Christopher Cramer is a soccer coach and blogger who is interested in all things coaching, leadership and development related.  Christopher seeks out conversations with practitioners, thought leaders, and experts in a variety of fields.

Talking with Toph — Podcast Teaser!

Sports

This episode is with my good friend Porter Garrison Terry.
Porter and I both coach in Oregon and have developed a good friendship over the
last several years. We connected initially on social media (twitter), and then
crossed paths at the fields on occasion. Eventually, it became a regular occurrence
that we would meet up for coffee, or lunch, to discuss a variety of topics
relating to coaching and the youth soccer landscape. 



We have scouted teams and players together, shared notes,
and have both given and sought advice from each other. 



Many topics and ideas have been tossed around about how and
when I would get Porter on the podcast. 



Last weekend Porter and I coached against each other for the
first time. Afterwards we went out to lunch. Over an hour later I decided to
pull out my phone and record our conversation. 



The plan was to do a “Quick Shot”—a short conversation about
a very specific topic. It ended up going over an hour. So much for a quick
shot. Maybe next time.



On this episode Porter and I talk about the player and coach capacity and how it might be the thing holding most of us back.  



This article on Culture and Environment speaks to it a little.



I also like this interview with Greg Vanney after Toronto FC's 5-1 loss to Eric Wynalda's Las Vegas Lights the other day in pre-season. It echoes some of the thoughts that Porter and I discuss in this conversation.



You can connect with Porter on twitter @PorterGTsoccer



You can connect with me on twitter @thisguytoph

#14 The  #1 thing holding us back – Porter Garrison Terry

My guest this week is Saul Isaksson-Hurst. Saul is a 1-on-1 technical coach that offers online programming at https://mypersonalfootballcoach.com/ and via his app of the same name.

He is also the host of the @mpfcpodcast

You can find Saul on twitter @MyFootballCoach

#13 Saul Isaksson-Hurst

This week I spoke with Joey Cascio (@SupremacyTF) about our journey as coaches. Balancing our ambitions and commitment to the craft while also being husbands and fathers. We talk about what we have learned along the way and what we wished we had known at the beginning of the process.

Joey can be found on twitter @SupremacyTF

He is currently coaching at FRAM and is a staff member of 3FOUR3

#12 Joey Cascio – balancing family, children, and your commitment to the craft



My guest for episode #11 is Doug Lemov, author of Teach Like a Champion and Practice Perfect. I was introduced to Doug's work while completing my graduate degree in teaching. Shortly after reading TLAC I had the opportunity to interact with Doug via social media. In the conversation he told me he had just started working with US Soccer and their new coaching education programs. Since that time I have taken the C and B Licenses and Doug's influence on those courses and the instructors is obvious.

As both a PE teacher and coach, I find Doug's work insightful, practical, and effective. It was a pleasure to have him on the podcast and I am confident you will enjoy this conversation.

You can find Doug on twitter at @Doug_Lemov

His blog is http://teachlikeachampion.com/blog/

Check out his books (links provided above) on Amazon.

#11 Doug Lemov – the importance of vulnerability

Here it is folks, episode 10 of Talking With Toph. Why is this of note? Because I set a goal at the beginning of 2017 to record and publish 10 episodes. It is fitting that this, my 10th episode, completes the goal and will be the last episode of the year.
Based on the feedback and responses I plan on continuing the podcast, though I have not set a goal for 2018…yet.
This is what I know:


 	I plan on continuing to record and publish episodes.
 	I will continue to invite on interesting guests to interview and converse with, but I will also look at some other ways to provide audio content. I will try some different formats.
 	Certainly, my goal for 2018 will be for an increase in episode frequency…though I haven’t decided yet on a number.
 	I just want to say thank you for listening this year and I look forward to continuing this journey in the coming year.

Today my guest is Paul Varian. Paul does a great job at the beginning of the interview explaining his background and expertise, so I won’t bore you by repeating it.
Instead of talking about coaching, Paul and I talk about how youth sports organizations are structured, the common mistakes made at an organizational level, and some ideas and tips of how organizations should operate more effectively and efficiently.
I honestly wish I would have be introduced to Paul five years ago.
This conversation most likely won’t interest everyone, but is packed full of great information for anyone working at a DOC or Technical Director level, and especially for anyone on the board of a soccer club.
You can connect with Paul on Twitter @paulvarian
Paul also encourages people to connect with him on LinkedIn where he publishes a variety of articles on the subjects of non-profit management and youth sports organizations.
You can check out his business at http://www.capitisconsulting.ca/

Talking with Toph — Podcast Teaser!

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