast Hockey League, Colonial Hockey League, Central Hockey League and ECHL. Allen, a forward, won back-to-back Kelly Cups with the Carolina Thunderbirds in 1989 and the Greensboro Monarchs in 1990. This podcast is a an amazing one. if you want to learn what it takes to coach at the highest level, to be a great assistant coach, to connect with athletes, and more, get ready to take some notes because Scott Allen is going to blow you away. BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John or one of our speaking team come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking late Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 events, please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com 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 THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS 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? Click here to visit John’s author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry’s author page on Amazon 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. 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 become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. 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 John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) 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 ...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 13 mins
  • #439 Mark Gottfried, former NCAA Basketball Coach at Alabama and NC State: "The Softest Pillow in the World is a Clear Conscience"

    #439 Mark Gottfried, former NCAA Basketball Coach at Alabama and NC State: "The Softest Pillow in the World is a Clear Conscience"
    Jul 24 2025
    Mark Gottfried is an American men's college basketball coach, basketball podcaster, and former player who most recently served as head coach of the Cal State Northridge Matadors. Gottfried played one season at Oral Roberts and three seasons at Alabama, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in each of his seasons with the Crimson Tide. He was an NBA draft pick but never played professionally, soon going into coaching. He spent eight seasons as an assistant coach at UCLA, including the team's 1995 NCAA championship season, three years as head coach at Murray State, eleven years as head coach at Alabama, and six seasons at North Carolina State before finishing his career at CSU Northridge. His teams won 432 games, advanced to 11 NCAA tournaments, and won multiple conference titles. In our conversation today, Mark shares his insights from growing up with a college coaches in his family, his lessons learned sitting on John Wooden's couch, the difference between being a head coach and an assistant, and so much more. Today he consults with coaches, leaders and organizations across the globe through his work at https://www.coachmarkgottfried.com/ BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John, Jerry or both come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking late Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 events, please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com 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 THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS 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? Click here to visit John’s author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry’s author page on Amazon 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. 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 become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. 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 John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) 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. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 11 mins
  • #438 Mike Potenza, San Jose Sharks Head of Performance: "The Most Important Coaching Tool is a Couch"

    #438 Mike Potenza, San Jose Sharks Head of Performance: "The Most Important Coaching Tool is a Couch"
    Jul 18 2025
    Mike Potenza is the Head of Performance for the San Jose Sharks of the NHL, where he oversees the strength & conditioning and nutrition staffs and serves as a liaison to the Sharks medical training staff to ensure a streamlined collaboration between the two departments, focusing on the Sharks player’s health, training, fitness, and rehabilitation programs. Potenza began his career as the strength and conditioning coach for the University of Wisconsin Men and Women hockey teams, both who captured the 2006 NCAA National Championship. Potenza also had responsibilities with the wrestling and softball programs at Wisconsin. Between 2006-2022, Potenza served as the Sharks strength and conditioning coach. He was directly responsible for the team’s overall strength and conditioning programs, which included the physical testing and evaluation at training camp, creation of individualized workout programs, and assistance in the rehabilitation programs for all injured players. Through his time in San Jose, Potenza worked directly with several notable and legendary veteran players, including Patrick Marleau, Joe Thornton, Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic. Following 16 seasons working with the Sharks organization, Potenza joined the Golden State Warriors in 2022 as their director of performance. In that role, he was responsible for the player’s training schedules, management of performance testing, implementation of player specific training programs, and served as a liaison to the coaching staff to maximize the efficiency of performance and management for team workout schedules, until rejoining the Sharks in June of 2024. Highlights of our chat include: Connecting by asking players "what do you need to help your game?"The most important piece of coaching equipment is a couchSkills he wished he learned earlier in his careerNot making your players "lab rats"The qualities of the great coaches he has worked with throughout his career BOOK A SPEAKER: Interested in having John, Jerry or both come to your school, club or coaching event? We are booking Fall 2025 and Spring 2026 events, please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com to set up an introductory call. 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 become a premium member of Changing the Game Project today. 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 John@ChangingTheGameProject.com for pricing. 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 THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes and support teams. Many of these coaches are also getting THE CHAMPION SPORTS PARENT so their team parents can be part of a successful culture. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS 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? Click here to visit John’s author page on Amazon Click here to visit Jerry’s author page on Amazon 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 https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. 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, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha...
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr and 14 mins