In this powerful episode, Kara sits down with Acacia Walker-Weinstein, head coach of the Boston College women’s lacrosse team and head coach of Team USA. Acacia shares the secret sauce behind building championship teams—from taking Boston College from never winning a national title to securing two championships and becoming the winningest program since 2017. This conversation is packed with leadership lessons, culture-building strategies, and mindset practices that apply far beyond the field. Acacia opens up about the power of unselfishness, the art of hard conversations, and how visualization shapes performance. She also shares her journey to becoming Team USA's head coach and how she balances coaching 40 athletes with raising three kids. Whether you're a leader, athlete, coach, or parent, this episode will inspire you to elevate your game in every area of life.

Episode Topics:

• Building a Championship Culture: How Acacia transformed Boston College lacrosse from underdog to two-time national champion through culture over talent
• The Power of Unselfishness: Why putting the team before personal goals creates unstoppable momentum
• Leadership & Hard Conversations: The importance of tackling difficult conversations instead of sweeping issues under the rug
• Team USA Journey: The moment Acacia got the call to lead the U.S. Women's National Lacrosse Team to the 2026 World Championship in Japan
• Visualization & Mental Training: How mental rehearsal can be more powerful than physical practice
• Balancing Work & Family: Merging two worlds—coaching 40 athletes while raising three kids with family support
• The Role of Mentorship: How legendary coach Cindy Timshaw shaped Acacia's coaching philosophy and approach

Highlights:

00:00 Building Championship Team Culture 

05:41 Building Team Culture in Coaching 

10:35 Building Team Culture and Unselfishness 

15:27 Team Culture and Communication 

19:08 Team USA Coaching Journey 

23:56 Visualization and Mental Training 

28:44 Balancing Family and Coaching 

31:20 Team USA Follow-Up 

32:32 Podcast episode ended 

Insights:

• Culture beats talent in tight games. When it's tied and a championship is on the line, the team with stronger culture and deeper connections wins.
• The "you before me" mentality creates exponential returns. When 30 players all focus on empowering each other, everyone gets elevated simultaneously.
• The in-between moments reveal true character. Great coaches pay attention to how athletes treat each other on the sidelines, after wins, after losses, and when no one's watching.
• Mental reps are as powerful as physical reps. Visualization done properly from a calm state creates neural pathways that translate to real performance.
• You can't build culture alone—your staff must embody it first. Everything trickles down from leadership, so alignment at the top is essential.
• Hard conversations are skills that require practice. Avoiding conflict weakens teams; diving in, breaking it down, and working through it strengthens bonds.
• Redemption can be a powerful motivator. Acacia's drive to win stemmed partly from not winning a championship while playing under her mentor at Maryland.

Resources:

• Follow Team USA Lacrosse: Instagram @USALacrosse
• Follow Boston College Women's Lacrosse: Instagram @BCLacrosse
• Jerry Lynch: Sports psychologist who works with elite teams including the Golden State Warriors
• Dr. Joe Dispenza: "Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself" — explores the science behind visualization and creating reality through thought
• Watch women's lacrosse: Games now available on ESPN and other networks

Acacia Walker-Weinstein is a two-time U.S. gold medalist, head coach of the Boston College women’s lacrosse team, and head coach of Team USA, who will be competing in the 2026 World Championship in Japan.

Acacia shares how she built a winning program at Boston College—taking a team that had never won a national title to now holding two national championships, 158 wins since 2017—the most in the country—plus eight national semifinal appearances and multiple ACC titles.

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Join us in cheering on Team USA as they prepare for the 2026 World Championship in Japan!

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