A coach I know called me last week saying she didn’t know who else to talk to about a problem. What she brought up is one too few athletic administrators give coaches much advice about […]
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Tag: Coaching
How Do My Goals Align with the Organization’s Goals?
In the rapidly evolving work and coaching environments, finding alignment between individual and organizational goals is of paramount importance. Aligning coaches’ personal aspirations with strategic organizational goals significantly and positively impacts the team and organization’s […]
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Aligning Personal and Coaching Goals: The Journey to Team Success
Many coaches grapple with differentiating their personal aspirations from their coaching goals, and how these two facets can be harmoniously intertwined. While personal goals tend to revolve around the coach’s individual development, coaching goals are […]
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What Is the Best Version of Myself? A Self-Exploration in Sports Coaching
Lao Tzu, an ancient philosopher once said: “Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom. Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power”. In coaching, the journey towards self-improvement and personal mastery is […]
Read MoreNo Shortcuts to Success
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Listen to Dr. Jeremy Piasecki and Aron McGuire, the CEO of USA Bobsled & Skeleton, discuss culture, leadership, stakeholders, competence, character, and the different pathways to success.
Read MoreConnection
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Listen to Dr. Jeremy Piasecki and Ben Gucciardi, of Soccer Without Borders, speak about culture, relationships, trust, feeling valued, connection, mental health, intention, social isolation, and developing people.
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Video: Making Awesome Happen
Watch as Dr. Jeremy Piasecki, Chris Snyder, of i9 Sports, and some special guests speak about developing athletes, youth sports, team culture, positive leadership, trust, changing the way we coach, respect, and making awesome happen. […]
Read MoreMaking Awesome Happen
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Listen to Dr. Jeremy Piasecki, Chris Snyder, of i9 Sports, and some special guests speak about developing athletes, youth sports, team culture, positive leadership, trust, changing the way we coach, respect, and making awesome happen. […]
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Why Am I Here / Why Are We Here Together?
Unpacking Individual and Collective Purpose in Sports Leadership Understanding one’s purpose in any venture can be the defining factor that determines success or failure, joy or discontent. The same holds for sports coaching, an occupation […]
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Understanding Your Organization’s Values: The Foundation of Effective Coaching
Coaching in sports goes beyond the realm of performance metrics and winning strategies. It shapes the culture of an organization and profoundly impacts athletes’ lives. At the core of this influence are the organization’s values, […]
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The Vital Role of Emotional Intelligence and Self-Awareness in Coaching
Emotional intelligence and self-awareness are essential elements in effective leadership, including sports coaching. Defined as the ability to recognize, understand, and manage our own emotions and the emotions of others, emotional intelligence has emerged as […]
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The Influence of Personal Values and Beliefs on Coaching
In the arena of sports coaching, personal values and beliefs act as an invisible guiding hand, shaping our interactions, decisions, and coaching practices (Hardy, Jones, & Gould, 1996). The Role of Values and Beliefs in […]
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Envisioning and Becoming the Best Version of Myself
The journey to becoming the best version of oneself is a personal and unique path that requires introspection, understanding, and a commitment to self-improvement. This journey is not about reaching a state of perfection but […]
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The Normalized Culture of Women & Girls in Sports
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This week on The Athletic Approach Manisha and Kristen dive into the impact & influence of women and girls in sports. Do women have a significant presence within the coaching ranks? What level of influence do […]
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Embracing Authenticity in Leadership and Coaching
Authenticity has emerged as a critical aspect of effective leadership and coaching. Leadership researchers often cite authenticity as a key characteristic of successful leaders, linking it to improved leadership effectiveness and employee engagement (Banks et […]
Read More Video: The Athletic Approach: Season 2 Episode 1: The Weight of Expectations for Women and Girls in Sports
What Are My Perceptions and Biases? The Unseen Factors in Sports Coaching
In the realm of sports coaching, this insight from da Vinci always holds true: “All our knowledge has its origins in our perceptions”. Our perceptions and biases, often operating subconsciously, can significantly positively or negatively […]
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Why Do I Love Coaching?
“Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximize their growth,” said legendary business coach, Sir John Whitmore. This sentiment rings true across all coaching domains, including sports. The passion for coaching sports goes beyond winning […]
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The Crucial Role of Self-Understanding in Leadership and Coaching
The realm of leadership and sports coaching is complex and multifaceted, with countless variables influencing outcomes. However, one factor stands out as particularly foundational: self-understanding. As leadership expert John C. Maxwell once said, “You must […]
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Coaches Do Make Mistakes
Coaches do make mistakes. Are these “mistakes” intentional or actual mistakes that a human being can make? Are coaches and other sports leaders willing to self reflect, identify toxic and abusive behavior, and take corrective […]
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Recovery From Toxic Culture
Teri McKeever, former head coach of the University of California, Berkeley’s women’s swimming and diving program, was recently fired due to allegations of toxicity and abuse from former athletes and staff. These allegations have been […]
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Video: Myths in Sports Psychology
Sport Psychology Myths
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In the final episode of season one the hosts breakdown common misconceptions when it comes to what a Sport Psychologist produces and experiences.
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Video: RELATIONSHIPS
RELATIONSHIPS
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This week’s episode breaks down the different scenarios and dynamics involved with relationships in sport. How can we get to know each other as people, deeper than just a coach player model.
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Video: Identity
Identity
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In this weeks episode the team breaks down the different facets of identity and how it relates to sports performance. Determining what kind of parts of identity allow us to get through challenges.
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Video: Goal Setting
Goal Setting
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In todays episode Bryce and Manisha break down the dynamics of goal setting. Reflect and re-evaluate, its ok that your goals can change. Develop a roadmap to combat challenges to your goals.
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VIDEO: FOCUS
FOCUS
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In todays sport mental performance conversation, hosts Bryce and Manisha discuss routines, how each sport requires a different focus, and focus control.
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Make Good Choices
Since my daughter was in middle school, me and my wife have told both of our kids to make good choices…and not eat yellow snow. Even though our daughter is 21 and our son is […]
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VIDEO: RESILIENCY
RESILIENCY
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Breaking down the importance of creating resiliency as an individual athlete, which can lead to mental toughness as a team culture.
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VIDEO: Visualization
Using mental reps to get positive outcomes for yourself, through being able to use your imagination. What’s the difference between day dreaming and being able to see positive benefits from imaginations?
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The Brutality of Burnout in Competitive Sport
The last few articles I’ve written here have been primarily focused on different Mental Skills and helping athletes reach their full potential and become the best athletes and people they can be. But we also […]
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Motivation
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Manisha and Bryce discuss the importance of mental performance and motivation for athletes, teams, coaches, organizations, culture, and leadership.
Read More Motivation – Video
Manisha and Bryce discuss the importance of mental performance and motivation for athletes, teams, coaches, organizations, culture, and leadership.
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Gain a Mental Advantage – Video
Manisha and Bryce discuss the importance of mental performance for athletes, teams, coaches, organizations, culture, and leadership.
Read More Gain a Mental Advantage
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Manisha and Bryce discuss the importance of mental performance for athletes, teams, coaches, organizations, culture, and leadership.
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Leadership Can Look Different to Each and Every One of Us
When I say the word ‘Leader’, we all probably think of someone different. Some of us may see a former coach, a player on our team, or someone entirely unrelated to sports. Leaders are everywhere, […]
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Being Distracted
Tom Brady had a tough game this past Sunday. Teammates, coaches, analysts, and fans can all speculate what happened on Sunday, but Tom Brady is the only one who truly knows what he was going […]
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Recognizing & Celebrating Resilience: The Key to Making this Season Matter
Back in the Summer of 2021, a time no one really remembers because time in this pandemic has truly been a flat circle, without much context within it, only recollections from before and some sense […]
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Education and Sports
Yesterday, Bryce Strecker wrote about “The ability to focus can become your secret weapon“. It was an extremely informative article that dove deep into understanding focus and assisting athletes to better focus. If you have […]
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The Ability to Focus Can Become Your Secret Weapon
I’ll be the first person to admit that I struggle to focus pretty often. I have a real ‘wanderer’ of a mind and that can make things difficult for me. Whether it’s trying to get […]
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Positive Coaching
Have you ever had a coach tell you that she believed in you? If you did, that coach may have been onto something. That same coach probably told you that he was proud of you […]
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The Start of the Confidence Rabbit Hole
Confidence… It’s something we hear about all the time both inside and outside competitive sports. It’s such a subjective topic that means something different to every person who talks about it, so I want to […]
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Athleticism And Humility At Its Finest, Justin “Jolly” Rogers; True Sportsmanship Leads To A New State Record
Readers, Justin “Jolly” Rogers is a remarkable athlete and person who recently broke the Pennsylvania State Meet AAA record with a vault of 17 feet 3 inches … utterly remarkable. Not only is he talented, […]
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Samantha Johnson: Soccer, Support, & Stars of the Future
This week Wes and Mike interviewed Californian soccer player, Samantha Johnson, who has been involved in the game since she was five years old. Samantha came from a culture of team bonding and this she […]
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Life in the World of Soccer
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This episode provides a glimpse into the world of soccer with Samantha Johnson. She discusses how she sought mentorship at different points in her life. We’ll also hear how important team bonding is, and so […]
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Video: Coaching from Dad
In this episode with Jacoby and Jaylen Jackson we get to listen to experiences with having a parent heavily involved in your sport. Jay speaks on having his dad on and off the court practicing, […]
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Why Sir Alex Ferguson Is One of the Greatest Premier League Managers
Sir Alex Ferguson is one of the most well-known football managers in the world but in particular in the UK and within Premier League football. This is due to his success as manager of Manchester […]
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Coaching from Dad
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In this episode with jacoby and jaylen jackson we get to listen to experiences with having a parent heavily involved in your sport. Jay speaks on having his dad on and off the court practicing, […]
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Lori Okimura: Volleyball Visionary
In the third episode of the second season of the Culture in Sports podcasts, Wes and Mike talk to World ParaVolley Sports Director Lori Okimura. Born and raised in Hawaii, Okimura grew up loving sports […]
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Video: What you don’t see
Carlo Ancelotti’s Coaching Skills to Get Real Madrid to the Champions League Final
Carlo Ancelotti is one of the most well known and successful coaches in the world of football. He’s managed many big clubs such as Chelsea and Bayern Munich and is currently at Real Madrid for […]
Read More What You Don’t See
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On this episode we discuss with Lori Okimura how important the behind the scenes support is for all athletes. From the Olympics volunteering, to breaking down the importance of behind the scenes and what that […]
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How Good Coaching Helped Ronnie O’Sullivan to be World Snooker Champion Again
This past weekend saw the final of the snooker World Championships take place at the Crucible in Sheffield, England. The final was between Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan who was looking to equal the record […]
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NCAA in Turmoil: Grambling, Swarbrick, and Emmert
This is without question a time of dynamic change or just plain turmoil in college sports. The last month has seen more than its share, culminating in last Tuesday’s announcement by National Collegiate Athletic Association […]
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Why Jurgen Klopp is One of the Best Coaches in Football
Today’s short video has Gerard Fanthom introducing himself and discussing what he does at Culture in Sports Link for the article is here: https://cultureinsports.com/why-jurgen-klopp-is-one-of-the-best-coaches-in-football/
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Why Cristiano Ronaldo is a Role Model to so Many
Cristiano Ronaldo is a Portuguese footballer who many argue is the greatest to have ever played the game. He currently plays for Manchester United but has also played for Sporting Lisbon, Real Madrid, and Juventus. […]
Read More Is Bad Behavior in Sports on the Rise?
Last week, Owen Woodward of the Weatherford College baseball team decided to run at full speed and tackle a base runner after his home run hit. While baseball is not known for hits, fights, punches, […]
Read More Repairing Culture Through Transparency: Rugby Canada’s Courageous Example
Amateur sports organizations everywhere are making headlines for the wrong reasons. Whether it is human rights abuses casting a shadow over the Winter Olympics, less than desired performances in a long-delayed Summer Olympics, or calls […]
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Negative Criticism in the Sports World
Steelers’ quarterback Dwayne Haskins was recently involved in a tragic fatal accident on April 9, 2022. As his family, fans, and the sport mourned his loss, sportswriter and analyst Adam Schefter came out with an […]
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Why Jurgen Klopp is One of the Best Coaches in Football
Jurgen Klopp is a German football (soccer) manager who is currently in charge of Liverpool Football Club. He has had successes in his home country when managing Borussia Dortmund winning the Bundesliga twice, a German […]
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Disappearing Pastimes or Resurrection of Old-fashioned Ingenuity?
In this golden age of plenty, we are surprisingly lacking the essentials more profoundly that ever before. I read an article which bemoans the increasing lack of sporting facilities in modern urban Australian cities. Obviously […]
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The Power and the Passion
I was in a debate with someone about the ‘power’ in an organization. The gentleman in question was adamant that the power came from the team and that they are responsible for the culture of […]
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Aleix Espargaro – Coached to First MotoGP Win
Last weekend was the Argentinian Grand Prix in MotoGP and history was made as the Aprillia team won their first race as did one of their riders Aleix Espargaro. At the Termas de Rio Honda […]
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The Getting of Wisdom
I’ll return to my roots as a librarian for this entry. A book came to my notice the other day; “Coaching Wisdom: Champion Coaches and Their Players Share Successful Leadership Principles: How Tony Dungy, Lou […]
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The Humble Hero
Tonight, Australia gathered or tuned in to farewell cricketer and sporting icon, Shane Warne. The Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG), where Warney was most celebrated, hosted the momentous event which featured politicians and celebrities and was […]
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Culture in Sports: We Focus on Athletic Success
Athletic success – what does that mean to you? The truth is that it likely means many different things to many different people. Think about it … if you were an athlete (or still are) […]
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Winning in the Moment: Sometimes You Need to Be Something You’re Not
Be something you’re not … so easy, right? (Hopefully obvious sarcasm) Any serious athlete has experienced this; you step up to a challenge, evolve as a competitor, overcome a personal barrier, or just (let’s be […]
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Remember When Playing Sports Was Fun?
Do you remember the first time you started playing with a ball? You probably felt an inner joy and enjoyed throwing, kicking, spinning, and juggling that ball. It did not matter what size the ball […]
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Coaching Is Truly About Helping Others Succeed
I read Jacob Hensh’s article True Coaches: Creating A Happy Sunset For Someone Else for Culture in Sports yesterday and recalled a conversation I had with him recently of why people decide to coach. We […]
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True Coaches: Creating A Happy Sunset For Someone Else
A true Coach is not really in it for themselves, he/she is in it for the athlete and the people they care about. They’re creating a future for the family they’ve chosen, i.e, a happy […]
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The Soul of Sports: Optimistic Coaching
In the course of reviewing titles for my school library, I have come across a book written by Darrin Donnelly called “Relentless Optimism” This little gem tells the tale of Bobby Kane and his encounter […]
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Values
Values in any sports organization are extremely important. Values of the organization show coaches, staff, and athletes what is important for the organization. CEO, presidents, GMs, and coaches’ values show what they believe, what they […]
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Has Ethical Responsibility Been Left Out in the Cold?
The principles of ethical leadership include honesty, justice, respect, community and integrity, these are of foremost importance in any environment and are perhaps even more important than having knowledge of the sport in which an individual […]
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Early Greatness: Is It Bad For Mental Health?
Greatness, no matter how long, sticks with a man. (Yes, I used the Gene Hackman reference from The Replacements again) But what is seldom thought about is, “What about greatness at an athlete’s early age?” […]
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Mean Girls
I was reading a social media post about bad behavior in relationships and I was astounded by the statement “boys will be boys”. Is this perhaps a sterling example of poor or toxic behavior being […]
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Leading Change
Combining my studies, my job, this crazy condition we find ourselves in globally, and the topics I explore for Culture in Sports, I have found that the most prevalent unifying issue is the constancy of […]
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Empathy and Greatness: The Altruistic Lifestyle of a Great Coach
“Greatness, no matter how brief, stays with a man.” (A quote from the great actor Gene Hackman at the end of the superb Sport drama The Replacements, yeah I am indeed “fanboying” that performance) But […]
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All Madden: Life and Coaching Advice from the Life of John Madden
The life of John Madden, who died on December 28, 2021, is a compelling story of a quintessential teacher and coach. It leaves us some clear lessons though to be drawn from his long, good, […]
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Lessons from a Great Teacher
The week between Christmas and New Years Day is a time of quiet reflection on the past year. It’s a time where the world seems to slow down after the buildup to the holiday and […]
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Sporting Ethics in the New Paradigm
In the latest Culture in Sports podcast, Mike and Wes discuss all things sporting ethics with Bioethics expert and author Art Caplan. Having suffered from Polio as a young person, Art became interested in the […]
Read More When Coaches Are Unwilling to Adapt or Change
Over time, there have been many athletes that could not adapt to higher level competition for a variety of mental, physical, or emotional reasons. Sometimes athletes choose to pursue other directions in their lives or […]
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Driving Change in Artistic Swimming Culture
The latest podcast from Culture in Sports features Californian coach, mentor, and elite athlete Ali Williams. Ali discusses her views on toxic culture within her sport of synchronized swimming, now known as artistic swimming, with […]
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Video: Experience, address, and assess Toxicity as an Elite Athlete
Do you want to watch the video version of this week’s podcast? Here it is! Ali Williams, an Olympic artist swimmer, discusses identifying and experiencing a toxic culture as an elite athlete.
Read More Experience, Assess, and Address Toxicity as an Elite Athlete
November 16, 2021
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Ali Williams, an Olympic artistic swimmer, discusses identifying and experiencing a toxic culture as an elite athlete.
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Sports don’t build character – You do
When I teach about character development with coaches and teachers, the first thing we do is to dispel myths. Myths such as the 10,000 hour rule and how participating in sports helps build character. THIS […]
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Culture & Climate in a Learning Environment
I recently had the pleasure of listening to a podcast for Culture in Sports. Jeremy Piasecki discusses with Wes and Mike the origins of the organization and the influences that shaped his perceptions on sport […]
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Why I Love Coaching
I am a coach. I have been coaching for a very long time, since I was a young teenager. It is something that I love to do. I love being on the field, pitch, deck, […]
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Compassion vs Judgement
We need to cultivate a culture that judges (evaluates) process, not people. The Reality Whether in a corporate or athletic setting, we do not explicitly discuss what we should or want to judge. We also […]
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Agree to Disagree? Why Embracing Disagreements Improves Culture
Recently, I read an article from the Harvard Business Review on why disagreements were so vital for a thriving culture. It really made me stop and think about my experience working with teams. At what […]
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One Thing That a Coach Can Work on Today
As a coach, I always had about 100 tasks, ideas, things that I needed to work on, or discussions that I wanted to have every day. I wanted each practice to be the best for […]
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Competence: It’s more than just doing the job
In a recent article by the Harvard Business Review (2020), 40% of recent graduates did not feel “job ready” and potential applicants would not even consider applying for entry level positions. They cited a lack […]
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Feedback: How to optimize learning and confidence
Carol Dweck is acclaimed for her work on Growth Mindset. It has provided material for educators and coaches for years. However, there is one area of research that I want to bring back into focus […]
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The Power of Perception: The Impact on Culture
This can be a tough pill to swallow, but the reality is this: The people we lead know us better than we know them. Why does this occur? Especially for so many well-meaning leaders out […]
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What Started as a Small Lie
No, I am not talking about players flopping on the field here. There was a World Cup qualifying match between Argentina and Brazil on Sunday. The match lasted a little more than seven minutes. The […]
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