Hoops Through Life

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On today’s "best of" episode we have Coach Luke Sheidecker. 

Coach Luke was recently named the head coach of the Missouri Western State University women's basketball team - CONGRATS coach! No matter if you've listened to this episode before or not, it's worth listening to again!

Luke has served as Assistant Director or Director of Basketball Operations at Southeast Missouri State University (on the men’s side) and at Southern Illinois University, where he transitioned to the women’s side. He’s also been an assistant coach at Indiana State University and head coach at Shawnee Community College, where he led one of the biggest turnaround seasons in NJCAA Women’s Basketball history—going from 0-27 to an incredible 30-3, winning both the Great Rivers Athletic Conference and Region 24 titles. Currently, Luke is the head coach at Wabash Valley College, where he’s coached over 50 players who have gone on to play at the four-year level, with more than 35 advancing to NCAA DI programs. In 2024, he was named the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association’s (WBCA) Coach of the Year for two-year colleges.

On this episode we discuss:

• Where the junior college recruiting process begins
• The number of student athletes he recruits each year
• The different levels of junior colleges
• Who junior college is appropriate for
• Questions you should ask junior college coaches when on visits
• How to find a junior college coach who will help you get to the next level
• Common misconceptions of junior colleges
• Importance of finding a coach that can coach you
• Getting the right people in your circle

And much more!

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

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The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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On today’s episode we have Dr. Vanessa Shannon. Dr. Shannon is a certified mental performance consultant with over 15 years of experience.

• 2013-2015 - IMG Academy in Bradenton, FL where she served as a Mental Conditioning Coach, coordinated Psychological Test Preparation for the NFL Combine Training Program, and served as a Vision Training Coach for the Major League Baseball Off-Season Training Program.
• 2015-2022 - director of Mental Performance for the University of Louisville Athletic Department and Norton Sports Health where she supported the mental performance needs of over 600 student-athletes and 17 coaching staffs.
• 2022-2023 she was the Director of Mental Performance for the Cincinnati Reds
• Currently, Dr. Shannon is the founder of optimize consulting where she works with athletes, coaches, parents, and professionals in various business sectors to optimize their mental performance.

On this episode we discuss:

• Being “perfect with the process” vs “perfect with the outcome”
• Misconceptions of mental performance and who it’s for
• The role of acceptance during performance
• Practicing and building resilience during training

And much more!

NBA Mind-health Graphic

Optimize Consulting Website

Dr. Shannon Instagram

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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On today’s episode we have Coach Laurie Kelly. Coach Kelly started her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Minnesota State University-Mankato. She has experience as a head coach at Binghamton University and Northern Arizona University. She is currently approaching her 14th season as the head coach at Gustavus Adolphus College. Coach Kelly has broken records as a player and at pretty much every stop as a coach. She is the winningest coach in Gustavus women’s basketball history, and, most recently, led the Gustavus program to win their fourth consecutive MIAC playoff championship. In the last four years combined, the Gusties have lost just seven games against conference opponents and have collected four consecutive seasons of 22 wins or more.

On this episode we discuss:

• What Coach Kelly looks for when watching student-athletes in person and on film
• The best first steps student-athletes can take in the recruiting process
• The importance of relationships in the recruiting process
• The step by step nature of the recruiting process and why you don’t need to figure everything out all at once
• Figuring out the right fit for you
• The balance of accepting offers vs doing your due diligence at the scholarship level

And much more!

Gustavus WBB Recruiting Form

Gustavus WBB Instagram

Gustavus WBB X

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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On today’s episode we have Julianna Quiring. Julianna is a certified nutrition coach and the founder of wellness with Julianna. She has experience working as a Performance Nutrition Intern with the Iowa State Athletics Nutrition Performance team; where she was the lead football nutrition intern. Julianna now works with athletes at all levels; empowering individuals to harness the power of nutrition, making informed choices that propel them towards their full potential.

On this episode we discuss:

• Macronutrients; what they are and how they convert to energy
• What to eat when you’re feeling sluggish during practice
• The importance of listening to your body and consistent experimentation
• How to plan how to fuel your body in anticipation of game days
• How to plan nutritionally for AAU weekends
• Female specific nutrition education based on your menstrual cycle

And much more!

Sweet Foundations Website

Julianna Instagram

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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On today’s episode we have Coach Zenise Chambers. Coach Chambers started her coaching career as an intern at her Alma mater - Averett University. Zee has experience coaching as an instructor at Point Guard College and as an assistant at Randolph college. She is currently the assistant coach and assistant facilities manager at Macalester College and the head coach of the Minnesota Metro Stars 16U team.

On this episode we discuss:

• What actions on the court can get a coach to STOP watching you
• Why context is so important
• The first steps you should take in the recruiting process
• Loving the process vs the outcome

And much more!

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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Instagram
Facebook

The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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On today’s episode we have Coach Christin Gowan. Coach Gowan has experience as an assistant coach at California State University-Stanislaus and Occidental College in Los Angeles; and experience as a head coach at Southern Vermont College. Coach Gowan just finished up her 6th season as the head coach at McDaniel College.

On this episode we discuss:

• Controlling what you can control
• What guards and posts should be able to do on court
• How to know if a coach is interested in you
• Why communication is KEY
• Mobility and being in shape

And much more!

McDaniel Women's Basketball Recruiting Form
McDaniel Women's Basketball Instagram

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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On this repeat episode we have Coach Sidney Parsons.

Sidney has recently started an exciting new role as the Valkyries (WNBA) director of player development. No matter if you've listened to this episode before or not, it's worth listening to again!

Sidney played four years at the University of Bridgeport before spending six years playing professionally in Germany and another four seasons in Australia. She brings a wealth of experience, coaching professionally and working with clubs across Germany and Australia, and has presented at international seminars and clinics. She was an assistant coach for the German Women’s National Team at the 2024 Paris Olympics and was a full-time coach with the German national program. Sidney served as the head coach for the U20 team, an assistant coach for the senior national team, and worked closely on player development with high-potential athletes.

On this episode we discuss:

• The process to playing professionally overseas
• Common misconceptions USA athletes have about playing internationally
• Questions to ask when vetting an agent
• The foundational skills you need as an athlete
• How to add mental stressors to workouts

And much more!

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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Instagram
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The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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On today’s episode we have Coach Anthony Tucker. Anthony played for the University of Iowa and Minnesota State University Moorhead; where he was named to the All-Conference and All-Region teams. After college Anthony had an 11 year professional career spanning nine countries and including four finals appearances, one MVP award, one scoring title, and three assist titles. He also played in the NBA G League for the Windy City Bulls. His coaching experience spans from AAU to high school varsity, and he is the founder and head trainer at Hoop Habits; whose training method is designed to not only develop skills, but to teach athletes how to apply their training techniques and concepts to live game situations. In the fall of 2025, he will enter his first season as the Head Coach of the Holy Family Catholic High School girls basketball program.

On this episode we discuss:

• Coach Tucker’s 5 pillars of player development
• The importance of building a plan and experimenting with development
• Why consistency is key
• Importance of open dialogue when training
• Creativity in development

And much more!

Hoop Habits Website
Hoop Habits Instagram
Anthony Tucker Instagram

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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Instagram
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The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

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On today’s episode we have Coach Bobbi Morgan. Coach Morgan has experience as an assistant at Widener University. She has experience as a head coach at Academy of Notre Dame, Haverford High School, Cabrini College, and Haverford College—where she remains the winningest coach in program history (notching 3 Centennial Conference championships, four NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, two NCAA regional finals, and is a three-time Centennial Conference Coach of the Year). Currently, she is the head coach at Ursinus College.

Beyond the collegiate level, Coach Morgan has worked with USA Basketball as both a court coach and assistant coach for National Junior Women’s Teams. In 2023, she helped guide the U16 national team to a gold medal at the FIBA Americas Championship. She has also been named an assistant coach for the 2024 U17 national team, which will compete for a FIBA World Championship.

On this episode we discuss:

• Tips to prepare for college level defense
• What coach’s are looking for when watching highlight and game film
• Why being proactive in the recruiting process is vital
• The skills that translate to the college level
• How to navigate multiple offers
• Questions to ask current student athletes when on a visit

And much more!

Ursinus Women's basketball Instagram
Coach Morgan X Account
Ursinus Women's basketball recruiting questionnaire

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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Instagram
Facebook

The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.

Send us Fan Mail

On today’s episode we have Gary Chupik. Gary is a professional mental performance coach, leadership coach, writer, and speaker. He’s the founder of Elite Mindset, a company dedicated to helping high-performers get better and be better. Gary has worked with players, coaches, and executives from the Houston Texans, Washington Huskies, Idaho Vandals, Stanford University, USA Figure Skating, Seattle Mariners, Limitless Minds (Russell Wilson’s company), Houston Texans, National Motocross Association, Crossfit Olympics, and more. He’s worked with high-performers in business from Microsoft, the FBI, police/fire, Amazon, Keller Williams Real Estate, Thrivent Financial, Boeing, NTT Global, and many more.

On this episode we discuss:

• Why self-leadership is more important than self-motivation
• The levels of leadership
• What self-leadership looks like in an athlete’s world
• Why it’s important to distinguish between what you want and what you really want
• The power of sport and leadership
• Practical strategies for in game and post game routines

And much more!

Elite Mindset Assessment - Use code "ELITE50" for 50% off!
Monday Morning Mindset Text Message
Gary Chupik Elite Mindset Instagram

If you have any questions for me or our future guests email [email protected]

If you're interested in connecting or working together, let's have a conversation - send me an email today - [email protected]

Check out Hoops Through Life on:
Hoops Through Life Website
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Instagram
Facebook

The views and opinions shared by coaches and other professionals on this podcast are solely their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Hoops Through Life. Hoops Through Life is an independent entity, not affiliated with any school or coach, and is not responsible for the opinions expressed by these individuals.