Episode 64: Coaching and Shaping the Lives of Young Athletes, with John O'Sullivan

John O'Sullivan is an internationally known TEDx Speaker and the founder of the Changing the Game Project, which he started in 2012. John is the author of two #1 bestselling books and a leading youth sports blogger and he is the host of the top-rated Way of Champions coaching podcast. He is a former collegiate and professional soccer player who has coached for more than 20 years at the youth, high school and college level, and he has served as a consultant for the United States Olympic Committee, US Soccer, USA Football, US Lacrosse, USA Swimming, Ireland Rugby, Aussie Rules Football, and many more. John was named to the National Advisory Board for the Positive Coaching Alliance and the National Association for Physical Literacy. What you'll learn about in this episode: Why John decided to write his book Changing the Game: The Parent's Guide to Raising Happy, High Performing Athletes, and Giving Youth Sports Back to our Kids John shares key points from his TEDx presentation on supporting youth in sports and recognizing the need to give kids positive sports experiences Why John's new book Every Moment Matters: How the World's Best Coaches Inspire Their Athletes and Build Championship Teams is the culmination of everything he has learned about kids' sports and coaching, and what coaching topics his book discusses Why self-awareness and understanding why you coach create an important foundation for being a great coach John relays a story of team culture and values from Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors about legendary coach Pete Carroll of the Seattle Seahawks Why John believes great leaders make every player feel invaluable even if they are not the most valuable, and why vulnerability and humility are the keys to authenticity Why every moment as a coach matters, and why intentionality and awareness help create memorable moments How to find out more about John's Changing the Game Project and John's upcoming book Every Moment Matters What advice John has to offer for parents who want to be supportive of their young athletes Why failure is an important learning opportunity and helps kids better prepare for adversity Additional Resources: Website: https://changingthegameproject.com/ Changing the Game by John O'Sullivan: https://amzn.to/2r1Hj6i Way of Champions Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2QuWfVb