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Episode 14: Todd Hamer—"Change the Community, Change the City, Change the Country”
Fire it up! Coach Todd Hamer re-tells a story from Barack Obama about how a spark of inspiration can be enough to change the energy in another person, which can change a room, which can change a community, which can change a city, which can change a country.
In addition to over two decades of experience as a D1 strength and conditioning coach—with leadership roles at The Citadel, Marist, George Mason, Robert Morris University, and George Washington University—Coach Hamer walks it like he talks it. Not just because of his 595lb squat PR or 475lb bench, but by taking a true leadership role in his community by running for and holding a position on the City Council of Sewickley, PA.
Coach Hamer begins the conversation by sharing his philosophy of servant leadership that is simultaneously empathetic and selfish—empathetic by making an effort to meet the individual needs of each athlete to improve their life and selfish because that ability to improve people’s lives…adds value to his own.
“An athletic director once said to me ‘Your job is to make better athletes, stop worrying about building connections.’ And I said ‘If you don’t make connections, you can’t build better athletes.’”
CONNECTIONS continue as a theme throughout the discussion—connecting from coach to athlete, connecting to community, connecting to nature, connecting to people who may not share identical ideas or priorities. Hamer shares what he has learned from his leadership role in the community, how that has impacted his view on other current events and issues, and how small actions can be the catalysts to create larger types of change.
Chapter List
00:00 Introduction to Coach Todd Hamer
01:28 Defining the 'Why' in Coaching
07:25 Leadership Principles for Young Athletes
12:19 The Intersection of Leadership and Politics
17:34 Running for City Council: A Personal Journey
23:00 Human Rights and Community Leadership
25:00 Competence and Confidence in Leadership
26:22 Community Engagement and Cycling Safety Initiatives
30:23 Coaching, Leadership, and Community Responsibility
31:53 The Importance of Transparency in Governance
37:12 Perception, Reality, and Media Consumption
43:51 Patriotism, Accountability, and Finding Common Ground
View all episodes
By Nate HuffstutterFire it up! Coach Todd Hamer re-tells a story from Barack Obama about how a spark of inspiration can be enough to change the energy in another person, which can change a room, which can change a community, which can change a city, which can change a country.
In addition to over two decades of experience as a D1 strength and conditioning coach—with leadership roles at The Citadel, Marist, George Mason, Robert Morris University, and George Washington University—Coach Hamer walks it like he talks it. Not just because of his 595lb squat PR or 475lb bench, but by taking a true leadership role in his community by running for and holding a position on the City Council of Sewickley, PA.
Coach Hamer begins the conversation by sharing his philosophy of servant leadership that is simultaneously empathetic and selfish—empathetic by making an effort to meet the individual needs of each athlete to improve their life and selfish because that ability to improve people’s lives…adds value to his own.
“An athletic director once said to me ‘Your job is to make better athletes, stop worrying about building connections.’ And I said ‘If you don’t make connections, you can’t build better athletes.’”
CONNECTIONS continue as a theme throughout the discussion—connecting from coach to athlete, connecting to community, connecting to nature, connecting to people who may not share identical ideas or priorities. Hamer shares what he has learned from his leadership role in the community, how that has impacted his view on other current events and issues, and how small actions can be the catalysts to create larger types of change.
Chapter List
00:00 Introduction to Coach Todd Hamer
01:28 Defining the 'Why' in Coaching
07:25 Leadership Principles for Young Athletes
12:19 The Intersection of Leadership and Politics
17:34 Running for City Council: A Personal Journey
23:00 Human Rights and Community Leadership
25:00 Competence and Confidence in Leadership
26:22 Community Engagement and Cycling Safety Initiatives
30:23 Coaching, Leadership, and Community Responsibility
31:53 The Importance of Transparency in Governance
37:12 Perception, Reality, and Media Consumption
43:51 Patriotism, Accountability, and Finding Common Ground