Chris and Pat have a conversation about a very important practice among those who are great at something. It doesn't matter if you are a coach, a player, a parent, a student, a teacher, or whatever... if you are a human being, this conversation is relevant for you. We hope that you are encouraged and challenged. 

Chris and Pat open up a new season of The Coaching Life Podcast by taking time to talk with those who matter most when it comes to the topics this podcast is all about... the kids! In this episode, we hear from a number of different kids between the ages of 10 and 14. The interviews are raw, unscripted, and a lot of fun. We hope you will plan to join us weekly for another season of The Coaching Life Podcast. You can do so by subscribing, and please be sure to share it with others. Spread the love of the game! 

The guys received an invitation from local journalist, Alex Hawley, to be interviewed for a newspaper article about the podcast, and so this episode is a little change-up from what we're used to. We're on the other side of the interview. Here's a look into what The Coaching Life Podcast is about, and why we think we will want to keep doing it for another year. Special thanks to Alex for this interview! 

The guys give their thoughts about unwritten rules in sports. Why do they seem so important to some people? And should we give much credence to them? Oh, we have our own opinions... and we're not afraid to share them. Enjoy! 

The word "Elite" is used to describe a lot of youth sports teams, but do we really ever pause to consider what it means to be elite? That is the topic of conversation in this episode of The Coaching Life with Chris Stewart and Pat Martin. 

Have you ever considered the many ways we could be helping our kids to learn the valuable life lesson of taking ownership when they are playing a game such as baseball? That's what Chris and Pat talk about in this episode, with several practical in-game examples included in the dialogue. 

In Episode 61, Chris and Pat discuss an important role of coaching... helping our players to evaluate themselves. 

It is important to consider what each player's goals are for themselves and then help them to see whether their current course is helping them to arrive at those goals. Sometimes all they need is an honest conversation and encouragement to create the map for themselves that leads to their future goals and vision for the kind of athlete and person they want to be. 

After four weeks of silence, Chris and Pat are back to share some insight about how kids in all areas of the country, large cities AND small towns, can create their own opportunities to play college ball. 

In today's episode, Chris and Pat talk about something we may not always think about much or pause to consider as we are coaching today's youth athletes. How to instill a competitive fire in them; a wave of righteous anger, if you will, that makes them want to fight back and compete during a game. How to respond whenever it seems like you are getting "bullied" on the field. It's not an easy thing to discuss or to try to come up with the proper words to describe it. But it is certainly an important aspect of competition that ultimately separates the winners from the losers. 

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We'd love for you to reach out to us directly and tell us what you thought about this episode! You can find us on Twitter @TheCoachingLife and you can also email us at [email protected].

Thanks for sharing this podcast with your family members, friends, and fellow coaches. Be sure to remind them to SUBSCRIBE so that no one misses a single episode!

Chris and Pat *revisit a conversation about what really matters when it comes to evaluating our kids' sports performances. Too often, the car ride home includes words and emotions that could be avoided if we truly learned to focus on what really matters. 

In this episode, we discuss Chris's book, Building Champions: Coaching, Parenting, and Playing To Win in What Really Matters. If you are interested in purchasing a copy of the book, you may order from Amazon, or you can contact Chris directly and he will send you a signed copy. 

* This episode was originally published on October 27, 2019.