This week on the Way of Champions Podcast we talk with hockey coach Damian DiGulian and volleyball coach Bryan McDermand in a discussion about how to return to sport. Not only do we dive into returning to play, but we also all about college recruiting, saving kids from getting burned out, and what youth sports could be as a result of the pandemic. Damian DiGiulian returns to Saint Michael's for his ninth season as the men's ice hockey head coach in 2020-21. DiGiulian, who has also coached in the USA Hockey development system, is just the third head coach since the program was elevated to varsity status for the 1982-83 season.  Click here for more information on Coach DiGiulian. Bryan McDermand has been coaching volleyball for over 15 years. On top of being a former collegiate indoor player/Open-level beach player, Bryan coached junior college, NCAA Division III, and NCAA Division I. Also, Bryan has coached juniors club full time and juniors in Beach Volleyball for the last  7 years. Visit his website at https://www.progressionvolleyball.com/. Highlights from the Podcast:  Bryan talks about why he created Progression Volleyball Damian discusses his coaching journey What does practicing during a pandemic look like? How do we come back as better sports organizations? Getting seen versus getting better 5 Things athletes need to consider when looking for a scholarship Can we return to sport and also save kids from burnout? The recruiting process, good and bad How important is character to the recruiting process? Club sports and why they are so expensive Adapting practice and competitions during a pandemic  For the month of October, get 60% off of the audio version of Every Moment Matters by clicking here.  Help Support the Podcast! Become a Podcast Champion! …and get FREE access to ALL of our online courses. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including:  Downloadable transcripts of the podcasts, so you don't have to crash your car trying to take notes! A monthly discussion with John, James, Jerry, and other special guests talking about the previous month's episodes and answering some of the FAQs we received that month A code to get free access to our online course called "Coaching Mastery," usually a $97 course, but yours for free for becoming a patron. Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences.  Thank you for all your support these past two years, and a special big thank you to all of you who become part of our inner circle, our patrons, who will enable us to take our podcast to the next level. https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions

#189 The Good, Bad and Ugly of Return to Sports Post-COVID with coaches Damian DiGulian and Bryan McDermand

The Way of Champions Podcast is brought to you by Changing the Game Project and hosted by Changing the Game founder John O'Sullivan. Each week we connect you with the top minds in sports, coaching, leadership, and building championship programs so you can take your athletes and teams to the next level.

Sports

Pete Steinberg is a leadership and innovation expert with extensive experience consulting with top Fortune 500 professionals. He also has more than 20 years of experience as an elite rugby coach, coaching the USA Women’s Rugby Team at two World Cups and the Rio Olympics. As a former U.S., international, and Olympic sports coach and commentator for major outlets such as CBS, ESPN, and Fox Sports, Pete has a track record of bringing teams to victory. He has won 11 National Championships with the Penn State Women, MARFU Men, and Temple Women rugby teams. He has also worked with the Men’s Eagles and other age-grade programs within the U.S. National team pathway. Pete was the Head of Coach Development for USA Rugby, leading the program as it became integrated into the World Rugby programs. Pete is also the President of Innovative Thought, a business consultancy focused on leadership and organizational development. He supports clients in the areas of innovation, leadership, strategic planning, marketing, recruiting and organizational development. Pete works regularly as an executive coach for senior executives of global companies. Website: https://www.petesteinberg.com/ Consulting Website: https://www.innovative-thought.com/ Book Page: https://www.petesteinberg.com/book Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Steinberg LinkedIn: @Pete Steinberg and @Innovative Thought Facebook: @Innovative Thought REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of soon to be named all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer! Click here to register and learn more.  PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS!: Programs such as UNC soccer and lacrosse, Syracuse lacrosse, Stanford Lacrosse, Middlebury College, Colby College, Rutgers University, and many other champions are using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next?  Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today.   Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a new software platform for youth sports clubs.  There are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams.  Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you’ve been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our most popular online courses, a $300 value. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including:  Downloadable transcripts of our best podcasts, so you don’t have to crash your car trying to take notes! A code to get free access to our online course called “Coaching Mastery,” usually a $97 course, plus four other courses worth over $100, all yours for free for becoming a patron. Other special bonus opportunities that come up time to time Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences 

#373 Pete Steinberg, Former World Cup and Olympic Coach for USA Women's Rugby, on Leadership, Coach Well-being, and the Difference Between a Great Culture and a Performance Culture

Former Navy SEAL, professional athlete, and entrepreneur Chad Metcalf (@chadmetcalf) is the author of Young Athletes’ Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness. Chad’s journey began when he was a child. A self-described ‘late bloomer,’ he had the importance of faith, self-belief and focus instilled in him at a young age, equipping him with a strong mental toughness that he would carry forward and apply to every challenge he faced.   Following a 12-year career in the SEAL Teams, he chased his PGA Tour dream. After running out of money for a third time he knew it was time to strike the balance between pursuing his passions and knowing when a new strategy was necessary, pulling himself out of negative mindsets, and using his setbacks to help him grow and move on to complete great things. He is firm in his belief that without his faith, growth mindset, and mental resilience, he could not have discovered what he was capable of.   Now, with an MBA and a new career under his belt, Chad remains committed to developing new skills and working hard to achieve his dreams. He is a firm believer that faith, determination, dedication, perseverance, and support are all that is needed to bring a dream to life, and he’s passionate about helping others to build the mental resilience required to make that happen.   CONNECT with Chad:  Young Athletes’ Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1961994011  https://www.audible.com/pd/B0CFNDGM1K/?source_code=AUDFPWS0223189MWT-BK-ACX0-363118&ref;=acx_bty_BK_ACX0_363118_rh_us  Signed Books (plus bonuses not included on Amazon)  https://www.mentaltoughnessandconfidence.com/yaugtmt-ebook--6572c  Summer Challenge for Parents to Offer Their Teens  https://www.mentaltoughnessandconfidence.com/summerchallenge REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of soon to be named all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer! Click here to register and learn more.  PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS!: Programs such as UNC soccer and lacrosse, Syracuse lacrosse, Stanford Lacrosse, Middlebury College, Colby College, Rutgers University, and many other champions are using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next?  Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today.   Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a new software platform for youth sports clubs.  There are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams.  Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you’ve been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our most popular online courses, a $300 value. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including:  Downloadable transcripts of our best podcasts, so you don’t have to crash your car trying to take notes! A code to get free access to our online course called “Coaching Mastery,” usually a $97 course, plus four other courses worth over $100, all yours for free for becoming a patron. Other special bonus opportunities that come up time to time Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences 

#372 Chad Metcalf, Former Navy SEAL and Professional Golfer, on the Key Components of Mental Toughness

 Colleen Munson concluded her 19th season at the helm of Western Michigan volleyball in 2023. During her tenure at WMU, Munson has posted 10 20-win seasons, including a program-record eight in a row from 2005-12. She has taken the Broncos to the NCAA Tournament in 2008, 2011, 2014 and 2023, including a berth in the Sweet 16 in 2008.   Taking over a program in 2005 that had finished better than third in the MAC West just three times since 1990, Munson has led Western Michigan to six MAC West championships, including outright MAC regular season titles in 2008 and 2023, MAC Tournament titles and trips to the NCAA Tournament in 2014 and 2023, and NCAA Tournament at-large bids in 2008 and 2011. Western Michigan had one of its best seasons in program history in 2023, as it won both the MAC Regular Season and Tournament titles on the way to a 31-3 record, its first 30-win season since 1983. The Broncos went a perfect 18-0 in the conference to become the first team to go undefeated in MAC play since 2014. Munson's squad also went unbeaten at home (14-0) and boasted its longest winning streak (21) since 1983. WMU hosted and won the Mid-American Conference Championship to punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament, its fourth berth under Munson. In the first round, the Brown and Gold ousted No. 7 seed Auburn in straight sets for its third NCAA Tournament win in Munson's tenure.   In our conversation today, we discuss with Colleen her approach to coaching and recruiting, the importance of developing your own players and knowing authentically who you are as both a coach and a program. We also discuss some of her accountability  and personal development tools she used this past year to have one of the most successful seasons in program history without bringing in any new players.   Connect with Colleen at Colleen.Munson@wmich.edu REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of soon to be named all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer! Click here to register and learn more.  PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS!: Programs such as UNC soccer and lacrosse, Syracuse lacrosse, Stanford Lacrosse, Middlebury College, Colby College, Rutgers University, and many other champions are using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next?  Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today.   Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a new software platform for youth sports clubs.  There are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams.  Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you’ve been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our most popular online courses, a $300 value. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including:  Downloadable transcripts of our best podcasts, so you don’t have to crash your car trying to take notes! A code to get free access to our online course called “Coaching Mastery,” usually a $97 course, plus four other courses worth over $100, all yours for free for becoming a patron. Other special bonus opportunities that come up time to time Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences 

#371 Colleen Munson, Western Michigan Volleyball Head Coach, on Authenticity, Accountability, and Developing Your Own Players Instead of Looking Outside Your Program for Solutions

 Steve Tashjian is the Founder of Elevation Project, which collaborates with elite organizations, communities, and institutions to build high-performance teams and systems.  Steve is an expert physical therapist, sports scientist, movement specialist, and director of high performance. He was the High Performance Director of the Columbus Crew of MLS before becoming the first full-time American performance specialist in the English Premier League, leading the Sport Science efforts for Everton Football Club. He led the high performance department for U.S. Men’s Soccer Team for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, and has prepared triathletes for the Kona Ironman, boxers for world title fights, supported Matt Fitzpatrick for the 2023 PGA Championship and US Open, and just announced a consultancy with AC Milan of the Italian Serie A.   Beyond sport, he has coached executive VPs at Stanley 1913, performance directors at the Phoenix Suns, helped the Colorado Rapids (MLS) develop organizational identity. Today we discuss his sporting journey, his work under high level coaches such as David Moyes and Greg Berhalter, as well as the importance of trust, collaboration, and much more.  Connect with Steve on LinkedIn here REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of soon to be named all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer! Click here to register and learn more.  PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS!: Programs such as UNC soccer and lacrosse, Syracuse lacrosse, Stanford Lacrosse, Middlebury College, Colby College, Rutgers University, and many other champions are using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next?  Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today.   Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a new software platform for youth sports clubs.  There are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams.  Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you’ve been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our most popular online courses, a $300 value. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including:  Downloadable transcripts of our best podcasts, so you don’t have to crash your car trying to take notes! A code to get free access to our online course called “Coaching Mastery,” usually a $97 course, plus four other courses worth over $100, all yours for free for becoming a patron. Other special bonus opportunities that come up time to time Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences 

#370 Steve Tashjian, Performance Specialist for US Mens Soccer, Everton, and AC Milan, on Trust, Collaboration, Leadership and Culture in High Performance Environments

Becky Carlson (@tfcoachcarlson) is in her 13th year at the helm of the Quinnipiac Women's Rugby team, where she led the transition from a new varsity program into a three-time national champion. As the original head coach of the Quinnipiac women's rugby team added in 2011, Carlson boasts an all-time record of 81–33-1 including back-to-back-to-back Division I NIRA national championship titles in 2015, 2016 and 2017. Under Carlson’s tutelage the program has been to nationals 6 out of 7 seasons and named 13 All-Americans.  Carlson is a graduate of the NCAA Coaches Academy’s Class #36 and the recipient of the 2015 Judy Sweet Award from the Academy. An author on issues in coaching and team culture development, Carlson’s most notable piece, “An Open Letter to the Athlete We Must Stop Recruiting" is currently one of the highest viewed articles on the business and networking platform, LinkedIn. Carlson has been a key advocate for women’s NCAA rugby and equality in athletics for over a decade. A fearless advocate for coaches at all levels Carlson’s mission outside of her coaching role at Quinnipiac continues to be education and advocacy in the area of supporting coaches and returning accountability and high standards to the responsibility of the student-athlete. To further this endeavor, Carlson is also a current student of the Tulane University law school. She is seeking a degree in Law specializing in Labor and Employment. Today we also speak about another article of hers on how college support staff are not properly trained to understand their roles in supporting coaches, and instead often undermine them.   Click here for her open letter to the athlete we must stop recruiting.   Connect with Becky at www.TheFearlessCoach.org   Connect on LinkedIn REGISTRATION FOR THE 2024 WAY OF CHAMPIONS CONFERENCE IS OPEN! Save $100 if you sign up prior to June 30, and save 50% per person for groups of five or more. We are headed back to Denver, CO August 9-11 at Colorado Academy. Our hotel blocks do fill up, so join Jerry, John and a panel of soon to be named all star guest speakers for the coaching event of the summer! Click here to register and learn more.  PUT IN YOUR BULK BOOK ORDERS FOR OUR BESTSELLING BOOKS!: Programs such as UNC soccer and lacrosse, Syracuse lacrosse, Stanford Lacrosse, Middlebury College, Colby College, Rutgers University, and many other champions are using THE CHAMPION TEAMMATE book with their athletes. Schools and clubs are using EVERY MOMENT MATTERS for staff development and book clubs. Are you?  We have been fulfilling numerous bulk orders for some of the top high school and collegiate sports programs in the country, will your team be next?  Please click here and grab yourself a copy of The Champion Teammate today.   Please email John@ChangingTheGameProject.com if you want discounted pricing on 10 or more books on any of our books. Thanks everyone. This week’s podcast is brought to you by our friends at Sprocket Sports.  Sprocket Sports is a new software platform for youth sports clubs.  There are a lot of these systems out there, but Sprocket provides the full enchilada. They give you all the cool front-end stuff to make your club look good– like websites and marketing tools – AND all the back-end transactions and services to run your business better so you can focus on what really matters – your players and your teams.  Sprocket is built for those clubs looking to thrive, not just survive, in the competitive world of youth sports clubs.  So if you’ve been looking for a true business partner – not just another app – check them out today at https://sprocketsports.me/CTG. Become a Podcast Champion! This weeks podcast is also sponsored by our Patreon Podcast Champions. Help Support the Podcast and get FREE access to our most popular online courses, a $300 value. If you love the podcast, we would love for you to become a Podcast Champion, (https://www.patreon.com/wayofchampions) for as little as a cup of coffee per month (OK, its a Venti Mocha), to help us up the ante and provide even better interviews, better sound, and an overall enhanced experience. Plus, as a $10 per month Podcast Super-Champion, you will have access to never before released and bonus material, including:  Downloadable transcripts of our best podcasts, so you don’t have to crash your car trying to take notes! A code to get free access to our online course called “Coaching Mastery,” usually a $97 course, plus four other courses worth over $100, all yours for free for becoming a patron. Other special bonus opportunities that come up time to time Access to an online community of coaches like you who are dedicated listeners of the podcast, and will be able to answer your questions and share their coaching experiences 

#369 Becky Carlson, 3x National Champion Coach of Quinnipiac Women's Rugby, on Becoming an Advocate for Coaches and Creating a Culture with High Standards in a Challenging Sporting Environment

#189 The Good, Bad and Ugly of Return to Sports Post-COVID with coaches Damian DiGulian and Bryan McDermand

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