Jason Leydon is an elite-level CrossFit coach - and, much like myself, a continuing education junkie. I’d been looking forward to this conversation, since Jason is not just very successful in his ability to develop athletes, but also very self-aware about his process and how he’s developed his knowledge and his methods. Jason is the real deal, and he can articulate exactly what he’s doing and why he’s doing it. In this conversation, we don’t just hit the nitty gritty details of developing athletes (although there is some of that). We spend a lot of time on Jason’s process for continuing to learn - and how he actually turns the things that he learns through books, seminars and courses into tangible results for his athletes and his coaches.

Check out more from Jason, Conquer Athlete & CrossFit Milford here:

• Instagram: @jasonleydon | @conquerathlete | @crossfit_milford
• Website: www.conquerathlete.com | www.crossfitmilford.com
• Podcast: Conquer Athlete Podcast

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Show Notes:

• [1:08] What’s up with Jason’s accent? Is this how people from Milford speak? And – the sudden and shocking end to Jason’s basketball career.
• [11:17] How to handle the sudden change in identity as an athlete who can no longer compete. And – the transition from athlete to coach, as well as the coinciding dedication to continuing education.
• [20:21] How does Jason actually apply the things that he learns from seminars, books and courses? How does Jason think about solving tangible problems with the material that he learns – and how does he go about asking for help when something isn’t clicking for him.
• [25:36] Connecting the practical, in-the-gym application of concepts with the theoretical learning that occurs in books or courses. Outcomes are often messy, so how does Jason figure out what’s actually working and what is just happenstance and chaos?
• [31:14] How does Jason teach coaches who work with him to hold the same standard of coaching? Not everyone is able to learn from courses in the same way, so how does Jason pass knowledge on?
• [37:00] How does Jason decide what his coaches need to prioritize in their coaching development? And, what lessons from learning to manage rowdy teens in a gym class are applicable to coaching adults?
• [44:24] How does Jason manage the sport-specific needs of his competitive CrossFit athletes with their long-term development? How does a coach prioritize what an athlete needs to work on – and how does a coach create sustainability for an athlete in the sport?
• [52:40] How to find out more about Conquer Athlete and the Conquer Athlete Podcast

Links and Resources Mentioned

• Michael Phelps on the Tony Robbins Podcast
• Jumpsoles
• Dan John
• James FitzGerald
• FRC (Functional Range Conditioning)
• Louie Simmons
• Juggernaut Training Systems
• “The 4 Disciplines of Execution” by Chris McChesney, Sean Covey & Jim Huling
• The Mamba Mentality by Kobe Bryant
• Kobe Bryant
• Brett Bartholomew
• “Conscious Coaching” by Brett Bartholomew