"Life Lessons to Share" with Tom

My guest today is Coach Bob Bergman, architect of one of the very elite high school wrestling programs in the state of Ohio. Bob just completed his 16th season as head coach. His teams have won 4 state titles in Ohio, 11 league titles and 386 dual meets. He has led his individual wrestlers to 69 league championships. He's had 54 state qualifiers, 34 state placers, and 16 state champs. Ingrained in all those championships is a story of a coach and a program that develops, not just great wrestlers, but great competitors and great young men. Sit down and hold on, because when Bob starts talking about his wrestlers, his coaches and his family, he's off to the races with his drive and passion. He's a student of the sport and also a student of people and the process that goes into leading young boys toward becoming young men. My goal was to try to get Bobby to paint a picture of what truly is involved putting together and sustaining an elite top level program. He was really good doing this, but it wasn't easy for him. It is incredibly hard for him to use the words "I" and "me".  He's more at ease using the words "we" and "us". Here now is the 22nd guest to the podcast, Head Coach Bob Bergman Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Welcome back! I am so glad you are here...This is part two of my conversation with Jerry Snodgrass. Jerry is the 21st guest to the podcast and brings so much experience and insight. He has spent nearly 50 years in the world of high school athletics as a Coach, Athletic Director and former Executive Director of the Ohio High School Athletic Association.If you haven't listened to part one yet, don't worry. You can go back and listen whenever you have time.  Today, Jerry and I go deeper into Life Lessons of leadership, loyalty, trust, change, and the Do It for 19 Foundation, which Jerry is heavily involved in. This is a Story of Triumph over Adversity.So settle in. This is part two of my conversation with Jerry Snodgrass ...Master Class segments at:(2:30) When implementing change… people will accept change, but “people don’t like to BE change”(3:45) Loyalty from assistants, whether in coaching or in business, especially during challenging times, is essential (13:15) Leadership, Ethics, Academic Success (16:00) Developing your team - and, not just sports team - building trust and love(22:40) The future of high school sports… some possible concerns(29:20) Have the athletes of today changed over time? (not really)(32:05) The best coaches and teachers…(33:22) Handling adversity and the “Do It For 19” Foundation (37:17) What did we learn doing this episode together?Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Welcome... I'm so glad you're here! This Episode 31 (Part 1) is one that I think is going to hit close to home for you in so many ways. My guest today is Jerry Snodgrass, former Executive Director of the Ohio High School Athletic Association. Jerry has spent nearly 50 years in the world of high school athletics. As a coach, an athletic director and as a mentor to countless young people along the way. He's a passionate and compassionate soul who has a gift for building relationships with people that last a lifetime.I really wanted Jerry to delve deep into his own story and let it be okay to talk about himself. He delivered in true Jerry form. He shares his story and gives us a chance to get to know him a little better, while also sharing many valuable life lessons. Jerry still stays very busy, even in retirement, yet was kind enough to accept my invitation to be a guest on my podcast. But for those of you who know Jerry, you're not surprised at all he said yes, because you know Jerry always says yes. We talk about adversity and failure along with growth and triumph. We also explore some thoughts and various aspects of what good leadership looks like. But more than any title or role that Jerry's held, what defines this guy is his belief that the best lessons in life come from "Turning Adversity Into Triumph".I hope you enjoy Part One of my conversation with Jerry as much as I did. His passion and love for people literally is infectious. In Part Two, Jerry talks more about his personal story and the life lessons he's learned along the way. That episode will be coming up very soon and you're going to love it... Thanks for listening!Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

This episode is one you don't want to miss. Today, I talk with Steve Boehle, the 20th guest to the podcast. He's a former multi-sport, high school athlete turned marketing executive. It was a moment in a school cafeteria, sitting across from a young boy who told Steve, "school was the only place I get any food to eat". That changed everything for Steve. That experience motivated him to sell his marketing company. And, ultimately, led him to be the founder of Academy 48, a tuition free, nonprofit sports academy here in Arizona.  I wanted to learn the story of how this ultra-successful businessman came to have such a passion for teaching young people life lessons that only sports can provide. As you listen to Steve tell his story, you'll really start to understand why the title of this episode is, "School Sports, The Most Important Classroom".Thanks for being here. Thanks for just showing up. It means more to me than you know.******************************For more information about Academy 48, go to www.academy48.orgSend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Today's episode is about "coming full circle" and "unfinished business". My unfinished business is reconnecting with Mike Vicars. It's been 15 years since we last talked. What's most important is not why it's been 15 years. What's most important is how we got here, today.We both reached out, we both showed up and we both hope you enjoy the life lessons inside our story.Remember, you are never alone and there is always hope!Master Class segments at:(8:35) Showing encouraging moments by the coach(9:33) Learning to coach with love and trust to earn their respect (12:50) As the leader, it’s your job to build that family with unconditional love and trust(17:13) Learning the lesson of humility in both victory and defeat(20:20) The fundamental foundation stones you need to build a program(23:10) The strength in saying “I’m sorry” and circumstances that put us in awkward situations(38:35) The importance of always trying to inspire and lift them up by being genuine and passionate(41:55) What did we learn doing this episode together?Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Hi, thanks for being here. Today, I look back on an episode I did one year ago, "Life Changing Decisions to Make". As you know, this is my audio diary. If you ever get a chance, it's a great idea to make an audio diary or just simply journal. To be able to sit down and reflect on life as it's unfolded and that journey is really a cool experience. Something I've enjoyed in every single episode.Remember, you're never alone and there's always hope. Thanks for being here... now onto the episode. Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

This month marks one year since I started doing my podcast. This is the 27th episode. I've shared with 17 guests in the first 26 episodes. Today, I share life lessons with my 18th guest, good friend and personal trainer, Tyson Smith.Tyson's story is one we all can relate to so very well. From growing up with divorced parents, the relationships with his brothers, becoming a husband and girl dad to his journey becoming a personal trainer. For those of us who know Tyson, or thinking we know Tyson, you're going to learn much more about this interesting guy.If you don't know Tyson, sit back and enjoy this super relatable story with this girl dad fitness guru Tyson Smith. Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

In Episode 26 (encore), I get to share with you stories with the one person who has been the biggest part of my story, my wife, Lynne.  Lynne, and I look back on our life together over the past 45 years. We laughed, we cried, and most of all, we talked about all our life lessons straight from the heart. There wasn't ever any schedule of what we were going to talk about. We just started at the very beginning and we went from there. We hope, in sharing these life lessons, you can relate to our story in some way. We want you to know you are never alone and there is always hope!This is Part 1 of 2 for Episode 26 - Life With Lynne... A True Love StorySend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

In today's episode, I talk to Steve Arnold, Morgan Arnold-Slone and Dr. Madison Arnold... a dad and his two daughters. We talk "Family Dynamics in Sports".What made it work? Was it all worth it?... and the life lessons they learned along their journey. Team Arnold, indeed a dynamic family with great life lessons to share.This is an episode every family involved in sports should listen to. A Master class of Family Dynamics in Sports.Be sure to pay close attention. There is one great life lesson to learn after another.  I hope you enjoy the episode.#neveralone #alwayshope Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

My guest today, Kevin Katafias, is someone I've known for over 30 years. He was my principal in the school district where I taught, a fellow high school basketball official and someone I'm fortunate to call a friend. Kevin brings a wealth of knowledge and life lesson experiences to us all.He recently retired after 35 years in education. Kevin was a classroom teacher for six years, then a school administrator for 29 years. His roles included assistant principal, athletic director and school principal. He has officiated high school football 49 years and is in his 48th year as a basketball referee.Kevin shares life lessons on leadership and the importance of building relationships with people from his years as a school administrator and high school referee.#neveralone # alwayshope Master Class segments at:(3:10) As a leader, building a relationship with your staff(5:40) Each leader has their own unique style of leadership that works and fits to their personality(10:50) Handling the challenges of today’s teachers, students and parents (15:00) Having time to communicate is so important (19:10) Advice for beginning teachers(23:00) Characteristics great teachers possess(26:25) Common mistakes teachers can make and turn into learning opportunities (38:10) What did we learn doing this episode together?Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Today my guest is young, Mr. Noah Roundy. What's unique about this conversation with Noah is, as we were talking, I suddenly realized this was literally the first time he had ever taken the time to look back on his own story.Noah talks about how sports made a major impact on his life, family relationships and his own coaching journey. Also, the life lessons three influential coaches each taught him. He's honest, vulnerable and speaks straight from the heart. Be sure to have a great day!Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

"In the end... YOU are the one you've been waiting for!"You may or may not know my guest today, Suzanne McCulley, but after you listen to her story of life lessons, I promise, you'll want to be the first one in line to become a member of Suzanne's Fan Club. After listening to her story and her wisdoms, you'll want to do the same thing I wanted to do... just give her a big hug. This is a person of enthusiasm, bravery, strength, and a love for life.She uses words like honor, privilege, balance, and love. You'll also hear Suzanne use the words cancer, oncologist and chemotherapy.  Like me, I'm sure you'll be so impressed with how Suzanne allows herself to be so vulnerable in telling her story.#neveralone #alwayshopeSend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

As you travel on your journey in life, there are times you meet people who just make a major impact on your life. My guest today is one of those people, my friend,  Drew Grahl.  Drew was my athletic director for six years of my basketball coaching career. He came into my coaching life at a time when I was at my very lowest.This is a masterclass from one of the great leaders and great high school Athletic Directors.Master Class segments at:(5:25) Doing things the right way and having good people around you(27:20) When Hiring A New Coach(33:09) Get Out In Front Of Every Possible Situation & Don’t Cheat The Process(38:56) The "Chain Of Command" Process & Protecting The Culture Of The Program(41:30) Dealing With Today’s Parents(49:51) What did we learn doing this episode together?Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

 In today's episode, I talk with my very first guest on the podcast, John Cullen. When you listen to my conversation with John, you're going to hear and feel the wisdoms of John's words.We share our life lessons:being grandpas, a great time in both of our liveshow grateful we both are to enjoy our grandkids, their activities, sports and livesthe importance of just showing up and being present for the kids. John talks about these 2 beautiful thoughts..."emptying the tank in giving mode...""relationships, walking through life together..."#get3winstoday #putthatcartawaySend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Did you get your 3-wins to start your day?Jack, the Cart Guy, makes a visit. In today's episode, I'm sharing a story with one of my all time coaching rivals, Matt Hoiles. My story with Matt begins as intense rivals and grows into mutual respect. We talk about...The rivalry of our very proud high school softball programs. Matt's authentic story of growing up and coaching in his hometown. And, Life Lessons we learn and teach along our coaching journeys.Remember, you are never alone and there is always hope :)Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Did you get your 3 wins in today?Jack, the cart guy, asks us... "Did you put your cart away?" In today's episode, I talk with my very good friend, the one and only, Art Eli. This is a story of two guys who meet for the first time one night at a local high school basketball game some 20 years ago in 2005. Artie and I meet, we talk and we go on our journey together of basketball, coaching and family.Thanks for letting us share out story of Life Lessons with you!Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Did you get your 3 wins in today?Jack, the Cart Guy, makes a visit!Dear Teaching Friends (and, all Friends), as the school year starts...I miss you allBe sure to take care of yourselfThe most important person, YouDon't let the bad days winWhere have all the leaders gone?The Man in the Arena (poem)Don't Quit (poem)Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Did you get your 3 wins in today?Did you put your cart away?My original plan when I started to edit this episode was to start with the "Then and Now" segment. But after my life lesson experience this weekend, I wanna share with you that segment first. The experience this weekend was so touching, I have to share it without any delay.Segment OneA "Celebration of Life" CeremonyMy Visit With a Podcast ListenerSegment Two - "Then and Now" - are things different today than back in the day?Today's PoliticsToday's Schools, Teachers and StudentsToday's Parenting and Youth BehaviorToday's PresidentsPoems to ShareMan In The ArenaSelf-Confidence Don’t QuitSend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

In today's episode, I'm going to bring out four life lesson topics to share with you and see if we can make a connection. I suppose they could be considered a little deep, but just give me a chance to talk it through and let's see what happens.I separated them into four chapters...Chapter One / Self-Esteem and The Mirror TestChapter Two / Taking Control of My LifeChapter Three / Moving Forward with Parent StrugglesChapter Four / That Struggle, A Parent's View (with a Letter to My Children)I hope you enjoy today's episode. Let's share our life lessons together and see where that takes us.Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Doing this Part 2 with my wife, Lynne, sure brought us many laughs and great memories! We hope you are able to relate to some of our short-stories and have some laughs too!We travel back in time over the last 42-years of our marriage. We had so much fun looking back and reminiscing. We laughed about most of the stories now, but not so much when we were living them at the time ;)These short-stories will include the early days of our three children, Johnny, Abbey and Allison. We also share some thoughts about how we've stayed together all these years. And, we end Part 2 with where we're at now in our lives.These are all stories dear to our heart. We do get it, these stories are mostly personal and significant to us, but we still wanted to share. We had such a great time reflecting and had a ton of fun sharing.Maybe you will have a chance to reflect on your story and be able to think about memories you haven't thought about for a while. For us, once we started coming up with stories and memories, they put smiles on our faces. They even made us cry a bit. But, most importantly, we were able to share them together. That was very special. We start with a Top-10 List... David Letterman style. A list of Tom and Lynn's Top-10 "spats" of all time...I am grateful you are here :)Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Episode 14 is finally here! I have been looking forward to this. I get to share with you stories with the one person who has been the biggest part of my story, my wife, Lynne.  Lynne, and I look back on our life together over the past 45 years. We laughed, we cried, and most of all, we talked about all our life lessons straight from the heart. There wasn't ever any schedule of what we were going to talk about. We just started at the very beginning and we went from there. We hope, in sharing these life lessons, you can relate to our story in some way. We want you to know you are never alone and there is always hope!This is Part 1 of 2 for Episode 14 - Life With Lynne... A True Love StorySend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Did you get your 3 wins to start your day? In today's episode...I'm going to ask you, the listener, questions from life lessons my youngest daughter, Allie, and I talked about in Episode 12.Two very special guests are going to visit the podcast, as well. My famous grandson, Eli, and my famous granddaughter, Ella. We have one of the greatest five minute conversations a grandpa could ever have with his grandkids... IT WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH!!Also, an updated "Cart Story" :)Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

 Today I have a very special guest with me, my daughter, Allison.  She is 28 years old and youngest of my three children. Allie and her husband, Mike, are the parents of our grandchildren, Eli, seven years old, and, Ella, four years old.  Anyone who's ever met Allison, knows exactly what I mean when I say, "beautiful soul".  You're going to hear a story of a young lady who exudes love, joy and passion, who also has such a tender heart.Allison will share her story of life lessons as a young compassionate mom and loving wife. We hope you enjoy hearing our long overdue conversation!Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

I spent time talking with one of my longtime friends and assistant coaches, Chris Rawski...We started coaching together nearly 30 years ago in 1996, with a 9-year-old house baseball team that had his younger brother and my son on the roster.   We finished coaching together in 2021, with a 14-and-under travel softball team that had his daughter on the roster.  A coaching partnership that lasted 25 years. During those 25 years, we coached eight years together at the high school level, as well.Our story is one of loyalty, success, building cultures, of leadership and the importance of surrounding yourself with great people.I hope you enjoy us sharing this story as much as I did!Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Today's Episode 10 has two parts...PART ONE / MY WHY:I talk about...- why I started this podcast- how I put the parts of an episode together- some challenges producing an episode PART TWO / LIFE LESSONS:- I talk about four Life Lessons we shared in previous episodes and how each continues to impact our lives.LIFE IS GOOD SEGMENTS:- Attitude by Charles Swindoll- The Comfort Zone by UnknownSend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

I am joined today by a special guest, my 37 year old son, Johnny. We talk about our dad and son, coach and player story of life lessons from the past 30-years. This is a dad and son's perspective of me being his coach growing up and the pressures that went with that.  Hope you enjoy this special “Son and Dad” talk!PS. Today I added a fourth win to start my day. How about you?Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Did you get your wins today?In today's episode, I'm going to talk about:- My Coaching Accomplishments- Sports & The High School Experience- Successes and Failures I Learned From... and, three games I coached that caught the imagination of high school sports fans.Can you guess any of those games I'm talking about?Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

I cannot believe this is Episode 7 already. That is so cool...  The title of this episode is Life Lessons Rapid Fire. That's exactly what we're going to do. It's going to be rapid fire time.We may agree on some ideas and we may have to agree to disagree on some ideas. And, maybe as the rapid fire comes at you, you'll feel some personal  passion.Hold on... Here we go...#WinWinWin #3WinsToStartTheDayLife Is Good Segment Credit:"Our Deepest Fear" by Marianne WilliamsonSend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

In today's episode, I talk with an old friend of mine, John Cullen. It really doesn't matter if you know John or you don't know John. Like all of us, John has a story. A story the two of us spend time talking about and sharing eleven life lessons.I hope you enjoy listening to his story as much as I did.PS. Did you get your 3 wins to start your day?Life is Good Segment Credits:- Poem, Even Eagles Need A Push by David McNallySend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Did you start your day with those 3-wins we talked about in the last episode? - Did you get up this morning? - Did you make your bed?- Did you brush your teeth? In this week's episode, I'm going to share some life lessons I learned from a few mentors and influencers in my life. Life lessons that have impacted me to this day. I will also talk about some team-building ideas we can share.Hopefully, some of these life lessons we share will help you think about some  impactful people in your life and ways you can build your life-team.LIFE IS GOOD SEGMENT CREDITS:- Cara E. Yar Khan: The Beautiful Balance Between Courage And Fear | TED Talk- ATTITUDE by Charles Swindoll- The Man in the Mirror by Dale WimbrowSend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

In this episode, some real talk about…- following your dreams- dealing with tough times- getting back up when you fall Plus, - learning from successful people- leading with purpose- knowing loyalty matters- playing to win in life“Life Is Good” Segments “Would You Rather” Challenge“Your Favorite Teacher/Coach” Reflection“The Comfort Zone” PoemSend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Have you ever had life-altering decisions to make?I share some life decisions that have shaped my journey:- Making choices despite doubts- Commitment to achieving goals- Avoiding judgments based on appearances- Doing what's best in the momentMy story includes:- Starting college- Getting married and moving away, then returning home- Balancing family life, graduating college, and starting a teaching career- I'm living proof that determination and commitment lead to success"Life Is Good" Segments"Don't Quit" Poem"Self-Confidence" PoemSend us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

One more thing... Putting all those ideas together actually was a great challenge. So many thoughts going around in my head. Putting them all down in an organized way was tough.I'm sure I did some rambling and even left out some things. I want to add clarity and flow, as we move forward.Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Welcome to my podcast, “Life Lessons To Share” with TomIn this episode, I'm going to start my story at the very beginning, Growing Up.In future episodes, I'll get into family, being a husband and being a dad. Then, also being a teacher and being a coach. Those are what we'll call chapters in the story. Those chapters make up all the life lessons that I've learned and that I'll be sharing with you.- I know that everybody has a story, and, inside that story are events that shape who we are. - I hope sharing this story today has been a good thing. - Remember, you are never alone and there is always hope.- This podcast will be honest, sincere and straight from the heart.In each episode, I do not want to talk at you... I want to talk with you!Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!

Welcome to my podcast, “Life Lessons To Share” with TomCould we agree that, “EVERYONE HAS A STORY”?Have you ever thought, “IF THEY REALLY KNEW ME”?If you said, “Yes & Yes”… then we have “Life Lessons we can share”.This podcast will be filled with life experiences that, hopefully, will touch and connect with people, young and old. I’m 62 years old, have been married for 42 years and recently retired after 34 years in education. I believe everyone has a story of life lessons to tell. And, many times when we interact with others there are moments we say to ourselves, “if you really knew me you would definitely have a truer understanding of who I really am”.This podcast will be honest, sincere and straight from the heart.In each episode, I do not want to talk at you... I want to talk with you!LET’S GET STARTED!Send us Fan MailTo Share Your Thoughts... email Tom at:[email protected] FOR LISTENING!